50% Jump In Skiers Seeking “Low Carbon Routes to the Alps”
This autumn has seen a big jump in ski holiday companies offering the option to travel to ski resorts all over Europe by rail, as well as the launch of a popular free map showing rail routes to ski resorts by the long-established ski-by-rail information experts, SnowCarbon.
However with recent reports that the number of flights from the UK to the Alps is almost back to pre-pandemic levels this December (and for most destinations actually above December 2019 figures), it’s more difficult to ascertain exactly how many skiers are switching to rail.
One ski holiday company has provided some stats though, holiday company SNO report that they’ve seen a 50% increase in British skiers enquiring about the low-carbon route on their ski trip this winter.
Eurostar Ski Train © Voyages SNCF
They’ve done this by expanded on the newly released Eurostar Snowtrain ski train routes to create packages which include transfers and accommodation to more resorts across the Alps, making holidays by rail as straightforward as the air package holiday business.
“The ski industry is excited that the snow train is back, and we wanted to go further, by offering all of the independent chalets and hotels with a ski train options too,” explains CEO Richard Sinclair.
While the train is a much less carbon-intensive way to travel than flying, this further compounded for journeys through France, due to the way the French generate their electricity. With the highest percentage of nuclear power in the world, France top the rankings as the most low-carbon place to consume electricity, and that includes their largely electrified high speed rail network.
Most of the country’s huge ski areas run their lifts on renewable energy too, with Europe’s largest ski area operator, Compagnie des Alpes, also now running its fleet of more than 150 groomers on biofuel too while they await the rollout of fully electric vehicles. It has ordered the first eight of these for the coming winter, the first due to go into service in Serre Chevalier.
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