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...
The 'TravelSki Express': New direct ski train to the French Alps (Updated Nov 2022)

The ‘TravelSki Express’: New direct ski train to the French Alps (Updated Nov 2022)

Iain tested the inaugural outbound service in January 2022. You can read his article here, listen to the special podcast episode or watch his video below. —————- The ‘Travelski Express’ is fantastic news for train lovers and skiers looking to reduce their carbon emissions. Compagnie des Alpes has signed an...
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...
Latest entries
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...
We need a Frequent Flyer Levy to address the inequality of flight use

We need a Frequent Flyer Levy to address the inequality of flight use

How many flights do you take a year? Purely from the fact that you’re reading this on Ski Flight Free, the chances are that you may at least be trying to cut down. The aviation sector is projected to be the single biggest source of emissions in the UK by 2050 due to the steadily...
Mercedes EQV Review by Rob Forbes at Cool Bus

Mercedes EQV Review by Rob Forbes at Cool Bus

Regular visitors to Ski Flight Free may recall that in September 2022 we reported that transfer company Cool Bus were upgrading their fleet of electric vehicles to include three new Mercedes EQV minibuses. Now the season has finished we checked in with founder Rob Forbes to see how the new vehicles worked out. The electric...
Hotelplan announce two new climate partnerships

Hotelplan announce two new climate partnerships

As the next step in its sustainability strategy, Hotelplan has announced two new climate partnerships worth more than £1 million with Klimate and Rewilding Britain. More recent developments in the group’s carbon mitigation strategy have seen a move away from traditional avoidance-based carbon offsetting towards carbon removal and rewilding. “Protecting the planet that we and...
Case Study: London to Verbier by train

Case Study: London to Verbier by train

In March 2023, Iain presenter of The Ski Podcast and founder of Ski Flight Free, travelled from London to Verbier by train. 0801 (GMT) – London St Pancras Eurostar check-in is so much simpler and faster than flying: 12 mins to get through security and passport control AND with a full water bottle, cup of tea...
Case Study: Taking the train from the UK to Arinsal, Andorra

Case Study: Taking the train from the UK to Arinsal, Andorra

Tom Thorp recently contacted us after listening to Iain talking about train travel on The Ski Podcast: “I’ve been enjoying your podcast, thank you for all your work creating interesting episodes and insights.”  Tom is a ski instructor, working both in the UK and regularly in the European mountains. He specifically wanted to share his...
Ski Racers call for FIS to take Climate Action

Ski Racers call for FIS to take Climate Action

Last month over one hundred ski racers signed an open letter to FIS, coordinated by Protect Our Winters ambassador Julian Schütter. The letter, most recently updated on 10 March, has now been signed by over 450 athletes, including stars like Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, demands greater action from FIS and transparency on the...