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Ski trains to the French Alps
Discover the joy and ease of taking the train to the French Alps
For those who prefer to leave the car at home and enjoy some stunning scenery, the train is a great alternative. We can book the Eurostar Snow train from London to the French Alps with a simple change in Lille. Or take the Eurostar to Paris or Lille and then change to a French high-speed TGV and speed down to the Alps. Find out more below or if you want to pick our brains, give our friendly team a call on 023 9283 9310.
With shorter transfers than from most airports, travelling by train means you can get closer to resort.
Head to Bourg St Maurice to access resorts in the Paradiski and Tarentaise areas: Paradiski – Peisey-Vallandry, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Les Coches (La Plagne), Tarentaise – Tignes and Val d'Isère, Sainte-Foy and La Rosière).
Travel to Moutiers for the 3 Valleys ski area, including St Martin de Belleville, Méribel, Val Thorens, Les Menuires, La Tania and Courchevel, and Champagny (Paradiski).
On each resort page in the access section we let you know the closest train station.
Eurostar Snow train via Lille
Winter 2026/27 dates
This service will operate with departures from London for holiday weeks from 19/12/26 to 20/02/27 (returning up to 28/02/27). Leaving London on a Saturday in the daytime and returning to London the following Saturday (ONLY for returns on 26/12/26, 2/1/27, 9/1/27, 20/2/27 and 27/2/27) or Sunday in the daytime.
Routes
You'll take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Lille then make a simple platform change before speeding down to the Alps.
The train serves more stations than the original ski train, choose from:
Chambéry
Albertville
Moutiers
Aime-la-Plagne
Landry
Bourg St Maurice
A sample journey could look like this:
OUTBOUND Saturday leave London 09.01, arrive Lille at 11.26, depart Lille 11.35, reaching Bourg St Maurice at 17.45.
RETURN Saturday leave Bourg St Maurice 13:45 arriving Lille at 20:00, then taking the Eurostar from Lille at 21:40, arriving London St Pancras at 22:00.
RETURN Sunday leaving Bourg St Maurice at 10:54, arriving Lille at 17:18, then taking the Eurostar from Lille at 18:40, arriving London St Pancras at 19:00.
More information on detailed timings
Passport controls will be completed at London St Pancras on the way out and during the change in Lille on the return.
The Eurostar Snow service that starts from Brussels runs for a longer period (to 3/4/27 with return 10/4/27) so we could arrange a Eurostar to Brussels to meet the Eurostar Snow service later in the season. Call our team to talk through this option.
Accommodation options
Depending on your dates, you can either choose to spend 7 nights in one of our resorts returning on the following Saturday.
Or pick an 8-night train package and add an additional night in our hotel in Bourg St Maurice or choose one of our selection of hotels that can offer 8 night durations including hotels in Méribel, Tignes le Lac, Arc 1800 and Arc 2000 .
Prices for an 8-night stay with 7 nights self-catered in Arc 1800 with one night in Bourg St Maurice, from £838pp including standard travel on the Eurostar Snow train.
Call our team on 023 9283 9310 to find out more and talk through possibilities.
Eurostar + French high-speed TGV
Routes
Take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris or Lille (Lille only serves a few areas) and then change and pick up a TGV (high-speed French train) to either:
Lyon, Geneva & Chambery
Annecy (Manigod, Le Grand Bornand, La Clusaz)
Cluses (Les Gets, Morzine, Avoriaz, Les Carroz d'Araches, Flaine, Samoens)
Evian les Bains (Chatel)
St Gervais Le Fayet (St Gervais, Les Contamines, St Nicolas de Veroce)
Sallaches (Combloux, Megeve)
Albertville (Areches Beaufort, Les Saisies, Notre Dame de Bellecombe)
Aime le Plagne (La Plagne)
Landry (Peisey Vallandry)
Moutiers (St Martin de Belleville, Les Menuires, Val Thorens, La Tania, Courchevel, Meribel, Valmorel)
Bourg St Maurice (Val d'Isere, La Rosière, Les Arcs, Tignes, Sainte Foy)
Grenoble (Les 7 Laux, Alpe d'Huez, Villard de Lans, Auris en Oisans, 2 Alpes, Vaujany, Oz-en-Oisans, Chamrousse)
Oulx (Serre Chevalier, Montgenevre)
St Michel de Maurienne (Orelle, St Sorlin d'Arves, Le Corbier, La Toussuire)
Modane (Orelle)
St Michel Valloire (Valloire)
Nice Ville (Auron, Isola 2000)
TGV only serve certain stations, to get to other resorts you might need to change from your TGV to a local train and you'll arrive at a regular SNCF (French railways) station instead:
SNCF stations in Les Houches and Chamonix
SNCF station in Briancon (Serre Chevalier, Montgenevre)
Plenty of other resorts can be easily accessed by train, if you'd like advice on which TGV to take to your resort or if you need to take a local train, please call us on 023 9283 9310.
When to book
French sections of the itineraries via Paris can only be booked 3 months ahead of actual travel dates. Transfers from the station to resort can be pre-booked and we can even arrange your transfer across Paris if required (although getting the Metro is another option).
Travelling times
London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord: 3 hours
Transfer by underground to Gare de Lyon: allow 70-90 mins
Call us for taxi transfers across Paris from Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon.
Transfer times
Transfer times by private taxi transfer (traffic/weather dependent):
La Tania to Moutiers: 25 minutes each way (approx 20km)
La Plagne to Aime la Plagne: 20 minutes each way (approx 15km)
Les Arcs to Bourg St Maurice: 45 minutes each way (approx 19km)
Sainte Foy to Bourg St Maurice: 15 minutes each way (approx 12km)
Val d'lsère to Bourg St Maurice: 45 minutes each way (approx 32km)
Tignes to Bourg St Maurice: 45 minutes each way (approx 31km)
Contact our team on 023 9283 9310 to get a quote for a private taxi transfer from your station to resort.
Joined up thinking
For access to Les Arcs from Bourg St Maurice, there is a funicular railway that departs from the end of the platforms. It's 100% electric and has a fully glazed roof for impressive panoramic views. It arrives in Arc 1600 from where you can take a shuttle bus to Arc 1800 or Arc 2000.
You can also get to resorts on shared bus transfers, although the transfer times are much longer than by taxi. Various services are available, including through providers such as Altibus www.altibus.com
Why choose Peak Retreats?
Crossing Paris
If you are changing trains in Paris to take the French high-speed TGV down to the Alps, we can arrange taxi transfers between Gare du Nord and the Gare de Lyon.
However, to avoid Paris city traffic, you can also take the RER, which is a suburban train running through Paris, similar to the Metro.
The RER journey between Paris Gare du Nord and Paris Gare de Lyon takes approx 15 minutes, with trains running approx every six minutes at peak times. However, we recommend you allow a minimum of one hour in total for your transfer.
There is a simple direct route; from Paris Gare du Nord, take RER Line D towards Melun or Malesherbes and get off at the Gare de Lyon.
A ticket for the RER costs about 2€. You may be able to buy a book of tickets from the onboard café on the Eurostar. Alternatively, download the Bonjour RATP app on Apple's App Store or Google Play for Android and purchase your Metro/RER tickets through that. You need to register/create an account first so don’t leave it to the last minute! The ticket can then sit in your phone wallet ready for scanning. Please note only one ticket can be loaded on to each phone.
There are escalators and lifts to take you to and from the platforms. Look for signs indicating 'ascenseur' (the French for lift).
ShowMeTheJourney has a step-by-step guide on how to take the RER from the Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon.
Frequently asked questions about the Eurostar Snow train
When do I do passport control?
When travelling from London, passport control on the way out is at London St Pancras. For the return, you will go through passport control in Lille where you change trains.
What dates does the Eurostar Snow service run from London?
The first train leaves on Saturday 19/12/26. The last train out from London leaves Saturday 20/2/27.
Does the Eurostar Snow service return on a Saturday or a Sunday?
Returns are on Sundays from 27/12/26 to 28/2/27. You can exceptionally return on a Saturday on these dates: 26/12/26, 2/1/27, 9/1/27, 20/2/27 and 27/2/27.
What times does the Eurostar Snow run?
A typical journey leaves London at 09:01 on the Saturday, arriving at 11:26 to change in Lille, the train from Lille then leaves at 11:35, arriving in Albertville at 16:26, Moutiers at 17:00, Aime la Plagne at 17:23, Landry at 17:34 and Bourg St Maurice at 17:45.
Return trains leave Bourg St Maurice on 10:54, Landry at 11:00, Aime la Plagne at 11:12, Moutiers at 11:30, Albertville at 11:55, arriving in Lille at 17:18 and picking up the 18:40 Eurostar arriving in London 19:00.
What classes of service can I book?
On the Eurostar part of the journey to and from London only, you can book Eurostar Standard or Eurostar Plus.
What luggage can I take?
Trains will accommodate ski equipment. Eurostar staff will be present on platforms to help ensure efficient onboard storage
What time should I check in?
It's recommended that you arrive at London St Pancras at least 75 minutes prior to departure to allow for border and security controls, but it's advisable to allow more time at peak dates. For the return from Bourg St Maurice arrive at least 30 minutes before departure.
Why take the ski train vs flying?
1. Excellent value compared to flying on peak dates
Eurostar + TGV ticket prices are generally cheaper on peak dates than flying. When checked against a major airline for the same date and similar times it was almost twice the price for adults and almost three times the price for children.
2. Free ski carriage
Pay absolutely nothing for your ski carriage while on board Eurostar. Airlines can charge in excess of £70 per item. On Eurostar you can take up to 2 bags, 85cm long each, 1 piece of hand luggage and 1 pair of skis and snowboard per person. There is no weight restriction on luggage either (or restrictions on liquids, apart from alcohol), so you don't have to worry about sticking to your 20kg; just keep an eye on the size of bag (as above).
3. Enjoy the stunning French scenery
Looking out at the French countryside flying by from a train window certainly beats the view from a plane window on a cloudy day - you could even play a game of eye spy with the kids!
4. It's quicker than flying
Okay, so maybe not every route is quicker, but a lot depends on where you stay. The train is super convenient for Les Arcs for example. If you taken into account the time you take to get to the airport, check in, queue for security, wait in departures, take the flight, go back through security the other side, collect your luggage, get your transfer...you get the picture, with the train you can miss out a few of these steps and enjoy your journey.
5. Great for kids
Taking the train definitely gives children a bit more freedom. There is plenty of space, more leg room and wider aisles. On some of the newer trains, there is also on board WiFi - that will keep the whole family happy.
6. On-board cafes
The on-board buffet serves snacks, hot meals and hot and cold drinks, perfect for grabbing a bite to eat and stretching your legs!
7. Save on emissions
Flight free UK share a statistic from Protect our Winters where they calculate that if you fly, over half of the emissions of your ski trip come from air travel. Whereas taking the train only represents approximately 4% of the emissions from a trip.
We found the train a revelation and would definitely book again
Why children love train travel to the Alps
