Eurostar + European Sleeper

Overnight rail travel has always attracted skiers, making the journey part of the holiday and adding two extra days on the slopes.

This February and March 2025, you can take the Eurostar to Brussels, then the European Sleeper—a new overnight service to the slopes of Austria and Italy. 

This new journey option adds comfort and capacity to the range of options for train-and-snow-loving travellers.

How does it work and what can you expect?  Where can it take you and how do you book? Our guide below has the answers.

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When does the European Sleeper run?

European Sleeper corridorPhoto: European Sleeper

The European sleeper runs on the following dates.

Outbound dates (going to the Alps) with the European Sleeper

•    Wednesday 05 February 2025
•    Friday 14 February 2025
•    Thursday 21 February 2025 (to Innsbruck only)
•    Saturday 23 February 2025
•    Thursday 28 February 2025 (to Innsbruck only)
•    Tuesday 04 March 2025  
•    Wednesday 12 March 2025

Inbound dates (coming from the Alps) with the European Sleeper

•    Sunday 09 February 2025
•    Tuesday 18 February 2025
•    Saturday 22 February 2025 (from Innsbruck only)
•    Thursday 27 February 2025
•    Saturday 01 March 2025 (from Innsbruck only)
•    Saturday 08 March 2025
•    Sunday 16 March 2025

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Step 1: Take the Eurostar to Brussels

Photo: Eurostar International

The first thing you'll need to do is to take a Eurostar train from London St. Pancras to Bruxelles-Midi.

It's only a couple of hours' travel time. Still, enough time for interesting conversations with friends or fellow travellers, reading a book, working on that thing you've been working on, taking in the scenery, a trip to Eurostar's rather disappointing café-bar, watching that film you've heard about, doing some thinking, remembering to do that thing you forgot and... Now you've arrived!

You may want to read our guide to what the Eurostar is like on board.

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Step 2: Take the European Sleeper from Brussels

European Sleeper

As night descends, it's time to board the European Sleeper, headed for the Tirolean Alps.

Depending on which ticket you've booked, you'll find yourself in a private single, double, or triple “sleeper”; a five or six-person “couchette” (mixed and women’s only available); or a seated compartment (the cheapest option).

The train departs Brussels at 19:00 and no doubt you'll feel a frisson of excitement as you move out of the station. Soon, you’ll be zooming past the night lights of wintry Brussels, into rural Flanders and onwards towards snow-capped mountains.

Before sleeping, you can visit the European Sleeper’s restaurant carriage and bar. 

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Step 3: Transfer to your resort

In Austria, the stations that the European Sleeper stops at are Kufstein, Wörgl, Jenbach and Innsbruck.

Once the European Sleeper arrives in Austria the next morning, your final step will be to get from the station to your chosen ski resort.

Depending on which ski resort you are headed for, you might need to: 

a) take a local train to travel onwards in Austria to a different train station

or

b) take a bus or taxi transfer from the station (where the European Sleeper stops) to your resort

If travelling by taxi, it's a good idea to pre-book a taxi transfer, although at stations such as Wörgl and Innsbruck Hbf you should find taxis waiting at the taxi rank too.

There are train connections from Wörgl and Innsbruck Hbf to other ski resorts in Austria.  Many ski resorts in Austria have a train station in their base village (see our transfer table further on in this guide).

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Timetable for London to Austria by Eurostar + European Sleeper

This is a timetable for journeys between London and Austria, with a combination of London to Brussels by Eurostar, and then onwards with the European Sleeper.

 

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Rail-ski map of Austria

Together with graphic designer David Cooper and Austria Tourism, SnowCarbon has created a rail-ski map of Austria.

The aim of the map is to help skiers and snowboarders plan rail journeys to ski resorts.

Here's a link to download the Austria rail-ski map as a PDF.

 

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How to book Eurostar + European Sleeper journeys

European Sleeper couchettePhoto: European Sleeper

There are two ways to book the European Sleeper. 

You'll need to book your Eurostar tickets and your European Sleeper tickets separately.

You can book the Eurostar (London to Brussels) on the Eurostar website.

Tickets start at £39 one way (Eurostar Standard); £70 one way (Eurostar Plus) and £245 one way (Eurostar Premier).

You can book European Sleeper tickets on the European Sleeper website.

European Sleeper  - couchette compartment prices
 
€199 euros (per person, one way) for place in a 6-person compartment
€229 euros (per person, one way) for place in a 5-person compartment / or shared women-only compartment
€799 (one-way, per compartment) for a private 5-person compartment
 
Includes:
- Air conditioning/heating
- Seats during the day, comfortable couchettes at night
- Big fold-up table available during the day
- Couchette 5-person compartments can also be booked as a private compartment
- Couchette 5-person compartment also available as Women Only
- Blanket, sheet and pillow are included for all passengers
- Bathroom and toilet are on the corridor
- Compartments can be locked from the inside
- Mineral water included
- Breakfast can be added  for an additional fee

 

European Sleeper - sleeper compartment prices

€259 (per person, one-way) in a sleeper compartment for three people.
€309 (per person, one-way) in a sleeper compartment for two people.
€409 (per person, one-way) for a private sleeper compartment for one person.
 
Compartments can be booked as single, double or triple
 
Includes:
- Washbasin in the compartment, toilets elsewhere in the carriage
- Seats and table are in the compartment
- A comfortable mattress and made-up bed, including duvet, pillow and sheets
- Men and women travel together, except in the women-only compartment
- Compartments can be locked from the inside
- Wake-up call at the desired time
- Towel and toiletries included
- Breakfast, mineral water and welcome drink included

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Transfers to Austrian ski resorts

The table below shows the average transfer times between popular ski resorts in Austria and the closest train stations to them.

As you'll see, in many cases the train station is in the actual resort village, so the transfer is minimal (a short walk or a couple of minutes in a taxi)

Ski resort	Train station	Transfer time
Alpbach	Jenbach	20 minutes
Bad Gastein	Bad Gastein	Station is in the village
Bad Hofgastein	Bad Hofgastein	Station is in the village
Damüls	Bludenz	35 minutes
Dorfgastein	Dorfgastein	Station is in the village
Ellmau	Kufstein	19 minutes
Ellmau	Wörgl	21 minutes
Hinterglemm	Zell am See	21 minutes
Hopfgarten	Hopfgarten	Station is in the village
Ischgl	Landeck-Zams	31 minutes
Kaprun	Zell am See	9 minutes
Kitzbühel	Kitzbühel	Station is in the village
Lech	Langen am Arlberg	20 minutes
Leogang	Leogang	Station is in the village
Mayrhofen	Mayrhofen	Station is in the village
Niederau	Wörgl	7 minutes
Obergurgl	Ötztal	47 minutes
St. Anton am Arlberg	St. Anton am Arlberg	Station is in the village
St. Johann in Tirol	St. Johann in Tirol	Station is in the village
St johann in Salzburg	St Johann im Pongau	5 minutes
Saalbach	Zell am See	18 minutes
Saalfelden	Saalfelden	Station is in the village
Scheffau	Kufstein	16 minutes
Scheffau	St Johann in Tirol	16 minutes
Schladming	Schladming	Station is in the village
Schruns	Schruns	Station is in the village
Seefeld	Seefeld in Tirol	Station is in the village
Sölden	Ötztal	34 minutes
Söll	Kufstein	14 minutes
Zell am See	Zell am See	Station is in the village
Zürs	Langen am Arlberg	20 minutes

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Ski holidays by train — Ask Snowcarbon

At Snowcarbon we are always happy to help you with suggestions for great resorts, fantastic accommodations, and how to get where you're going.

We look forward to helping you.

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