Questions over whether a direct ski train service would run from London to the French Alps were settled this month with the announcement that a new Travelski Express service will arrive into Bourg Saint Maurice each Saturday morning during the ski season, after departing London on Friday night, starting from 18 December.
Daytime returns will be offered on Saturdays from Bourg Saint Maurice and Moûtiers, without stopping, to London-Saint Pancras.
This is welcome news for the French resort of Les Arcs, for example, as it means that once again the resort can be reached directly from London by train. After arriving on the Travelski Express in Bourg, it is a simple 7-minute journey by funicular to Arc 1600, meaning skiers can be on the slopes the very same morning!
However, although the new service will be run by Eurostar from its St Pancras terminal, the Travelski Express is actually a charter train, and can only be booked through Travelski, a wholly-owned subsidiary of French firm Compagnie des Alpes.
Travlski will offer the service in the form of a package deal, including transport, transfers, accommodation and ski passes at six CdA managed resorts - La Plagne, Les Arcs, Tignes, Val d'Isère, Méribel, Les Menuires.
While these are some of the largest resorts in the Alps, some significant ski areas are excluded from this package, such as Courchevel and Val Thorens in the 3 Valleys.
CdA’s mountain director Yariv Abehsera commented: ‘Travelski Express is first and foremost the group's unique initiative to open a direct high-speed train service from Great Britain to the Compagnie des Alpes mountain resorts and to the French Alps. Travelski Express also symbolises the interest we take in our foreign customers. Distributed exclusively on the Travelski website, this unique offer reinforces its international dynamic and contributes to the conquest of new customers for the French destination.’
