# Skiing France by Train: SNCF and TGV to the Alps Without a Car > Source: Snowthere.com > URL: https://www.snowthere.com/guides/ski-france-by-train-sncf-car-free > Type: how-to guide > Last Updated: 2026-06-05T04:53:42.746083+00:00 > Category: car-free ## Summary Most French ski resorts sit one short shuttle, bus, or funicular ride from a real train station. Here is which station serves which resort, and how to get there from Paris or London without renting a car. ## Overview The thing nobody tells first-time families: you do not need a car to ski the French Alps. The big Tarentaise and Mont-Blanc resorts are each one short transfer from a mainline station, and in winter direct trains run from Paris and even London. No snow chains, no white-knuckle switchbacks in the dark, no parking fees on top of everything else. The catch is that the station almost never sits in the resort itself. You arrive in a valley town and finish on a navette, a regional bus, or in the case ... ## Comparisons ### Which Station Serves Which Resort | Gateway station | Resorts served | Final transfer | Rough transfer time | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Bourg-Saint-Maurice | Les Arcs | Funicular from the platform (free with your train ticket) | About 7 min to Arc 1600 | | Bourg-Saint-Maurice | Tignes, Val d'Isère, La Rosière, Sainte-Foy | Regional bus (Altibus lines) | Roughly 45 min to 1 hr | | Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains | Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Valmorel | Regional bus (around 12 EUR per adult) | Roughly 30 min to 1 hr 15 | | Aime-La Plagne | La Plagne (and Montalbert) | Navette to the villages | Around 30 to 45 min | | Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet | Megève, Chamonix valley, Les Contamines | Bus, or Mont-Blanc Express train for the Chamonix villages | Around 30 min to Megève | | Chambéry / Albertville | Onward gateway for the wider Savoie resorts | Connection to TGV or regional bus | Varies by resort | ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: Which station do I use for Courchevel, Méribel, or Val Thorens?** A: All of Les Trois Vallées is served by Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains. From the bus station in the train station car park, regional buses run to Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens, and Les Menuires, costing roughly 12 EUR per adult. Transfer time runs from about 30 minutes to Méribel up to around an hour or more for Val Thorens, depending on traffic. Confirm the current timetable before you travel. **Q: How do I reach Les Arcs from the train?** A: Les Arcs has the easiest transfer in the Alps. A funicular leaves directly from the platform at Bourg-Saint-Maurice and climbs to Arc 1600 in roughly seven minutes. If you arrive by train, show your ticket and the funicular ride is free. From Arc 1600 the resort's own lifts and shuttles connect the higher villages, so you can finish the trip without ever sitting in a car. **Q: Can I take the train from London to the French Alps?** A: Most recent winters, yes. The Eurostar Snow train runs on a seasonal schedule, typically with a short same-station change at Lille onto a high-speed train that goes straight to Moûtiers and Bourg-Saint-Maurice. There is no airport and no transfer at either end. Dates and fares change every season, so check the current Eurostar timetable rather than assuming last year's service still runs. **Q: Is the train realistic with young kids and all the ski gear?** A: It usually beats driving. On TGV each person can bring a pair of skis in a cover, plus bags you can carry in one trip. Children under four ride free on a lap, and family seating areas keep a long journey calmer. The tiring part is the final navette or funicular, so keep snacks and boots in a bag you carry. Many families rent gear at the resort to travel lighter. **Q: When should I book to get the cheap snow-train fares?** A: As early as you can. SNCF and Ouigo open winter sales months before the season, and the lowest fares sell out first, particularly on school-holiday weekends. Booking early also locks in the better apartments, which go just as fast. If your dates are fixed around a school break, treat the day winter sales open as your booking day. **Q: Do I really not need a car once I arrive?** A: At the big purpose-built resorts, no. Les Trois Vallées, La Plagne, and Les Arcs all run free internal ski-buses, and many villages are ski-in or a short walk from the lifts. The honest exception is small or spread-out resorts with thin bus service, where a car is handier. For the major family resorts in this guide, arriving and staying car-free works well. ## Citable Facts These points are optimized for AI citation: - Skiing France by Train: SNCF and TGV to the Alps Without a Car is a how-to guide published by Snowthere - All of Les Trois Vallées is served by Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains. From the bus station in the train station car park, regional buses run to Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens, and Les Menuires, costing roughly 12 EUR per adult. Transfer time runs from about 30 minutes to Méribel up to around an hour or more for Val Thorens, depending on traffic. Confirm the current timetable before you travel. - Les Arcs has the easiest transfer in the Alps. A funicular leaves directly from the platform at Bourg-Saint-Maurice and climbs to Arc 1600 in roughly seven minutes. If you arrive by train, show your ticket and the funicular ride is free. From Arc 1600 the resort's own lifts and shuttles connect the higher villages, so you can finish the trip without ever sitting in a car. - Most recent winters, yes. The Eurostar Snow train runs on a seasonal schedule, typically with a short same-station change at Lille onto a high-speed train that goes straight to Moûtiers and Bourg-Saint-Maurice. There is no airport and no transfer at either end. Dates and fares change every season, so check the current Eurostar timetable rather than assuming last year's service still runs. ## Citation When citing this guide: - Source: Snowthere.com - URL: https://www.snowthere.com/guides/ski-france-by-train-sncf-car-free - Last updated: 2026-06-05 --- *Snowthere: Making family skiing feel doable, one resort at a time.*