The option to take a dedicated coach service to the Alps is returning for the first time since the pandemic with Snow Express, relaunching its full service from London to the French Alps.
With fares from £179 return from London Victoria or Folkestone to over 25 ski resorts in the French Alps, the price include the Channel crossing, luggage and ski carriage, it’s now once again the most economical way to reach ski resorts as air fares and transfer costs increase.
It’s also a far more sustainable way to travel compared to flying, with individual carbon emissions 7 times lower that traveling by air. Snow Express has partnered with POW (Protect Our Winters) for this season to help support the organisation and data on the Co2 emissions per passenger has been published. For example, a return trip from London to Tignes with Snow Express and ferry uses 24.1kg of Co2 per passenger whilst flying and then a resort transfer uses 189.2kg of Co2 per passenger.
The services starts for Christmas week on December 22 and will run every Friday evening from London and Folkestone, returning on the following Saturday. The last departure date is Friday April 5 with the final return journey from the Alps to London departing on Saturday April 13.
Because coaches normally arrive from 11am onwards in resort, it might be possible to ski or snowboard that day. On departure day, the coach doesn’t leave resort until 17.00 hrs, so a full extra days skiing can normally be had.
Snow Express is a partner company to Action Outdoors, the UK arm of the not for profit UCPA Centres across the French Alps. It’s possible to reach the UCPA centres including Tignes, Val Thorens, Les Arcs and Val d’Isère with a door to door service, completely cutting out the need for airport transfers. But it’s also possible to use Snow Express to reach all its destinations whilst booking independent accommodation too.
“Once again, it’s possible to travel conveniently to the French Alps on a weekly service that offers fantastic value and a resort drop off without the additional costs of baggage, skis, and expensive airport transfers,” said Dave Manley of Snow Express who added, “We all know the train offers a far lower carbon emission than air travel, but coach travel is also significantly lower too. Now that air travel costs are rising, we know that Snow Express could offer an attractive alternative and once again we will run a weekly service from London and Folkestone to the French Alps this winter.”
Coaches depart from London Colonnades Coach Station, Victoria or Folkestone Stop 24 services on Friday evenings at 18:00 (London) and 20:00 (Folkestone) and depart resort the following Saturdays at 17:00, arriving back in the UK on Sunday mornings.
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