Skiing & snowboarding holidays by train
Mark Pawlak 
Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, ash 
euro star, Europe, Skiing, Snowboarding, train, winter sportsThere are skiing and snowboarding holidays to be had the world over, but flying abroad with a board or skis of your own has never been fun. So, as the new generation of high-speed trains roll out, could this herald a new era in sports travel?
The current rail network in Europe is extensive; it reaches into every corner of the continent. But only a few trains are actually fast enough to compete with the airlines when it comes to journey times.
Take the new German train, which is set to come into service. The Inter City Express (ICE) 3 can top 200mph and will put central Europe and the skiing and snowboarding centres easily within reach.
But for it to be of any use rail firms have to win back customers from the budget airlines. And considering the faltering friendship between the two, train companies could be on track for some fresh business.
If they can offer more comfort, organize convenient transitions between journeys, and provide room for all our boards and bags, you know adventure sports fans will start voting with their feet, and turn their backs on the airlines.
Taking sports equipment on a plane has never been easy, but getting just about anything onboard now is difficult. And with the current phase of airlines obsessing about every pound – in weight as well as price – it could really be time for a change.
To take an average-sized snowboard bag abroad it’s likely to go in the hold and be charged as additional luggage, but if you’ve skis or odd-shaped sports luggage, you are looking at £35 on top of your flights. And forget booking a last minute snowboarding holiday or skiing holiday and taking your own gear: airlines like to have at least two month’s notice – not that anyone knows why.
Trains are not without their restrictions, however. It’s just that there is no formal baggage check for each of the legs of every journey. Booking into the Eurostar you will have to arrive 30 minutes early if you are to board with skis and expect to be charged – but for a snowboard, forget it. Trains have no weight restrictions, and you’ve an allowance of two medium-sized bags and hand luggage – and no sense they are looking to wring you out for every penny.
Rail travel on the continent is excellent. All things considered, if you live near a mainline connection and can get a high-speed line to Cologne, give it a go; you’ll soon find yourself in the Alps, the Pyrenees, Val d’Isere or any of the top European winter adventure sports locations.
It’s not certain, however, that all the super fast rail connections will go ahead; while governments are under pressure to cut carbon emissions and are balancing the need for new airports, they are hardly flush with money.
That said, the UK’s newly completed high speed network, HS1, is ready for the German trains and countries everywhere have been making similar steps: Thalys trains of Belgium now blast from Brussels to Paris, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Amsterdam; the Spanish AVE trains are equally efficient; France and Italy are also serving their adventure sports fans with great rail options and there’s the Swedish X2000 – not happy with 200mph trains, this company is looking to introduce rolling stock that can top 300mph!
Whichever route you take to a snowboarding holiday, in the end it’s all about the snow. So keep your eyes on the weather reports and your gear to hand; winter is coming so get ready!
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6 Comments to “Skiing & snowboarding holidays by train”
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Mark Pawlak
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Never caught the train to the Alps but I got an overnight coach once. We left Victoria Coach Station at about 6pm on a Thursday and arrived in The Alps at about 9am the next day in time for a full day on the slopes. Also on the way back the coach departed at about 4pm meaning you got 3 full days on the piste and you arrived back in the UK Monday morning in time to go to work!
Although the coach took forever and you arrived on the back of a lack or sleep and aching muscles we got 3 full days on the slopes and only took one day off work – at the time flights and transfers would have meant taking more time off for less time on the slopes.
There’s no way I could give anyone so much notice to travel. I took the Eurostar to Paris and it was the best short journey ever.
All we need are high speed trains on the connecting routes and we are off. That said, there really is something about flying, and its still the best way to get across the world – unless you have the luxury of a month’s spare time, then it’s rail every time, perhaps with the occasional mule train…
Been on a few 24hour bus rides to the alps with the uni ski trips. While it is pretty good fun on the way there, the way back isn’t so nice when you have achy muscles and just want to get back – and there’s always a lot of talk of just buying a plane ticket home! So out of those two I think I know which I would choose every time. That said, I’ve always rented my gear so taking that into account on a plane makes a difference, and the trains could well be worth a go!
I`ve never been on a snowboard-holiday by train, and least of all by plane…I live just one hour away from the Dolomites, not far from the famous village of Madonna di Campiglio in Italy. So I can drive there, arriving in a wounderful place in a short time…I consider myself very lucky because many people haven`t this chance!
Anyway I`m sure that fast trains are really a brilliant idea!! They could be a good solution for many ski-or-snowboard lovers, who want to try different slopes, in other coutries, avoiding lagguage problems and probably saving a lot of time as well!!
Just wanted to take a moment and say whats up to everyone here. Looking forward to the forum and what everyone has to talk about.
Hi, thanks for commenting, we’ve just run a piece on winter resorts if you are interested. there’s no forum as such, but feel free to post any comments you have.
Best wishes,
Ed