Eurostar Snow – onboard experience
Eurostar Snow is Eurostar's replacement for it's direct Ski Train - so what's the experience like?
Eurostar Snow is the replacement for the direct Eurostar Ski Train?
This account will give you some insight into what it’s like.
The direct Ski Train had both a daytime and overnight service every week of the winter season, carrying 900 skiers on each service.
In contrast, Eurostar Snow has only a daytime service each week until the start of March, carrying only 347 skiers per train. That's only a quarter of the Ski Train's numbers per week, and the service doesn't run beyond the start of March. Perhaps it will run in March and April too next season.
Part 1 – London St Pancras to Lille Europe
Richard, Kaz and Amanda on EurostarPhoto: Daniel Elkan
You'll start your journey on an ordinary Eurostar train from London St Pancras to Lille Europe, which is where Eurostar Snow passengers change trains.
At St Pancras, baggage check and passport control are quick, there’s time for a coffee at Pret a Manger and then you board. The waiting room at St Pancras needs to be double the size really, but that’s by-the-by.
Because the first part of the Eurostar Snow service is an ordinary Eurostar headed for Lille and Brussels, the Eurostar-Ski-Train vibe is somewhat diluted by other travellers who are not going to ski. How dare they not be going skiing – have they lost their minds?!
So initially it's quite the same buzz as when people used to board the direct service.
Eurostar has changed the names of it's service categories. Eurostar Plus, is the unmemorable, unglamorous name for what was formerly called Standard Premier, which itself was an oxymoronic name.
What you get in Eurostar Plus is more space, more table seating and a meal.
Eurostar Plus breakfastPhoto: Daniel Elkan
While the breakfast is nothing to write home, it's cutely presented. Of course, you might rather have a cracking FULL ENGLISH FRY UP with extra rounds of tomatoes, mushrooms and hash browns, but that isn't an option. Don't let the lack of the fry up spoil the ski holiday.
There will be a time when the day comes that it is offered as standard. And for that day, we must wait.
Part 2 – Switching trains at Lille Europe
The switch of trains is literally this:
- Get off the Eurostar
- Walk along the platform
- Get onto the continental Eurostar (formerly Thalys) on the adjacent platform.
Depending on where your seat was on the Eurostar to Lille, and where your seat is on the Eurostar from Lille, your walk along the platform will be shorter or longer.
But suffice to say, it's a very simple change of train. A Eurostar member of staff is on the platform with a sign, just for good measure.
Boarding at LillePhoto: Daniel Elkan
If you've changed stations in Paris to switch from Eurostar to TGV, then this relatively simple connection at Lille will feel incredibly easy. And if you've only ever taken the direct Ski Train where no change of train was necessary, then it will feel like a tiny bit of extra faff.
But really, very little faff in the scheme of things.
Part 3 – Lille Europe to Moutiers, Aime-la-Plagne, Landry and Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Photo: Daniel Elkan
On the Eurostar continental (Thalys) train everyone present is a skier or snowboarder. The atmosphere is more like the old Ski Train: everyone is headed in the same direction to do the same kind of thing, on snow.
It’s a nice ambience. There's a range of groups of friends, families and couples. The journey has a calm, gently excited atmosphere.
If you'd like to see a tally of what a sample of people were doing on the train one week in January 2025, here it is:
- 24 people on laptops or tablets
- 17 people on phones
- 12 just chatting with each other
- 8 reading books
- 6 reading newspapers
- 4 reading magazines
- 4 drinking bubbles
- 3 crocheting or knitting
- 2 playing cards
- 1 journaling
- 1 writing a script of some kind
Interestingly, in this survey sample, more people were reading (a paper, book, or magazine) than on their mobiles. That said, laptops and tablets still took first price for popularity.
What skiers on board think of Eurostar Snow
Fun on Eurostar SnowPhoto: Daniel Elkan
On board researching this guide, SnowCarbon's Daniel Elkan interviewed people at random to see what people thought of the Eurostar Snow service. He chose people of different types of groups, ages etc and also sampled people travelling in Eurostar Standard and people in Eurostar Plus.
Eurostar Snow - scenic viewsPhoto: Daniel Elkan
Tracey and Andy and friends, travelling to Les Arcs 2000
“We were invited by friends to join us on the trip. They are very eco-friendly and always go by train. We compared coming by plane and by train. The duration of the journey was going to be similar, and the train has been a lovely thing to do. When we initially looked at the ticket the transfer at Lille was 30 minutes, thinking crikey, that’s 30 minutes with luggage. But actually, it’s just the adjacent platform so you literally walk 20 feet across to change onto the next train.
“In advance, the information that you get about what food and drink is on the Lille - Bourg section wasn’t clear at all. We read something on the train website that said ‘refreshments are limited’ so we bought a load of stuff from Marks & Spencer at St Pancras just in case.
“There’s not a huge amount of space for luggage but at least your luggage is with you and there’s no waiting at an airport carousel.
“The atmosphere on the train is very relaxed, really pleasant. You know that people are all heading to the Alps and at this time in January it’s not a lot of people with children. The Thalys train is very comfortable, although it’s definitely an older train with an air of faded glamour about it! We’ve really enjoyed the journey, it’s great for relaxing and switching off.”
Mark and friends, travelling to Meribel
“It’s our first time by train, and it’s really nice actually – everyone is enjoying it. With the train, there’s less changing of modes of transport. I tallied up the time it takes and the cost vs flying with all the transfers etc, and it worked out a good option. I’ve flown many times before and it’s a bit of a pain: you have to get up early, then you are cramped into the flight, whereas here on the train you can always walk around.
“What would I improve? If there was no change of train, that would be ideal, as it’s annoying to have to move your bags off one and onto another, cos you are carrying a lot of stuff. But still, that’s much easier than getting a flight and lugging all the stuff around airports and transfers.”
Photo: Daniel Elkan
Adem and Robyn and friends, travelling to Les Arcs 1800
“There’s six of us in our group and this is our first time by train. It’s so smooth and seamless. You’ve got your luggage with you and you can all sit together. We got through security in 20 minutes, onto the train in 10 minutes, and the change of train was easy. We’ve spent the journey catching up with everyone, watching films, reading, doing a crossword, looking out the window. Door to door it’s not much different from flying. The only thing that’s annoyed us is that we paid €3.20 for a can of water on this train, which is a rip-off. When water costs more than petrol you know something's wrong! So we’d definitely advise to fill up a water bottle in advance if you tend to get thirsty.”
Lewis, Ashley and Mae and friends, travelling to Courchevel 1650
“There are six of us altogether. We’ve done the Eurostar Ski Train once but this is the first time via Lille. The big downside of this is the stress of changing, cos you’ve just stored your luggage in London and then an hour later you’ve got to take it off, and when you are skiing it’s a lot. Apart from that, it’s a good experience. We’ve spent the time watching stuff on iPads and coming to the bar...we’re simple people really! Our ski holiday is Saturday – Saturday but the Eurostar Snow service comes back on Sundays. So we aren’t able to come back on this service but are coming back next Saturday via Paris.”
Jane, Ian, John, Amanda and friends, travelling to Meribel
“The food could be improved – it’s a bit experimental. The other thing we think is that It seems like these Thalys trains from Lille were designed for commuters because there’s not quite enough space to fit luggage easily. We’ve had a bit of difficulty trying to stow it. When we were getting on the train, a member of staff told us that there is a special luggage carriage at the front of the train for skis and big bags etc that we could use. But having walked down there, staff then asked us where we were getting off, and we are getting off at Moûtiers. They told us that they only open the luggage compartment once the train terminates, at Bourg-Saint-Maurice. So then we had to walk back to our carriage with all the luggage and stow it in the carriage. But we quite like having the luggage with us in the carriage, in fact.
“On the positive side, the principle of the service is brilliant. What we can’t understand is why they can’t continue to run a direct service all the way through. The other thing we’ve found is that the staff on both trains have been absolutely brilliant all the way through. They are lovely, friendly, very obliging. They have engaged, chatted, joked with us. We’d sooner do this than go through Geneva airport, any day!”
Thoughts on Eurostar Snow food
Eurostar Snow mealPhoto: Daniel Elkan
Firstly, from Lille onwards, there was always a queue at the cafe bar. At any one time, they only had one or at best two members of staff. Clearly, they need more.
Snacks from the café bar included some toasties.
Cafe-bar foodPhoto: Daniel Elkan
The meal included in Eurostar Plus, when Daniel travelled, was a choice of either salmon or pasta with vegetables. This came with some soft French cheese, a roll and dessert, as well as a small bottle of wine.
Salmon meal on Eurostar PlusPhoto: Daniel Elkan
You might be able to ask for a second meal if there are spares. That's based on Daniel of SnowCarbon's experience on board Eurostar trains. Daniel has a big appetite, no shame and hates food waste.
Eurostar Snow cafe bar queues
Photo: Daniel Elkan
Almost every time Daniel went to or through the café bar there was a queue.
Here's one:
Photo: Daniel Elkan
It seems ridiculous that they can't get enough staff to serve people without a dozen or more people needing to queue. From a glass-half-full approach, a queue is just an opportunity for a chat with a friend or someone next to you (you are all going skiing, after all). Look up from your phones, people...new friends are just other skiers you don't know yet.
The café bar queue eventually subsides and people stay and enjoy drinks there.
Photo: Daniel Elkan
Is Eurostar Plus worth it for the Eurostar Snow journey?
Whether something is worth it is, of course, highly subjective.
Eurostar Plus consistently seems to cost, for non-peak dates, about £40 more each way than Eurostar Standard. If the journey one way is eight hours, then that’s £40 / 8 = £5 for every hour.
What you get is wider seating, fewer people per carriage, more table seats per carriage, and a meal on each train.
As Shakespeare said: “Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so”.