9 of Europe's top ski resorts to visit by train this winter

Olly Beckett

Olly Beckett

You've found a cheap flight to the mountains but, ugh, extra baggage costs. And, oh no, your resort is still a long and expensive transfer from the airport.

Make the most of Eurostar’s seasonal Snow Train routes
Make the most of Eurostar’s seasonal Snow Train routes © Sergii Figurnyi - Adobe Stock Image

Thankfully, there is another option for travelling to some of Europe's best winter sports destinations: the humble train. To show you what's possible here are nine superb places to plough the powder, each one with excellent equipment hire offerings and which are easily accessible by rail.

Getting to Europe's ski resorts: find and book great value ski trips with the experts at Sunweb*, which offers winter sports breaks to many of Europe's leading ski resorts.

Méribel, France

  • Travel time: approx 7.5 hours
  • Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Lille > Moûtiers

A much-loved destination made convenient by Eurostar's Snow Train is Méribel* simply because it's particularly close to Moûtiers (a 30-minute transfer away) but there are many other excellent resorts within an hour of this train station.

The magical resort of Méribel
The magical resort of Méribel © Criley - Adobe Stock Image

Apart from the convenience, there are other great reasons to choose Méribel, not least because it's at the centre of the 3 Vallées* which, with 600 km of pistes, is the world's largest ski area.

There are also dozens of places from which to hire or buy snow sports equipment; perfect if you've forgotten yours or just can't be bothered to carry it here.

Meribel snow report (ski season)

60
77
94
94
94
94
98
96
100
96
94
96
90
94
88
87
78
77
71
47
53
32
19
15
5
Nov 3
Nov 4
Dec 1
Dec 2
Dec 3
Dec 4
Jan 1
Jan 2
Jan 3
Jan 4
Jan 5
Feb 1
Feb 2
Feb 3
Feb 4
Mar 1
Mar 2
Mar 3
Mar 4
Apr 1
Apr 2
Apr 3
Apr 4
May 1
May 2

The Meribel snow report shows potential for good quality snow for each week of the ski season based on 15 years of historical observations.

Les Arcs, France

  • Travel time: approx 8 hours
  • Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Lille > Bourg-Saint-Maurice

The lovely villages of Les Arcs* lie at altitudes ranging up to 2,000 metres and, being linked to the vast Paridiski area, have access to 425 km of pistes.

It's just a seven-minute funicular ride from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Les Arcs where free shuttles whisk you to resorts. The easiest way to get here is by taking advantage of Eurostar's Snow Train, which runs every Saturday between December and March.

Although this train includes free carriage of snow sports equipment, why lug around all that baggage when Les Arcs have over 50 rental shops?

Les Arcs snow report (ski season)

68
76
71
91
89
83
100
89
85
98
92
92
94
85
85
86
69
63
69
42
48
25
25
12
5
Nov 3
Nov 4
Dec 1
Dec 2
Dec 3
Dec 4
Jan 1
Jan 2
Jan 3
Jan 4
Jan 5
Feb 1
Feb 2
Feb 3
Feb 4
Mar 1
Mar 2
Mar 3
Mar 4
Apr 1
Apr 2
Apr 3
Apr 4
May 1
May 2

The Les Arcs snow report shows potential for good quality snow for each week of the ski season based on 15 years of historical observations.

Crans-Montana, Switzerland

  • Travel time: approx 9 hours
  • Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Paris > Geneva > Sierre

Although it may look like a complicated route it's a very smooth one, with plenty of time to change trains and views that make the journey perhaps as scenic as any other you'll take.

On the slopes in Crans-Montana
On the slopes in Crans-Montana © Prophotocorner - Adobe Stock Image

You can look forward to zooming at high speed through the French countryside, ending with a climb up into the Alps where, after a quick change in Geneva, you'll be spirited to Sierre which is connected to Crans-Montana by a 13-minute funicular ride.

Crans-Montana's cable cars are waiting to lift you to heights of 3,000 metres and 140 km of south-facing pistes. You'll also have the pick of places from which to hire equipment, including the usual Intersport-affiliated shops.

Crans-Montana snow report (ski season)

29
54
51
49
61
70
94
79
72
79
77
82
79
69
69
59
53
40
19
17
5
0
5
0
0
Nov 3
Nov 4
Dec 1
Dec 2
Dec 3
Dec 4
Jan 1
Jan 2
Jan 3
Jan 4
Jan 5
Feb 1
Feb 2
Feb 3
Feb 4
Mar 1
Mar 2
Mar 3
Mar 4
Apr 1
Apr 2
Apr 3
Apr 4
May 1
May 2

The Crans-Montana snow report shows potential for good quality snow for each week of the ski season based on 15 years of historical observations.

Oloron-Sainte-Marie, France

  • Travel time: approx 9 hours
  • Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Paris > Pau > Oloron-Sainte-Marie

We're now heading south instead of east and travelling to the villages of the Béarn Pyrenees region. Less busy than the Alps, Oloron-Sainte-Marie has connections to several smaller resorts that, because of their proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, actually receive more snow over a season than resorts in the Alps.

If you can tear yourself away from the Oloron-Sainte-Marie Lindt factory shop there are plenty of downhill skiing opportunities, but many come here for the Nordic skiing in and around La Pierre Saint Martin. Didn't bring your board or skis? No problem, there are rental shops throughout the region.

Zermatt, Switzerland

  • Travel time: approx 13 hours
  • Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Paris > Geneva > Visp

Spread beneath the pleasingly pointy Matterhorn, Zermatt's ski area is the highest in Switzerland*.

In the shadow of the mighty Matterhorn
In the shadow of the mighty Matterhorn © Jan Geerk - courtesy of Switzerland Tourism

There are slopes of every colour and an extensive network of cable cars and ski lifts, plus over a dozen places to hire equipment from, including big brands such as Intersport and Decathlon.

Your route here starts in the flat scenery of Kent and Pas-de-Calais then, shortly before Geneva, rises into the Alps where Swiss railway lines carry you beside Lake Geneva and between peaks and valleys.

Zermatt snow report (ski season)

98
91
100
100
100
100
100
100
98
100
100
100
100
98
100
100
100
92
94
96
90
85
72
66
74
Nov 3
Nov 4
Dec 1
Dec 2
Dec 3
Dec 4
Jan 1
Jan 2
Jan 3
Jan 4
Jan 5
Feb 1
Feb 2
Feb 3
Feb 4
Mar 1
Mar 2
Mar 3
Mar 4
Apr 1
Apr 2
Apr 3
Apr 4
May 1
May 2

The Zermatt snow report shows potential for good quality snow for each week of the ski season based on 15 years of historical observations.

Font Romeu, France

  • Travel time: approx 17.5 hours
  • Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Paris > Perpignan > Villefranche-Vernet-les-Bains

Back to the Pyrenees, this route has the most wonderful ending. You'll begin with the usual Eurostar journey to Paris where you'll have time to grab dinner before hopping on an SNCF sleeper train to Perpignan, then on to Villefranche-Vernet-les-Bains.

Now it gets interesting: you'll ride on the cute and cosy "Train Jaune" ("Yellow Train") over viaducts and up a steep valley, arriving in Font Romeu for lunch.

In Font Romeu, there are nursery slopes, Nordic ski routes and green, blue, red and black runs, plus at least 16 places from which to hire or buy your equipment.

Font Romeu snow report (ski season)

53
65
79
79
86
84
89
83
85
88
92
94
84
83
77
84
74
62
76
65
60
55
47
19
5
Nov 3
Nov 4
Dec 1
Dec 2
Dec 3
Dec 4
Jan 1
Jan 2
Jan 3
Jan 4
Jan 5
Feb 1
Feb 2
Feb 3
Feb 4
Mar 1
Mar 2
Mar 3
Mar 4
Apr 1
Apr 2
Apr 3
Apr 4
May 1
May 2

The Font Romeu snow report shows potential for good quality snow for each week of the ski season based on 15 years of historical observations.

Liberec, Czechia

  • Travel time: approx 19.5 hours
  • Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Brussels > Dresden

This route takes advantage of the European Sleeper service, which takes you directly from Brussels to Dresden. From there it's a couple of hours by train to the city of Liberec, at an altitude of just 374 metres but surrounded by mountains.

It's an unusual ski destination, but one that combines a very attractive city with easy access to over 200 km of slopes and cross-country trails and, therefore, set up for snow sports enthusiasts.

Innsbruck, Austria

  • Travel time: approx 19.5 hours
  • Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Brussels > Cologne

The beauty of this journey is that you can start it late in the day, with the 13:01 Eurostar departure from St Pancras. You've then got an hour to change platforms in Brussels to the Cologne-bound train where, just after 9 pm, an Austrian sleeper train will pick you up and give you a comfortable night's sleep before your arrival into Innsbruck at around 9 am.

Skiing the Stubai Glacier near Innsbruck
Skiing the Stubai Glacier near Innsbruck © Nikolai Sorokin - Adobe Stock Image

Welcome to the Olympia SkiWorld Innsbruck area! From the city, you can ride the Nordkettenbahn funicular and cable car to the slopes, or take one of the free ski buses to nearby resorts and be back in town by evening to enjoy Innsbruck's excellent choice of bars and restaurants.

Stubai Glacier snow report (ski season)

100
100
98
100
100
98
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
98
98
94
89
88
84
75
74
Nov 3
Nov 4
Dec 1
Dec 2
Dec 3
Dec 4
Jan 1
Jan 2
Jan 3
Jan 4
Jan 5
Feb 1
Feb 2
Feb 3
Feb 4
Mar 1
Mar 2
Mar 3
Mar 4
Apr 1
Apr 2
Apr 3
Apr 4
May 1
May 2

The Stubai Glacier snow report shows potential for good quality snow for each week of the ski season based on 15 years of historical observations.

Mayrhofen, Austria

  • Travel time: approx 20 hours
  • Route: Eurostar from London St Pancras > Amsterdam > Jenbach

Yet another opportunity to make use of Europe's night train network, you'll travel directly to Amsterdam, arriving shortly after 4 pm where you'll have a few hours to sample the city before your sleeper train departs at 7 pm.

When you wake, you'll be in the mountains. After a scenic breakfast, it's a simple hop across platforms at Jenbach for your Mayrhofen-bound train, which trundles through a steep-sided Tyrolean valley.

From the town, a couple of cable car routes will link you to pistes suited to everyone from newbies to pros. There are many places in Mayrhofen* to rent or buy equipment and a colourful choice of restaurants serving local cuisine.

Mayrhofen snow report (ski season)

74
74
96
98
91
91
91
89
94
98
89
94
91
75
89
86
77
54
62
45
60
45
44
9
5
Nov 3
Nov 4
Dec 1
Dec 2
Dec 3
Dec 4
Jan 1
Jan 2
Jan 3
Jan 4
Jan 5
Feb 1
Feb 2
Feb 3
Feb 4
Mar 1
Mar 2
Mar 3
Mar 4
Apr 1
Apr 2
Apr 3
Apr 4
May 1
May 2

The Mayrhofen snow report shows potential for good quality snow for each week of the ski season based on 15 years of historical observations.

Ready to book your next ski adventure? Browse offers on winter escapes with Sunweb.

Crystal Ski Holidays: Book early for skiing holidays in 2024/2025
Olly Beckett

Olly Beckett

Posted on Friday 30th August 2024 in: Adventure Europe Skiing & Snowboarding

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