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...
Eurostar to face competition from Evolyn on London-Paris route
It’s an axiom of business that competition leads to lower prices, so the news that Eurostar will soon face competition on the London-Paris high speed train route is very welcome. Monopolies are rarely good for the consumer, and it seems that Eurostar’s 30-year reign as the only company offering cross-channel rail travel may be over....
Inghams Ski to offer ski holidays by train
Huge kudos to Inghams Ski, who are launching their own ski packages by train. They will offer train travel to France (via Lille) and Austria, Switzerland and Italy (via Paris). Full details will be released next month and shared here and on www.skilflightfree.org Although nothing has been confirmed yet, possible timings have been mooted as...
Eurostar CEO confirms new ski train ‘via’ Brussels
Details of the new ski train to replace the previous direct service to France are still thin on the ground, but it does seem that a new service will definitely be coming in. In an recent interview with The Guardian, Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave confirmed that: “British skiers will be able to book...
Travelski Express will not run direct from London to Alps in 2023/24
Sadly, one of the worst kept secrets in skiing has now been confirmed: the ‘Travelski Express‘ will not run this winter direct from London to the Alps. Travelski have been unable to persuade Eurostar to continue their rental of one of their trains to travel direct from London St Pancras to Bourg St Maurice each...
Case Study: London to Nice by Train
Ski Flight Free founder recently travelled to Nice by train. Admittedly it was to take part in a triathlon, rather than ski, but this case study should still be of interest, especially as he used the Paris overnight service. Let’s take a look at how it went… Eurostar to Paris The journey started with Eurostar...
‘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...
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...
The ‘TravelSki Express’
The ‘Travelski Express’ is fantastic news for train lovers and skiers looking to reduce their carbon emissions. UPDATE (13 July 2023): The Travel Express will not run direct from London to the Alps in 2023/24, with a service via Lille likely instead (see below) What ski train services are on offer to the Alps in...
Case Study: UK to Méribel (Les 3 Vallées) by train
In January 2023, Iain Martin, presenter of The Ski Podcast and founder of Ski Flight Free, travelled from the UK to Méribel – in the heart of Les 3 Vallées – by train. London to Paris All train trips to the Alps from the UK depart from London St Pancras International. I booked the first Eurostar of the...
We can’t wait for Midnight Trains to arrive…
We’re in the midst of creating a sleeper train company, but more precisely, we’re aiming to reinvent the night train to make it the most comfortable and sustainable mode of transport of the century, as an alternative to medium-haul flights. The new trans-continental train company ‘Midnight Trains’ is not expected to launch until the end...
