Planning Your Ski Escape: The Night Train Returns to the Alps on 18 December
Leave Paris on Friday evening and wake up in the heart of the Alps: Travelski Night Express resumes service on 18 December 2026. Seats, couchettes and private compartments offer different ways to travel, alongside packages combining transport, accommodation and ski passes. An invitation to let the holiday begin with the journey.
Travelski Night Express resumes services between Paris and the Tarentaise on 18 December 2026. · Travelski
The first thoughts of snow often arrive long before departure: choosing a resort, imagining a shared meal of mountain specialities, planning the children’s first lesson or dreaming of a morning on the slopes.
Then comes the journey. For holidaymakers departing from Paris, the night train offers a different rhythm: board on Friday evening, settle in for the night and travel towards the mountains as the city slips away.
From Paris to the Tarentaise Overnight
According to its October press release, Travelski Night Express will make its first journey on the night of 18–19 December 2026. The service is scheduled to operate on winter weekends until 20 March 2027, with overnight departures on Fridays and overnight return journeys on Saturdays.
The train connects Paris-Austerlitz with Bourg-Saint-Maurice, calling at Albertville, Moûtiers, Aime-la-Plagne and Landry. These stations provide arrival points for onward travel to the Tarentaise ski resorts.
Whether travelling as a family, a couple or a group of friends, the appeal is being able to leave after the working week and spend part of the journey overnight. On arrival, you will still need to reach your resort before beginning your stay.
Seats or Couchettes: Choose Your Comfort
Four options allow travellers to match the journey to their preferences and budget.
| Option | Announced facilities | Starting price |
| Seat | Seated travel | €65 per person, each way |
| Standard couchette | A berth for the night | €109 per person, each way |
| Standard Plus couchette | Upgraded bedding | €135 per person, each way |
| First Class | Private three-berth compartment with private washroom facilities | €555 per compartment |
These are starting prices, subject to availability. For the First Class compartment, the press release does not specify whether the quoted amount covers a one-way or return journey.
A seat prioritises the transport budget. A couchette is better suited to travellers who want to lie down before an active day. How well you rest also depends on your experience of overnight travel, so consider this before planning a full first day on the slopes.
Up to Eight Days of Skiing: Plan Your Onward Travel
Travelski highlights the possibility of enjoying eight days of skiing instead of six, thanks to overnight travel in both directions.
For a week-long stay, the idea is to ski on the Saturday of arrival, then again the following Saturday before boarding the return train that evening.
Making this work takes some planning: check train times, resort transfers, ski-pass validity and whether you can leave your luggage before gaining access to your accommodation. For the return, consider where to store your belongings and change after checking out.
A suitable train journey, a well-organised transfer and carefully chosen accommodation can help you make the most of an early arrival and a late departure.
Train, Accommodation and Ski Passes in One Booking
Packages combining return night-train travel, seven nights’ accommodation and lift passes are also announced.
When choosing, consider the whole stay: where the accommodation is located, access to the slopes, pass duration and services available on arrival. The press release does not detail whether transfers or ski equipment are included; these points should be checked when booking.
The right programme depends on how you enjoy the mountains. Some travellers will want to fit in as many runs as possible; others will prefer to alternate skiing with walks and cosy breaks. With children, leaving room for flexibility also helps you adapt each day to their pace.
A memorable escape is shaped as much by time together as by time on the slopes: a leisurely lunch, a stroll through the village or a quiet evening after a day outdoors.
A New Connection From the Benelux
Travelski also announces a new overnight route to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, departing from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Brussels. It is scheduled to operate alongside the Paris service during the winter season.
For Belgian and Dutch travellers, this offers another way to reach the Alps by train, depending on the published timetable and availability.
Leaving the city in the evening and waking up near the mountains gives departure a special atmosphere. With a few practical details arranged beforehand, the journey can become the first chapter of the holiday.
*Source: Travelski press release, October 2026. Starting prices, services and operating dates are those announced by the operator and should be confirmed when booking.*
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