Case Study: UK to Saalbach by train
Phil Skone contacted Ski Flight Free to share his experience of travelling to Saalback in Austria by train earlier this year in January 2024. UK-Brussels-Cologne-Munich Starting in Kenworth, we travelled to King’s Cross, then Eurostar to Brussels and Brussels to Cologne. We had time for a meal and tour of the area near the station....
Case Study: Dachstein in Austria to the UK by train (via Amsterdam)
If you’ve ever wondered how to take the train from the Austrian Alps to the UK via Amsterdam on the way back from a ski trip, then Neil Guthrie – co-creator of the excellent map ‘The Alps – Skiing by Train‘ kindly put together this report for Ski Flight Free. —– The new best entry...
Huge cavern appears in Chamonix glacier
A huge cavern has formed in the upper part of the Glacier des Bossons in Chamonix. So large that it’s visible from the centre of Chamonix, the cave appeared last month in the upper part of the Bossons glacier. A old pocket of water or large crevasse? Located not far from the Grands Mulets refuge,...
Case Study: London to Chamonix by train
In February 2024, Iain Martin, presenter of The Ski Podcast and founder of Ski Flight Free, travelled from London to Chamonix by train. “Chamonix is one of my favourite resorts and I’ve travelled there by train several times. It’s not quite as convenient as some resorts, as it typically requires two changes after Paris. However, the...
Case Study: London to Les 2 Alpes by train
In January 2024, Iain presenter of The Ski Podcast and founder of Ski Flight Free, travelled from London to Les 2 Alpes by train. “This was a first for me, as while I’ve travelled to Switzerland and the Tarentaise in France on many occasions, this was my first train journey to the Southern French Alps.” 08:01 (GMT)...
25% lift pass discount if you travel by train to the Vialattea in Italy
The Vialattea ski area – also known by some Brits as the ‘Milky Way’ – has joined resorts like Morzine and La Rosiere in offering a lift pass discount to skiers arriving by train. The ltalian-French region has announced a new partnership agreement with Trenitalia, the main Italian train company. ‘Official Green Carrier’ Trenitalia has been...
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...
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...
Circular Economy comes to La Plagne
We were delighted to read about the ‘new’ second-hand ski gear shop, Antropia, which opened in Aime earlier this year. Through its network, Antropia collects skiwear such as jackets and ski pants from groups across local ski resorts, to keep clothing in the circular economy. The ski wear, mostly well-known brands and often nearly new,...
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...
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...
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...
