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First train06:18
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Last train17:31
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Avg changes1
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Fastest journey7hr 51m
During the ski season, Eurostar run direct trains (both overnight and by day) from London to Aime-La-Plagne. In addition, there is a year-round option from London via Paris, travelling on a high-speed TGV from Paris to Aime.
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Head for the slopes with a direct ski train from London to Aime. It’s an easy and comfortable way to reach the Tarentaise Valley. For the upcoming 2017-18 winter sports season, the direct ski trains from London to the French Alps leave London on Friday nights and Saturday mornings from just prior to Christmas 2017. The last direct return journey from the French Alps to London will be on 7 April 2018.
Note that on the return journey back to London, Eurostar trains do not stop at Aime-la-Plagne. You should therefore book a single ticket out to Aime and, for the homeward journey, a single ticket from either Bourg-Saint-Maurice or Moûtiers back to London. Both stations are in the Tarentaise Valley close to Aime.
The daytime Eurostar ski train to Aime-la-Plagne offers a choice of two classes. These are called Standard and Standard Premier. The latter is broadly equivalent to First Class and includes complimentary meals and drinks (including wine). Whichever class you book, there’s plenty of space on board for you to take along skis or a snowboard without any extra charge. Remember that Eurostar require ski train passengers to check in at London St Pancras at least one hour prior to the scheduled departure time.
Tickets for the direct Eurostar trains to the French Alps went on sale on 19 July 2017 for the entire 2017–2018 winter season. These services are hugely popular and it pays to book early. Apart from the direct daytime ski train, Eurostar also offer an overnight service on this route, and there are also good options for travel via Paris.
London to Aime-la-Plagne
The daytime Eurostar ski train to the Alps sweeps out of London through Kent to its first stop at Ashford International, where more passengers join the train. Then it runs through the Channel Tunnel and stops briefly at Lille Europe for a crew change. From there, it’s a non-stop run to the Alps, skirting the east side of Paris and then dashing south on the high-speed line towards Burgundy. Running east from Lyon, the countryside becomes increasingly hilly.
Beyond Chambéry the train joins the Isère Valley, which it follows up into the Alps. The train stops at Moûtiers and then at Aime-la-Plagne. From there it is an easy transfer to the nearby slopes. The Eurostar journey from London to Aime-la-Plagne takes just under eight hours.
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Head for the slopes with a direct overnight ski train from London to Aime-la-Plagne. Eurostar’s overnight service from London and Ashford offers an easy way to reach the Tarentaise Valley. For the upcoming 2017-18 winter sports season, the direct ski trains from London to the French Alps leave London on Friday nights and Saturday mornings from just prior to Christmas 2017. The last direct return journey from the French Alps to London will be on 7 April 2018. As these are alcohol-free trains, passengers are not permitted to bring any alcoholic drinks on board.
Note that on the return journey back to London, Eurostar trains do not stop at Aime-la-Plagne. You should therefore book a single ticket out to Aime and, for the homeward journey, a single ticket from either Bourg-Saint-Maurice or Moûtiers back to London. Both stations are in the Tarentaise Valley close to Aime.
The overnight service to Aime is operated by a regular Eurostar train. So there are no couchettes or sleeping berths on board, just normal seats. Eurostar offer a choice of two classes. These are called Standard and Standard Premier. The latter is broadly equivalent to First Class and offers comfier seats and complimentary refreshments.
Whichever class you book, there’s plenty of space on board for you to take along skis or a snowboard without any extra charge. Remember that Eurostar require ski train passengers to check in at London St Pancras at least one hour prior to the scheduled departure time.
Tickets for the direct Eurostar trains to the French Alps went on sale on 19 July 2017 for the entire 2017–2018 winter season. These services are hugely popular and it pays to book early. Apart from the direct overnight ski train, Eurostar also offer a daytime service on this route, and there are also good options for travel via Paris.
London to Aime-la-Plagne (night train)
The overnight Eurostar ski train to the Alps sweeps out of London St Pancras through Kent to its first stop at Ashford International, where more passengers join the train. Then it runs through the Channel Tunnel and briefly makes a late-evening stop at Lille Europe for a crew change. From there, it’s a non-stop run through the night to the Alps, skirting the east side of Paris and then dashing south on the high-speed line towards Burgundy and beyond.
The train stops at Moûtiers and then at Aime-la-Plagne. From there it is an easy transfer to the nearby slopes. The overnight journey from London to Aime-la-Plagne takes about 9 hrs 30 mins.
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It is easy to travel by train from London to Aime-la-Plagne during the day. This route via Paris is available at any season. So even at times when the direct Eurostar ski trains are not running, it is easy to get to the Tarentaise Valley by train.
The journey from London starts with a high-speed run to Paris with Eurostar. In the French capital, you transfer from the Gare du Nord to the Gare du Lyon where you join a sleek TGV train for the journey to the French Alps. On many days, the onward journey from Paris to your final destination of Aime requires a change of train at Chambéry - and this is the route we describe below.
Bookings for the journey from London to Aime-la-Plagne normally open three months in advance. However, for mid-summer travel Loco2 is often able to sell tickets on this route four months in advance.
There are other options for travelling from London to Aime, with direct daytime and overnight ski trains from London on winter weekends. On those rare days when there’s an overnight TGV train from Paris to Aime-la-Plagne, it is possible to leave London by Eurostar late afternoon and connect into that overnight service from Paris to the Tarentaise Valley.
London to Paris
Board a Eurostar service from London to Paris. There are upwards of 15 trains to Paris from London each day with departures at least hourly from the beautifully restored station at St Pancras in London. The fastest trains speed to Paris in just 2 hrs 16 mins, with slower services taking up to 20 mins longer to reach the Gare du Nord in Paris. The first part of the journey from London sweeps through Thameside landscapes and rural Kent to reach the Channel Tunnel. Little more than an hour after leaving London you'll already be in northern France, tracking south through Flanders fields towards Paris.
Remember to factor in at least half an hour for Eurostar's airline-style baggage check prior to boarding your train. There is a luggage and body scan and you'll be asked to show your passport. There are no restrictions on taking liquids on board Eurostar trains.
Paris interchange: Paris Nord to Paris Lyon
When you alight from the train at Gare du Nord look for signs to the Metro and RER. Once you've bought a ticket follow the signs to 'RER D', direction 'Melun' or 'Malesherbes'. So long as you're heading in the right direction, all the trains on this line stop at Gare de Lyon. The actual train journey takes around 10 mins with just one stop on the way at Châtelet-les-Halles. Upon alighting from the RER train at Gare de Lyon, follow the signs to the mainline station. The signs read 'Accès aux trains Grandes Lignes'. The whole journey from the concourse at Gare du Nord to the mainline departure platforms at Gare de Lyon will normally take about 40 mins but we recommend leaving at least 50 mins.
If you are arriving at Gare du Nord from London, bear in mind that you can buy Paris Métro tickets at the Eurostar terminal at St. Pancras and on board the Eurostar train. Similarly, passengers arriving at the Gare du Nord on Thalys trains from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands can buy Metro tickets on the train (at the Thalys Bar). Although universally referred to as Métro tickets, they are in fact valid on RER trains too.
Paris to Chambéry - Challes-les-Eaux
The high-speed TGV trains from Paris to Chambéry leave from the Gare de Lyon in the French capital. There are up to six direct TGVs each day on this route. The journey takes about three hours with most trains making just one stop on the run from Paris to Chambéry. Some services are operated by double-deck TGV Duplex trains.
The journey from Paris to Chambéry in the French Alps takes in some very fine scenery. The train dashes south from Paris and before long you are skirting Burgundy vineyards. The last hour of the journey is through increasingly mountainous landscapes as the train cuts through the foothills of the Alps. In Chambéry, you’ll arrive at the modern Challes-les-Eaux station.
Chambéry - Challes-les-Eaux to Aime-la-Plagne
SNCF run about seven direct regional trains (called TER services) each day from Chambéry Challes-les-Eaux to Aime-la-Plagne. This schedule is supplemented by up to six SNCF bus services which follow exactly the same route up the Isère Valley to Aime. Our system clearly shows which services are buses and which are trains.
The fares and journey time are much the same, whether you opt for a train or a bus. The run from Chambéry to Aime-la-Plagne takes under two hours. Leaving Chambéry, the route skirts the Massif de Bauges. The last hour of the journey becomes ever more dramatic, with fine views of the Vanoise range away to the south. Sit on the right of the train or bus for the best views.
Other journeys to Aime-la-Plagne View all journeys to Aime-la-Plagne
- From Paris from £45.00
- From Geneva from £30.00
- From Chambéry from £14.00
- From Lyon from £28.50
Other popular journeys on Loco2
- Milan to Pisa from £11.90
- Darlington to Birmingham from £47.50
- Barcelona to Bilbao from £18.50
- Brussels to Berlin from £36.00
- Madrid to Barcelona from £29.50
- London to Bruges from £52.00