The independent website to help you travel to ski resorts by train.
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Welcome to snowcarbon! If you're new here, or just want to know your way around better, here's our 60-second guide.
In the resorts and journey planner section, you can view hand-researched journey schedules for travel from the UK to 32 great ski resorts all over Europe, using our unique journey database. For each ski resort you can see in independent, multi section resort review written by our leading ski writers. And for each resort we'll show you available options for booking independent travel and rail-inclusive ski packages where available too.
You can use the train guides section to get an overview of what your travel options to ski resorts are. You can see what the trains are like, along with insider guides on how to book the lowest fares, the best tips and options for travelling overnight, tips and discounts for travelling with children, and an indepth guide on how to change station in Paris easily, and more.
The rail-inclusive ski packages section is a unique resource for finding ski holidays from a variety of ski tour operators with rail travel (and transfers) included at preferential rates.
We'd love to know what you think of the site, and any ways you think we could improve it. So please feel free to drop us a line with your thoughts or questions.
The Snow Train, the Eurostar Ski Train and other options
You might have heard of the Snow Train, with its legendary disco carriage, cause of many a hangover. Sadly, it stopped running in 2009. Rail Europe, which had operated the train for the past 20 years, has blamed the decision on “economic uncertainty”. We hope it will be back one day. In the meantime, the good news is that there are many alternative trains to European ski resorts.
If you are heading for the same Tarantaise resorts previously served by the Snow Train, including Les Arcs, Tignes, Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Brides les Bains and Meribel, you can take the Eurostar Direct Ski Train. It runs non-stop from London and Ashford, with both daytime and overnight services. The overnight train has a cafe bar, but only reclining seats rather than couchette accommodation.
If you'd rather travel overnight in comfort, you can take the Corail Lunea sleeper train, which has comfortable couchettes - and no disco carriage. The lack of partying at least allows you to get a decent night's sleep and arrive in time to hit the slopes next morning. Or you can take the City Night Line to resorts in Austria such as Alpbach, Hopfgarten, Soll and Zell am See - Kaprun.
Without the Snow Train, many overnight journeys involve a change of stations in Paris. However, this is easy to navigate by RER, taxi or even on foot. For full details on how to do it, see our guide to changing trains in Paris.
While the Snowtrain served only the Tarantaise area, overnight Corail Lunea trains from Paris can be taken to resorts in other parts of the French Alps such as Serre Chevalier Vallee, Chamonix, Megeve, St Gervais and Montgenevre. You can also reach Italian resorts such as Claviere and even Grandvalira (Pas de la Casa, Soldeu, etc) in Andorra.