What ski train services are on offer to the Alps in 2023/24?

What ski train services are on offer to the Alps in 2023/24?

This week has seen a flurry of news releases about ski train services to the Alps for the oncoming 2023/24 winter season. The good news is that skiers who want to travel by train have several more options for this winter, primarily created by Eurostar’s decision to run a ‘Snow...
Inghams Ski to offer ski holidays by train

Inghams Ski to offer ski holidays by train

Huge kudos to Inghams Ski, who are launching their own ski packages by train. They will offer train travel to France (via Lille) and Austria, Switzerland and Italy (via Paris). Full details will be released next month and shared here and on www.skilflightfree.org Although nothing has been confirmed yet, possible...
Case Study: Driving To The Alps In An Electric Car

Case Study: Driving To The Alps In An Electric Car

With the adoption of electric vehicles increasing fast, more and more British skiers will be driving to the Alps in an electric car. Iain Martin, founder of Ski Flight Free, drove to Zermatt at the end of August 2022 in a Tesla Model Y to see what it’s like on...
New low-cost rail service from London to Edinburgh

New low-cost rail service from London to Edinburgh

Next month Lumo – a new low cost rail service from London to Scotland – takes to the rails. The company, created by the FirstGroup travel company, plans to offer fares for significantly less than existing rail prices on the same route. One-way fares will be £20 in their initial...
Train Travel to the Alps: Tips and Advice

Train Travel to the Alps: Tips and Advice

As well as founding Ski Flight Free, Iain also presents The Ski Podcast. Earlier this month, he was joined by Daniel Elkan from Snowcarbon and Anna Hughes from Flight Free UK in a Facebook Live event to discuss train travel to the Alps. Useful links and notes Great options for checking your...
"Ski resorts are afraid for their future"

“Ski resorts are afraid for their future”

Make sure you pick up a copy of this month’s ‘Telegraph Ski & Snowboard Magazine’ encouraging skiers to #SkiFlightFree. You can find Iain’s opinion piece on the existential threat to ski resorts on page 20: Find out more at www.skiflightfree.org
Guide to Bourg St Maurice Station

Guide to Bourg St Maurice Station

This is a short guide to help you if you’re travelling by train to Bourg St Maurice this winter. If you haven’t been to the station before, or even if you have, it can be useful to help with your orientation after a long journey. Main Bourg St Maurice station...
Why Ski Flight Free?

Why Ski Flight Free?

Climate change represents an existential threat to human life on the planet. The evidence for this has been widely published, but you don’t have to take my word for it. This is what Britain’s most trusted man has to say on the subject: An existential threat to the ski industry...
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71% of resorts would have 'scarce snow' if global warming hits 4C

71% of resorts would have ‘scarce snow’ if global warming hits 4C

A new study has shown that a quarter of European ski resorts will have scarce snow every other year with 2C of global heating. This takes into account man-made snow created by snow cannons. Without these the number of resorts with ‘scarce snow’ would go up to almost half. Greenbashing an issue Ski resorts have...
Eurostar launch train service to Alps for 2023/24

Eurostar launch train service to Alps for 2023/24

Boom! The news we’ve been waiting for: you’ll be able to buy train tickets to the French Alps from Eurostar, via Lille More info to come, but Eurostar’s ‘Ski Holidays’ page is now live, with tickets to go on sale from Thursday 31 August Full details of train services available for winter 2023/24 are now...
Eurostar CEO confirms new ski train 'via' Brussels

Eurostar CEO confirms new ski train ‘via’ Brussels

Details of the new ski train to replace the previous direct service to France are still thin on the ground, but it does seem that a new service will definitely be coming in.   In an recent interview with The Guardian, Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave confirmed that:   “British skiers will be able to book...
Case Study: Driving to Val d'Isère in an electric car

Case Study: Driving to Val d’Isère in an electric car

Simon McIntyre – MD at Iglu Ski – recently contacted us to share his experience of driving in an electric vehicle to Val d’Isère. He recently spoke to Iain in Episode 176 of The Ski Podcast and you can listen to that conversation at ~39 minutes: EV to Val d’Isère  He drove to France in...
Travelski Express will not run direct from London to Alps in 2023/24

Travelski Express will not run direct from London to Alps in 2023/24

Sadly, one of the worst kept secrets in skiing has now been confirmed: the ‘Travelski Express‘ will not run this winter direct from London to the Alps. Travelski have been unable to persuade Eurostar to continue their rental of one of their trains to travel direct from London St Pancras to Bourg St Maurice each...
Case Study: London to Nice by Train

Case Study: London to Nice by Train

Ski Flight Free founder recently travelled to Nice by train. Admittedly it was to take part in a triathlon, rather than ski, but this case study should still be of interest, especially as he used the Paris overnight service. Let’s take a look at how it went… Eurostar to Paris The journey started with Eurostar...
Serre Chevalier installs second hydroelectric turbine

Serre Chevalier installs second hydroelectric turbine

Serre Chevalier has added another element to its €3.6 million ‘Renewable Energy Programme’ by adding a second hydroelectric turbine. The programme has been underway in Serre Chevalier since 2016, and will mean that the ski resort will be able to meet its target of producing 30% of its own electricity consumption by the end of...
New study exposes FIS "greenwashing"

New study exposes FIS “greenwashing”

In the week of its Annual Congress, FIS is starting to show some signs of movement on sustainability, according to a new update from Protect Our Winters (POW). There are hints that the race calendar will be changed to reduce transatlantic travel and be delayed in its start by a week. The appointment of a...
Ski Flight Free featured in 'Mountain Planet

Ski Flight Free featured in ‘Mountain Planet

We were delighted to see this mention for Ski Flight Free in the latest edition of Mountain Planet’s ‘Innovation Book’ on sustainability:  
Courchevel adds floating solar panels

Courchevel adds floating solar panels

Courchevel in Les 3 Vallées has been working with Savoyard start-up HéliosLite to integrate floating solar PV panels in the mountains. In conjunction with the Société des 3 Vallées deployment of a 245 KW array is planned for the Ariondaz reservoir at an altitude of 2000m. Another array is already in place on the Lac...
CM DUPON releases world's first standard electric snow groomer

CM DUPON releases world’s first standard electric snow groomer

French snow groomer manufacturer CM Dupon has launched the world’s first fully electric snow groomer of standard size, designed at the request of Compagnie des Alpes (CDA). After testing in La Plagne last winter, the pre-production model of the Alpine B400 will go into operation this winter, with the company in discussion with several French...
‘Which?’ finds rail travel not as expensive for families as flying

‘Which?’ finds rail travel not as expensive for families as flying

According to research from the consumer website ‘Which?’ families can save money travelling by train, when compared to flying. The study looked specifically at the cost of air travel versus the cost of overnight train travel, which is currently enjoying a renaissance in continental Europe. Which? Notes that flights often seem cheaper in the first...