Skiing holidays are a fantastic way to combine being active on holiday with enjoying alpine scenery and hospitality.  These kinds of trips can often be on the more expensive side, and part of this cost can be that most ski resorts are best reached when you fly directly to the nearest airport.

But what about travellers who’d rather not fly, either for economic or environmental reasons?

In this article, we offer a guide to how to plan a flight-free ski holiday, including recommendations of where to visit and what your alternative transportation options are.

The Advantages of Flight-Free Travel

Before launching into how to plan a flight-free ski holiday, here’s a list of just some of the advantages of opting to travel using alternative transport to get to your chosen skiing destination.

Lower Emissions

One of the biggest advantages of flight-free travel is that the overall emissions produced by your ski holiday will be a lot lower.  We’re all aware of the negative environmental impact of air travel, and when you opt for an alternative mode of transport you choose an option which produces a lot less harmful emissions.

More Space

Travelling on a plane can be quite a cramped experience if the journey is busy and you’ve opted for a standard seat.  If you choose to travel to a ski resort on a train, you can get up and walk around a lot more than is possible on an aeroplane, and if you’re travelling with younger children who aren’t as good at sitting still for long periods of time, this can be a major advantage.  Similarly, if you’re an adult who’d rather not be seated for several hours, a train has much more space!

A Relaxing Journey

Many people can find the process of getting to an airport, going through security, and boarding a flight quite stressful, let alone actually flying on a plane!  Opting for an alternative transport option can be a much more relaxing experience, especially if you choose a coach or a train and can therefore hand over all of the travelling organisation to someone else.

More Sociable

When you’re travelling by plane, you’re a little limited to staying in your seat and only interacting with the people next to you for a lot of the journey.  Even once the seatbelt sign has been turned off, you don’t have a lot of space to socialise.  But when you choose a transport option like travelling by train, you can make the journey much more sociable if you’re travelling with a large group of people, which can help it to feel like the holiday has already started!

Competitive Journey Times

Finally, many people choose to fly to their ski holiday destination because they think that it’s the fastest option by far.  However, if you’re only travelling to somewhere like France or Austria from the UK, the journey time is actually pretty similar, so flying isn’t much of an advantage!

Where to Go for a Flight-Free Ski Holiday

If you decide to plan a flight-free ski holiday, the first thing you need to decide is where you’re going to go.  If you’re travelling from the UK then the good news is that there are lots of options of ski destinations that can be reached without having to fly.  Here are some of the most popular.

Austria

Austria is a fantastic place for a flight-free ski holiday if you choose to travel by train, as several rail links pass through or are really close to some of the country’s top places to ski.  Many resorts have a station actually in the town or village, with connections coming from many different European cities.  With all kinds of resort options easily reachable, you could be kicking back on a holiday in a luxury chalet in Austria in places like Seefeld or Kitzbühel, no flying required.

France

France is another classic option for a flight-free ski holiday, especially if you’re travelling from the UK.  It’s no great distance by car or by coach to France, so if you’d rather not fly you can either take your own vehicle or choose the cost-effective option of travelling by coach.  And of course, the Eurostar runs services over the winter that connect London with various stations near ski resorts, which can take less time than flying over to France.

Switzerland

Travelling to Switzerland flight-free does take longer than flying, but it is still very doable on alternative modes of transport and is a great option for a relaxing start to your skiing holiday.  Train travel is your best bet for reaching the country’s ski resorts, and you can feel confident in the exceptional efficiency of the railways across Switzerland.

Transport Options

Once you’ve decided where you’re going to go on a skiing holiday, you’ll need to decide on your preferred flight-free transport option.

Train

Travelling to a ski resort by train is an increasingly popular option for holidaymakers who want to avoid flying.  There are now many package options available for rail-to-slope ski holidays where your train tickets are included in your holiday cost, along with a transfer from the train station to your resort of choice.  Trains also have the added benefit of incredible scenery as you travel up to the mountains, so the journey really does feel like part of the experience.

Coach

For resorts that are reachable by road, a coach can be one of the best cost-effective options if you’re looking to book a ski trip that won’t break the bank.  It might not be the fastest way to travel to a resort, but tickets are very reasonable and there’s often a great atmosphere on the coaches as everyone else is also heading to a holiday in the mountains.

Car

If driving yourself and your family or friends is an option, it’s a great alternative to flying which also gives you more freedom on your journey.  If you can share the drive with other people then the length of the journey isn’t too much of an issue, and the major benefit is that you don’t have to worry as much about trying to cram all of your belongings into a single suitcase!

Summary

Travelling to a ski resort by train, coach or car can be more time-consuming than catching a flight, but these options are far more environmentally friendly and can provide a much less stressful experience where the journey becomes a memorable part of the holiday.  Plenty of resorts and travel providers now offer flight-free ski packages where transport is included alongside accommodation, ski passes and equipment hire, so it’s easier than ever to go on a flight-free ski holiday next season.