Vans For Bands offering a new eco-friendly and fun way to drive to the Alps
Vans For Bands are offering British skiers a fun, super-comfortable and eco-friendly way to drive to their ski holiday this winter. As you might guess, Vans For Bands specialise in providing…vans for bands. Most of the year, their fleet of over 70 vehicles transport thousands of acts to festivals and gigs across Europe. But the...
How to travel by train from the UK to Austria and #SkiFlightFree
If you’ve wondered how to travel by train from the UK to Austria, this blog post should answer almost all of your questions. Austria is great for train travel as there are fast connections from major European cities and overnight options, plus many resorts have a station in the town itself. Map of train routes...
New Solar-Powered Floodlit Cross-Country Trail in Austria
This is a great innovation for winter 2024/25 from Hochfilzen in the PillerseeTal Valley, Austria. This winter marks a milestone for eco-friendly winter sports activities with the opening of the region’s first solar-powered, floodlit cross-country skiing trail. The trail is powered by 50 solar panels, combined with battery storage, which means the new photovoltaic floodlights...
Research: What is the carbon footprint of a ski holiday?
In 2022, I looked at the carbon footprint of a ski holiday, based on some research by French ski resorts. The original research attempted to detail the carbon cost of a day’s skiing, and the differences your choices can make to the final figure. I’ve now updated these figures, to make it more specific to...
The New European Sleeper Ski Train to Austria & Italy: Your Questions Answered
The new European Sleeper Ski Train to Innsbruck in Austria and Bolzano in Italy (and onward to Venice) is a very exciting development for lovers of train travel and skiers looking for new ways to Ski Flight Free this winter. Iain Martin, host of The Ski Podcast and founder of Ski Flight Free, spoke to...
French Ski Resort mayors call for state to support train travel
More than one hundred mayors of French ski resorts have called for the French state to support train travel. Earlier this month, following the annual meeting of the Association Nationale des Maires des Stations de Montagne (ANMSM) at La Clusaz, the organisation issued a statement for help in adapting to the rapidly changing mountain environment....
New rail map to French ski resorts
This new map is a fantastic way to work out the route by train to your favourite French ski resort. Click on the map to see the largest version. It was created by David Cooper and Daniel Elkan from the excellent Snowcarbon, on behalf of France Montagnes. Travelling by train instead of flying is the...
![[Case Study] UK to Crans Montana by train](http://skiflightfree.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/20240911_121108-290x290.jpg "[Case Study] UK to Crans Montana by train")
[Case Study] UK to Crans Montana by train
In September 2024, Iain from The Ski Podcast travelled by train from the UK to Crans Montana in Switzerland. This is one of the best ski resorts to travel to by train, as the funicular from Sierre means you can get off the train and be in resort little more than 15 minutes later. London-Paris...
![[Case Study] The New Eurostar 'Snow Train'](http://skiflightfree.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/original_dee4066b-2ed5-4dad-8b78-5deeba3a6f8d_20231216_115245-290x290.jpg "[Case Study] The New Eurostar 'Snow Train'")
[Case Study] The New Eurostar ‘Snow Train’
On 16 December 2023, I was invited to trial the new Eurostar Snow Train service by Inghams Ski, who are offering ski holidays packaged with train travel and transfers using the new service. This is a very significant step from Eurostar, having cancelled the previously successful service in 2020. So what was the new train...
Greenwash Alert: Beware of nonsensical ‘climate’ surveys
I’ve been sitting on this one for a while as I think my time is better spent on positivity than negativity, but this ‘survey’ that landed in my inbox earlier this year is a classic example of greenwashing. I don’t feel inclined to name the tour operator concerned, but it’s another example of a brand...
New European Sleeper opens up train travel for skiers to Austria and Italy
The new European Sleeper train service will open up Austria and the Italian Dolomites for UK skiers and snowboarders who want to travel by train. The company has been operating a night train from Brussels to Prague via Amsterdam and Berlin since May 2023. Overnight from Brussels to Innsbruck and Bolzano This winter, they are...
![[Case Study] UK to Corsica by train and ferry](http://skiflightfree.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240726_100441-290x290.jpg "[Case Study] UK to Corsica by train and ferry")
[Case Study] UK to Corsica by train and ferry
So this is nothing to do with ‘skiing’ flight free (unless you are thinking about discovering one of Corsica’s ski resorts this winter), but regular readers will recall that I have taken the Flight Free Challenge for 2024…and that means summer family holidays as well. Brighton to Corsica by train and ferry That meant that...