Snow Train Cancelled for Winter 09/10
July 2nd, 2009 - Posted by: Powder Monkey
Rail Europe announced yesterday that there would be no Snow Train service to the French Alps during the coming ski season. According to an official statement on Rail Europe’s website, the overnight sleeper service is another casualty of the recession:
We’re really sad to announce that the Snow Train won’t be running during the coming ski season. Unfortunately, the current economic climate and poor exchange rates along with an increase in our operating costs, has meant that the service would not be financially viable.
Tags: Eurostar, Recession, Snow Train
Posted in News from the Alps, Skiing in France, Travel to the French Alps | 4 Comments »
Summer Skiers Favour the Two-Piece Suit
July 1st, 2009 - Posted by: Powder Monkey
Even while the UK is sweltering in a heat wave there’s still snow in Europe. In fact, the summer ski season is just kicking off. So if you are already suffering snow withdrawal, you might want to check out one of these resorts.
Tignes made some noise when the lifts opened on 20th June with its annual bikini slalom. Participants, apparently undeterred by fresh temperatures of 9°C, happily stripped off for the race held on the Grande Motte glacier at 3000m of altitude. While there’s generally still some debate about whether it’s cooler to be seen on the slopes in a one piece suit or two, summer skiers appear to favour the two piece.
Tags: Deux Alpes, Heat Wave, Summer Skiing, Tignes, Val d'Isere
Posted in News from the Alps, Skiing in France | No Comments »
Val d’Isere – Best European Ski Resort
November 10th, 2008 - Posted by: Powder Monkey
The winners of the British Travel Awards were announced last week at a glittering ceremony in front of thousands of industry guests. The Awards, often referred to as the “Oscars” of the travel industry, were created to acknowledge excellence in the field. And the winner of Best European Ski Resort is…Val d’Isere.
It’s no surprise that Val d’Isere, which has long been the preferred resort of British skiers, came out top in the public vote. And here’s for why. Val d’Isere is part of the Espace Killy, a vast ski area lift-linked to Tignes with an excellent snow record and served by one of the most modern lift networks in Europe. The resort itself is known for its luxury accommodation, gourmet restaurants (and here, and here, and here) and superb nightlife (and here, and here, and here), Val d’Isere has it all.
Tags: British Travel Awards, Tignes, Val d'Isere
Posted in News from the Alps, Skiing in France, Skiing in Luxury, Snowjet | No Comments »
Travel to the French Alps – Snowtrain or Slow Strain?
November 5th, 2008 - Posted by: Powder Monkey
I recently read interesting an article in the Telegraph Online about the merits of using the Snow Train to travel to the French Alps. The journey involves catching the Eurostar at either St Pancras or Ebbsfleet International then changing at Paris Gare du Nord to the Snow Train which stops at Moutiers and Aime and terminates in Bourg Saint Maurice. On the outward journey you depart from the UK on Friday evening, travel overnight, and arrive early Saturday morning. On the return leg, you depart on Saturday evening. It’s a clever schedule on paper that makes for 8 days skiing but I wonder what passengers make of the service in practice.
Read more…
Tags: budget ski holidays, Snowheads, Val d'Isere
Posted in News from the Alps, Skiing in France, Travel to the French Alps | 5 Comments »
3300 Reasons to Choose the French Alps for Your Next Skiing Holiday!
November 4th, 2008 - Posted by: Powder Monkey
France offers skiing on a massive scale. At the last count there were 3300 ski lifts in the French Alps. Placed end-to-end, they would stretch for 1800 miles. That’s further than the distance between London and Moscow! It’s unsurprising, then, that France is home to the world’s biggest linked areas. Giant ski circuits, like The 3 Valleys, The Espace Killy, The Portes du Soleil and Paradiski, dwarf rivals elsewhere in Europe and swamp North American contenders 2 or 3 times over. The largest of these, The 3 Valleys, boasts 600+km of pistes – more than enough to keep even the most high-mileage skier happy.
Top of Europe - Val Thorens with Mont Blanc in the background
Tags: Chamonix, Global Warming, Monetier-les-Bains, Mont Blanc, Purpose-Built Resorts, Saint Sorlin d'Arve, Serre Chevalier, Skiing in France, Traditional Mountain Villages
Posted in News from the Alps, Skiing in France, Snowjet, Travel to the French Alps | No Comments »