Eurostar has announced a new ski service from London to the Alps via Lille, set to launch on 16 December.
‘Eurostar Snow’ will transport travellers from St Pancras International to ski resorts such as Chambéry, Albertville, Moutiers and Aime-La Plagne before arriving in Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
The service will run for eight weekends from 16 December until 3 February, with tickets on sale from 0900 on 31 August. Trains will depart London St Pancras International on Saturdays and return from the Alps on Sunday mornings.
One-way fares start from £99 in standard and £149 in standard premier for off-peak dates (13 Jan – 4 Feb), increasing to £149 and £199 respectively for peak dates (16 December until 13 January).
Eurostar previously ran a direct service to the Alps in partnership with Travelski, but passengers will now need to change at Lille to reach the ski resorts.
The duration of the outbound trip is 8 hours 19 minutes, including a 50 minute connection at Lille, and slightly longer on the way back to London at 8 hours 34 minutes, with a 1 hr 5 minute connection at Lille.
Passengers travelling from France to the UK will go through check-in, security and immigration at Lille before continuing their journey to London.
Schedules are as follows:
| Saturday outbound | |
| London | 09:01 |
| Lille | 11:25 (50 min connection) |
| Moutiers | 17:30 |
| Bourg Saint-Maurice | 18:20 |
| Sunday inbound | |
| Bourg Saint-Maurice | 08:26 |
| Moutiers | 08:52 |
| Lille | 14:30 (1hr 05 connection) |
| London | 16:00 |
Francois Le Doze, CCO of Eurostar Group, commented: “We’re proud to offer our customers a sustainable travel option to the Alps by launching our first connecting service as Eurostar Group. With a quick and easy connection, competitive pricing and five stops to choose from, passengers can enjoy a seamless experience with us from the city of London to the snowcapped mountains of France.”
Eurostar merged with Thalys to form the Eurostar Group in May 2022, though a single website and booking system, as well as a joint loyalty programme, are set to launch by October 2023.
Members of Club Eurostar received an email today which stated that the programme will relaunch with “more benefits than before” in October and that members will keep their existing points.