A new weekend-only train service has been put in place shuttling people from Paris into the Alps over ski season, with tickets selling at low prices.
Italian train service Trenitalia has announced its new French winter timetable, with return trips between the French capital and Lyon, as well as two destinations in the Alps, Chambéry Challes-les-Eaux and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne-Arvan.
Between 15 December 2024 and 30 March 2025, the train service will be running one daily round trip between Paris, Lyon Part-Dieu, Chambéry Challes-les-Eaux and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne-Arvan on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Paris-Lyon line has been extended to serve the two new destinations in Savoie for a limited time only, home to some of the country’s most popular ski resorts over the winter, allowing skiers and mountain lovers to take advantage of the new connections onboard the high-speed Frecciarossa trains.
The stops, which will depart in the morning and return at the end of the day, will give easy access to the Savoie ski resorts.
Chambéry attracts history buffs to its medieval town in the French Alps, with its towering Castle of the Dukes of Savoy and cathedral, while the ski resorts in the surrounding area draw hundreds of winter sports enthusiasts each year.
Further in the south is Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, a convenient station to get off at before travelling onwards to the nearby ski resorts. The town itself has also long been a cycling hotspot, having hosted the Tour de France six times.
The journey between Paris Gare de Lyon and Chambéry, the capital of Savoie, will take less than 3 hours 30 minutes, and less than 4 hours 15 minutes to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, the latter station being served for the very first time by Trenitalia.
The train operator hopes that the service will serve as a quick, comfortable and stress-free journey to the slopes, as well as offering an environmentally friendly alternative to using a car.
Prices are relatively affordable, with some tickets to these locations in the Alps costing just €28 (£23).
Marco Caposciutti, the president of Trenitalia France, said: “Thanks to these new connections, we are responding to growing demand from travellers who want to get to the mountains quickly and comfortably.
“This is a further step in our commitment to offering flexible, environmentally-friendly routes that are tailored to every need.”
The new routes are now on sale, with passengers able to choose from four different seats, standard, business, executive or the onboard meeting area for workers on the go.
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