The Eurostar Snow Train 2026/27 – Everything you need to know
Eurostar have confirmed that they will be running the ‘Eurostar Snow Train’ again for the forthcoming 2026/27 winter season. What dates will the Eurostar Snow Train operate? The outbound Eurostar Snow Train from London to the Alps will run every Saturday between 19 December 2026 – 20 February 2027 The inbound return train will run...
Watch ‘The People’s Emergency Briefing’, courtesy of POW UK
If you’re a visitor to Ski Flight Free, you are probably already highly invested in what the climate crisis means for the places we love to ski, hike and ride. In which case, a free screening of ‘The People’s Emergency Briefing’, organised by Protect Our Winters UK, is an event you will find worth attending....
La Plagne to test new Electric Piste Basher in Winter 2026/27
La Plagne is one of three Compagnie des Alpes (CDA) resorts that has been selected to trial PRINOTH’s new 100% electric snow groomer (more commonly known as a ‘piste basher’ to British skiers) ahead of its worldwide commercial launch in winter 2027/28. This deployment represents a potentially significant step forward for an industry that has...
Virgin Trains cross-channel approval could boost flight-free ski trips
The options for travelling from the UK to the Alps without flying could be about to get a whole lot more attractive. Virgin Trains has taken a major step towards launching services through the Channel Tunnel, with the UK rail regulator giving the company approval to use High Speed 1 between London St Pancras and...
New rail competitor plans direct trains from London to Germany by 2030
A new operator has announced ambitious plans to launch direct high-speed rail services from London to Germany by 2030, in what could become the biggest expansion of cross-Channel rail travel since Eurostar began operating in 1994. Gemini Trains, a British start-up backed by the investment firm Midia Partners, says it wants to introduce services from...
New Swiss Campaign for Tax on Airline Tickets
I love the work by the Swiss organisation Association Suisse pour la Protection du Climat. Their current campaign is lobbying for a new tax on airline tickets and using those proceeds to provide residents with a CHF100 voucher for public transport, as well as creating a fund to improve rail connections and a focus on...
New Protect Our Winters report highlights barriers to low-carbon travel for outdoor enthusiasts
Protect Our Winters UK (POW UK) has published the findings of its Clean Miles campaign, highlighting the barriers that prevent outdoor enthusiasts from choosing lower-carbon travel. Their campaign has been built around a simple principle: the cleanest route to the outdoors should also be the easiest. Yet for many skiers, climbers, cyclists and hikers, travelling...
Four French Ski Resorts earn elevated ‘Flocon Vert’ sustainability rating
Four French ski areas have been recognised for their ongoing commitment to sustainability by being awarded a second ‘Flocon Vert’ (‘Green Snowflake’). The newly upgraded resorts are Les Belleville (Les Menuires/St Martin/Val Thorens) and Valloire in Savoie, together with Les Angles and Font-Romeu in the Pyrenees. The second snowflake recognises resorts that have continued to...
Free Rail Map of Europe
Our friends at ‘2theAlps’ are offering a free up to date version of their rail map of Europe. It even includes the new European Sleeper route from Brussels to Milan. You can download it here. The higher resolution version in physical format is available here.
New Brussels-Milan Sleeper Train Offers New Rail Route to the Alps
Skiers looking to reduce their carbon footprint while enjoying a more relaxed journey to the mountains will have another option for this winter. European Sleeper has confirmed that its new overnight service linking Brussels and Milan will launch on 09 September 2026, creating a direct rail connection between Northern Europe, Switzerland and Northern Italy. Sleeper...
Direct UK to Switzerland train moves closer to reality
A direct high-speed rail link between London and Switzerland has moved closer after Eurostar signed a new agreement with Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and SNCF Voyageurs to develop future services linking the UK with Geneva, Zurich and Basel. The memorandum of understanding, announced this week, is a positive step that could see direct London–Switzerland trains...
Greenwashing at Thredbo?
The Australia ski resort of Thredbo loves to talk about their sustainability initiatives. And to be fair to the resort, they do power their lifts via renewable electricity, generated from hydro power. On their sustainability page, they list further actions that they have taken to mitigate the impact of their operations. Only this week, the...
