You can book tickets for trains up to 3 months in advance, so today you can book tickets up until 14th January 2010. For journeys after this date, go online and book them “exactly” 3 months before you return journey date.

The way the ski train tickets work is that you go to Paris on the Eurostar from St Pancras, also bookable through Rail Europe, then you change trains to a French network train that whisks you to the Alps.

Resort Destinations with a ski train from Paris

Get off the ski train at Moutiers for the following ski resorts (transfer times in brackets).

Courchevel (30 minutes), Les Menuires (40 mins),  Meribel (20 mins),  Valmorel  (40 mins) and Val Thorens (35 mins).

Get off the ski train at Aime La Plagne for La Plagne ski resort (30 minutes).

Get off the ski train at Bourg St Maurice for the following ski resorts:

Les Arcs (35 minutes), La Rosiere (40 mins), Tignes (25 mins) Les Arcs provides perhaps the easiest transfer with a short funicular ride from Bourg St Maurice station up to Les Arcs 1600. All other resorts are accessible via public transport links, or taxi.

The above are the major well known resorts that people know they can travel to using the French ski train services. However skiiers often don’t realise that you can also get to other ski resorts easily by train.  These destinations also tend to be cheaper than tickets to Bourg St Maurice or Moutiers.

Get the ski train to Oulx for ski resorts Sauze d’Oulx, Sestriere, Montgenevre and Claviere.

Get the ski train to Briancon for ski resorts Serre Chevalier, Puy St Vincent and Pelvoux.

Get the ski train to St Jean de Maurienne for ski resorts Les Sybelles, Valloire and Valmenier

Get the ski train to Grenoble for ski resorts Alpe d’Huez, Les Deux Alpes and La Grave amongst others.

Most of these ski train destinations offer daily services in about 4 hours from Paris or overnight services in about 7/8 hours. If you take the overnight service then it works the same way as the old, now defunct, Snow Train you will be able to ski for 8 full days.

Book your ski train tickets now.

So first off, it’s the French rail network. Ok so most of you probably know now that getting to many French ski resorts is really easy by train. If you get the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris, and then change to a day or overnight train to the Alps from Gare du Lyon or Gare d’Austerlitz. It’s really easy to do, and can take about the same time as a flight if you live down south.

But……….. why on earth can the French rail network get it’s act in gear and release the tickets further in advance? Currently you can only book 3 months in advance, meaning you have to purchase your Eurostar tickets earlier (released 4 months in advance) to ensure you get the best price, which leaves you open to issues with the French train prices.

As far as I know, the French trains to the Alps have been running on practically exactly the same timetables for years now, so it’s not like they don’t know when they’re going to go, so why not get a grip and release them at the same time as the Eurostar, 4 months in advance! They’re supposed to be encouraging travel through Europe now from the UK by train, but if they can’t get such a simple thing as timetable release dates correct then I do wonder!!

Right, moan over. Seriously it’s a great way to travel, just remember to go online exactly 3 months before your trip and book your French trains on the Rail Europe website.

Rail Europe have just announced that the Snow Train will not run this season. Their website says “Unfortunately, the current economic climate and poor exchange rates along with an increase in our operating costs, has meant that the service would not be financially viable”.

I’m sure everyone who preferred the snow train to the long drive, or flying will be thinking oh no now I have to do the Eurostar overnight ski train or day ski train. Of course this is an option, but 9 hours in a train seat to the Alps is never a favourite start to your ski holiday (a weekend trip to Les Arcs via Eurostar overnight train I’m sure will be blogged about at some point.)

But don’t dispair, all the Snow Train was was a chartered  TGV. I’ve been on this service once and it’s only notable for its extremely sticky floored disco car. In recent years I’ve booked my ski train tickets independently, so I’ve booked a ticket via Eurostar to Paris and then the TGV/Artesia secion seperately from Paris to the Alps, you can book through Rail Europe.  Don’t worry you get overnight couchettes on these ski trains too.

Trains run from Paris Austerlitz or Gare du Lyon on a regular basis to Bourg St Maurice, several during the day and one overnight every evening in peak season.  Note the overnight train is a Corail Lunea which has the couchette options like the Snow Train.

Fares can be cheap, especially outside peak season. Last season I got tickets from London to Bourg St Maurice for less than £120 all in, £75 for a Eurostar return and £45 for Paris to Bourg St Maurice via Chambery. A taxi for the half an hour drive to Tignes ski resort cost 15 euros each (for 7), and it worked out much cheaper than flying even with budget airline prices. You can book at Rail Europe.

The cheapest way to get ski train tickets to the Alps is to book as far in advance as you can, tickets on the French network go on sale 3 months before the date of travel, so get online “exactly” 3 months before and get your tickets booked.

One thing that skiiers often don’t realise is that you can also get to other ski resorts easily by train.  These destinations also tend to be cheaper than tickets to Bourg St Maurice or Moutiers.

Get the ski train to Oulx for ski resorts Sauze d’Oulx, Sestriere, Montgenevre and Claviere.

Get the ski train to Briancon for ski resorts Serre Chevalier, Puy St Vincent and Pelvoux.

Get the ski train to St Jean de Maurienne for ski resorts Les Sybelles, Valloire and Valmenier

Get the ski train to Grenoble for ski resorts Alpe D’huez, Les Deux Alpes and La Grave amongst others.

Most of these ski train destinations offer daily services in about 4 hours from Paris or overnight services in about 7/8 hours. If you take the overnight service then it works the same way as the Snow Train you will be able to ski for 8 full days.

Book all these ski train journeys in minutes online at Rail Europe.

My final tip – if you are willing to sacrifice comfort for price, many of these ski train services offer reclining seats over couchettes, they’re often as cheap as 40 euros return from Paris, and you get a lot more leg room than on a plane (and much more than the Eurostar!)