Antonia Simpson, a regular listener to The Ski Podcast, recently contacted us to share her story of travelling by train to the southern French Alps.
On a dull September day, a £35 Eurostar offer seemed too good to waste, particularly when I realised I could carry on to the Southern French Alps for less than £20 more!
Okay, it did transpire that my anticipated couchette on the overnight Paris-Austerlitz to Briancon train was actually going to be a seat on the rail replacement coach, but the early season snow was looking fantastic, so I took the plunge and booked.
Antonia at Monetier
London-Paris-Embrun
I left St Pancras at 15:31, arriving at Gare du Nord before a 20 minutes ‘Metro’ trip to Austerlitz. That left just over an hour to fuel up on steak and chips and a couple of glasses of red at a nearby café.
The overnight bus trip was bearable, a somewhat nostalgic reminder of school trips back in the 80s. Departing bang on time at 20:30, we arrived at Embrun in the Southern French Alps at 06:00 the following morning. Briancon Serre Chevalier is a further hour up the line.
Skiing the southern French Alps
When people talk about taking the train to the Alps, invariably they think of the Eurostar Snow Train which goes to Bourg St Maurice, and with a reputation for being fairly pricey.
I’ve spent many years skiing in the Southern French Alps – the skiing is fabulous, there are a lot fewer Brits and the prices tend to be lower than in the better known resorts to the north.
I stayed in Embrun, a town in the Durance Valley that few British skiers have heard of, but which is surrounded by mountains and some great skiing.
Montgenevre, Serre Chevalier, Vars/Risoul and Les Orres are all possibilities. I was there in late-November (with Montgenevre opening on 29 November) and the snow cover was great. I also enjoyed a fabulous opening day at Serre Che – with great weather and fantastic snow.
Skiing fresh powder at Serre Che
What did I learn?
Getting to the Alps via the train can be easy and doesn’t have to be expensive. Arriving by train in Briancon, you are about 500m from the Prorel Gondola from where you can access the whole 250km of Serre Chevalier’s pistes.
Alternatively, you can take a 30-minute bus to the Chalmettes chairlift in Montgenevre and ski into Italy for an early cappuccino.
Embrun
Would I do it again?
I will definitely be repeating the trip. While Briancon is an obvious and established location for a ski holiday, from my base Embrun, in the main season there are easy bus connections to Les Orres and Crevoux (both 20 mins).
Given the local mayor’s commitment to public transport and sustainability, I suspect access will continue to improve.
An overnight bus?
A few of my friends have asked me incredulously, “Why would you do that? Seriously, an overnight bus?”
As well as environmental concerns, the answer is a combination of cost, ease and an aversion to airports.
From central London via LGW, a flight to Marseille and a connecting train to Embrun is unlikely to take less than 12 hours, nor give you much change from £150.
And it would be a huge challenge to leave London mid-afternoon and be on the first lift the following day, whereas with the train I can do just that without any airport hassle.
And to end on a positive note, I slept incredibly well in my couchette on the return train trip, despite sharing with others in a six-person cabin – the free ear plugs may have helped!
Departing Embrun at 21:00 after a good dinner, I arrived at Austerlitz the following morning at 08:00. With two hours to make the Eurostar connection there was plenty of time for ‘P’tit Dej’ at a café outside the Gare du Nord.
Train de Nuit departing Embrun
How much did it cost?
Outbound (Eurostar + overnight bus) – £55
Inbound (overnight train + Eurostar) – £94
Metro tickets – €5
Total cost – £154 per person