Eurostar Snow on sale, but different
After a delay, Eurostar has put tickets for Eurostar on sale. But the service is a huge step backwards from last season.
Eurostar Snow tickets are now on sale.
Eurostar has now issued a press release with information about the Eurostar Snow service. This is what it tells us.
The first outbound Eurostar Snow service is Saturday 19 December 2026
The last inbound Eurostar Snow service is Sunday 28th February 2027.
Outbound journeys: Every Saturday between 19 December 2026 - 20 February 2027
Return journeys: Every Sunday between 27 December 2026 - 28 February 2027
Additional Saturday return services (i.e. inbound journeys): 26 December, 2 January, 9 January, 20 February and 27 February.
That means that it isn’t running in March or April, which is simply nuts. Last winter Eurostar Snow ran in March. Why not this coming winter?
This is question that I've asked the Eurostar Press Office and am waiting for an answer on.
In it's press release, Eurostar says:
‘Dedicated Eurostar Ski Hosts will be on hand to help travellers load and store their luggage and ski equipment, ensuring a smooth and comfortable start to the journey. Ski and snowboard equipment travels free of charge, allowing travellers to leave from the city centre and arrive directly in the snow.
Across both travel classes, passengers can enjoy spacious seating, free Wi-Fi, flexible ticket exchange options and access to the Eurostar Café for drinks and snacks.
Eurostar Snow tickets can be booked via the Eurostar app, eurostar.com, authorised travel agents or by telephone on +44 (0)3432 186 186.
Travellers can choose between Eurostar Standard and Eurostar Plus, with one-way fares from £99 between London and the French Alps, available now at Eurostar.com.
Eurostar Snow runs from London, with a change of train at Lille Europe, to the following destinations: Chambéry, Albertville, Moûtiers, Aime-La Plagne, Landry and Bourg-Saint-Maurice.'
The press release didn't give a timetable showing actual departure and arrival times. It would have been helpful. And I'll research these and update the Snowcarbon site with these.
And the press release didn't address the elephant in the room, in terms of why Eurostar Snow isn't running in March, a very popular month for skiing.
Eurostar seems to be treating skiers as an afterthought. What's nuts is that journeys to ski resorts by train are ones that you can have to travel 7 - 9 hours by train and it still is better than flying, hands down. Eurostar should be venerating skiers and expanding services. Not doing the bare minimum and paring back services.
FIFA shouldn't be in charge of international football. Should Eurostar be in charge of (the UK's) international trains?