The Eurostar ski train takes you from London St Pancras to the Alps valley in France. Calling at Moûtiers-Salins, Aime-la-Plagne and Bourg-St-Maurice, these direct Eurostar ski trains are a perfect way to start a holiday on the slopes. With plenty of storage space for skis and snowboards and comfortable seats to relax in, there is no better way to travel to the Alps.
Why take the Eurostar ski train?
As if travelling by train isn’t enjoyable enough, for those who ski and snowboard, there are additional perks over using other modes of transport. With the Eurostar ski train, you can travel directly from London to the Alps without changing trains in Paris.
Taking the Eurostar ski train over flying can reduce time spent in departure lounges, the chance of delays, and the transfer time from your destination to the Alps. It's also a more sustainable way of travelling than some alternatives, so you'll be doing your bit to protect the environment.
If you’re planning a trip to the Alps this winter, here are a few more reasons why you should travel by train:
Generous baggage allowance
The Eurostar ski train has extra storage space for skis and snowboards. Each passenger can take a pair of skis or a snowboard for free, as well as having their normal two-bag, plus one small piece of hand luggage, allowance. There's no weight limit for bags (although you should be able to carry them safely), and skis and snowboards should be packed away in a protective case.
Keep in mind that skis and snowboards only go free on the ski train service specifically. If you're planning to travel to Paris on the Eurostar, and then change onto an SNCF service to the Alps, the skis and snowboards will count as part of your luggage allowance.
Faster check-in
Eurostar recommends arriving at the station one hour before the scheduled departure time for the ski train. The entire check-in process takes approximately 20 minutes, so you'll have plenty of time to eye up which series you want to binge-watch on your phone! For Standard and Standard Premier class passengers, the gate closes 30 minutes before departure.
Bring your own food and drink
There are no restrictions on bringing liquids and food on board the train, so feel free to bring along a sandwich or snack from home. It'll keep the young ones happy and save money. On the Saturday day service to the Alps, you can also bring a bottle of bubbly or vino for the journey. For the sake of the other passengers, though, we'd suggest leaving the smoked mackerel at home.
What is the Eurostar ski train?
The Eurostar ski train is a direct service to the French Alps, taking passengers direct from London to the Alps. Most services also call at Ashford International in Kent, with a few exceptions on certain dates.
The service going to the Alps usually runs from 20th December to 4th April. The return service from the Alps usually starts and ends slightly later: from 28th December to 11th April. We’ll explain more about the timetables below.
When travelling on a Eurostar ski train, you get all the comforts and facilities you would get on any other Eurostar train, meaning power sockets at most seats, large chairs and access to the food carriage, Café Metropole.
There is extra space on these trains to help carry the skis and snowboards – which travel for free – so don’t think you have to travel light or pay a premium on the larger luggage. You’ll have your full luggage allowance (two bags no larger than 85cm on any side) plus a free spot for your skis or snowboard.
Eurostar ski train times
The timetable for the Eurostar ski train is pretty straightforward. The service runs twice a week, on Fridays and Saturdays. Departing from London St Pancras International, the train calls at Ashford International before crossing the Channel Tunnel and heading through northern France towards the French Alps.
The ski train calls at three stations in the Alps: Moûtiers-Salins, Aime-la-Plagne and Bourg-St-Maurice. Here’s a breakdown of the full timetable:
| - | London St Pancras | Ashford | Moûtiers | Aime-la-Plagne | Bourg-St-Maurice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | 19:45 | 20:28 | 05:32 | 05:57 | 06:16 |
| Saturday | 09:45 | 10:28 | 18:27 | 18:46 | 19:03 |
The Friday service is a night train. It departs London St Pancras International at 19:45 and runs through the night, arriving at Bourg-Saint-Maurice at 06:16 the following morning. Passengers are naturally encouraged to get some shut-eye overnight, but it might be hard to convince the excited little ones! For more information on overnight trains, check out our night trains in Europe page.
The Saturday service is a day train. This departs London at 09:45 and arrives at 19:03. The day train travels at higher speeds than the night train and reaches the Alps about an hour earlier than its counterpart, however, it’s usually a tad more expensive. Check out the journey times below:
| Destination | Journey time (day train) | Journey time (night train) |
|---|---|---|
| Moûtiers | 7h 42m | 8h 47m |
| Aime-la-Plagne | 8h 01m | 9h 12m |
| Bourg-St-Maurice | 8h 18m | 9h 31m |
Variations on the timetable
There are a handful of days where the ski train runs on a slightly different schedule. Firstly, on the following dates the train does not stop at Ashford International:
- Friday 27th December
- Saturday 28th December
- Saturday 4th January
- Saturday 22nd February
Secondly, Eurostar is running two Saturday services on Saturday 15 February to cope with the extra demand during school half-term. The extra Saturday service follows the same schedule as the night train: London (19:45), Ashford (20:28), Moûtiers-Salins (05:32), Aime-La-Plagne (05:57) and Bourg-Saint-Maurice (06:16).
If all this talk about timetables and calling points has you a bit lost, don’t worry! You can check train times easily using our Journey Planner above. We will always show you every available train for the date you’ve chosen, the total journey time and the price, allowing you to weigh up the cost versus flexibility of each route.
Where does the Eurostar ski train stop?
With everyone beginning their holiday as soon as they get on the train, there’s always a great atmosphere on board the Eurostar ski train. Find out more about where the train stops, and which station is best for your ski resort.
After hopping on the train at London St Pancras or Ashford International, you’ll be heading on a high-speed train all the way to the French Alps. The Eurostar ski service stops at Moûtiers, Aime-la-Plagne and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, with return services departing from Moûtiers and Bourg-Saint-Maurice only. All the top resorts are accessible by coach from these train stations – including La Plagne, Méribel, Courchevel, Tignes and Les Arcs.
Moûtiers
Ski resorts - Courchevel / Les Menuires / Méribel / St Martin de Belleville / Valmorel / Val Thorens
The first stop on the Eurostar ski train is Moûtiers-Salins, which is the gateway to Les Trois Vallées (The Three Valleys) ski region. Home to resorts such as the popular Val Thorens and Les Menuires, this is one of the busiest ski regions in the French Alps.
With a journey time of under eight hours on the Saturday service, this is great for those looking to hit the slopes early and enjoy the party atmosphere of Val Thorens.
| - | London St Pancras | Ashford Int | Moûtiers | Aime-la-Plagne | Bourg-St-Maurice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 19:45 | 20:28 | 05:32 | 05:57 | 06:16 |
| Sat | 09:45 | 10:28 | 18:27 | 18:46 | 19:03 |
Aime La Plagne
Ski resorts - La Plagne
Named the most popular ski resort in the world, La Plagne welcomes over 2.5 million visitors every year. With 11 separate ski ‘villages’ in the region, there is a huge variety of runs across the area and plenty to explore.
Travel time takes eight hours on the Saturday service. Please bear in mind however that the Eurostar does not call here on the return journey, so you must take a coach to either Moûtiers-Salins or Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
| - | London St Pancras | Ashford Int | Moûtiers | Aime-la-Plagne | Bourg-St-Maurice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 19:45 | 20:28 | 05:32 | 05:57 | 06:16 |
| Sat | 09:45 | 10:28 | 18:27 | 18:46 | 19:03 |
Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Ski resorts - Sainte Foy / Les Arcs / Val d’Isere / Peisey Vallandry / Tignes / La Rosière
The final destination of the Eurostar ski train is Bourg-Saint-Maurice, the last town along the Tarentaise Valley. The region is accommodating of all experiences of skier with plenty of different resorts. Make sure you take in the beauty of Bourg Saint Maurice itself if you’re not too exhausted from skiing!
Just 17 minutes on from Aime La Plagne, you’ll be on flying down the slopes before you know it.
| - | London St Pancras | Ashford Int | Moûtiers | Aime-la-Plagne | Bourg-St-Maurice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 19:45 | 20:28 | 05:32 | 05:57 | 06:16 |
| Sat | 09:45 | 10:28 | 18:27 | 18:46 | 19:03 |
Return journey from the Alps
The return service to the UK usually begins on 28th December and ends on 11th April, allowing the skiers hanging on until the very end of the season to return home on the Eurostar!
Secondly, return services do not call at Aime-La-Plagne. If you’re skiing at La Plagne you’ll have to catch a bus to either Bourg-Saint-Maurice or Moûtiers-Salins to get the Eurostar home. Here’s an overview of the return timetable:
| - | Bourg-St-Maurice | Aime-la-Plagne | Moûtiers | Ashford | London St Pancras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday (day) | 09:34 | - | 10:14 | 15:37 | 16:13 |
| Saturday (night) | 22:12 | - | 22:54 | 06:33 | 07:05 |
Eurostar are also putting on an extra Sunday morning return service on 23 February. This won’t stop at Ashford.
The majority of return services call at Ashford International but there are a few exceptions. All services (day and night trains) running on 28 December, 4 January, 22 February and 23 February go direct to London without stopping at Ashford. As such they’ll arrive about ten minutes earlier into St Pancras.
Finally, if you have a ticket to Moûtiers but wish to return from Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Eurostar do allow for this.
What tickets can I buy for the Eurostar ski train?
Tickets for the ski train went on sale in July, so they’re available to buy now! You can travel in two classes: Standard, and Standard Premier. For more information on what you can get in each class, take a look at our guide below.
Standard
The most affordable class on Eurostar trains. Standard carriages include spacious seats with raised backs to support your head, power sockets that accommodate UK and European plugs, and free WiFi. You can buy food from the onboard restaurant carriage, Café Metropole, or bring it along with you.
Standard Premier
A step up from Standard class, Standard Premier carriages have more spacious seats and greater legroom than Standard. Seats are also arranged in a 2+1 formation, so the carriages feel more spacious. You will also be served a complimentary light meal and free coffee/tea. Needless to say, you’ll have access to all of the amenities available to Standard passengers - free WiFi and at-seat plug sockets.
Frequently asked questions
Do skis go for free?
Yes, your skis or snowboard travel for free. Eurostar ski trains have extra storage for skiing equipment. Bear in mind that your equipment will have to be safely stored in a container, otherwise, it won’t be accepted on board. Skis and snowboards don’t count towards each passenger’s 2-bag luggage allowance, so you’ll be able to bring another two bags on board with you - good luck carrying it all!
How early should I arrive at the train station?
We advise that you arrive at the station around 45 minutes to an hour before departure. This will give you ample time to go through security and passport checks. On the return leg, passport checks will take place at St Pancras or Ashford – depending on where you alight – so you can afford to arrive at the train station in the Alps closer to the departure time. Just make sure you don’t cut it too fine!
Is alcohol allowed on board?
Alcohol is only allowed on the day services to the Alps. Each passenger’s allowance is four cans of lager or one bottle of wine. Spirits are not allowed. No alcohol is permitted on night services, nor will it be sold on board.
How long is the journey?
Journey times vary quite significantly. Your journey time will depend on which station in the UK you depart from (London St Pancras or Ashford International), whether you travel on the Friday night service or the faster Saturday day service and which destination in the Alps you’re travelling to. For instance, from Ashford International to Moûtiers-Salins on the Saturday service, the journey time is 6h 59m. By contrast, the total journey time from London to Bourg-Saint-Maurice on the slower night service is 9h 31m. We’ll always show you total journey time and prices when you search a route with us.
How do I get to my ski resort?
There will be coaches running to the various resorts from each train station. You can also hop in a taxi.
Travel Europe by train
We sell tickets for some of Europe's biggest train companies, including SNCF, Renfe, Trenitalia and Deutsche Bahn. Check out some of the most popular rail routes in Europe below.