In February 2026, Iain travelled from the UK to the ski resort of Isola 2000 in the Alpes Maritimes. He travelled on the overnight ‘train de nuit’ from Paris to Nice, stayed one day in Nice and then went on to Isola the following day.
As Iain went on to Les 3 Vallees after his visit to Nice, he used a four-day, first class Interrail ticket bought from Rail Europe for £239 in the November sale. The full costing is detailed at the bottom of this page.
Sunday: London-Paris
I left Brighton at 11:58, arriving to London St Pancras slightly earlier than I usually do as I wanted to do my EES biometric set up and get on the system now, rather than at a time when I’m in more of a hurry.
The actual EES registration was very straightforward and took less than 2 minutes. The only surprise was that I had to ask for it. Departure destinations such as London St Pancras should be trying to get as many people registered now (I believe the threshold is meant to be 30%), before everyone has to be checked from April.
As it was, even with the photo and fingerprints, I will still through security and both customs in less than 10 minutes. The train left on time and I settled into my seat (recommended by Mark Smith, The Man in Seat 61)
Travelling on a first class Interrail, I was seated in Eurostar Plus. As well as having larger seats, you are also served a meal (meaning there was no need to spend money on over-priced fare in the departures area at St Pancras).
Gare du Nord-Gare de Lyon
My Eurostar was 30 minutes late leaving London, but fortunately I’d left plenty of time to get to Gare d’Austerlitz. I took the D line RER as usual to Gare de Lyon, a journey that took around 20 minutes.
This is a very straightforward trip of just two stops. This video details exactly the journey on the RER between the stations.
I chose to go to Gare de Lyon, rather than take the Metro to Gare d’Austerlitz, as it’s simpler and I also enjoy the walk over the Seine between the stations.
Paris-Nice
I wish there were more Intercités de Nuit trains, but the Paris-Nice route is now one that I’ve taken three times in the last four years.
The only significant difference of travelling first class is that there are only four beds in each couchette (i.e. as in regular bunk beds), as opposed to six beds in second-class (i.e. triple bunk beds).
We left on time at 20:08.
My sleep was pretty good. I actually find the gentle rocking of the train to be quite comforting. The only issue is that night trains tend to stop quite often and everytime the train did stop, I tended to wake and the temperature went up.
However, I slept well and I recommend getting up early, as from around Toulon onwards you get fantastic views of the Mediterrean along the Cote d’Azur. The photo below shows sunrise as seen from the train – the whole trip was worth it just for this!
Monday: Nice
We arrived a few minutes ahead of our scheduled arrival time (09:09). I’d recommend taking some time to enjoy the views within Nice station. The light and scale of this space is truly beautiful.
I dropped off my bags at a left luggage (there are so many of these near the station – I prefer this one) and went to discover Nice, guided by the hugely knowledgable Caterina Prochilo.
We explored the old town, via markets and the Colline du Chateau before a superb lunch at the Chez Acchiardo – an accredited ‘Cuisine Nissarde’ restaurant.
After a day exploring Nice, I took the tram out towards the airport for the night, so as to be close to the bus stop for my final transfer to Isola 2000.
Superb entree of Nicoise specialities at Chez Acchiardo
Tuesday: Nice to Isola 2000
Either the Crowne Plaza or the Holiday Inn are perfectly located for the ‘Neige 100%’ bus service that goes direct from Nice to Isola 2000. I was able to have breakfast, then walk literally one minute from the hotel to the bus stop, where we loaded quickly and left on time at 07:15
The journey to Isola is very windy – with approximately 30 hairpin bends. Occasionally, our coach met other vehicles in a stand-off that required one of us to reverse and create space.
However, we arrived on time in Isola at 09:15. After a quick trip to drop off my bag at the Hotel Les Druos (I was already wearing my ski kit), followed by a visit to the Ski Pro hire shop, I was on the slopes just after 09:30.
Arrival in Isola 2000
Conclusion: Travel by train and bus to Isola 2000
This type of travel isn’t going to suit everyone. If all you want to do is maximise your time skiing, then of course you can fly.
However, if you want to minimise your carbon footprint, and at the time take in one of Europe’s most attractive winter cities, then travelling to Isola via Nice is a great option.
Isola has a great ski area (with 120km of pistes), is cheaper than most of the big French resorts and has slopes that are practically empty.
You don’t have to buy an Interrail, but the reason I bought this, rather than individual tickets, from Rail Europe was because I travelled on to Les 3 Vallees after leaving Nice, so it made sense to include this.
Costs
4-day, 1st Class Interrail – £237
Reservations on Eurostar & TGVs – £75
100% Neige Nice-Isola 2000 return – £12
Total travel cost (excluding Nice hotel) – £324 return
