France opens Christmas and ski season bookings with expanded train services
Travellers planning festive trips to France can now reserve their seats, as SNCF expands services to Christmas markets and ski destinations while Eurostar brings back its direct London-to-Alps ski train for the winter season.
SNCF has announced significant capacity increases for the holiday period, targeting both Christmas market enthusiasts and winter sports travellers. The rail operator will provide 36,000 additional weekly seats between November 26 and December 23 on routes serving Strasbourg and Colmar, home to one of Europe's oldest Christmas markets.
Strasbourg's Christmas market, which has operated since 1570, draws approximately 2 million visitors annually to its 300 stalls spread across more than 10 locations in the historic city centre. The market's centuries-old tradition has earned Strasbourg the title 'Capital of Christmas'.
The additional services include 25,000 extra weekly seats between Paris and Strasbourg, with 10 supplementary trains continuing to Colmar. A further 11,000 weekly seats will operate on direct services from Nantes, Rennes, Bordeaux, Marseille, Montpellier and Lyon to Strasbourg.
Alpine services expanded
For ski enthusiasts, SNCF is offering more than 300,000 TGV INOUI seats to Alpine destinations throughout the Christmas holidays. Six additional trains will operate between Paris Gare de Lyon and Bourg-Saint-Maurice on weekends starting November 27, continuing through the festive period.
Bourg-Saint-Maurice serves as the gateway to the Haute-Tarentaise valley, providing access to major resorts including Les Arcs, La Plagne, Tignes, Val d'Isère, La Rosière and Sainte Foy. The town connects to the Paradiski ski area, which encompasses 425 kilometres of slopes. A funicular railway links Bourg-Saint-Maurice station directly to Arc 1600 in approximately seven minutes, offering immediate slope access.
OUIGO, SNCF's budget high-speed service, is also increasing frequency with a third daily return journey between Paris and Strasbourg from December 13, stopping at Champagne-Ardenne TGV and Nancy.
Eurostar Snow returns
The seasonal Eurostar Snow service, returning for its fourth year, will connect London St Pancras with Bourg-Saint-Maurice via Lille. Saturday departures from London run from December 19 to February 20, with return services from Bourg-Saint-Maurice operating on Sundays and selected Saturdays from December 27 to February 28.
Fares start at approximately £125 one way, though prices can exceed £500 depending on travel dates and class selection, with Standard, Plus and Premier options available. Passengers can bring a pair of skis or a snowboard free of charge, in addition to the standard allowance of two suitcases and one piece of hand luggage, with no weight restrictions.
The train stops at Chambéry, Albertville, Moûtiers, Aime-La-Plagne, Landry and Bourg-Saint-Maurice. From Bourg-Saint-Maurice, coach connections serve resorts including Val Thorens, Val d'Isère, Courchevel, Tignes, Méribel and Les Menuires.
Ski resorts in the French Alps open on a staggered schedule, with Val Thorens and Tignes launching their seasons on November 21, Val d'Isère on November 28, and Paradiski area resorts Les Arcs and La Plagne around December 12.
Eurostar also operates Snow services from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Brussels to Bourg-Saint-Maurice on the same Saturday schedule, though these routes continue until April 3, 2027, extending beyond the London service end date.
For travellers whose schedules do not align with the Snow service timetable, Eurostar offers connecting journeys from London via Paris, with onward TGV INOUI services to Alpine destinations.
