A Leisurely Train Journey To The Beautiful Alps
Everything is packed, you’re ready to hit the mountainous Alps, and all you’ve got left to do is get there. You might be imagining the flight now, but wait – there is another option! The train…
Time
Most people will think that the train will take far longer than a 2 hour flight, but you might be surprised. Jumping on a plane really isn’t as convenient as the train. You need to get to the airport, which generally are located further out of town than the train station (if your town even has an airport!). This means there’s the journey there to consider, be it train, bus or car. If you drive, don’t forget the time taken trying to find that extortionate parking place! You’ll probably want to check-in 2 hours before your flight, which if you’re worried about time generally means being at the airport even earlier than that!
Now you’ve arrived, you wait ages to get off the plane, trek across the airport to the baggage arrival area, wait an age for your bag to possibly appear and then… you leave the airport. Conveniently the airport probably isn’t in the middle of the Alps either, so more than likely you’ve an hour or two in a transfer! You could, of course, jump on a train though… a 30 minute check in, maybe a change in Paris (a lovely city!) and a comfortable seat all the way though. If you pick your destination carefully you might even be able to take the train right to the resort.
Even More Holiday!
If you plan to go in the winter for some skiing, how would you like even more holiday? Time it right, and you can manage an extra 2 days of holiday with no extra cost. Jumping on the overnight trains on a Friday, and return overnight on the following Sunday, means you can ski on the first Saturday, and also on the last Sunday! All you need to do is get on the train, sit back and relax with a meal whilst looking at the scenery, before heading in to your compartment to a freshly made bed. Wake up and there you are!
This is made possible by the ski train – a service which takes you from London to destinations such as Courchevel, Tignes, La Plagne and Les Arcs.
Experience
Train travel is a fantastic way to travel. With less things to worry about, you can relax more and actually enjoy the experience. Many people find flying a stressful time, and it’s not surprising, what with all the security checks, waiting around, time delays and the threat of lost luggage. Travelling should be part of your holiday though, which is why it’s a shame it can be spoilt by the flight.
As stress levels rise, more and more people are discovering how great ‘slow-travel’ can be. With the majestic mountains all around you when you travel to the Alps, the train offers a stress free way of enjoying the view. The other beauty, especially for families, of train travel is much less motion sickness – take it from us, the roads in the Alps are very twisty!
Bit Of A Pain To Organise, Isn’t It?
Not so much, really! As more people use the trains, the system is becoming far easier to use. As mentioned earlier, there is often a lot less to organise anyway – no airport parking for example. Trains are also becoming much more price competitive. Peak-time flights are getting more and more expensive, and with all the additional charges for your luggage, it can be much more expensive than you’d think to fly to the Alps. Fortunately baggage charges etc aren’t a feature of the train.
There is now a wealth of information out there to help you travel to the Alps by train. Sites such as The Man in Seat 61 and Snowcarbon provide not only information to help you easily organise your trip, but are also working with operators to make the system far more friendly. If you want a really simple journey, then look out for packages which include your train ticket in the price – increasing numbers of operators are offering this, or at least a discount for travellers arriving by train.
Environment
You don’t need to dig very deep to realise how much damage aircraft do to the environment when compared to trains. If you’re travelling to the Alps, there’s a fair chance that you want to experience the beautiful environment on offer, and so it makes sense to do what you can to help preserve it! By choosing trains over plans, you’re making a statement to say that you want to protect the environment, you want to reduce your impact on the planet.
So, there we have it. We’re not going to say that train travel necessarily is the fastest way to get to the Alps, but it really is becoming a very viable option, if you are willing to try something new. So, next time you head for a ski holiday or a summer trip to the Alps, check your options, and see if you can jump on that train!
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