Since I founded Ski Flight Free in 2019, I have cut down on my flights considerably in an effort to reduce my carbon footprint. Flight Free in 2024 and 2025 For the last two years, I have gone slightly further committed to the ‘Flight Free Challenge’ – created by Anna...
In June 2025, Eurostar confirmed that they would be running the ‘Eurostar Snow Train’ again for the forthcoming 2025/26 winter season. This is great news, plus there are some key changes to this year’s service that will make the journey more attractive for many travellers. What dates will the Eurostar...
In 2022, I looked at the carbon footprint of a ski holiday, based on some research by French ski resorts. The original research attempted to detail the carbon cost of a day’s skiing, and the differences your choices can make to the final figure. I’ve now updated these figures, to...
The options for train travel to the Alps this winter are outlined here: THE EUROSTAR SKI TRAIN (via Lille) Eurostar have confirmed that their snow train, reintroduced last winter will continue for 2025/26 with more departures, plus an option to return on the following Saturday (six days’ skiing), as well...
As well as founding Ski Flight Free, Iain also presents The Ski Podcast. In September 2023, Iain discussed new train travel options with Krissie Roe from Inghams: In September 2020, Iain was joined by Daniel Elkan from Snowcarbon and Anna Hughes from Flight Free UK in a Facebook Live event to discuss...
Make sure you pick up a copy of this month’s ‘Telegraph Ski & Snowboard Magazine’ encouraging skiers to #SkiFlightFree. You can find Iain’s opinion piece on the existential threat to ski resorts on page 20: Find out more at www.skiflightfree.org
Climate change represents an existential threat to human life on the planet. The evidence for this has been widely published, but you don’t have to take my word for it. This is what Britain’s most trusted man has to say on the subject: An existential threat to the ski industry...
Les Arcs already has an excellent reputation for sustainability. Ski Flight Free founder Iain Martin visited in December 2019 to check out the new 100% electric funicular that takes skiers direct from Bourg St Maurice to Les Arcs 1600. https://www.facebook.com/skiflightfree/photos/a.167091517997964/167091594664623/?type=3&theater 100% Renewable Electricity During that visit he also found out about the resort’s 100% renewable...
While at Ski Flight Free we do not advocate taking a flight to the States (a return flight to Denver generates over 1200 tonnes of CO2), we do recognise the good work on climate change undertaken by Aspen Snowmass. Give a Flake Their ‘Give a Flake’ campaign is an excellent example of how ski resorts...
Last weekend the new ‘Verbier Express’ train service started, linking Geneva to Verbier with direct trains, instead of changing at Martigny. The service is aimed at day-trippers from the Swiss city and will run at weekends and certain public holidays. 90% of visitors to Verbier arrive by car Verbier is hoping to encourage more skiers...
This is a short guide to help you if you’re travelling by train to Bourg St Maurice this winter. If you haven’t been to the station before, or even if you have, it can be useful to help with your orientation after a long journey. Main Bourg St Maurice station building Let’s start by taking...
The new Geneva to Chamonix train service – the Léman Express – is due to open on 15 December 2019. The service will make it easier for skiers and snowboarders who want to travel by train to Chamonix, as well as the resorts of the Grand Massif (Flaine, Les Carroz, Samoens) and the Portes du...
I’ve heard several people say “Well, I would take the train, but it costs so much more than flying.” However, while this may be true in certain circumstances my blog post last month showed that it’s certainly not always the case. In that case, I looked at the equivalent cost of travelling to Les Arcs...
If you’re planning a train trip to the Alps this winter, you might find this new map from ‘2theAlps’ useful. ‘The Alps – Skiing by Train’ covers 200 resorts in seven countries across the Alps from France to Slovenia via Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein and Italy. Over 100 rail-served resorts included Over 100 rail-served resorts...
It’s been great to see some excellent support for the Ski Flight Free campaign in the specialist ski industry press, as well as the national papers. Maybe you read about Ski Flight Free in one of these articles: If you know of any other press mentions for...
I was at the London Ski & Snowboard Festival last month. It has its critics, but I always enjoy catching up with other people in the industry, and also having the chance to meet the people that mean there is a ski business at all – the holiday-taking public. London is the only remaining consumer...
You can have the greatest impact on your carbon footprint by reducing the number of flights you take but changing your diet can help too. Recently I stopped drinking dairy milk and moved to oat milk. That’s when I came across Oatly. You may know the brand: their advertising stands out. These are two of my...
It was great to see this article by Ski Flight Free founder Iain Martin published by The Telegraph this week. Under the title ‘Climate change could kill the ski industry – so take the train to the Alps this winter’, Iain explains his motivations for setting up the Ski Flight Free campaign. It’s the well-educated...
A question often asked is whether it costs more to travel to the Alps by train? The answer might surprise you. Two reasons people often give for continuing to fly and not travelling by train is that it will 1) cost more 2) take longer But while it will typically take longer to take the...
