Traditional snowtrain - sleeper / couchette

Your Snow Train experience will start with a Eurostar journey from the newly refurbished St Pancras Station in London, or the brand new Ebbsfleet International station just off the A2/M25 in Kent. You'll arrive at the Gare du Nord in the centre of Paris, and simply change platforms to board the overnight Snow Train to travel to the heart of the French Alps.

The main advantage is the two extra days skiing and this train offers very good value for money. Disadvantage is the train can be noisy! It's better to reserve a full couchette which takes six people.

You'll depart on a Friday evening, and arrive early Saturday morning, ready to put in some time on the slopes. We pick you up at Moutiers station and having organised lift passes and ski equipment you are normally skiing by 11am. On the last day of your holiday you can hit the slopes again and still have plenty of time to catch the Saturday evening departure.

Three great reasons to take a Eurostar Direct Ski train

•  You get more time on the slopes - The overnight service gains you an extra day compared to flying.

•  It's green - Compared to many forms of transport, travelling to the slopes by train leaves a greatly reduced carbon footprint.

•  You can upgrade to Leisure Select - First-class seats for leisure travellers with meals and drinks served at your larger (reclining) seat.

How much does it cost?

Your ticket includes standard class return travel on the Eurostar from London or Ebbsfleet and an allocated flat bed in a couchette compartment on the overnight Snow Train from Paris.

Prices start from only £219 return per person! with free carriage of skis and boards.

Restful sleep or a night in the bar? On board, relax for the evening in your couchette compartment or head to the central bar and disco carriage in the centre of the train. This soundproofed carriage comes complete with its own DJ.


The couchette compartments sleep up to six passengers, and have seats that convert into bunk style flat beds for a great nights sleep – no need to sit upright throughout your journey. There are toilets and washrooms at the end of each compartment. You'll also be accompanied by Rail Europe’s own bilingual travel supervisors, who will help at check-in, let you know before you reach your station stop, and are available throughout your journey.

When does it run?

Overnight trains leave London St Pancras or Ashford International every Friday evening, with the first departure on Friday 28th December 2007. The last service leaves the UK for the Alps on Friday 21 March 2008. From the Alps, return trains run on Saturday nights starting from Saturday 29th December 2007 with the last service on Saturday 29th March 2008.

The service remains very popular and is booked up well in advance.   On-line booking

The Eurostar element of the Snow Train will now depart from the newly refurbished London St Pancras instead of London Waterloo. Trains will also stop at Ebbsfleet International, instead of Ashford. Ebbsfleet is a new station situated in Kent, just off the A2/M25 and has parking for up to 9,000 cars. The introduction of the new stations means customers can leave later than in previous years.