Skiing’s a great sport, enjoyed by millions. With busy schedules it’s easy to jump on a plane and get to a resort in less than half a day. It can be pretty stressful though, with baggage allowances, check-in times and busy airports. It’s also having a massive impact on the environment, with carbon footprints being 4-8 times higher than taking the train. So why not chill out a bit, take the train, and enjoy the journey?
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Les Arcs/La Plagne
Les Arcs is one of the few French resorts directly linked by rail. Jump on the Snow Train, have a chunk of fun on the journey (its legendary!), get off in Bourg St Maurice and get straight on to the funicular, which takes you right in to Arc 1600. From there it’s an easy transfer to Arcs 1800, 1950 and 2000, where you can enjoy the hundreds of kilometres of pistes the Paradiski region has to offer. The ski train can also drop you off at Aime-la-Plagne, so it’s easy to get to La Plagne too!
Nevis Range/Cairngorm
This is a great one for the flexible weekend crowd – if there’s good snow (and there has been for the past 2 seasons!), jump on the sleeper train after dinner on Friday, hit Fort William and get yourself to the Nevis Range first thing on Saturday morning for some of the best skiing the UK has to offer. For the more adventurous, head to the Cairngorms for some fantastic Ski Touring.
Zermatt
The whole Valais valley has great train links from major cities in Switzerland, and the resorts there are awesome. Try Zermatt for great skiing and stunning scenery – can you beat skiing under the Matterhorn?! To get there, take the Eurostar to Bern, and then jump on the train to Zermatt. If you fancy more trains, then not only is there the stunning Nicolaital Valley to pass through, but also the world famous Glacier Express, linking Zermatt to St. Moritz/Davos too!
Morzine
Ok, so getting direct to Morzine isn’t possible, but we can’t leave out one of the biggest resort areas in the Alps from this list! With pistes to match any skier’s level, the Portes du Soleil is an area everyone should visit at some point… There are a range of great shared-transfer companies operating from Geneva airport, which handily is convenient for the train too… So get on the Eurostar and come to Morzine!
Meribel
With only 1 train change in Paris (which you can always make the most of!) and a wee bus journey at the end, Meribel is a high class resort which it possible to get to without resorting to a tin can in the sky… It’s not far from Les Arcs, but has a totally different vibe. Loads of lovely chalets there too, making it a picture perfect resort!