Eurostar Snow

For winter 2023-24, Eurostar launched a new service is indirect, combining two trains. It called it Eurostar Snow. Now skiers await Eurostar announcing what it will do for winter 2024-25.  So far there's no news yet, but Eurostar normally waits till July to announce these things.

This is how the service worked last season: you travel out on a Eurostar to Lille Europe station and change train there - just a switch of platforms, probably adjacent ones. Then you head to the French Alps on a Eurostar continental train. The service goes to the following stations: Chambéry, Albertville, Moutiers, Aime-La Plagne, Landry and Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

You can read ski writer Sean Newsome's review of the Eurostar Snow service in The Times.  The photo provided by Eurostar for the Times' article does look suspiciously AI-generated!

Also useful is an informative review of Eurostar Snow by Graham, founder of ski forum, Snowheads.

And a useful review of the Eurostar Snow service on the Ski Flight Free website, too.

While we wait, here are some thoughts about what needs to change about the Eurostar Snow service.

Seven days' skiing, eight nights' accommodation

The service is daytime both ways, so it's comfortable and relaxing. It departs London on a Saturday morning, and departs the Alps on a Sunday morning. That means you get eight nights in resort instead of seven and an extra days' skiing.

However, it does require finding eight nights' accommodation instead of seven. Almost all apartments and chalets work on a seven-night basis and won't want to give you an extra night, because that would shorten the following week for other guests. Hotels in resort might be more flexible.

If you can't find eight night's accommodation in resort, you may need to find one night's accommodation in one of the villages that the train departs from (Chambéry, Albertville, Moutiers, Aime-La Plagne, Landry and Bourg-Saint-Maurice).

Eurostar isn't planning to offer any accommodation suggestions for the eighth night, and so some research is needed. In this sense, it feels like the offer from Eurostar hasn't really been fully thought through, from a skiers perspective. It's a bit bizarre.

Some tour operators are planning to offer packages with eight nights' accommodation. Travelski are offering eight night's accommodation in resort (https://www.uk.travelski.com/travelski-express).
Tour opeators Inghams and Peak Retreats may offer one night in one of the station villages (but secured as part of the package).

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Eurostar Snow - winter 2023-24 outbound timetable

• First outbound departure: Saturday 16 December 2023

• Last outbound departure: Saturday 03 February 2024

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Eurostar Snow - winter 2023-24 inbound timetable

• First inbound departure: Sunday 17 December 2023

• Last inbound departure: Sunday 04 February 2024

How much do Eurostar Snow tickets cost?

The price of independent fares on Eurostar Snow journeys depends on whether it's a peak date or not, and whether it's Standard Class, or Standard Premier. 

• Standard class, non-peak dates: £99 one-way
• Standard class, peak dates: £149 one way
• Standard premier, non-peak dates: £149 one-way
• Standard premier, peak dates: £199 one way

A return journey is twice the price of a single. Tickets can be booked one-way in either direction, giving more flexibility to travellers.

Which dates are peak and non-peak?

Peak departures:

16 December 2023
23 December 2023
30 December 2023
06 January 2024

Non-peak departures:

13 January 2024
20 January 2024
27 January 2024
03 February 2024

There are no departures after 3rd February 2024. However, for dates after that, you can travel by Eurostar + TGV, instead).

Why is Eurostar Snow only running for half the season?

Normally, the Eurostar Ski Train had 17 departures each season. Eurostar Snow has only eight, stopping at the beginning of February. A Eurostar spokesperson told Snowcarbon: "Logistically, it was not possible for us to provide a Eurostar Snow service across those dates, but we are committed to increasing the frequency of options available to our ski destinations in the future."

What if you want to buy Eurostar Snow tickets, but don't know which resort you want to go to yet and haven't booked accommodation?

We asked Eurostar this question, and a spokesperson told us: "Eurostar Snow customers will be able to alight and depart from any calling station in the Alps if they change their mind on their arrival and departure stations after buying tickets."

Which ski resorts are served by Eurostar Snow?

Below is a list of ski resorts that you can reach with the new Eurostar Snow service. In brackets I've put approximate transfer times, by bus or taxi, for each ski resort (where I know it).

Resorts served by Albertville station
Arêches Beaufort

Resorts served by Moutiers station
Couchevel (30 mins), Doucy, La Tania (25 mins), Les Menuires (40 mins), Méribel (20 - 35 mins), St Martin de Belleville (25 mins), Val Thorens (50 - 60 mins) and Valmorel.

Resorts served by Aime La Plagne station
La Plagne (20 - 45 mins)

Resorts served by Landry station
Peisey–Vallandry (20 - 25 mins)

Resorts served by Bourg St Maurice station
 La Rosière (40 mins), Les Arcs (25 - 45 mins), Sainte Foy (25 mins), Tignes (45 mins), Val d’Isère (45 mins)

How to book seats or packages with Eurostar Snow

Independent fares can be booked on the Eurostar website:
https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/train/france/ski-train

Information about Eurostar Snow for winter 2024-25 will be added as soon as we hear anything about it.