Trainmountain | Ski Train News

Only 2 Snow Trains Remaining for the 2009/10 Season

noreply@blogger.com (Simon's Jamjar) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:21:00 +0000

What a season it's been. Superb conditions across most of the Alps from December through to April, but - just like the sound of the last orders bell in a bar - snow lovers are well aware that the season is coming to a close. As you read this, the hardcore skiiers and partygoers are having a drink on you and saying farewell to the 09/10 season in Mayrhofen.

BUT, before you pull out those speedos and bikinis remember there are still two snow train trips remaining!

The last Eurostar snow train weekend is the 17th April, so if you feel like one more session on the slopes, get it booked and have a vin chaud on us.

Fill in the search form on our Eurostar tickets page, and enjoy!

Eurostar Resumes Limited Service

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:27:00 +0000

Following on from the news yesterday that Eurostar had cancelled trains to the continent for a third day, Eurostar posted a message on it's website early this morning saying that a restricted service would run from 7:30am to 6pm GMT.

Eurostar said that only those passengers who originally had reserved seats for Saturday or Sunday would be eligible for travel on Tuesday. Eurostar said it would give priority to passengers “with special needs, such as the elderly or those with young children.” Those with tickets for Monday and Tuesday will be eligible for travel on Wednesday, Eurostar said.

Eurostar conducted tests on Monday to determine the cause of the breakdowns that left thousands of people stranded Friday on five London-bound trains in the Channel Tunnel.

It is still not clear why the wintery conditions this year - which are no worse than previous years - have caused so many problems.

Keep an eye on the Eurostar site for more information.

Eurostar Trains Cancelled

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Ongoing bad weather conditions in Northern France have forced Eurostar to cancel it's services today for the third day in succession.

The first snow train to leave for the Alps was due to leave on Saturday, but with 2,000 passengers on five trains stuck in the Channel Tunnel over Friday and Saturday, thousands of other travellers had Christmas travel plans disrupted.

In the lastest statement released last night, Eurostar said:

"As we suspected, the acute weather conditions in northern France have caused the disruption.

Every year we carry out a ‘winterisation’ programme of the entire fleet which to date has successfully protected our trains. We now know, however, that we need to further enhance the snow screens and snow shields in the power cars of the trains.

We have already started making the modifications and to ensure that these new protection measures work effectively we are conducting a further series of test runs.

We sincerely regret having to take this decision and we understand how frustrated and disappointed travellers will be, particularly those who have been waiting to travel for the last two days.

We strongly advise passengers whose travel is non-essential to change their booking to a later date or claim a refund on their tickets.

For customers who have been unable to travel over the last few days, Eurostar will cover the cost of out-of pocket expenses, for example, hotels and taxis. Full details of our compensation policy are on www.eurostar.com”

Cheap Deals boost Eurostar Summer Sales

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:05:00 +0000

British holidaymakers heading to Europe on cheap deals helped boost Eurostar sales over the summer, the company has said. Eurostar said offers such as its £59 return helped to boost sales by 8%. Eurostar also said the 11% growth in outbound passengers outstripped a 7% increase in travellers inbound from Europe, with 2.6 million travellers using the train between July and September. All that despite a week pound against the Euro.

Many believe this is a sign of the start of an ecomonic recovery, although Eurostar Chief executive Richard Brown has a more cautious opinion. He said: "In recent weeks a number of our major corporate clients have eased their business travel restrictions...although it is early days, this may be a sign of an upturn."

With already more visitors, it could be a good winter for Eurostar. With Rail Europe having cancelled it's snow train for the upcoming season, ticket sales should be on the up over the next few months.

Eurostar tickets for snow trains to the Alps commence in just 2 months, and ticket sales for the ever popular snow train are already on sale for the 09/10 season.

Eurostar Ski Train tickets now on sale

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:18:00 +0000

Eurostar snow train tickets for the forthcoming winter season go on sale today. Last week Rail Europe announced they were cancelling their snow train service, so snow train regulars will be pleased there is still train access to the Alps.

The Eurostar ski train service will run from 19th December 2009 to 17th April 2010, and you can board at St. Pancras International or Ashford International. The ski train will take you to Moûtiers, Aime-la-Plagne and Bourg-St-Maurice. For transfer times to ski resorts from each station, have a look at our Snow Train Destinations page for more information.

There will be twice weekly departures from St. Pancras International; one day ski train leaving on a Saturday morning, and an overnight ski train leaving on Friday evenings. The overnight Eurostar ski train arrives around 7am in the morning, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the slopes!

You can book your ski train ticket direct at Eurostar.com

Rail Europe Snow Train Cancelled for 09/10 Season

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:29:00 +0000

Sad news folks. Rail Europe announced yesterday that the overnight snow train for the coming winter season has been cancelled. Despite being better for the environment, the snow train appears to be the latest victim of the current economic climate. The statement reads:

We’re really sad to announce that the Snow Train won’t be running during the coming ski season. Unfortunately, the current economic climate and poor exchange rates along with an increase in our operating costs, has meant that the service would not be financially viable.

But, lest we forget, you can still reach the French Alps by train. Eurostar runs a day train and a night train, which can whisk you to the Alps at 186 mph. Tickets for the coming winter season will be available in the next few weeks, so check back for more details. Eurostar tickets can be bought online, and check the Eurostar site for more details.

Only Three Snow Trains Remaining for 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:16:00 +0000

Writing this update is a bit like hearing the last orders bell at a bar - you know its coming but you don't want to hear it.

Snow train travel has been a roaring success once again this year, with most of the snow trains to and from the Alps being completely sold out.

But for those who haven't had their snow fix for 2009, there are still three snow train journeys remaining, and Rail Europe are offering £50 off the next two journeys. Here are the details:

1) Depart Fri 13th March, Return Sat 21st March - £219 - BOOK NOW!
2) Depart Fri 20th March, Return Sat 28th March - £219 - BOOK NOW!
3) Depart Fri 27th March, Return Sat 4th April - £269 - BOOK NOW!

The last Rail Europe snow train of the season departing on the 3rd April is already sold out.

See you in Val Thorens?

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:58:00 +0000

My ski trip is finally sorted for 2009. There's a group of 6 of us off to Val Thorens. According to j2Ski, we've timed it perfectly as the forecast shows a dump of snow on the radar for Sunday and Monday!

So how do we get to Val Thorens? You can get the Eurostar from London and grab a connecting service in Gare du Nord in Paris. The snow train will then take you South, where you eventually stop at Moutiers. Val Thorens is approximately a 35 - 40 minute transfer.

So if any of you are heading over to Val Thorens next week, I hope to see you on the slopes! We have a few fancy dress outfits planned, so if you see Captain America on the slopes give me a wave!

Eurostar January Seat Sale - £59 Return

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:36:00 +0000

Eurostar's January sale is still in full flow. There are 200,000 seats available to Paris and Brussels from just £59 return.

There's just over 2 weeks left for the sale, so if you fancy a last minute jaunt to the continent, then book your Eurostar tickets online now!

Snow Train. Made of Snow.

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:17:00 +0000

Check out this cool picture from the Harbin 2009 Ice & Snow Festival! It's an actual snow train. No problems about carbon reduction here! The passenger carriages have even been partly carved out for visitors to go inside.

Merry Christmas from Trainmountain!

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:26:00 +0000

Trainmountain wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

If you've visited the Alps over the last week you'll know they've got more snow than North America! Eurostar's snow train services commenced on Friday, so here's a reminder to book your Eurostar tickets early to get the best fares! Rails Europe's snow train service commences on the 16th January...so maybe see you on board!

I'm still undecided on which resort to visit in January. Any thoughts welcome. I've been to Tignes for the last 4 years, but I'm thinking variety is the spice of life, and I need a change. Where should I go? Answers on a postcard please :)

On Your Marks, Get Set, Snow!

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:16:00 +0000

The heavy snow forecast for the Alps late last week did not disappoint, with many of the lower altitude resorts getting a dump of snow.

I've been waiting for images like the ones below since the end of the last ski season, and it looks like the 2008/09 season is now upon us. Check out the images below, taken from the Ski Club site!

Zermatt at 2050m on Thursday;

Chamonix - top of the Montenvers railway on Thursday;

Even Scotland began it's ski season on Friday with the Lecht ski area opening up 3 lifts.

How exciting! Remember, Rail Europe's snow train service commences on the 16th January next year, so book early to avoid disappointment. Eurostar's day ski train service commences on 20th December, and the night snow train commences on Boxing Day. If you're looking for a slightly different Christmas present grab the snow train and head for the slopes between Christmas and New Year. Go to our Eurostar tickets page and have a look for train availability. Prices start from £179 return.

Overseas Properties and the Snow Train

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:18:00 +0000

With the new ski season only a few months away, news about snow trains is hitting the mainstream press. The Telegraph published a good article yesterday which talks about the benefits of the snow train, as well as the increased trend of UK consumers purchasing properties near snow train stations.

The article notes that ski and snowboard lovers have woken up to the convenience of the snow train, which travels direct to the Alps from London.

According to the article snow trains have a made a difference to the French property market.

"More of our buyers are after properties near stations, especially for the ski train", says Andrew Hawkins of Chesterton International.

Another happy customer is the CEO of ad agency Saatchi and Saatchi, who owns a chalet a 15 minute drive away from Bourg St Maurice. He occassionally buys Eurostar tickets, or travels with Rail Europe. "Both train journeys knock the spots of flying", he says. "The whole journey takes about eight hours. I bring some work, read and arrive refreshed, whereas I am stressed out if I fly." He continues, "...it's an exciting way to travel.....The mountain scenery during the last two hours of the journey is amazing: it's a really uplifting way to start a holiday."

The property development which is closest to a ski train station is Le Grand Coeur, which is just five minutes walk from Bourg St Maurice station. Here, over 60 apartments are being built in traditional-style chalets with spectacular views.

For those who don't have a huge budget for overseas property, MGM are selling one to four-bedroom flats with underground parking from £148,000.

Animal Snowcamp goes Eco

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:36:00 +0000

Great to see the guys over at Animal Snowcamp pushing the cause for global warming for their camp in 2009. Not only are they providing a 5% discount if you travel by snow train this year (and free beer, of course) but they are also staying at the BoardnLodge EcoLodge in the Tarantaise region of the French Alps.

Believe it or not, the Animal pro team are also opening up their doors to skiiers for one week this year too. But for those thinking of joining the snowboard crew I'd suggest stocking up on your banter before heading over.

Animal snowcampers are being encouraged to grab the snow train from St.Pancras International on the Friday night so as to join up with the rest of the camp at their base in Bourg. St Maurice early on Saturday morning. You can travel by snow train with Rail Europe or grab some Eurostar tickets to get you there.

For more information about the event, which runs Saturday to Saturday 24th Jan - 31st Jan, 31st Jan - 7th Feb, then 14th Mar - 21st March and finally the mixed ski & snowboard week on 21st Mar - 28th March, then head to Animalsnowcamp.com.

Eurostar disruptions after Channel Tunnel Fire

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:50:00 +0000

Eurostar services are still being disrupted following the fire in the tunnel on September 11th.

Due to ongoing problems in the tunnel, Eurostar is currently running a reduced service. Customers are advised to check the Eurostar site for updates and should reschedule their travel to after 1st October, if possible.

Eurotunnel spokesman John Keefe said: "Once we have got two-thirds of the north tunnel back in operation, the number of people boarding trains and the number of trains running will be almost back to 100% on Eurostar."

Eurostar have increased the number of trains to Paris from 12 a day to 15 as of yesterday. Before the fire on September 11, Eurostar was running 17 trains a day to the French capital.

Trains are having to slow down when they divert to the south tunnel to navigate past the fire-damaged section of the north tunnel.

Discount Snow Train offer

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:02:00 +0000

Rail Europe are offering a fanastic promotion for those who book their snow train early for next seasons skiing.

If you book your snow train to the Alps through Rail Europe you can save up to £30 if you book before the 1st September. Prices range from £199.

Click here to make your snow train booking!

2009 Rail Europe Tickets now on sale

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:15:00 +0000

First signs that winter is slowly creeping back upon us! Rail Europe announced on Friday that it's snow train tickets for 2009 are now on sale. Early bird fares start at £199 per person.

Make your snow train booking online today!

Eurostar adds more services between London and Paris

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:34:00 +0000

Eurostar has announced today that is it boosting its train service between London and Paris. The high speed train operator is set to increase the number of trains travelling between London and Paris to 18 from September this year.

Eurostar is also increasing it's weekend train service, with up to 20 trains on Fridays going to Paris, and 19 trains going to London, starting from 11th July this year.

And the reasons for the new services? Eurostar has attributed the increase in services due to the 'surging demand' from travellers. In April Eurostar announced an increase in passenger numbers, and the demand for high speed rail travel is obviously still thriving.

In December last year, Eurostar opened up it's ticking system which allows potential passengers to connect to St. Pancras International from 68 major towns and cities across the UK, and this strategy has paid dividends, with growth of more than 100% in some regions of north of London.

Simon Montague, Eurostar's Comms Director said that "the increase in services means we have 24,000 seats available between London and Paris on Mondays to Thursdays, and 30,000 seats on Fridays", so great news for all passengers.

So for the best fares for the new services, book your Eurostar tickets as early as possible!

Eurostar grabs more passengers from the airlines

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:58:00 +0000

Eurostar released their latest passenger figures yesterday, showing fantastic results.

Eurostar trains carried 2.17 million people between January and March this year, a 21.3% increase on the same period in 2007.

One of the undoubtable factors of this success was the switch between Waterloo station and St Pancras International. The new St Pancras station opened its doors to Eurostar passengers in mid-November last year, and saw passenger numbers increase in the first 2 months.

With journey times between London and the continent, regular flight commuters are turning towards the greener, more convenient Eurostar option. An early Easter, the Six Nations tournament and the introduction of through fares from 68 towns and cities across Britain has helped Eurostar ticket sales rise by more than 25% to £178.4 million.

Eurostar also reported fantastic punctuality figures. A record of 93.6% of Eurostar trains arrived on time, or less than 15 minutes late.

Good work guys!

The Last Snow

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:20:00 +0000

With longer days, more sun and warmer temperatures it's no surprise that skiing in Spring is more popular than ever.

The sun has almost set on yet another great skiing season, but there is still time to hit the slopes if you haven't had your snow fix of 2008.

Rail Europe is still running it's snow train service, with travel remaining on the 21st and 28th March, and the final snow train of the season runs on the 4th April.

Eurostar's night ski train finishes on the 21st March, but the day ski train continues up until the 13th April.

It's your last chance to ski of 2008, so get booked and get skiing!

Welcome to 2008!

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:18:00 +0000

Hello and Happy New Year to you all!

I hope you all had a relaxing break and are re-charged and ready to tackle 2008.

I took a well deserved break over Christmas and decided to check out England's only ski slope. England has a ski slope I hear you cry? Yep, in the Lake District.

Not only did the continent receive good snowfall, but so did the UK highlands. The one ski run in the Lake District is situated on Raise, next to the Helvellyn range.

The run is very basic, with a wooden hut housing a generator to power the only ski tow up the side of the mountain, and a small ski hut which was built by Lake District ski club members in 1999. The best part is the slope cannot be reached by car. You need a 1 hour hike up Sticks Pass to reach the slope, so only enthusiastic Lake District Ski Club members can ski.

I took the image below from the northery peak to Raise (Stybarrow Dodd) which shows some snow on the slope...and plenty of skiers (although you might need a magnifying glass)!

More recent pics from today show much more snow cover, so ski club members should be enjoying a good weekend! These can be seen on their Flickr page.

Elsewhere, the snow was plentiful over Christmas and New Year, with Austria again taking the plaudits for fantastic skiing and snowboarding conditions.

The latest snow conditions can be found at Ski Club's Snow Reports page.

Eurostar offers tickets to the rest of the UK

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:37:00 +0000

Eurostar has launched a service for passengers to buy tickets from 68 major towns and cities across the UK.

Eurostar's booking system is now linked with seven major UK train operators including Virgin Trains, First Capital Connect, National Express East Coast (formerly GNER), East Midlands Trains, Chiltern Railways, London Midland and Hull Trains.

The new through-fares now provide greater access for the UK population to reach destinations such as France, Belgium and the rest of Europe.

The new fares are available up to 84 days in advance and include travel on the tube in London for passengers who need to transfer to St. Pancras International.

To search for fares, use our Eurostar fare search on the Eurostar tickets page. Return fares start from £67.

Another good selling point for the new service is that if passengers miss a train due to a delayed connecting service, they will be able to travel on the next available Eurostar at no extra cost.

So now passengers looking to take a snow train to a ski destination in Europe have no excuse!

Happy travelling!

Snow in Kitzbühel!

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:39:00 +0000

Austria seems to be the focus of attention for skiers and snowboarders last weekend.

The picture below is taken from Kitzbühel - beautiful blue skies and fresh snow!

Many of my recent posts have talked about some of the Austrian resorts and the abundance of snow at the moment. However, I have failed to help you out by not telling you how to get to Kitzbühel!

Ironically enough, Daniel Elkin produced a great article for the Observer on Sunday which promotes snow train travel to different European resorts. Daniel covered a few options for how to reach ski resorts such as Ischgl and Kitzbühel in Austria, Zermatt and St. Moritz in Switzerland and Chamonix in France.

So to reach Kitzbühel for example, take a Eurostar train from St. Pancras International to Brussels. Then board a Bergland Express train, which takes approximately 13 hours (overnight).

Alternatively, take the Eurostar to Paris, then from the Gare de l'Est you can take an overnight train to Munich. There is a regular Eurocity service train service between Munich and Innsbruck. From Innsbruck, there are serveral services which connect the 1 hours journey between Innsbruck and Kitzbuhel.

A Blanket of Snow Across Europe

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:58:00 +0000

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

It has been the week for snow in France so far, with well over a metre of snow falling across the country, according to Skiclub. It is the best start to a ski season for years, with snow providing great piste action from top to bottom.

Switzerland and Andorra also had heavy snowfalls, with good skiing conditions on the upper pistes.

In terms of the forecast this weekend, snow is forecast across Austria until Saturday night when the skies will clear. It will hopefully be bright and sunny across France until Sunday when cloudy snowy skies are forecast. Both Italy and Switzerland are forecast to have sunny weekends.

Snow train bookings have also started to accelerate, which is great news. It seems more and more of you are booking your ski travel this winter with Eurostar and Rail Europe, opting to take the rails and see the sights rather than blaze a trail through the sky.

See you on the slopes!

St. Pancras International Gets Festive

noreply@blogger.com (snow train elf) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 21:16:00 +0000

I finally had time to look around the new St Pancras International station on Saturday afternoon. I've been to London so many times over the last month, and finally had a couple of hours to spare, so thought I'd get some good pics of the festivities!

St. Pancras has a packed schedule of events running all the way through December, the theme of which centres around the Victorian history of the station.

As soon as I entered the station I could tell immediately it had been well received by the public - for Eurostar travellers and general tourists alike.

It was nice to be greeted by pick feather bower wearing choir, who entertained the crowds for most of the afternoon.

I also had to have a good look at Europe's longest champagne bar too, although I resisted the temptation to taste a tipple. I have posted a couple of photos of the bar at one of my previous posts about the champagne bar.

There was also a couple of Victorian characters to entertain the tourists, with one particularly talented Victorian footballer...

All in all, a great place to go and visit when you're in London, regardless of whether you are about to buy a Eurostar ticket and head for Europe or not.