Getting the train? Total beginner here!

[tryingtosettle]

Appreciate any help you guys can offer!

I'm looking at going skiing in January 2023, I can ski but haven't been since I was a teenager a long time ago, when all the booking and organising was done by my parents. This will be the first time I'd be looking at being the organiser!

I'm hoping to get the train from any UK train station (I'm assuming St Pancras is the default?), totally flexible on the resort/destination. Would prefer France but it's not essential.

The only place I can see where I can book a package including train/transfers to resort is Travelski Express, but for some reason I can't book for 2023. Has anyone used these? When does booking open for the winter?

If not Travelski, please hit me with your recommendations!

Many thanks.

As far as I know, the Eurostar sleepers and direct trains to French resorts are now only available as part of a package, as you say.

There is an option for Austria. Austrian Railways (ÖBB) now run a number of Nightjet sleeper trains across Europe. Although the winter/2023 timetable has yet to be published, the current timetable has a Paris departure at 18.58 arriving Salzburg 07.20 next morning - and the return leaving Salzburg at 22.18 arriving in Paris at 09.42. You need to get a Eurostar at both ends of the journey from and to London, but leaving London on Friday afternoon and taking a Saturday night return gets you almost 8 days of skiing instead of the usual 6 days that a flight-based holiday provides.

From Salzburg there are a number of resorts all easily reached by public transport - train or train + bus - or by resort transfer minibuses (which leave from Salzburg Airport rather than the main station 15 minutes away). Examples - Bad Gastein, Zell am See, Leogang, Kitzbuhel are all on the rail network. A bus from Zell am See gets you to Saalbach or Hinterglemm.

For all things to do with rail travel in Europe, by far the best info is from The Man in Seat 61 (www.seat61.com)

Thank you that's great. I think I'm just feeling overwhelmed with it all, with no preference about what resort we go to its very difficult to narrow down how to get there!

We went on the snow train to bourg st Maurice many years ago. It was the most uncomfortable journey - the seats were rock solid and everyone just got really pissed.

Do you remember how far in advance you booked? I can't seem to book for January which surprises me.

Just bumping as its a new day.

Does anyone know when bookings open for January 2023 skiing?

Get the train to Lyon and then change on to Geneva where there are a million shuttle buses a day to every resort in the French and Swiss Romande alps. Look at the Portes du Soleil - Les Gets, Morzine etc.

You can get the train into bourg st Maurice where the station is practically in the car park for the furnicular up to Les Arcs. Or the train to Moutier and an easy 30 min taxi up to Meribel. I would go for Les Arcs personally as it will be nice and easy!

if you didn’t want to book via travelski then you can book London to Chambery on Eurostar and then Chambery to Bourg St Maurice. Then it’s straight up on the funicular to Les Arcs. That’s what I would do!

As PP suggested - man in seat61 is your friend, oodles of info on this!

I too thought the direct Eurostar (in 2022 it was the TravelSki express charter service....for 2023 who knows what will happen) was a great idea - until I discovered it's not a sleeper train. It's overnight, but you'll be in seats and probably surrounded by pissed noisy students. There are no beds. It sounds great to my 19 year old self...now....not so much. Really, really do you research before making assumptions about what this service is!

Better options (in my view) is just book a Eurostar + then a separate continental service for wherever you want. You will also have far more options.

Austrian alps - connect with the nightjet service, you can get to Innsbruck or Swiss alps also this way via Zurich. It's lengthy but the nightjet trains are new and look nice.

Western alps - eurostar to Paris and then trains via Lyon. In terms of resorts closest to the station, Les Arcs (via the funicular) super quick. I have been to Oulx which is very fast 15 min taxi to Sauze (nice for January) or Montgenevre 30 min taxi if you really want France.

Better to look at seat61 and snowheads have some useful live travel examples on their forums. Don't bother booking a package, it will be overly expensive and it's really not difficult to buy train tickets. You will have a lot more flexibility this way. You will be unlikely to be able to buy this far out though, so may have to wait.

Enjoy!

Eurostar tickets go on sale STC months before travel. That's probably why you can't book. And French trains are three months. Look at seat61.com for advice!

The Austrian Nightjet sleeper services offer the choice between aircraft-style seats, couchettes (bunks) and compartments with beds. The fancier you want, the more money you pay.

Back in the day (many years ago) the European rail companies offered overnight Ski Train services from Holland and Scandinavia to Austria which came complete with a bar and a disco carriage. Great if you were young and on a budget, but not so good for anyone wanting a quiet night's sleep.

I'm sure I've read somewhere that the Travelski service (which is not a sleeper) is dry, with carry-on alcohol banned - so not only do you have to buy the whole package including accommodation, but you then have to sit for hours without the benefit of a glass or two to dull the pain.

placemarking as we might attempt the train next year

Have a look at Snowcarbon - it's a very useful website that tells you how to get to ski resorts by train.

Have a look here for some more info: skiflightfree.org/travelski-express-returns-for-2022-23-with-new-timings/

I think it will be same deal as this year, you’ll need to buy everything through Travelski (transport, transfers & accommodation).

We did the ski train from St Pancras to Bourg St Maurice in 2019/20 and I can't say it's an experience I'd rush to revisit. The train left at 8am on Saturday and got in at about 6pm, so it's a looooong day of just sitting on your bum looking out the window. We were also hideously delayed after being shunted into a siding somewhere in eastern France because of an accident on the line. The tickets went on sale in August and we booked them as soon as they came out, because they book up fast.

I've looked into the ski train but it's much cheaper to book the Eurostar to Paris then the TGV to Bourg St Maurice/Moutiers. Requires a slightly hideous change i Paris (who doesn't enjoy wrestling children and luggage onto an overcrowded RER) but worth it to save 200 quid and have more flexibility about the timings.

Bumping as I am just looking at trains and Travelski. In previous years we have driven but it's a very long way and we need overnight stops en route which is a hassle. Also DC now all teens and we won't fit us and all our stuff in the car!
BUT the overnight train does sound awful. We've done a long haul flight with the DC to / from Aus so I'm hoping we can manage it....

We've booked the travel ski day train. It's a long way but no children involved so we'll just take snacks, books and Netflix to kill the time.

Did you have to book accommodation through travel ski too? I can’t find a way around that..

I'm not sure if you have to, but we did. I would assume it's a whole package thing, rather than mix and match.

@JoanOgden i recall watching a Youtube video about the connection in Paris and now oyu can book a taxi or uber and the drivers are allowed to meet you at end of the Eurostar platform - they stand with boards with your name on like at an airport. Then help get luggage into car and across to other station and can bring you and luggage down to departing platform. It seemed quite a lot easier than bygone days of wrestling kids/luggage/skis through one station to a taxi rank etc

For anyone else thinking of the train - this is a brilliant website (probs where a pp saw the changing in Paris video) www.snowcarbon.co.uk/