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
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...
Eurostar Ski Train 2024/25
We are very pleased to confirm that the Eurostar Ski Train is back for the 2024/25 winter season. Eurostar Ski Train 2024/25 Tickets go on sale from Tuesday 09 July for travel between 21 December 2024 to 2 March 2025. You will be able to buy tickets on Eurostar’s ‘Ski Train page’ from 09 July...
Will global warming finish your fondue?
The global rise in temperatures doesn’t just affect skiers in the mountains – French cheese producers are also feeling the heat. Unpredictable grass growth, problems with access to water and heat stress for the cows are increasingly common issues for Alpine herds. Hot days and summer droughts increasing The Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Fromage Abondance (SIFA)...
Case Study: The UK to French Alps by Luxury Splitter Van
At Easter 2024, Iain Martin, presenter of The Ski Podcast and founder of Ski Flight Free, travelled from Brighton to Les 2 Alpes in a luxury splitter van. What is a splitter van? Firstly, let’s clarify what we are talking about here. A splitter van is like a minibus, but with much more storage and way more...
Hydrogen bus tested between Moûtiers and Courchevel
A hydrogen bus has been tested on the Moûtiers and Courchevel route in a attempt to find new methods of reducing the carbon footprint of travel to resort. Feedback from the driver was positive, who noted the ease of the automatic transmission and the uphill power, although for this initial test, there were only twenty...
Petition for London-Geneva train service
A petition to launch a direct train service between London and Geneva launched last month has almost reached 5000 signatories. It was started by Nadine McCormick on Change.org and once the 5000 threshold was passed it will be sent to the Swiss railway company SBB. London to Geneva by train in 5+ hours It’s estimated...
French Alps record third warmest winter on record
According to Météo France, winter 2023/24 was the third warmest in the French Alps since records began in 1900. This included a very mild February and March and was before the record warm start to April, which saw temperatures of 29°C in Grenoble and 27°C in Albertville and Bourg-Saint-Maurice on 06 April 2024. Third warmest...
Norway lobbies for new sustainable FIS Calendar
The Norwegian Ski Federation has lobbied FIS in an attempt to introduce a new, more sustainable calendar for the 2024/25 season. Billed under the slogan ‘Change The Course’ and developed in association with KPMG, the concept is to make the Ski World Cup more sustainable by changing the racing calendar completely. Start of season in...
Case Study: How to take a bike overseas…without flying!
Although Ski Flight Free is a resource for skiers, I thought I’d share my experience of travelling by train to Nice last summer. I’m hugely aware of the carbon cost of air travel and have significantly cut down on the number of flights I take in the last few years (and have pledged not to...