Which resorts can I get to by rail?
Eurostar’s snow train will offer easy access to Les Arcs (connected to Bourg St Maurice by a seven-minute funicular ride) as well as Val d’Isère, Tignes, La Rosière and resorts in the Three Valleys. Travelski, Inghams and Ski Line all offer holiday packages within these resorts, but the latter two operators also offer holidays by train to Italy, Austria and Switzerland.
Skiline is also working on a partnership with Rail Europe to offer ski chalet packages with a return – via Paris – on Saturdays.
“Transfers are so expensive now, and lengthy, that we hope these chalet packages will be competitively priced,” said Angus Kinloch, managing director. “Plus, many skiers like to get home from holiday on a Saturday night, to have Sunday free to prepare for work.”
Last autumn, a landslide in the Maurienne Valley closed the line between Paris and Oulx in Italy, but UK operators hope this will reopen for winter 2024-25.
“This was a big seller for us pre-Covid,” said Kinloch. “When you arrive in Oulx, the Italian ski resort of Sauze d’Oulx is just 15 minutes away.”
“We’re also hoping to do something on the City Night Line, a sleeper train that goes through the Austrian Alps, because so many people – especially younger generations – are limiting their air travel now. A lot of skiers want to travel by train.”
What about extra border checks?
And finally, allow extra time at St Pancras this winter. With new EU border checks – expected to arrive in the autumn – requiring Brits to leave biometric data, including fingerprints, in St Pancras before leaving for France, skiers are warned to allow extra time at the station. While the Entry Exit System (EES) rules apply to all non-EU travellers headed for Europe, unlike airports where border checks are carried out at the airport when travellers arrive, French border control will carry out checks before passengers board ferries and trains from the UK.