Snowcarbon newsletter 11th August - schedules

Hello there,

Since the previous Snowcarbon newsletter (at the end of June), there hasn’t been any major news to tell you about rail travel to the Alps.

What Eurostar told me this week
This week, I asked Eurostar’s press office for an update.  They told me that Eurostar is still deciding whether to run the Ski Train this winter.

I also asked about indirect journeys via Paris. Particularly because — bizarrely — Eurostar still hasn’t scheduled a Saturday afternoon Paris-to-London train (even though it has already done so for other days of the week). One needs a train back from Paris in the afternoon, in order to connect with a TGV coming from the Alps on a Saturday morning.  Eurostar's press office told me that Eurostar is expecting, in September, to be able to add trains to its winter schedule. I emphasised the importance of these Saturday trains for skiers, given that Saturday is the most popular ski holiday changover day.

So, for the moment, it’s still a bit of a waiting game with schedules.

What did normal schedules look like? 
During this time, it might be useful for you to see what rail schedules were like, pre-pandemic.  

Below, I’ve written out some recommended pre-pandemic schedules for Saturday – Saturday holidays, for some popular train stations in the Alps.

As you'll see, there is a beautiful array of ski resorts that can be reached conveniently by train.

NB: These schedules are only examples, on Saturdays.  There are normally plenty of other possible schedules too, both on Saturdays and other days of the week, of course.

As trains come on sale, or for considering potential destinations, these pre-pandemic schedules give you a way to compare whatever is on sale to what would normally be possible.

(NB, I couldn't get the timetable columns below to line up precisely in Mailchimp. If you are a stickler for neat columns, then apologies. I love a perfectly neat column too).

Aime la Plagne, France
Ski resorts served: La Plagne

London to Aime la Plagne (direct, daytime)
Depart    London St Pancras     09:45         Eurostar Ski Train
Arrive     Aime la Plagne            18:46

London to Aime la Plagne (direct, overnight - on Fridays)
Depart     London St Pancras     19:45         Eurostar Ski Train
Arrive      Aime la Plagne            05:57

London to Aime la Plagne ((indirect, daytime)
Depart     London St Pancras      07:52         Eurostar
Arrive      Paris-Nord                   11:17
Depart     Paris-Lyon                   12:47         TGV
Arrive      Aime la Plagne            17:26

Aime la Plagne to London (direct, daytime)
(Ski Train departs from Bourg on the inbound)
Depart    Bourg St Maurice       09:34         TGV
Arrive     London St Pancras     16:13

Aime la Plagne to London (direct, overnight, Saturdays)
(Ski Train departs from Bourg on the inbound)
Depart    Bourg St Maurice      22:12         TGV
Arrive     London St Pancras     07:16

Aime la Plagne to London (indirect, daytime)
Depart   Aime la Plagne           09:36         TGV
Arrive    Paris-Lyon                   14:10
Depart   Paris-Nord                  16:13         Eurostar    
Arrive    London St Pancras     17:39

Annecy, France
Ski resorts served include:  La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand

London to Annecy
Depart    London St Pancras     07:52         Eurostar
Arrive      Paris-Nord                  11:17
Depart    Paris-Lyon                   12:45        TGV
Arrive      Annecy                        16:29

Annecy to London
Depart    Annecy                           09:31        TGV
Arrive     Paris-Lyon                      13:19
Depart    Paris-Nord                      15:07        Eurostar    
Arrive      London St Pancras        16:39

Bourg St Maurice, France
Ski resorts served include: La Rosière, Les Arcs, Peisey – Vallandry, Sainte Foy, Tignes and Val d’Isère

London to Bourg St Maurice (direct, daytime)
Depart    London St Pancras        09:45         Eurostar Ski Train
Arrive     Bourg St Maurice           19:03

London to Bourg St Maurice (direct, overnight - on Fridays)
Depart     London St Pancras     19:45         Eurostar Ski Train
Arrive      Bourg St Maurice          06:17

London to Bourg St Maurice (indirect, daytime)
Depart     London St Pancras     07:52         Eurostar
Arrive      Paris-Nord                   11:17
Depart     Paris-Lyon                   12:47        TGV
Arrive      Bourg St Maurice         17:47

Bourg St Maurice to London (direct, daytime)
Depart    Bourg St Maurice          09:34         TGV
Arrive     London St Pancras        16:13

Bourg St Maurice to London (direct, overnight, Saturdays)
Depart   Bourg St Maurice       22:12         TGV
Arrive    London St Pancras     07:16

Bourg St Maurice to London (indirect, daytime)
Depart    Bourg St Maurice         09:17         TGV
Arrive     Paris-Lyon                    14:10
Depart    Paris-Nord                    16:13        Eurostar    
Arrive     London St Pancras       17:39

Briancon, France
Ski resorts served include: Montgenevre, Serre Chevalier

London to Briancon
Depart    London St Pancras     15:31     Eurostar
Arrive      Paris-Nord                  18:47
Depart    Paris-Austerlitz            20:50       Sleeper train
Arrive     Briancon                      08:23

Briancon to London
Depart    Briancon                         20:03      Sleeper train
Arrive     Paris-Austerlitz               06:58
Depart   Paris-Nord                      09:13      Eurostar    
Arrive    London St Pancras         10:39

Cluses, France
Ski resorts served include: Avoriaz, Flaine, Les Carroz, Les Gets and Morzine.

London to Cluses
Depart    London St Pancras    09:22 Eurostar
Arrive     Paris-Nord                 12:47
Depart    Paris-Lyon                 14:18    TGV
Arrive     Bellegarde                 17:00
Depart   Bellegarde                  17:14     local train
Arrive     Cluses                       18:52

Cluses to London
Depart    Cluses                        10:42     TGV
Arrive      Paris-Lyon                  15:54
Depart     Paris-Lyon                  19:13    Eurostar    
Arrive      London St Pancras     20:46

Grenoble, France
Ski resorts served include: Alpe d'Huez, Chamrousse, Les Deux Alpes and Vaujany.

London to Grenoble
Depart    London St Pancras     09:22         Eurostar
Arrive      Paris-Nord                  12:47
Depart     Paris-Lyon                   14:38        TGV
Arrive      Grenoble                     17:45

Grenoble to London
Depart     Grenoble                        10:19        TGV
Arrive      Paris-Lyon                      13:18
Depart     Paris-Nord                     15:13        Eurostar    
Arrive      London St Pancras        16:39
 

Landry, France
Ski resorts served: Peisey-Vallandry

London to Landry
Depart     London St Pancras     07:52         Eurostar
Arrive      Paris-Nord                   11:17
Depart     Paris-Lyon                   12:47        TGV
Arrive      Landry                          17:38

Landry to London
Depart    Landry                         09:26         TGV
Arrive     Paris-Lyon                   14:10
Depart    Paris-Nord                   16:13        Eurostar    
Arrive     London St Pancras      17:39

Modane
Ski resorts served: Val Cenis

London to Modane
Depart      London St Pancras      09:22     Eurostar
Arrive       Paris-Nord                    12:47
Depart     Paris-Lyon                     14:41     TGV
Arrive      Modane                         18:47

Modane to London
Depart    Modane                             09:13      TGV
Arrive     Paris-Nord                         13:19
Depart    Paris-Lyon                         15:13      Eurostar    
Arrive     London St Pancras            16:39

Moutiers, France
Ski resorts served include: Courchevel, Doucy, La Tania, Les Menuires, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, Val Thorens and Valmorel.

London to Moutiers (direct, daytime)
Depart    London St Pancras       09:45         Eurostar Ski Train
Arrive     Bourg St Maurice          18:27

London to Moutiers (direct, overnight - on Fridays)
Depart     London St Pancras     19:45         Eurostar Ski Train
Arrive      Bourg St Maurice          05:32

London to Moutiers (indirect, daytime)
Depart     London St Pancras     07:52         Eurostar
Arrive      Paris-Nord                  11:17
Depart     Paris-Lyon                  12:47         TGV
Arrive      Moutiers                     17:05

Moutiers to London (direct, daytime)
Depart    Moutiers                     10:14         TGV
Arrive     London St Pancras     16:13

Moutiers to London (direct, overnight, Saturdays)
Depart    Moutiers                     22:54         TGV
Arrive     London St Pancras     07:16


Moutiers to London (indirect, daytime)
Depart    Moutiers                      09:54         TGV
Arrive     Paris-Lyon                   14:10
Depart    Paris-Nord                   16:13        Eurostar    
Arrive      London St Pancras     17:39

Oulx, Italy
Ski resorts served include: Montgenèvre, Sauze d'Oulx, Serre Chevalier 

London to Oulx
Depart    London St Pancras    09:22    Eurostar
Arrive     Paris-Nord                  12:47
Depart    Paris-Lyon                  14:41     TGV
Arrive     Oulx                            19:23

Oulx to London
Depart    Oulx                          08:36     TGV
Arrive     Paris-Lyon                13:14
Depart    Paris-Nord                15:13     Eurostar    
Arrive     London St Pancras   16:39

Sallanches, France
Ski resorts served: Megève

London to Sallanches
Depart     London St Pancras     09:22    Eurostar
Arrive      Paris-Nord                   12:47
Depart     Paris-Lyon                   14:18    TGV
Arrive      Bellegarde                    17:00
Depart     Bellegarde                   17:14
Arrive      Sallanches                   19:09

Sallanches to London
Depart     Sallanches                  10:26    TGV
Arrive      Paris-Lyon                   15:54
Depart    Paris-Lyon                   19:13     Eurostar    
Arrive      London St Pancras     20:46

St Anton am Arlberg, Austria
Ski resorts served: St Anton

London to St Anton
Depart    London St Pancras    07:52    Eurostar
Arrive     Paris-Nord                  11:17
Depart    Paris-Lyon                  12:23    TGV
Arrive     Zurich                          16:26
Depart    Zurich                          16:40    RailJet
Arrive     St Anton                      19:03

St Anton to London 
Depart    St Anton                    08:57    RailJet
Arrive     Zurich                         11:20
Depart   Zurich                          11:34
Arrive     Paris-Lyon                 15:37
Depart    Paris-Lyon                 17:13    Eurostar    
Arrive     London St Pancras    18:32

St Gervais, France
Ski resorts served include: Les Contamines, Saint Gervais

London to St Gervais
Depart    London St Pancras    09:22    Eurostar
Arrive     Paris-Nord                  12:47
Depart    Paris-Lyon                  14:18    TGV
Arrive     Bellegarde                  17:00
Depart    Bellegarde                  17:14    Local train
Arrive     St Gervais                   19:16

St Gervais to London 
Depart    St Gervais                 10:17    TGV
Arrive     Paris-Lyon                 15:54
Depart    Paris-Lyon                 19:13    Eurostar    
Arrive     London St Pancras    20:46

I’ll be back in touch with more news soon, 

Best wishes,
Daniel Elkan
Snowcarbon Founder