BackInside track - the Snowcarbon blog
9th June 2022
Packages with the Travelski Express are now on sale for winter 2022-23. Some things have changed, so here's what you need to know.
8th May 2022
Here are some initial thoughts about ski holidays by train for 2022-23
11th April 2022
What do skiers think of the Travelski Express. We went to St Pancras station to meet them as they came off the train and ask what they thought
11th February 2022
It's crazy, but some of the best train journeys to ski resorts are hidden from you when you search online. Here's why - and how to find them.
28th January 2022
Austria is great by train and you can get there comfortably by train. So why are their no rail-inclusive ski packages on the Snowcarbon website?
17th January 2022
Here are the results of some time spent researching independent rail fares to the French Alps, for journeys that combine Eurostar + TGV.
14th January 2022
France has lifted the travel ban on UK tourists, meaning that ski holidays to France can go ahead!
11th January 2022
On 12th January, SNCF puts tickets on sale for travel between 28th March and 12th May.
22nd December 2021
More info about what to do if your ski holiday by train is affected by the French travel ban
16th December 2021
France has banned all non-essential travel from the UK, due to the Omicron variant. And skiing doesn't count as an essential reason.
8th December 2021
The unique funicular that connects Bourg St Maurice station to Les Arcs ski resort is excellent. We've created a film that shows how to access it.
18th November 2021
Booking rail travel to the Alps online can — in some cases — be straighforward. However, rail-booking websites don't always show you the best journey options. This is worth knowing, so that you can check for schedules and fares in other ways too.
1st November 2021
Tickets for TGV journeys from 3rd January - 28th March, go on sale this Wednesday 3rd November at about 5am UK time. What's the best way to book travel?
20th October 2021
Travelling via LIlle stopover is an underrated and excellent way to get to the French Alps too.
18th October 2021
Good to see that Eurostar has put more trains on between 12th December and 8th January. This bodes well for more later in winter too.
6th October 2021
The Travelski Express is now on sale, and indirect journeys go on sale today for the first few weeks of winter.
23rd September 2021
If you thought you are stuck with Eurostar vouchers from a cancelled journey, good news: you can exchange them for a refund. Here's how.
15th September 2021
The Eurostar Ski Train is back - kind of. It's now called the Travelski Express. Here's what we know so far.
16th August 2021
Great to see an increase in the proportion of Brits who would choose plane over train
11th August 2021
As we wait for news of rail schedules for winter 2021-22, here's a look at what is normally possible, based on pre-pandemic seasons.
22nd July 2021
Picking up the phone before choosing a ski holiday is one of the wisest things you can do.
19th July 2021
Ski packages with rail travel included are - in general - rarer than they have ever been. However, there are plenty of ways that you can get options tailor made for you, and Snowcarbon can help.
9th July 2021
Will Eurostar trains call at Ashford and Ebbsfleet this winter 2021-22? It seems unlikely. Which is a shame, because these could be really useful stations.
6th July 2021
In a recent Snowcarbon newsletter, I covered the unfolding picture of Ski Train and Eurostar + TGV journeys. So I've put this newsletter into this blog article.
28th June 2021
Eurostar has put London - Paris tickets on sale that include February half term 2022. In a fluid situation where the travel landscape remains unclear, is it wise to book these?
19th May 2021
Eurostar has received a bailout from the French government and some investors to secure its future
7th May 2021
Switzerland Tourism's new video, with Roger Federer and Robert De Niro, is nicely done. A reminder of how well Switzerland does rail travel too.
1st May 2021
The Snowcarbon Journey Planner is ready for the 2021-22 season. This can help you plan your journeys to the Alps by train, looking forward to a time when travel returns.
8th March 2021
Here are latest thoughts about whether the Eurostar Ski Train will run, and finding great ski holiday options in the meantime
1st March 2021
Sleeper trains seem to be making a big comeback. There are a lot of positive developments happening in Europe.
1st March 2021
Overnight train travel could work perfectly for a ski weekend - if more weekday service existed.
3rd February 2021
Skiers are already thinking ahead to the 2021-22 season. Here are a few thoughts about what's going on at the moment, and thinking ahead.
6th January 2021
Sauze d'Oulx tourist office has created a 1920s style silent film. Good to ski some creativity about the fact that we can't yet ski.
15th December 2020
It's not the start to the season that skiers had hoped for.
In the meantime, at Snowcarbon, we are hoping for a better future.
4th November 2020
Eurostar's new 'retrospective cancellation policy' could affect a lot of journeys to the Alps. With SNCF trains for journeys within France go on sale on Thursday 5th November, for the dates of 4th January - 28th March 2021, here's how it could affect your journey.
21st October 2020
Our friends at Protect Our Winters (POW) have created a POW pledge, to help organisations and companies to protect winter.
5th October 2020
The ski season might still feel relatively uncertain, but tomorrow SNCF puts trains on sale for dates from 13th December to 4th January.
30th September 2020
The Eurostar Ski Train definitely won't run for winter 2020-21. But the Save The Ski Train campaign moves into the next phase. Including a new film.
10th September 2020
Eurostar has closed Ashford and Ebbsfleet stations until further notice, due to reduced demand for travel during the coronavirus pandemic. But has it calculated correctly?
19th August 2020
With the Eurostar Ski Train cancelled, indirect journeys by Eurostar + TGV make a good alternative. Indeed, they always have! Here are 10 useful things to know at this stage.
18th August 2020
The Save The Ski Train campaign is growing, and the petition has passed 10,000 signatures
9th July 2020
Here's how to get a refund if you had vouchers for Eurostar, now that the Ski Train is cancelled.
8th July 2020
Eurostar has just told its customers that it will not run the Ski Train this winter. The company seemingly didn't consult with anyone in the ski industry. We are campaigning to persuade Eurostar to think again.
7th July 2020
One of the finest articles ever written about sleeper trains is in the New Yorker. Here are some highlights.
5th July 2020
Over the years of travelling to ski resorts by train, I've carried my camera so that I can help document what the journeys are like, to help more skiers see what this means of travel is like. Here's episode one in this series.
4th July 2020
A gate that enables skiers arriving by Eurostar Ski Train at Bourg St Maurice to access the funicular could save 15 minutes walk per skier. If it is opened.
3rd July 2020
We're still waiting for news of when the Eurostar Ski Train goes on sale. Normally it's mid-July. We'll keep checking, to keep you informed.
7th June 2020
The better that resorts, tour operators, accommodation providers and rail companies can communicate how they are covid-proofing ski holiday, the better. Your questions are vital.
6th June 2020
It's good to see that sleeper-train services are re-opening for the summer. That bodes well for winter, of course, when overnight options may be an increasingly sought-after way to reach the slopes.
5th June 2020
If you have a Eurostar voucher and would prefer a refund, it seems that you can now convert it. Here's how.
21st May 2020
With skiers starting to think about winter 2020-21, there are still more questions than answers. So let us know yours.
4th May 2020
The unique Snowcarbon Journey Planner is updated for 2020-21 winter season, to enable you to plan train journeys to ski resorts well in advance.
21st March 2020
We've been investigating what refunds are due to skiers who can no longer travel this season. And we have boiled cabbage to thank for it.
18th March 2020
Advice about rail-travel refunds is circulating that is already out of date. So take it with a pinch of salt, because better news (in terms of refunds) may be right around the corner.
17th March 2020
Since the rest of the ski season has now been cancelled due to coronavirus, If you have independent train travel booked for dates this March or April you'll be wanting to ge a refund from the rail company or ticket provider. We are trying to gather info about how to do this.
15th March 2020
The sudden closure of all French ski resorts, following Italian, Austrian and Swiss resorts - has caught skiers by surprise and left thousands stranded. Are you stranded?
5th March 2020
Robbie Thorne, son of legendary ski writer Patrick Thorne, travelled from Inverness to Crans Montana by train recently. He's written such a brilliant of the journey and the rationale for it, that we are really honoured to have it on our blog.
25th February 2020
Sometimes a taxi is right; sometimes just getting on the RER is right. Here's an account of crossing Paris by RER.
12th February 2020
No country does train travel like Switzerland. At the end of some fantastic journeys, like some wonderful resorts. Here are some of the things we've learned travelling to them.
19th January 2020
Shared station-to-resort transfers can help solo travellers, couples and small groups can save pollution and save money.
9th January 2020
The French train strikes continue. And it isn't always easy to find out about whether trains will run, whether your journey is affected, and what to do if you want to rebook your train or need a refund. So here's a guide.
2nd January 2020
The French train strikes continue. When they end is not known yet. Here's the latest info that we've found.
23rd December 2019
We've taken a look at some of the bus transfers from Oulx and Briancon to the ski resorts of Montgenevre and Serre Chevalier
19th December 2019
For transfer from Aime la Plagne station to the villages of La Plagne, here's some research we did on some of the bus connections.
18th December 2019
Here's a guide about the bus connections from Moutiers station to the ski resorts that it serves.
16th December 2019
What are the bus connections like for resorts in the Tarentaise region of France? We've created an at-a-glance guide, to help.
14th December 2019
The French train strikes are continuing. Here's what we know so far.
14th December 2019
We've been battling to get more bus timetables to be published in English, with varying degrees of success
5th December 2019
Personally, I’m glad to see the back of Black Friday, as are lots of people I know. Perhaps you feel this way too.
5th December 2019
Eurotunnel is carrying out essential engineering work on the Channel Tunnel on two dates this winter. The dates are:
25th November 2019
There are SNCF strikes on 5th and 6th December. Here's what we know so far (which is not very much).
23rd October 2019
Few people realise this, but you can reach some ski resorts in France with train journeys via Lille instead of Paris. This is particularly useful for peak dates, when seats on direct or via-Paris routes may be running out.
17th October 2019
If you believed the hype, you'd think that booking online was easy and always gives you the best fares and journey. But rail-booking websites frequently fail the traveller too. Here's why.
14th October 2019
A new way to reach Austria's slopes by sleeper train? Two extra days on the slopes, and less carbon getting there. Yes, tis true...
12th October 2019
Catered ski chalets are a fantastic way to enjoy the Alps. And we know lots of great independent ones that we can recommend.
2nd October 2019
Indirect Journeys On Sale 3rd October (for travel 15th Dec - 5th Jan)
22nd September 2019
On transfer days, equipment rental shops are often busy. But getting rental equipment delivered to your accommodation takes the stress out of the process.
18th September 2019
When it comes to booking rail travel to ski resorts, expert rail-booking agencies are a very good way to secure tickets for the best prices, and save time and hassle
16th September 2019
Stopping in Paris on the outbound journey or on your return journey can work really well. Indeed, counterintuitively, it can mean extra time in resort, and extra days on the slopes
14th August 2019
If you'd like to book tickets on the Eurostar Ski Train in order to travel to the ski resort of La Plagne, you might want to read this before using Eurostar's website.
10th July 2019
It's now confirmed that the Eurostar Ski Train goes on sale at 8am on Wednesday 17th July 2019. Here are 12 things you might find useful to know about the Eurostar Ski Train for the 2019-20 season.
8th July 2019
The provisional date for the Eurostar Ski Train to go on sale is Wednesday 17th July at 8am. To understand why this is a provisional date, and what to do next, read on...
2nd July 2019
The date that the Eurostar Ski Train will go on sale for the 2019-20 season has not been announced yet. Sign up to the Snowcarbon newsletter to be the first to know.
30th June 2019
For two years, bus timetable pdfs for the popular Tarentaise region were published only in French, and not translated in English. Well for 2019-20 they will definitely be published in English. That's good news.
23rd June 2019
A question that skiers often ask is: "Can we save money by travelling with a Eurostar and then a TGV via Paris, instead of on the Eurostar Ski Train. Here are some thoughts.
20th June 2019
Train journeys to the Alps might be fantastic, but what is the best way to book them? We've created resort-specific booking guides to help you know when to book, how to book and who to book with.
24th May 2019
Lots of skiers ask whether the Eurostar Ski Train will run at Easter 2020. So here's what we know, and what you can do.
8th May 2019
A dog, Louis, reading the European Rail Map - what a good boy! Because this map is definitely your best friend when it comes to train travel.
30th April 2019
For skiers on the overnight Eurostar Ski Train, it seems that Eurostar's eye mask is not fit for purpose.
12th April 2019
The Snowcarbon Journey Planner 2019-20 season is already ready! But what advantage does it serve skiers - what problem does it solve?
6th April 2019
A number of ski resorts in the French Alps have staged a protest against Brexit. Understandable, since Brexit will be a disaster for the ski industry.
2nd April 2019
Skier Neale Upstone wrote about his experience of finding empty seats on the overnight Eurostar Ski Train. There's a lot more that could be done so that skiers can - and want to - book this train.
13th March 2019
It's great to read the emails coming in from skiers who are already hungry to get back to the slopes in 2019-20, and that's before this season has even finished!
I'm helping each enquiry that comes in, but will shortly be creating the 2019-20 Snowcarbon Jourey Planner so that you can start planning journeys ahead.
I'm also going through all the guides on the site to improve them and add new ones, so that the advice on the site becomes more useful.
18th January 2019
Rows and rows of empty first-class seats on a TGV train bound for the Alps on a Saturday morning? Something must be wrong.
5th November 2018
Tickets for indirect journeys to the Alps, between 8th January and 10thMarch 2019, will go on sale on Tuesday 6th November.
17th October 2018
A glitch in Eurostar's booking system means that skiers wanting to book the direct Eurostar Ski Train to La Plagne get told that the return journey is unavailable. But not you. You know better.
13th October 2018
People often ask whether it's better to book Eurostars first, before TGVs go on sale. But it's better to wait and book them as one journey.
8th October 2018
OUI.sncf puts it's TGV trains on sale on Thursday 11th October. That means that from that date, you can book journey dates from 9th December 2019 up until 7th January 2019
30th August 2018
Rail companies have made it more difficult to book tickets by phone. But there are still options (so that you don't go bonkers online).
7th August 2018
The Ski Train for 2018-19 has been on sale for a couple of weeks now. It is enduringly popular, but there are some useful things to know...