Travelling from the UK to the Alps by train may be comfortable, relaxing and eco-friendly. However, finding out how much journeys cost has never been as easy as it should be because there was nowhere for skiers to check journeys for popular dates of the season and see – at a glance – which ones were on sale and how much they cost.
But now they can. Independent rail-ski website Snowcarbon has just launched a new price-checking resource called Live Train Prices to coincide with the opening of winter rail bookings for many of the coming ski season’s indirect rail journeys, now on sale.
At a glance, skiers can now view live rail prices for journeys from London to 14 train stations in the Alps, serving over 50 ski resorts (see list below) in France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy using the following types of journeys:
- Eurostar Ski Train – daytime to the Tarentaise region of France
- Eurostar Ski Train – overnight to the Tarentaise region of France
- Eurostar + TGV – to resorts in France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy
- Eurostar via Lyon – to resorts in France
- Eurostar + sleeper train from Paris – to several resorts in France and Italy
Prices for each journey are displayed in tables with associated graphics to show departure and arrival times at each train station on that route.
“Giving skiers a clear picture of their journey options is a vital part of helping them out of planes and cars and onto trains,” says Snowcarbon Founder, Daniel Elkan. “There are many indirect journeys that skiers aren’t even aware of, to resorts that they didn’t realise they can reach so easily by train.”
To obtain prices, Snowcarbon’s Live Train Prices section accesses fares from rail-booking website Loco2.com, which is in turn a partner of train operators such as Eurostar and SNCF. Fares shown on Live Train Prices – bookable on Loco2 – are exactly the same as if going directly to Eurostar or SNCF’s websites.
The ski resorts that skiers can reach with these journeys include:
France: Alpe d’Huez, Avoriaz, Brides les Bains, Courchevel, Flaine, La Clusaz, La Plagne, La Rosiere, La Tania, Le Grand Bornand, Les Arcs, Les Carroz, Les Contamines, Les Deux Alpes, Les Gets, Les Menuires, Megeve, Meribel, Montgenevre, Morillon, Morzine, Peisey-Vallandry, Sainte Foy, Samoens, Saint Gervais, St Martin de Belleville, Serre Chevalier, Tignes, Val Cenis, Val d’Isere, Val Thorens and Valmorel.
Switzerland: Crans-Montana, Davos, Diablarets, Grindelwald, Leysin, Murren, Saas-Fee, Wengen, Verbier, Villars, Zermatt.
Italy: Claviere, Sauze d’Oulx, Sestriere.
Austria: St Anton.
