Travelling by train to French ski resorts

A snowHead

@MotownJunk, have you checked Trenitalia as well? They also serve the Modane to Paris route.

A snowHead

@sugarmoma666, Yes, sadly they only seem to have an evening service on that route on those dates. Hey ho, it’s booked so I can start getting excited now!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

For anyone overnighting in Paris and wanting an easy place to eat, I'd recommend the Brasserie Pizzeria d'Azur, at 7 rue de Lyon. It's a very short walk from the Gare de Lyon, opposite the end of the rue Parrot. They are open 7 days/week from 11am to midnight. We ate there on the way out and back. On the Saturday night they were very busy, but the service was still good - and friendly. Spag bol was 15 Euros, as was chicken and chips. A 50cl pichet of red or a half bottle of red was around the same price. Pizzas looked good too. I thought it was cheap for a restaurant in Paris.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

FINALLY, the reservations for Easter weekend are fully open. Thankfully we're in Paris from the Friday so we have more options to get down to Bourg, as the 1525 out of Paris is still showing as invalid with an interrail pass. If we'd been travelling all in one day, we couldn't have got to Paris much earlier than 1230, meaning we'd have been stuck with the 1730 out of Paris and not got into Bourg until 2245! We've come in that late just once before, and it was rough. Especially as we'd been on the 0600 out of our home station.

As it is, I'm on the 0656 out of Paris on April 4th, arriving in Bourg at 1148, and planning to ski all afternoon as I'll only have my own kit with me. Husband and kids are booked onto the 1130, arriving at 1630, along with all the bags. They'll taxi up to Les Arcs. Both direct trains.

It's a relief to have them booked at last. I had to keep the faith that they would release them, but it was starting to stress me out. My early train went live a week ago, so that restored some faith that it would eventually open.

We'll be overnighting in Paris on the return, too. I've booked our Bourg to Paris (direct) return, but not our Eurostar leg yet.

This is the first time we will have used all 4 days of our interrail passes. Normally at least one lapses.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

It's good to see this thread is still going strong. In January, we went to Le Corbier by train. This is ~25 minutes up the hill from St-Jean-de-Maurienne – Arvan, which about 4 hours from Paris on the high speed line to Turin. This line is served by both SNCF TGV INOUIs and Trenitalia Frecciarossa. As the Frecciarossa tickets were already available when we booked and a reasonable price we went with them.

Overall, I think I prefer the SNCF TGV experience. The Frecciarossas are single deck, so a less good view. Additionally, their luggage space isn't quite as good. In most carriages, there is no luggage rack at the end and everything has to go up on the overhead racks, including giant suitcases and holdalls. For reference, in the photo below, the nearest bag shown is my 78l holdall. That's a bit of a pain, as that's where I'd normally put put my skis and also involves some heavy lifting. However, after asking the numerous and very helpful staff, we found that Seats 1A&B in each carriage were reserved for luggage, so we could stand our ski bags up there.

I know people often comment that train travel is far more expensive than flying, so I'll tot up the cost of our travel here per head:

- Return bus fare from home to Didcot Parkway station £6
- Return fare from Didcot Parkway to St Pancras International £29.40 (using Two Together Railcard that we already have - would have been £43.80 otherwise)
- Return fare on the Eurostar to Paris £78
- Metro ticket from Paris Gare du Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon €2.55 each way, so ~£4.41 return
- Frecciarossa from Paris to St Jean €37 outbound, €75 back, so ~£96.91 return
- Taxis up and down the hill to resort, €18 each way, so ~£31.16.

Therefore, in total the door to door travel was ~£245.88 a head door to door, with no concerns about an airline not bringing our luggage with us. I think that compares quite favourably with flying, once you factor in the cost of getting to the airport, ski carriage or other luggage and transfer to resort.

As usual, we went over on the Friday afternoon and overnighted in Paris (€137.41 for a twin room with breakfast, so ~£60 a head). With the train times we had, we expected to be out skiing shortly after lunch, but we arrived during very heavy snow, which made getting up the mountain to resort quite slow but also made rushing out to ski less appealing than sometimes snowHead

You'll need to Register first of course.

It's a great thread @sugarmoma666, definitely worth keeping going.

That's a great price. There's no way you'd have done it for less than that flying. Not when you factor in petrol, parking at the airport, and transfers. I'm jealous of your cheap taxi up to resort. We'll be paying €100 each way for ours to Les Arcs from Bourg St Maurice.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

That makes much more sense! Breaking it between a large group definitely helps!

Heads up - for anyone overnighting in Paris ahead of a train trip from Gare de Lyon, I have been sent a referral code for the hotel we used in Jan. (about 200m from the station): Hotel Terminus Lyon.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Two weeks ago I took the overnight train from Paris to Briançon for Serre Chevalier. Not my first time, but I thought I'd report back.

- Booking: in my case, sales opened right when they were supposed to, but it is often not the case on that route. And sometimes there is a bus substitution, so be careful when you book.
- Pricing: I used points (only available to frequent travellers), rates are really high IMO especially in 1st class where they can exceed 200€ - not worth it at that point, as even 1st class is still fairly basic. 2nd class is fine. I'd just avoid the seats.
- Comfort: the refurbished bunks are a bit hard whatever the class, but the pillow and sleeping bag are decent. Some older bunks are sometimes mixed in and are more comfortable but lack power sockets! 1st class bunks are a bit wider, and being 4 by compartment instead of 6 means you can sit on the bunk. Otherwise not a huge difference. Lengthwise, if you're taller than 1.85m it gets tight. Temperature controls are wonky, top bunks get stuffy but have more privacy.
I generally manage to sleep a little but not a lot, maybe 5-6 hours. My friends fare better.
- Luggage: plenty of space, not a problem usually.

And a few points to have in mind:
- There is no real catering, you can preorder some snacks but it is not very convenient and you can buy instant coffee in the morning. A 50cl water bottle is provided.
- There is very little at Austerlitz station, so if you need supplies, buy them elsewhere, e.g. at Gare du Nord
- I got lucky, but on-time performance is abysmal (~50%), multi-hour delays do happen. I would not use this route on the way back if I had onward connections from Paris.

Basically, I'm never in a rush to repeat the experience but I appreciate the extra day of skiing! But in some cases, the price is so high that an afternoon train to Briançon plus one of the cheaper hotels there (e.g. Mont Brison or Hotel de Paris) would cost about the same.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

If anyone is traveling on the Eurostar Ski Train via Lille in the next few weeks, could you help out @hannahlucy89 with her information request here?

snow reports

Daniel from SnowCarbon posted a new review of the Travelski Night Express train:
https://mailchi.mp/c5cff8084c6d/should-you-book-your-eurostar-in-advance-of-your-tgv-10985216?e=8de474987b

@drporat,
Looks a step up from the cafe bar facilities of old out of Austerlitz, and may well be the next option to try for 26/7
I've asked him if he know when when they'll be releasing the timetable for next year - the earlier you book the Eurostar leg the better! And be great if they can confirm a full season service rather than just late December to March.
I guess the option is book your Eurostar leg, then wait and see if they're running it the week you want. If not, a cheap Paris hotel for the Friday night, and pick up an early morning TGV from Gare de Lyon.

Also - we took the train to Cervinia this year. Bit of a shlep from Turin, but noticed that the train stopped at Olux .
Checked the timetables, you can get an 8 am Eurostar, link to the 12:46 from Gare de Lyon, and arrive at Olux at 5:20. 15 min bus / taxi from there to Sauze. Sounds perfect for Milky Way aficionados.

You know it makes sense.

@drporat, cheers, that is a good review.

am still half tempted to use it on my return from les menuires at the end of march, i cannot make my mind up to ski the final day and catch the overnight train back, at 80euros for the journey it works out around half the price than the tgv and an overnight hotel in Paris.
though, the train on that date arrives in Paris at 9:15 am instead of 6:15(ish) the rest of the season, not sure why as it departs the same time, and my Sunday morning Eurostar is 11am ish. should be fine, but a bit touch and go, especially if you are at the back of the train alighting in Gare De Lyon.
also, not sure i want to subject the fellow occupants to my constant snoring and coughing, i may wake up in the middle of the French countryside somewhere Very Happy

its been a very long time since i have either been in a couchette or even a hostel with random fellow occupants

currently i have train/transfer options to leave LM mid morning on the Saturday and arrive in London late sat night (currently no cost to change Eurostar), or ski on the Saturday then transfer to moutiers on sat eve for a train to Paris, overnight by Gare Du Nord then take my current Eurostar booking.

i have nearly 3 weeks to make up my mind and be able to cancel some, or all, of my current options free of charge.

@Arctic Roll, that looks like a nice option to go somewhere like souze via the train, has given me an idea for a solo trip back there after a few decades Shocked

at first i thought it was a very slow overnight train arriving at Olx at 05:20, but when i looked up the current timetable i reaslised it was 17:20 the same day Toofy Grin

can i ask how much you paid for your sncf ticket, looking at prices for april (research purpose only), they are about 150 euros 1 way (first class), but a flight from london to turin on the same date is around £50!!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Arctic Roll, I think the question for Travelski Night Express next season is whether they will initially restrict it to packages around accommodation / transfers etc again. And then like this season open it up to train-only if the former fail to sell out / sell enough.

A snowHead

@Arctic Roll, did you take the SNCF TGV or the Trenitalia Frecciarossa from Paris to Turin? When we caught the Frecciarossa to Saint Jean de Maurienne it was heading on to Turin and then Milan ... or at least it was meant to be. We were probably about an hour out of Paris when they announced that it would be terminating at Modane due to an Italian strike and there would be buses from there Shocked

A snowHead

@terrygasson, sorry - should have written 17:20!
As an aside, the only issue at the moment is that the currently timetabled return on the 1 train on a Saturday (which I think is engineering works: there certainly was 2 per day for the first half of the season) doesn't get into Gare de Lyon until 19:15, which is veeeery tight for the final Eurostar of the day (20:09). But we'd booked to stay in Paris overnight anyway, so weren't trying, and got the first train out on Sunday.

We paid €631 return to Turin for 4 (1st class), so about €157 pax. Outbound was €303, inbound €328 - but then I did buy them early November, which may have helped...

@sugarmoma666, was booked via the SNCF website, and is listed as an SNCF train to Turin, but was in fact the Trenitalia branding and coaches. Suspect code-share like the airlines. Not quite as swish as the SNCF I didn't think, but good enough!

@ecureuil, true - although the implication from Daniel at Snowcarbon is that they're looking to provide it whatever. But you're right, as above: book the Friday Eurostar on the basis of it being available, then if it isn't get a Gare de Lyon hotel, and an early Saturday train.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Reading through some of the older threads on here, this video might be useful for anyone worried about crossing Paris:

http://youtube.com/v/xdGwK-rK4I4

My most recent trip by train was via Nice on the night train. Write up on Ski Flight Free here and video below:

http://youtube.com/v/GHG9sPkgDZU

You'll need to Register first of course.

I ended up paying for an accommodation at BSM that I no longer need, staying at the Hotel Base Camp Lodge - Bourg Saint Maurice on the 21-22nd March. Does anyone need this, or know of anyone who needs this?! Selling for only £40 (it is currently a lot more if you were to book online now!).

Help!!

Travelling by train to French ski resorts

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Resort Reviews and Trip Reports