By rail to French Alps
Thursday October 15, 2009 - Email this article to a friend

There are some distinct adavantages.

For a start you don't have to use an airport which is a big plus as the experience of air travel has deteriorated sharply in our experience here at PlanetSKI. 

You can take as much luggage as you want and it is altogether a more relaxing experience as you sit comfortably in a seat and watch France slip by out of the window.

It is apparently a more enviromentally friendly option but not everyone agrees with this.

On the increaseWe will be travelling by train to the Alps this winter and will bring you a first hand report of the good aspects of it and the problems, so keep an eye open for that.

We have done the Eurostar service, which is direct from London to Bourg St Maurice in France, and it comes highly recommended. 

PlanetSKI reader, Adrian Lamb, has also used the train several times.  "It costs a bit more but it is a far nicer way to get to a ski resort and the journey actually becomes part of the holiday."

Sadly the legendary 'Snowtrain' was axed for this winter as it had become uneconomical.  It had been going for 20 years and we reported news of its demise earlier this year.

In the meantime see these routes to give you an idea of the journey.

The route to Chamonix.

London - Paris Gare du Nord, transfer by Metro or taxi to Paris Gare Austerlitz to pick up the overnight train to St Gervais les Bains, then take a local train to Chamonix Mont Blanc.

Journey times are from 14 hours 10 minutes and fares start at £124 return per person with accommodation in a 6-berth couchette on the overnight section of the journey.

The route to Bourg St Maurice, which serves resorts including Les Arcs, Tignes, Val d'Isere and others.

London to Paris Gare du Nord, transfer by Metro or taxi to Paris Gare Austerlitz to pick up the overnight train to Bourg St Maurice.

Journey times are from 11 hours 49 minutes and fares start at £124 return per person with accommodation in a 6-berth couchette on the overnight section of the journey.

Let the train take the strainThe route to Switzerland.

You can take a day train from Paris to Zurich, Lausanne or Basel. You can then pick up connecting trains to Chur, Landquart or Visp from where you can reach many of the popular Swiss resorts.

The route to Zermatt.

London to Paris Gare du Nord, transfer by Metro or taxi to Paris Gare de Lyon to Lausanne then take a local train to Visp and on to Zermatt.

Journey times are from 9 hours 42 minutes and fares start at £187 return per person in standard class.

The route to St Moritz.

London to Paris Gare du Nord, transfer by Metro or taxi to Paris Gare de l'Est to Zurich then take a local train to Chur and on to St Moritz.

Journey times are from 13 hours 33 minutes and fares start at £203 return per person in standard class.

If you are interested in train travel a new web site, Snowcarbon, is launching later this month.  It is all about train travel to the Alps.

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