There are several options to get you to the slopes by train:
Eurostar Direct Ski Train
The direct train takes you from London to the Tarentaise regions of the French Alps, with no changes.
Journeys run: daytime (Saturdays) and overnight (departs London Friday evenings, departs the Alps Saturday evenings)
Facilities on board: the overnight and daytime services both have café bars. The overnight service does not offer couchettes, so you can't lie down, but you get a comfort pack containing a blanket, blow-up neck cushion, snacks, magazines, toothbrush and toothpaste.
Destinations include: Brides les Bains, Courchevel, La Plagne, La Rosiere, La Tania, Les Arcs, Les Menuires, Méribel, Morillon, Morzine, Peisey-Vallandry, Sainte Foy, St Martin de Belleville, Tignes, Val d'Isère, Val Thorens and Valmorel.
Eurostar + TGV
Take a Eurostar from London to Paris, and then change station (which is easy by taxi) and take a TGV (and sometimes to a regional train, InterCity or RailJet train from there). A variation on this journey is to travel to Paris in the late afternoon or evening, stop over and take a TGV to your resort the next morning.
Facilities on board: Eurostars and TGVs have café bars. InterCity and RailJet trains have on-board restaurants and bistros.
Journeys run: daytime, daily, with more services at weekends.
Destinations include: French resorts such as Les Arcs, Méribel, Val d’Isère, Val Thorens, La Clusaz, La Rosiere, Les Gets, Montgenèvre; Italian resorts such as Sauze d’Oulx, Sestrière and Clavière; Swiss resorts such as Crans Montana, Verbier, Zermatt and Saas Fee, and St Anton in Austria.
Eurostar + Corail Lunea Sleeper Train
Take an early-evening Eurostar from London to Paris, and then change station (which is easy by taxi) and take a Corail Lunea sleeper train.
Facilities on board: Eurostar has café bars. Corail Lunea’s have couchette beds.
Journeys run: every day to most of the destinations served.
Destinations: In 2016 SNCF axed a lot of their sleeper services, but one Alpine route remains, from Paris to Briancon. This serves the French resorts of Serre Chevalier and Montgenèvre; Italian resorts, such as Sauze d’Oulx, Sestrière and Clavière; and Grandvalira in Andorra.
Eurostar to Lyon + Local Train
Eurostar’s new direct service from London to Lyon takes four hours. From there, you can change platform to a local train to complete your journey, giving you easy access to a wide variety of ski resorts
Facilities on board: Eurostars have café bars.
Journeys run: selected Saturdays during the winter season, with more days of the week in April.
Destinations include: French resorts, such as Les Arcs, Méribel, Val d’Isère, Val Thorens, La Clusaz, Le Grand Bornand, La Rosiere, Les Gets, Montgenèvre, Megeve, St Gervais, Alpe d’Huez, and Val Cenis.
For more about train options, visit the
Snowcarbon website.
The Ski Club's comprehensive
resort guides can provide you with plenty more information about all of the resorts mentioned here, many of which also host Ski Club Leaders and Ambassadors.
