Five things we've learnt checking train prices

This morning we checked prices on sale now, for our Ski Trains Price Check - a page that shows you many of the season's bookable fares at a glance.

When you check fares regularly, as we are doing, you learn some things:

1.    Train prices fall as well as rise, once they are on sale.  In other words train companies adjust prices down as well as up, if their price modelling predicts less demand.  On certain dates we’ve the Eurostar Ski Train, for example, around £30 cheaper than it was a few days previously.

2.    Train prices on some peak dates, such as Christmas and New Year, have reached unprecedented levels.  For example £640 return to Cluses over Christmas. That’s not a typo.  £640.  “%*%$%” is the word you are looking for!

3.    Independent train travel can be a lot cheaper than flying. For example, to London – Grenoble by train, for Alpe d’Huez, is £189 at Feb half term. The respective EasyJet flight is £606 return.  Nuff said.  

4.    The lowest priced “lead-in” fares disappear quickly, but the next bands up do last – such as the £129 returns to Grenoble.  And the same fare may not change for several days, or even more.

5.    If you are flexible on the week that you travel, you can save a lot of money.
 

We'll keep checking, and we'll keep sharing. If Snowcarbon is useful to you, please spread the word to other skiers..