Eurostar ski train winter 2025/26
For many years, Eurostar ran a direct ski train from London to the French Alps on winter weekends. Suspended during the pandemic, it ran as a Travelski charter train in winter 2021/22 & 2022/23. From winter 2023/24 onwards it has taken a different form, a Eurostar train to Lille Europe for an easy same-station change onto a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train to Moutiers & Bourg-St-Maurice. This 2-train combo will run again in winter 2025/6, but this year in the return direction there will be a choice of a Saturday or Sunday departure. It's also running for a slightly longer season.
London to Bourg St Maurice is 1130 km (702 miles).
* In the outward direction, this is an easy cross-platform interchange that takes 2 minutes.
** In the inward direction, you head upstairs from the platform to go through Eurostar check-in, passport control & security before boarding the train to London.
How much does it cost?
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Fares start at £125 each way in Standard (2nd class) class or £175 in Eurostar Plus (1st class).
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
How to buy tickets
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Buy tickets at www.eurostar.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.
Tickets went on sale in July 2025. www.thetrainline.com and www.raileurope.com can also book travel to the French Alps on any day of the week using Eurostar + normal French trains, booking for most French trains over the winter will open in October.
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For ski holiday packages combining train travel, transfers to the resort and chalet/hotel accommodation, SNO (www.sno.co.uk/ski-holidays/ski-train-ski-holidays) do a wide selection of skiing holidays by train to French, Austrian, Swiss and Italian ski resorts.
What are the trains like?
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London to Lille is by Eurostar train with cafe-bar, power sockets & free WiFi
Eurostar Plus (1st class) fares on Eurostar include a light breakfast outbound, a light meal with wine inbound.
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Lille to Bourg St Maurice is by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) ski train with catering, power sockets & free WiFi.
In contrast to normal Eurostar (formerly Thalys) trains, the Eurostar (formerly Thalys) ski train only has Standard & Plus classes (there's no Premier class on the ski train) and a tray meal is included in Eurostar Plus (= 1st class).
French Alps ski train connections
Dark blue line = route served by Eurostar Ski Train Light blue lines = bus or taxi transfers from rail stations. |
Which resort to choose?
Les Arcs is the easiest to reach, it's linked by a 10-minute funicular (mountain railway) ride up the mountain from Bourg St Maurice railway station at the foot of the mountain. It's a modern resort, good for beginners, and billed as 'home of the snowboard'.
You get a free ticket for the funicular to Les Arcs 1600 If you show your train ticket to the funicular staff, the free ticket also covers resort buses for onwards travel to your hotel.
Val d'Isère is a well-known resort higher up the valley, better for intermediate and advanced skiers than beginners.
Méribel is a big ski city with many British visitors.
La Plagne is a series of picturesque villages and tree-lined pistes.
Official resort websites & piste maps
Skiing in Switzerland, Austria or Andorra
You can also travel by train from the UK to other ski locations in Switzerland, Austria or Andorra.
For Switzerland, see the UK to Switzerland by train page.
For Austria, see the UK to Austria by train page.
For Andorra, see the UK to Andorra by train page.