Taking the train at half-term is (a lot!) cheaper than flying
Not booked your half-term ski holiday yet? Maybe this is the year to take the train. Easyjet still have plenty of flights for half-term week out of Gatwick. The only catch is that they are VERY expensive. You can save around £100 by choosing to leave the UK very early or very late. You could...
Case Study: London to Serre Chevalier Briancon by ferry and train
Neil Guthrie – creator of ‘The Alps – Skiing by Train’ map – recently sent us this update on his flight free journey from London to Briancon (to ski Serre Chevalier): Every year thousands of winter sports holidays begin with a train ride from London Victoria or Clapham Junction heading south towards Sussex. For most,...
Protect Our Winters UK’s ‘Clean Miles’ campaign
Ski Flight Free is proud to support Protect Our Winters UK’s ‘Clean Miles’ campaign, a movement to make low-carbon travel the easiest way to reach the outdoors. Transport is responsible for around a third of global emissions and is the biggest part of outdoor sports’ carbon footprint. The Issue We love the outdoors, but too...
Sustainability presentations at the London Snow Show
Founder of Ski Flight Free and host of The Ski Podcast, Iain Martin, was at the London Show Snow last weekend speaking on the ‘Protect Our Winters’ Sustainability Stage. Events like this are a great opportunity to help spread the word about how skiers can reduce their impact and decarbonise. On Saturday, Iain presented a...
Morzine chalet company AliKats awarded B Corp status
The Morzine chalet company run by British couple Al and Kat Judge has officially achieved B Corp™ Certification. This makes them one of the very few chalet operators worldwide to hold this globally recognised standard for social and environmental impact. AliKats was founded more than a decade ago and run 16 luxury chalets in Morzine....
Trenitalia France boosts Paris–Lyon services by 55% this winter
Trenitalia France is significantly expanding its high-speed offer on the Paris–Lyon corridor, increasing weekday frequencies from nine to 14 roundatrips starting from 14 December 2025. The Paris–Lyon uplift represents a 55% increase in weekday capacity, meaning Trenitalia will be operating more than one-third of services on one of Europe’s busiest routes. This expansion is part...
The Man in Seat 61: Will Eurostar will ever have competition?
Mark Smith – The Man in Seat 61 – thinks it’s possible that Eurostar will have competition, but it will take time. I spoke to the train travel expert in Episode 233 of The Ski Podcast. After news of bids to compete on the cross-channel line from Virgin Trains, Gemini and Evolyn, I wondered what...
Case Study: UK to St Gervais Le Fayet by train and bus
In August 2025, Iain travelled from the UK to Saint Gervais Le Fayet in France. Iain was in the region to take part in the OCC Ultra Marathon in Chamonix, but preferred to stay in the much better value Le Fayet. London St Pancras-Gare du Nord I started my journey in Brighton, arriving at Eurostar...
How to get from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon in Paris (and back)
I’ve often heard people say that they would travel by train on their ski holiday if it wasn’t so difficult to get from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon in Paris. [Sigh] It’s really not that difficult! It’s two stops on the RER on a service that usually takes about 20 minutes from platform...
Case Study: Les Arcs to London by train
In August 2025, Iain travelled by train from Les Arcs to London in the UK. Arc 1800-Arc 1600, 09:15 The different ‘stations’ of Les Arcs are connected by an efficient bus service, that runs on a reliable timetable. I took the 0915 navette from Arc 1800, which is scheduled to link perfectly with the funicular...
The Eurostar Snow Train 2025/26 – Everything you need to know
In June 2025, Eurostar confirmed that they would be running the ‘Eurostar Snow Train’ again for the forthcoming 2025/26 winter season. This is great news, plus there are some key changes to this year’s service that will make the journey more attractive for many travellers. What dates will the Eurostar Snow Train operate? The Eurostar...
UTMB in Chamonix commits to cutting emissions by 20% before 2030
The UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc) – held annually in Chamonix – is known as the world’s leading trail running event, but in recent years they have had significant criticism for ‘sportswashing’. Sportswashing? That came to a peak two years ago when the running community, led by the Green Runners and prominent athletes such...