Vans For Bands offering a new eco-friendly and fun way to drive to the Alps
Vans For Bands are offering British skiers a fun, super-comfortable and eco-friendly way to drive to their ski holiday this winter. As you might guess, Vans For Bands specialise in providing…vans for bands. Most of the year, their fleet of over 70 vehicles transport thousands of acts to festivals and gigs across Europe. But the...
How to travel by train from the UK to Austria and #SkiFlightFree
If you’ve wondered how to travel by train from the UK to Austria, this blog post should answer almost all of your questions. Austria is great for train travel as there are fast connections from major European cities and overnight options, plus many resorts have a station in the town itself. Map of train routes...
New Solar-Powered Floodlit Cross-Country Trail in Austria
This is a great innovation for winter 2024/25 from Hochfilzen in the PillerseeTal Valley, Austria. This winter marks a milestone for eco-friendly winter sports activities with the opening of the region’s first solar-powered, floodlit cross-country skiing trail. The trail is powered by 50 solar panels, combined with battery storage, which means the new photovoltaic floodlights...
![[Case Study] The New Eurostar 'Snow Train'](https://skiflightfree.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/original_dee4066b-2ed5-4dad-8b78-5deeba3a6f8d_20231216_115245-290x290.jpg "[Case Study] The New Eurostar 'Snow Train'")
[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](https://skiflightfree.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240726_100441-290x290.jpg "[Case Study] UK to Corsica by train and ferry")
[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](https://skiflightfree.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240403_114801-290x290.jpg "[Case Study] The UK to French Alps by Luxury Splitter Van")
[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...
