Many people imagine that it takes forever to get to anywhere by train, let alone the foothills of the Alps. But with the direct Eurostar ski train from London taking as little as 8 hours, and comfortable night trains departing regularly from Paris throughout the season, you’ll be hitting the white stuff in no time. And with gorgeous scenery gliding by, it’s also an exciting way to get to the slopes, without an excess baggage fee in sight.

There are a number of different ways to travel to the Alps by train, and it’s easy to feel confused. So we’ve compiled all the options and everything you’ll need for planning your ski holiday by train into one handy post.

Eurostar ski train: London to the Alps by direct day train

The direct ski service, operated by Eurostar, is now open for booking on Loco2 for the 2012 / 2013 ski season.  This is the simplest way of getting to ski resorts in the Tarentaise region of the Alps, meaning the delights of Bourg St Maurice, Aime la Plagne and Moutiers are within easy reach.

Quick look guide:

Price: £149 return
Route: London St. Pancras to Bourg St. Maurice, Aime la Plagne and Moutiers direct
Frequency: Every Saturday morning December-April
Book: now for travel up to April 13^th 2013

How much does it cost?

The cheapest available fare on board the direct ski train is £149 return with a non-flexible standard class ticket. You can purchase more flexibility or upgrade to Standard Premier if you’re prepared to pay more.

How long does it take?

The direct daytime ski train is the fastest way to travel door-to-door. It departs London at a very civilised 10am and arrives a little before 7pm the same day, with a total journey time of 8 hours. We can’t recommend the daytime service enough. It’s a relaxing and comfortable journey, and it’s often quicker than taking a flight when you factor in time spent travelling to and from the airport and check-in.

The route

You can board the Eurostar direct ski train departs from London St Pancras or Ashford International. It travels direct to Bourg Saint Maurice, Aime la Plagne and Moutiers which gives you easy access to the popular ski resorts of La Plagne, Courchevel, Tignes, Les Arcs and Meribel, which can be reached via shuttle bus from the train station.

Frequency and timetables

Outbound trains depart London St Pancras on Saturday mornings only (at 10am). The train will call at Ashford International 45 minutes after departing London, before travelling direct to the Alps, pulling into Bourg Saint Maurice at around 6.20pm that evening. On the return journey you’ll need to be at the station for a departure around 9.30am on Saturday mornings.

The direct ski train is a seasonal service, which operates from mid-December to mid-April. During 2012/2013 the ski train service will operate from 21 December 2012 to 13 April 2013. Booking is open now for the entire season so you can purchase your tickets well in advance, this will give you the best chance of purchasing the cheapest fares.

How to book

The Eurostar direct ski train is simple to book online. Enter London as your departure point and Moutiers, Aime la Plagne or Bourg Saint Maurice as your chosen destination and choose a Saturday morning departure.

Make sure you’ve searching on the appropriate day of the week. Tickets can be delivered by post for a small fee, or you can opt for free delivery with print at home or collect at station tickets.

Baggage allowances

Passengers on the ski train are permitted one extra item of luggage per person at no extra cost, such as a snowboard or a pair of skis. This is in addition to the regular allowance, which permits 2 medium-sized cases (85cm at their longest length), and one item of hand luggage. There is a large baggage area in every carriage so you needn’t worry about struggling to pack everything in.

On board facilities

Eurostar ski trains the same as ordinary Eurostar trains with two classes of service, Standard, and Standard Premier. Standard class passengers can purchase snacks from the bar-buffet car as well some hot meals and drinks, alcohol and soft drinks. On the day train, in Standard Premier, you’ll be served a light hot lunch with wine, followed by afternoon tea.

Vallorcine train station near Chamonix

Eurostar ski train: London to the Alps by direct night train

In addition to the Saturday morning direct train there is also a direct overnight service. This is convenient if you’re pressed for time and want to maximise your time on the slopes, but it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The sleeping options on the train are limited to reclining seats so you may sacrifice comfort for the sake on convenience.

Quick look guide:

Price: £149 return
Route: London St. Pancras to Bourg St. Maurice, Aime la Plagne and Moutiers direct
Frequency: Every Friday evening December-April
Book: now for travel up to April 13^th 2013

How much does it cost?

The prices for the overnight Eurostar ski train are the same as the day service (see above). But if price is a concern, bear in mind that you’re saving the price of a night’s accommodation. However, it’s important to reiterate that the direct overnight train only has reclining seats, (no comfy couchettes) so if you’re a light sleeper it may not be for you.

How long does it take?

The direct night train takes longer than the service during the day, taking approximately 11 hours from end-to-end. You’ll be glad of the extra hours though as the slightly longer journey time means you arrive in the Alps at 6.30am, rather than the middle of the night. It’s worth bearing in mind that you’ll arrive in Moutiers and Bourg Saint Maurice very early, before the resorts open.

The route

The route is the same as the direct ski train that runs through the day. The train calls at Ashford International in the UK, before travelling direct to Moûtiers, then onward to Aime-la-Plagne and Bourg Saint Maurice.

Frequency and timetables

The main reason for opting for the night train is the extra time you get to ski. Outbound trains depart London St Pancras at around 7pm on Friday evenings only throughout the season, arriving early the next morning. The return journey is on Saturday evenings at around 10pm arriving in London the following morning.

As with the day ski the direct night train only operates during the ski season, from mid-December to mid-April. During the 2012/2013 season the first night train departs London on 21st December 2012 and the last one pulls out on 5th April 2013. Booking is open now for the whole season on Loco2.

How to book

Search for trains travelling between London and your chosen destination in the evening on the specified day of the week (Friday outbound, Saturday on the way back). You will see the direct Eurostar night train as an option in the results (hint, it’s the one with zero changes).

Baggage allowances

See above

On board facilities

Standard premier passengers can access the buffet car to buy hot food and drinks, alcohol and smacks. On the night train the buffet closes at midnight and re-opens at 5am for breakfast. If you opt for Standard Premier, your ticket includes a light hot evening meal, followed by breakfast in the morning.

London to the Alps night train via Paris

If you’d prefer to travel overnight but don’t fancy the direct Eurostar night service, we highly recommend opting for a ‘Intercités de Nuit’ sleeper train from Paris. This is a more comfortable overnight train with couchettes, which are lacking from the direct Eurostar service.

Quick look guide:

Price: £141 return
Route: London St. Pancras to Bourg St.Maurice, St. Gervais, Annecy and others, via Paris
Frequency: Most Saturday and Sunday evenings
Book: Book now for travel up to 8^th December, the winter timetable (for travel up to Jan) will be added on 11^th October

How much does it cost?

Combining the cheapest Eurostar return fare with a 6-berth couchette on the Intercités de Nuit in both directions means it’s possible to do the entire journey, including a proper nights sleep, for £141. This is based on a £59 standard class Eurostar ticket, and £41 each-way for a 6-berth couchette. Both of these are available to book via Loco2 for the same price as buying from Eurostar and SNCF directly.

How long does it take?

The Eurostar portion of the trip takes around 2 hours 30 mins. And the night train takes approximately 8 hours 30 mins. Depending on your connection times, and whether you choose to spend a few hours in Paris on the way, you can do the entire journey in around 14 hours.

The route

The Intercités de Nuit service runs to several locations in the Savoie region including Bourg St. Maurice, Aime le Plagne and St. Gervias. The clearest information comes from SNCF. We’ve reproduced a map of the route, with intermediate stops for your information. The train is called the Paris Austerlitz – Savoie route, which encompasses all the destinations which feature on the map.

If you’re travelling from London you’ll depart from St. Pancras international, arriving into Paris Gare du Nord. Sleeper trains to the Alps depart from Paris’ Austerlitz so you’ll have to make your way there via Metro. The two stations are on opposite sides of Paris but thankfully they’re connected by directly by Metro line 5.

Since the night trains depart quite late in the evening, 10pm or later, we recommend an afternoon departure in London, and dinner in Paris before you set off. Or take advantage of the left luggage facilities at Austerlitz and spend the whole day in Paris.

Frequency and timetables

The Intercités de Nuit services usually leave after 9pm, but can leave as late as 11pm. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are most likely to have timetabled night trains, but during the ski season there are trains departing Paris most days of the week. They become less frequent outside of the ski season (Dec-April). If you can’t find one, contact us via the Q&A section and we’ll do some investigation on your behalf.

How to book

Using the Loco2 booking tool enter London as your departure point and your chosen destination as arrival (see above for the route and available destinations). Search for trains departing in the afternoon if you want to go for the quickest journey time (i.e. only a couple of hours in Paris) and select the times which suit you.

If you want to spend additional time in Paris it will be necessary to carry out two separate searches, one for the Eurostar from London to Paris, and the other from Paris to St. Gervais (for example). Put the two tickets in your basket before proceeding to payment. Both portions will be available as postal, print at home and collect at station tickets.

Baggage

Eurostar permits 2 medium-sized cases (85cm at their longest length), and one item of hand luggage per person. You will have ample space for luggage and skis on board the night train but be aware of other passengers if you’re sharing a couchette.

Facilities

There are very basic facilities in board, just a vending machine with snacks and cold drinks and another serving hot drinks. Passengers are welcome to bring their own snacks on board, but since it’s such a late night departure we recommend eating in Paris before setting out.

If you want to find out more on trains to France or the French Alps, check out our France destination pages and our Paris and Bourg Saint Maurice journey guides with a step-by-step how to book trains to France.