Luggage on trains to ski resorts

Ski holidays require a fair bit of stuff. Clothing for indoors, clothing for outdoors, skis or snowboards and all the other things you might want to bring on an exciting winter holiday. 

You can take luggage, skis or snowboard with you by train to the Alps, for free. Unlike flying, where you are charged for the size and weight of your luggage, as well for taking skis or snowboards with you, all this stuff goes gratis by train. You don’t pay nada. 

There's only one exception, and it's snowboards on TGV and Intercites trains. French rail operator SNCF has states that you can't take a snowboard on its TGV and Intercites trains unless the snowboard is less than 130cm in length. SNCF allows skis of any length to travel on any of their trains. 

For more information about this, see our recent blog post about snowboards on TGV trains. 

Eurostar trains: luggage, skis and snowboards 

Snowboard on Eurostar

On ordinary Eurostar trains to Paris, Brussels, Lille or Amsterdam, and changing trains there, you can bring, for free, per person:

• One medium size suitcase (85cm maximum length)
• One piece of hand luggage
• Skis or a snowboard (in a bag, of any length)

Or, if you aren’t bringing skis or a snowboard, then for free, per person, you can bring:

• Two medium size suitcases (85cm maximum length)
• One piece of hand luggage

There is no weight limit. 

Eurostar's own luggage page says:

‘There’s no weight limit on your luggage, meaning you can bring every little essential with you. All we ask is that you’re able to transport your bags safely on and off the train and that they’re stored out of harm’s way in our dedicated areas. And don’t forget to label your luggage clearly, too.

On our trains, each piece of luggage can be up to 85cm long on our routes to and from London, or 75cm on all other routes*. ‘Hand luggage’ refers to items such as backpacks, handbags, briefcases and laptop bags.’

*Eurostar is talking about its trains within Europe (it took over the Thalys network a couple of years ago).

Eurostar’s special equipment (including skis and snowboards) page says:

'On our snow trains to Bourg-St-Maurice (via a connection in Lille), we allocate extra space on board so you can take one pair of skis or one snowboard on board with you in addition to your standard adult luggage allowance. For safety reasons, skis and snowboards have to be kept in a protective case that covers the whole item with straps attached to the case.

On all other trains, they’re included as one of your two pieces of luggage.'

Eurostar Snow
Eurostar Snow is Eurostar’s dedicated service to the French Alps, where you switch train at Lille. 
For travel on the Eurostar Snow service, Eurostar allows you to take skis or a snowboard in addition to two large suitcases - effectively giving you an extra item for free (see Eurostar’s luggage statement in the previous section on Eurostar trains). 

Travelski Express
Travelski Express is a French tour operator that offers Eurostar Snow as part of a rail-inclusive ski package. The luggage limit is the same as for Eurostar Snow.

TGV and Intercités de Nuit 

Luggage on TGVPhoto: Daniel Elkan

On French TGV and Intercités de Nuit, skis are allowed and carried for free. But snowboards are, at the moment, not allowed. 

The nominal limit for trains in Europe is two suitcases, a pair of skis and hand luggage.  But this is never enforced or monitored.  The basic, common-sense rule is:  if you can carry it, you can bring it.
On the TGV there is room for skis on the overhead racks, and large cases at the end of each carriage.

On Intercités de Nuit sleeper trains, in a six-berth couchette, you can fit skis and snowboard bags under the lower beds, but if everyone had big cases some of these may have to go in the middle between the beds, and it will feel like a bit of a squeeze. Definitely no space to swing cats! If there are five of you it can be worth renting out the sixth bunk solely to put all the luggage on it.

Is your luggage safe?
In years of travelling to ski resorts by train, and hundreds of journeys on European trains, daytime and overnight, we’ve never known of anything going missing. Of course it is important to keep and eye on your luggage, but in Europe generally theft is very low on trains.