5 Alpine Rail-to-Piste Routes to Try This Winter

How about riding the rails to your ski resort this winter? Dedicated skier sleeper services — including the likes of Travelski Night Express (TNE) and Nightjet — along with Eurostar Snow are putting resorts in France, Austria and further afield in the Alps within easy reach for UK and European travellers. TNE offers overnight travel, both ways, enabling eight days’ skiing instead of the usual six offered by tour operator packages. Couchette compartments come with flat sleeping berths, and there’s an elegant cafe-bar-restaurant carriage. Travelski offers train-plus-accommodation packages from Paris, Amsterdam or Brussels, and rail tickets can also be booked independently.

Meanwhile, Austrian national carrier ÖBB is steadily developing its fleet of Nightjet sleeper-train services. By travelling to Paris or Brussels (in some cases with an additional change at Cologne), you can board a Nightjet bound for the ski regions of Tyrol or Salzburg, home to an abundance of stellar Austrian resorts.

Eurostar Snow — only running outbound until 20 February 2027 — takes skiers from London to Lille, where they switch platforms for a Eurostar Continental train to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, gateway to the French Alps. Combine Eurostar and high-speed TGV to access a wider range of resorts in France, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, too. Plus, services to many destinations run daily, offering more travel flexibility. Here’s our pick of the best rail routes to the pistes.

1. Sainte Foy, France

Only 20 minutes from Bourg-Saint-Maurice station, Sainte Foy is relatively unknown and benefits from quiet, tree-lined slopes and abundant off-piste. The village is built in classic Savoyard style, offering quintessential Alpine charm. Take lessons at Evolution 2 ski school or try night-time snowshoeing with Snocool. Plus, enjoy craft beer up at the lofty Le 1580m microbrewery and DJs at L’Apres bar. Daytime journey to Bourg-Saint-Maurice 7h58m, overnight 13h38m (transfer 20 mins).

2. St Anton, Austria

The so-called ‘cradle of Alpine skiing’, St Anton is, many agree, the Austrian Alps’ finest resort. Above a bustling Tyrolean village, you’ll find some of the world’s most exciting runs, the zenith of which is mighty Valluga (2,811 metres). It’s beginner-friendly, too, but St Anton has earned its stripes among experts, with the couloirs and FIS downhill courses to prove it. Daytime journey 10h3m, overnight 17h21m (station in resort).

3. Alpe d’Huez, France

One of skiing France’s biggest names, and deservedly so, Alpe d’Huez offers a vast 250km of pistes catering to all ages and abilities, complemented by its sunny climate as a southwest-facing resort. Mountain dining options are plentiful, including spots like the elegant Signal 2108 and the vibey La Folie Douce. Daytime journey to Grenoble 6h42m (transfer 90 mins).

4. Sauze d’Oulx, Italy

The blue and red slopes — and charming village cobbles — of Sauze d’Oulx, set on the Franco-Italian border, are just 15 minutes from Oulx station. The former haunt of Turinese aristocrats and British ravers (as well as the 2006 Winter Olympics), Sauze today is an altogether more down-to-earth affair, retaining a tempting array of homely restaurants and live music venues. Daytime journey to Oulx 7h2m (transfer 15 mins).

5. Peisey-Vallandry, France

A dream intermediates’ resort with more than 450km of slopes, pretty Peisey-Vallandry comprises two main villages and spans the vast Paradiski domain, linked with Les Arcs and La Plagne. The new Nordic centre is dedicated to cross-country, snowshoeing and biathlon, while other activities include reindeer walks and sledging. Daytime journey 7h47m (to Landry), overnight 13h38m (to Bourg-Saint-Maurice; transfer 20-30mins).