Ski Trains to the French Alps

The Eurostar ski train takes skiers to the French Alps.

Trains leave London St Pancras International and go to Moûtiers (for the resorts of the 3 Valleys), Aime-la-Plagne (for La Plagne), Landry, and Bourg-Saint-Maurice (for Les Arcs, Tignes, and Val d'Isère).

After not running for two years during the pandemic the Eurostar ski train has returned.

In 2025/26, Eurostar Snow tickets are available for the Winter season from December to early April.

It is also possible to travel to the French Alps by train if you book the Eurostar to Paris, change trains there, and book the onward leg with SNCF.

Read about ski trains to the French Alps here.

Eurostar Ski Train | Eurostar to Lyon | Eurostar to Paris or Lille | Transfers

Ski Trains to the French Alps: Eurostar Ski Train

The Eurostar ski train sets off from London Saint Pancras International and travels via Lille Europe (change trains) to Chambéry, Albertville, Moûtiers, Aime-la-Plagne, Landry and Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

The service runs from 20th December 2025 to 4th April 2026.

The Eurostar ski train takes around 8 hours, which is a good deal longer than the journey by air, but the check-in time is less (60 minutes), and you arrive at a rail station that's closer to resort than any airport would be. It's a good option if you live in or near London.

Train travel produces much lower CO2 emissions than flying, so it's a more environmentally friendly way to travel.

Eurostar Ski Train - Outbound Route

The Eurostar ski train sets off from St Pancras International. It travels via Lille to the French Alps at around 186mph.

The stops in the Alps are:

• Chambéry
• Albertville
• Moûtiers, for the resorts of the 3 Valleys
• Aime-la-Plagne, for La Plagne
• Landry, for Montchavin, Les Coches, and Peisey-Vallandry
• Bourg St Maurice, for Les Arcs, La Rosière, Tignes and Val d' Isère

Eurostar Ski Train - Return Route

The return route is simply the outbound route in reverse.

Eurostar Ski Train - Timetable

The service runs from 20th December 2025 to 4th April 2026.

The outbound trip is during the day on Saturday, and the return trip is during the day on Saturday or Sunday.

This is the approximate timetable in 2025/26.

Times from London to the French Alps 2025/26

Station	Saturdays
London St Pancras	09.01
Lille	11.24/11.35
Moûtiers	17.00
Bourg St Maurice	17.45

Return times 2025/26

Station	Saturdays	Sundays
Bourg St Maurice	13.45	10.54
Moûtiers	14.27	11.35
Lille	20.00/21.05	17.18/1835
St Pancras	21.27	18.57

Note: these are local times. France is an hour ahead of the UK. Check in at least 60 minutes before departure.

Eurostar Ski Train - Inghams

Inghams offers packages with travel by train. The resorts available by train include Val Thorens, Méribel, Courchevel, Tignes, Val d'Isère, Les Arcs, La Plagne.

Transfers to resort are generally by minibus, but by funicular to Les Arcs.

Eurostar Ski Train - Travelski Express

Travelski Express offers packages with travel by train.

The resorts include Tignes, Val d'Isère, La Rosière, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Méribel, Courchevel and Brides-les-Bains.

Eurostar Ski Train - Alcohol Policy

The Eurostar policy is that alcoholic beverages can be bought on the train. They allow people to bring four cans of beer or one bottle of wine on board, but no spirits.

There are further restrictions on night trains, but there is currently no nighttime ski train.

Ski Trains to the French Alps: Eurostar ski train - Luggage

There's no weight limit for luggage, you just have to be able to carry your bags onto the train. An adult can take two bags (each up to 85cm long), one piece of hand luggage, and their skis or snowboard.

There are a number of banned items, including firearms, ammunition, military shells, grenades, tear gas, furniture, and perishable food like meat, fish and cheese!

Probably Eurostar are devotees of Jerome K. Jerome, and remember the anecdote he tells in Three Men in a Boat, in which the author takes two cheeses from Liverpool to London on the train, as a favour to a friend.

'Splendid cheeses they were, ripe and mellow, and with a two hundred horse-power scent about them that might have been warranted to carry three miles, and knock a man over at two hundred yards.'

He starts off sharing the carriage with seven other people, and ends up having it to himself. 'Cheese...makes too much of itself', he concludes.

Shared and Private Transfers with Alpine Fleet

Alpine Fleet ski transfers are easy, reliable and convenient. Based in Geneva, the company's founders Hugh and Simon are British and British-Italian. Find out more about Alpine Fleet.

Alpine Fleet offer shared and private transfers to Saint-Martin, Les Menuires and Val Thorens (and other ski resorts). Use the form below to get a quote in Swiss Francs, CHF. If you proceed to booking, use the code ValThorensG to get a 5% discount.

Ski Trains to the French Alps: Eurostar to Lyon

Eurostar used to run a year-round service from London direct to Lyon Part-Dieu, which was a stop on the London-Provence route to Avignon and Marseille.

That now appears to have stopped. You can still travel from London to Lyon by train, but you have to change at Lille.

Eurostar promoted the direct route to Lyon as suitable for the resorts of Les 2 Alpes, Alpe d'Huez, and Chamrousse, although they are much closer to Grenoble than Lyon. Still, Lyon is within a reasonable distance of those resorts, as well as the resorts of the 3 Valleys, and La Plagne, Les Arcs, La Rosière, Tignes, and Val d'Isère.

From Lyon Part-Dieu, you can take a train, for example to Grenoble (for Les 2 Alpes, Alpe d'Huez, and Chamrousse), to Moûtiers (for the 3 Valleys resorts), to Aime-la-Plagne (for La Plagne), or to Bourg-Saint-Maurice (for Les Arcs, La Rosière, Tignes, and Val d'Isère) .

It is also possible to get a private transfer from Lyon Part-Dieu to your ski resort, or a hire car.

Ski trains to the French Alps: Eurostar to Paris or Lille

You can book a Eurostar to Paris or Lille, then book travel by train to Moûtiers or Bourg-Saint-Maurice separately with SNCF. 

Ski Trains to the French Alps: Transfers to the Ski Resorts

Once you arrive at Moûtiers, Aime-la-Plagne, or Bourg-Saint-Maurice, you take the bus, or a private transfer/taxi, to your resort.

These are Eurostar's estimated transfer times:

Transfer times

Resort	From	Time
Méribel	Moûtiers	50 minutes
La Tania	Moûtiers	40 minutes
Courchevel	Moûtiers	60 minutes
Val Thorens	Moûtiers	1 hour 15 minutes
Les Menuires	Moûtiers	50 minutes
Valmorel	Moûtiers	45 minutes
La Plagne	Aime-la-Plagne	40 minutes
Les Arcs	Bourg-Saint-Maurice	60 minutes
Val d'Isère	Bourg-Saint-Maurice	60-90 minutes
Tignes	Bourg-Saint-Maurice	90-120 minutes

These transfer times are approximate, and reasonably generous.

For example the transfer time to Val Thorens is given as 1 hour 15 minutes; it can be 45 minutes with good weather and clear roads; the longest transfer time in my experience was 6 hours, on a very snowy New Year's week Saturday.