Eurostar ski train questions and request

A snowHead

Hello! Getting excited for my first time going on the eurostar ski train to la plagne but have 3 questions and 1 requests. For context, I will be travelling in my wheelchair, taking my sit ski, a pair of skis and one suitcase and travelling with my fiance.

Questions 1. when changing at Lille, do I need to go up any lifts or is the platform directly opposite (I have had a look on the page and know there are 2 pairs of platforms at Lille) in peoples experiences (I know it could change on the day). I have asked for a ramp to get off, they are saying 32 mins change over time is very tight so I have said worst comes to the worst I will get myself off anyway I can (most days I have some ability to walk a few steps).

Question 2. Where do ski's go? do they in the carriage or a compartment somewhere else? we are going to la plagne (we may be getting off at moutiers as aime isnt wheelchair accessible).

Question 3. do you get food on the lille to bourg part of the journey in premium class? getting conflicting information for this year!

Request 1. If anyone is going on the train soon, please can you go and take a picture or two of the wheelchair space and the numbers that are located by the seats. It will be located at the end of carriage 1 (premier one). I have been assigned to random seats and looking at seat plans, they make no sense! 21 and 22 for context.

Many thanks for any help! just hoping this holiday runs smoother than last year!

A snowHead

@hannahlucy89, not done the train to resort so can't comment from personal experience, but if you haven't already, have a look at seat61 - the doyen of European rail travel - and also SkiFlightFree, which posts quite a few reports on how to get to resort by train (he generally mentions the platform swaps so that could be helpful with your question about Lille)

https://www.seat61.com
https://www.facebook.com/skiflightfree

Hope the trip goes well regardless Very Happy

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

hello! yes, i have looked at those ones, also snowcarbon, youtube clips and random peoples blogs to try and work out logistics before booking but nothing is coming up as relevant for this season and as they keep changing bits its hard to keep up. also there is next to nothing on accessibility and eurostar weren't even sure on some of the logistics of how this journey works with a wheelchair user!
will defo write up a blog post somewhere on this experience so far and how it actually goes to help anyone else out in the future who may be in similar shoes! all part of life's adventures!

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@hannahlucy89, when are you going? I know a few folk have booked the train via Lille who might be happy to take a look for you.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I go out on the 28th March and come back the 4th April! Thank you!

You'll need to Register first of course.

I have only used the Eurostar ski train once (to go to les Arcs) and it was 6-7 years ago so a few things might have changed but I'm pretty sure some things haven't changed. So I can answer your second question.

Skis go in the usual luggage space at the end of the carriage, on a first come first served basis so it's pot luck depending on how busy the carriage is and whether you board first. Regarding seats, Eurostar have an annoying habit of changing them without asking first so it's worse looking at your booking a few weeks before booking and changing the seats if you're not happy with the ones they've assigned. Part of the difficulty is that they also have a habit of changing trains at the last minute which means a different layout hence the seats you've chosen when booking might no longer exist in the new train.

If you get off at Moutiers, it's quite a long way from La Plagne so I'd recommend arranging a transfer ahead of time (there might be a few taxis outside the station but they might not be able to accommodate a wheelchair and skis)

Eurostar have a page dedicated to accessibility (apologies if you've already looked at it, I don't know how useful it is)

https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/travel-planning/accessibility

They also recommend calling the following number
03432 186 186

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@hannahlucy89, when travelling by train, including Eurostar, we pack our skis in simple ski bags so that they then fit in the overhead racks.

After all it is free

@hannahlucy89, I think you will have to go up to the mezzanine level at Lille and then back down again. Definitely on the way back, because the upper level is where passport control is situated. And most likely on the way out as well, because not everyone disembarking in Lille will be getting the onward ski train. But there are lifts, and hopefully other passengers will give you priority.

They will probably reserve a couple of pairs of seats at the end of each carriage to provide additional storage for skis. Standard skis can also sometimes fit in the overhead racks. But I guess a sitski needs more room?

At Moutiers inbound you will also to use need the lift. (And if it is out of action I think they can arrange to cross the tracks at the end of the platform.)

Sorry can't help with the food question; we will probably take our own.

@hannahlucy89, PS can you give a bit more info about Request 1? The 2 trains may be very different. One is a standard Eurostar London-Brussels service. The other is probably a rebranded ex-Thalys train with a different carriage /seat layout.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

thank you all so much so far, it is appreciated.

I have no idea whether they will board me first or last, i just hope people see me and don't pile luggage in the disabled spot which happens often! as a wheelchair user, you get no say in the seat selection but it is usually only one or two spots anyway. i have been in contact with eurostar over email and calls for over 2 weeks to get answers/work out logistics but they don't always have the answers/experience with this route. we are having to remove parts of the sit ski so it fits within their dimensions as again they couldn't guarentee it would be allowed on so after going through multiple people/supervisors/managers no-one was still any wiser so I just hope I am allowed to take the tools so I can put it back together at the other end (the irony is this is far less stressful than flying where there is the risk they break it, they lose it or don't load it on the plane so i can't ski!)

I know coming back I will definitely need to go up elevators to the check in but there is an hour and a bit allowed and they said that connection was fine. Just hoping on the way out I don't have too! you would like to think people would give priority with lifts/ramps but I have experienced multiple times this isn't the case (i know not every reason may be visible) so have learnt to stand my ground when needed!

broken lifts are the worst but something I am used to! I ended up watching a youtube video of a person in the cab of a train to see what the stations are all like as there are not many pictures and next to nothing on accessability!

will also be taking lots of our own food and snacks too as don't want to risk being hungry with not much available!

will be looking to get a pre-booked taxi/transfer vehicle before leaving too as i don't want to risk getting stuck there! just got to get the motivation to email the companies to get quotes and see who will do it!

ahh yes, its for the ex-thalys train part, sorry forgot to say! i have been on the regular eurostar so feel more confident with that part. its from lille I am more nervous about!

i do miss the days where ski holidays were much simpler but the mountains and skiing are worth making the effort for!

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@hannahlucy89,

1) there are no lifts required on the way out - you just cross the platform.
2) there is baggage storage in each carriage - yes the trains are different configurations, but they re-assign some of the seats to make space for skis , so no issues. As you say, hopefully not in the disabled spot! - but they do know you're coming, so...
3) No. (or at least, not last year...) You do get breakfast on the first leg.

We're travelling on 21st March, so will see how it stacks up compared to pervious experience.

HTH

snow reports

Questions 1. When i've done this previously, it's been the same platform at Lille

Question 2. On my last journey, they had separate sections purely for luggage, seperated for Bourg and Moutiers

Question 3. That's a good question. Don't know and please do let us know!

More on train travel to ski resorts at https://skiflightfree.org/

Thank you so much for all your help, we have just got back and had the best time! we will definitely be taking the ski train over flying, it was a way less stressful experience (bar broken lifts in england and assistance not turning up in england-unfortunately pretty common but some lovely passengers helped us).

check in was so quick and easy, they never even questioned the sit ski or its size. we had taken our own picnic but were served a danish pastry and coffee on the train. Once at lille, it was literally off the train and a 25 meter walk/roll to the train which was waiting on the other platform-so straight forward and not an issue with time at all. they boarded me first on a platform lift with a whole audience of people waiting to load their bags watching....turns out carriage 1 is where everyone who travels to bourg st mourice bags are loaded on and put on seats so we were surround by bags instead of people which made us chuckle and for a quiet ride down! they gave us the set of seats side by side and the set of seats facing each other so not our allocated seats at all but it worked well for us! our luggage was loaded last so had easy access to it. once in moutier we were met by assistance and they were great. we got a private transfer up to resort which was super quick. there was no food provided from the lille to moutiers leg.

On the way back we got on at aime. we saw the steps which go down from the inbound train, under the track and back up a flight of stairs to the outbound platform which is where the bus and taxi terminals are. our outbound train was changed a couple of days prior to our holiday begining due to engineering works which meant we couldn't ski on the saturday but had a lovely leisurely breakfast and a wander round the resort before getting our taxi down to aime. We arrived at the station and sat in the lovely sunshine and chatted to other holiday makers. there was no assistance here, so we just lifted everything up and i wobbled in! our train was destined for brussels (not sure whether this is normal or not for the returning ski train) so had a mix of nationalities. this time we were surrounded by bags but a few people in our carriage. they gave us the same 4 seats as going out. We ended up going a completely different route on the way home which added an hour but this wasnt an issue. we were served lunch on this leg of the journey (salad, roll, chocolate cake and a water), again not sure whether this is normal or not! we got to lille with 2 hours until the next train. we got off the platform, assistance took us up a lift then it was just 10 meters to the passport/ticket checks and security. was a breeze going through and again no issues with my kit. lille lounge after check in was a bit disapointing with next to nothing inside it apart from some seating, a tiny kiosk and not enough toilets for the number of people! but we just watched a film whilst we waited. assistance came to get us after everyone had gone through so got stuck waiting for the lift but as assistance was with us they made sure we got on ok. we were served dinner from lille to london (another salad, bread roll and a mini egg). getting off at st pancreas was easy with the ramp and we just wheeled to our train hpme. luckily the lifts at our home station were fixed this time so was easier!

i have taken videos and pictures to create a youtube video from a wheelchair perspective so i hope it can help someone maybe one day! just hoping that they keep the eurostar ski train season extended next year until easter again so we can do it once more!

You know it makes sense.

@hannahlucy89, thanks for the update. We've never done the return "ski Eurostar" journey - usually make our own way via Paris - so interesting to hear about your experience. Sounds worth considering.

You could contact Daniel at snowcarbon https://www.snowcarbon.co.uk/ about hosting your video once completed - he's the 'go to' place for train travel, so I'm sure would be interested in your post and pictures.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@hannahlucy89, great to hear it worked out well. I saw you sit ski outside the Roc de Blanchett above Champagny as we were leaving the restaurant on Tuesday but as my group already had their skis on I could dash back in to say hi. I was relieved to see your sit ski as that meant things must have gone ok.

We were on the 0932 from Aime to Paris on Saturday morning and were a bit surprised by the route back as well. I love the bit along the Lac du Bourget so was disappointed we missed that out.

Help!!

Eurostar ski train questions and request

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste