New night ski train boosts rail travel to French Alps resorts

The launch of a new ski train this winter has underlined the growing popularity of rail transfers to resorts, with benefits often including a larger baggage allowance than flying.

The Travelski Night Express started in December and takes passengers from Paris to Bourg-Saint-Maurice (Savoie) on an overnight, eight-hour journey. 

There are 14 return trips between December 19 and March 20 serving eight resorts: La Plagne, Les Arcs, Tignes, Méribel, Val d’Isère, Les Menuires, Val Thorens and Courchevel.

The sleeper train leaves Paris Gare de Lyon on Friday evenings, arriving on Saturday morning, and leaves on Saturday evening arriving back in Paris on Sunday morning, giving travellers eight days on the slopes. 

The train is part of a package that includes transfers, accommodation, ski passes and hired equipment, if needed. 

Travelling from the UK

Travelski is also offering packages for travellers from London, which includes a Eurostar to Paris, and then the Travelski Night Express to the mountains. 

The cheapest offer for two people from January 10 to January 17 is around €1,293pp.

Sustainability is an increasingly important consideration for travellers booking holidays, according to Justin Francis, co-founder and executive chair of Responsible Travel. 

“There’s no argument really, taking the train over a plane is a lot kinder on the planet,” he says. 

“For me, it’s a much more enjoyable and relaxing way to travel as well. There are fewer queues to navigate, no restrictions on the amount of luggage you can bring with you, and more space to get up and move around.”

Eurostar also offers a ski service, taking passengers from London St Pancras to the Alps via a change in Lille. 

Bea Searle, 45, took the train with her two children, aged 10 and 12, in February half-term 2025. 

“It was all very easy, even as a solo parent (my husband doesn’t ski so stayed at home),” she says. 

“It’s actually less faff than taking the plane, even though it probably takes as long.”

The train stops at Chambéry, Albertville, Moûtiers, Aime-La-Plagne, Landry and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, which was Ms Searle’s destination. It takes just under eight hours.

“To get to Bourg, we’d have had to fly to Lyon and rent a car. The drive is at least 2.5 hours, and if you’re travelling on a Saturday, the traffic can be horrendous. With Eurostar, we got off the train in Bourg, and for us it was a short walk to our accommodation on the Grande Rue.”

Those staying in Les Arcs can take the Arc en Ciel funicular directly from Bourg-Saint-Maurice station to reach Arc 1600 in under 10 minutes. 

The Eurostar ski train departs London on Saturdays at 9.01 from December 20, 2025 to March 28, 2026. 

Returns from Bourg-Saint-Maurice run from December 27, 2025 to April 4, 2026. The trains depart on Saturdays at 13:45 and Sundays at 10:54. 

On the return leg, the change at Lille Europe necessitates going through border control and security before boarding your onward train to London. 

Planning ahead

“Book super early for UK school holidays – the day they are released,” advises Ms Searle. 

“We are going again this February half-term and I booked about an hour after tickets were released and they had almost all gone.”

Tickets are often released over the summer for the upcoming winter. In 2025, tickets were released on July 10 for the 2025/2026 winter season. 

Ms Searle paid £1,614 for one adult and two children in February 2025, and £1,890 for February 2026. 

“Bear in mind this is February half-term – it is definitely a lot cheaper outside of school holidays,” she says. 

“But if you compare with flights plus transfers in the same week, it's no more, possibly less, and more pleasant timings.

“I also like that the train runs Saturday to Sunday, as you get another day on the slopes, and there is a way more generous luggage allowance.”

Ms Searle recommends bringing some good reading material or downloading a series to watch to help pass the hours.

“But also, don't forget to look out of the window! The views closer to the mountains are spectacular.”

Another way to travel to the Alps is by taking a TGV or Ouigo train from the Gare de Lyon in Paris. 

Ms Searle has done this (taking the Eurostar to Paris, then local transport to Gare de Lyon) but said it is a more stressful experience than the Eurostar ski train.

“Changing trains in Lille was so easy, as opposed to changing stations in Paris. It can be stressful when the Metro / RER is busy, plus you have to leave lots of time between trains just in case.” 

French ski resorts reported a strong early surge in bookings for the 2025–26 winter season, as visitors seek to secure prime dates and benefit from early-season offers.