Airlines found by ASA to be ‘greenwashing’ with dishonest ads
Kudos to Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority for ruling this week that adverts by three airlines were simply greenwashing. The ASA concluded that adverts by Air France, Etihad and Lufthansa were misleading when they used phrases such as ‘committed to protecting the environment’ and helping customers to ‘fly more sustainably’. “No initiatives…that would adequately substantiate absolute...
Cut your emissions travelling by coach to the Alps with Snow Express
Another alternative to flying to your ski holiday is travelling by coach. Coach travel to the Alps is a great way to reduce the carbon footprint of your ski holiday while often being cheaper than train travel or driving, especially at peak season. Many skiers and snowboarders might only have travelled by coach to a...
Laax introduces a gondola that you can summon up like an Uber
This winter, the resort of Laax in Switzerland is introducing the world’s first ski lift that can be summoned ‘on demand’. The new CHF80 million lift addresses the inherent inefficiency of traditional gondola that sees cabins continually rotate regardless of whether they have any occupants. The ‘FlemXpress’ will send cabins only on request. Energy use...
Midnight Trains drop plans for Edinburgh-Paris service
Disappointing news was released this week from the start-up Midnight Trains, who have confirmed that their plans no longer include a sleeper train from Edinburgh to Paris. The company plans to offer travellers a new ‘hotel on rails’ service around Europe, serving a dozen destinations to and from Paris. No Edinburgh-Paris service The company has...
NightJet services to Austria by train via Amsterdam still an option for winter 2023/24
Eurostar has confirmed that the no Eurostar trains will be able to depart from the Netherlands between June 2024 and January 2025 – a shorter interruption than anticipated. Renovation work in Amsterdam This is because of renovation work at the Amsterdam Central station, which will mean that the Eurostar departure and customs area will be...
Trenitalia offer skiers train options to French ski resorts from Paris
The landslide in the Maurienne valley in August that moved 10,000 m3 of rock means that the Paris-Milan rail route remains blocked. However, skiers looking for train routes to the French Alps can still use Trenitalia this winter. Paris to Lyon and Chambéry From December 10, Trenitalia will offer five trains a day from Paris...
Train Travel panels at the National Snow Shows
At Ski Flight Free we have been promoting train travel to the Alps over flying for years, so it was hugely encouraging to see a genuine increased level of interest at the shows at Birmingham and London during National Snow Week. Iain Martin, founder of Ski Flight Free, was invited to lead a panel at...
Travel like a Rock Star this winter with ‘Vans For Bands’
I’ve taken the train to the Alps and driven by electric car, but this winter I’m trying a new way of going skiing that should also be low carbon and also a lot of fun! In March, my family and another from Brighton will be driving to Les 2 Alpes in one of ‘Vans For...
Compagnie des Alpes invites bids from rail companies to offer more train-only packages
Compagnie des Alpes are taking the next step to reduce carbon costs associated with their ski resorts and ski holidays by inviting bids to offer train services under the Travelski Express brand across Europe. Bids open to offer train travel to French resorts Yesterday it announced it is welcoming bids for suppliers to offer its...
NightJet service to run from Amsterdam via Cologne to Austria
Austrian rail operator ÖBB has confirmed that their NightJet service from Amsterdam to the Austrian Alps will continue to operate this winter. Departures from Amsterdam are every evening at 19.30, stopping at Cologne and connecting to Vienna, and via Munich to to Innsbruck. British travellers could choose to take the Eurostar to Amsterdam or...
New couchette ‘sleeping pods’ for Austrian Nightjet trains
Austria’s state railway ÖBB has confirmed they will be introducing a new fleet of night trains from December 2023. Thirty-three of the new trains will take to the rails in December 2023 and will be a significant upgrade on the previous models. The new trains put a focus on solo travelers, including pod-like single cabins,...
SNCF ‘Carte Advantage’: Save money on French train bookings
For anyone travelling to the Alps this winter, here’s a useful money-saving tip if you are booking connecting trains from Paris with SNCF. Each winter, I buy an SNCF ‘Carte Avantage‘. You can probably translate that yourself, but just in case, it’s the SNCF ‘Advantage Card’. And indeed, there can be a big advantage in buying...
