Bookings are now available for the Eurostar ski trains for winter 2019/20. The direct service to Moûtiers, Aime la Plagne and Bourg St Maurice gives access to a whole host of ski resorts including Meribel.
There will be two weekly services leaving from London St Pancras International and Ashford (Kent) on Saturday mornings between December 20th 2019 and April 4th 2020 and on Friday nights between January and April, as well as an additional overnight service on Saturdays during the school holidays. Cheaper than flights for certain dates, Eurostar also offers a generous baggage allowance with each passenger able to bring two suitcases and skis or a snowboard, all included in the cost.
If you choose to take the Friday night option, you'll benefit from an extra couple of days skiing than on a normal ski holiday by plane, as you arrive in France early in the morning on Saturday and leave again late the following Saturday. The trains don't have sleeper cabins or reclining seats, but what you lack in comfort you gain back in more time on the mountain, as well as cost.
Once in Moûtiers, Aime or Bourg Saint Maurice, you can get a transfer or a bus service to the ski resorts of Courchevel, La Plagne, Val Thorens, Tignes, Val d'Isère, Meribel and Les Arcs. Return trains leave from Moûtiers and Bourg-Saint-Maurice only, between December 28th 2019 and April 11th 2020. These leave on Saturday mornings, as well as on Sunday mornings and Saturday nights during school holidays.
Prices start from £96.50 one-way in off-peak weeks but expect to pay more for popular times, with February half term usually selling out within minutes of going on sale. Tickets are available from the Eurostar website at Eurostar stations or from travel agents.