Trav's short answer
The biggest practical change for 2026/27 is a new overnight route from the Netherlands and Belgium to the Tarentaise.Travelski plans sleeper trains from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Brussels to Moûtiers, Aime-la-Plagne and Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Eurostar Snow also serves the French Alps, while a new Brussels–Zürich–Milan sleeper opens another route towards Swiss and Italian ski areas.
New sleeper
Amsterdam and Brussels get a new overnight train to the French Alps
Travelski is adding a new overnight service for winter 2026/27 from the Netherlands and Belgium to the Tarentaise. The train is due to start in Amsterdam, call at Rotterdam, Antwerp and Brussels, then run overnight to Moûtiers, Aime-la-Plagne and Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
The destination stations are unusually useful for skiing. Moûtiers is the main rail gateway for resorts including Méribel, Courchevel and Val Thorens; Bourg-Saint-Maurice serves Les Arcs and onward transfers towards Tignes and Val d'Isère.
French Alps
Eurostar Snow gives London skiers a straightforward daytime option
Eurostar Snow is scheduled again for winter 2026/27. From London, the journey uses a simple connection at Lille before continuing to Chambéry, Albertville, Moûtiers, Aime-la-Plagne, Landry and Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
One connection at Lille
Saturday outbound services run from 19 December 2026 to 20 February 2027. Returns run on Sunday mornings and selected Saturday afternoons through 28 February.
Direct Eurostar Snow
Saturday services run to Bourg-Saint-Maurice from 19 December 2026 to 3 April 2027, with return dates extending into April.
Rail can remove airport-to-resort transfers from the longest part of the journey. When comparing prices, include luggage, ski carriage and transfers alongside the fare; those extras can materially change the true cost of a ski holiday.
New night train
The new Brussels–Zürich–Milan sleeper opens another route towards the Alps
European Sleeper is launching a direct Brussels–Milan night train on 9 September 2026. It is scheduled to run three times a week and call at Liège, Cologne, Zürich, Lugano and Como before Milan.
This is not a dedicated ski train, but Zürich is a strong interchange for Swiss resorts and Milan is a major gateway for northern Italy. It creates another overnight option for travellers prepared to connect in Brussels and continue by regional or long-distance train the next morning.
If you are travelling onwards from Milan, check the latest resort and transport changes alongside our guide to what's new in the Italian Alps for winter 2026/27.
Austria
Austria's 2026 timetable improves rail links inside the Alps
ÖBB's 2026 timetable introduced new Interregio services in Tyrol and the inner-Alpine corridor. These are not UK-to-ski-resort trains, but they improve the final part of rail journeys once travellers reach Austria.
The two services combine to maintain an hourly pattern between Wörgl and Bischofshofen. That matters because both towns sit on useful corridors for Austrian ski regions and connections towards Salzburg and Tyrol.
Future watch
A direct London–Switzerland train is being studied, but it is not bookable yet
In May 2026, SBB, SNCF Voyageurs and Eurostar signed a memorandum of understanding to explore a potential direct rail connection between Switzerland and London. It is a planning step, not an announced timetable.
bookable
If a direct service is eventually launched, it could simplify rail access to one of Europe's strongest ski-by-train networks. For now, it belongs on the watchlist rather than in a booking plan.
Trav's final summary
The French Alps gain the most useful new rail options for winter 2026/27
The strongest changes are concentrated around the Tarentaise, where both daytime and overnight services reach stations close to major resorts. Switzerland and Italy gain useful new links too, but they still involve onward connections for most UK skiers.