Traveling to the mountains without traffic jams, without fatigue, and in a sustainable way will be easier than ever this winter: starting December 14, 2025, Italian carrier Trenitalia is highlighting a key feature of its service: traveling to the Alps by train from Paris.
Thanks to its Frecciarossa high-speed trains, Trenitalia serves many strategic stations at the foot of the mountains, offering a comfortable, eco-friendly, and competitive alternative for winter sports trips. With up to 14 daily round tripsbetween Paris and Lyon and two round trips between Paris and Milan (via the French Alps, stopping at Oulx) – not to mention the new Paris-Marseille line (four round trips per day starting in June 2025) – skiers will enjoy frequent service, attractive fares (tickets from €23 between Paris and Lyon, €35 between Paris and Milan in Standard class) and a high level of service on board.
Here are the details of how each station served provides access to the surrounding ski resorts, and why the train is the best way to get to the mountains this winter.
Stations at the foot of the slopes: which resorts can be reached from Trenitalia lines?
Each stop on the Trenitalia network in France or just across the Italian border provides access to various ski areas via optimized connections (regional trains, buses, shuttles) that are generally synchronized with train arrivals. Overview of the main station-ski resort connections and the advantages of these destinations:
Chambéry – Gateway to Savoie
The first Alpine stop on the Paris–Milan line, Chambéry is a hub for resorts in Savoie. In the immediate vicinity, Synchro Montagne shuttles take you to the family resorts of La Féclaz and Aillons-Margériaz during the season. Above all, Chambéry is a connection point to the giants of the Tarentaise: a short TER train ride to Moûtiers or Bourg-Saint-Maurice takes you to the stations serving the 3 Vallées (Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens) or Paradiski (Les Arcs, La Plagne). For example, from Moûtiers station (accessible via Chambéry), buses climb up to Val Thorens in about an hour, a resort perched at an altitude of 2,300 meters renowned for its exceptional snow cover and festive atmosphere. Courchevel and Méribel, lower down in the valley, offer a chic and cosmopolitan atmosphere prized by an international clientele.
The plus: by choosing to take the train to Tarentaise, travelers avoid the traditional traffic jams on the N90 and arrive rested and ready to ski as soon as they arrive.
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne – Access to Les Sybelles
Newly served by Trenitalia (some Paris–Milan trains stop there on weekends in winter), the Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne train station is the gateway to the vast Sybelles ski area. Dedicated shuttles (line S31) connect the SNCF train station directly to the Corbier and La Toussuire resorts during the tourist season. These resorts are part of Les Sybelles, the fourth largest linked ski area in France with six interconnected resorts between 1,100 m and 2,620 m altitude (Le Corbier, La Toussuire, Saint-Sorlin-d’Arves, Saint-Jean-d’Arves, Les Bottières, Saint-Colomban). There are 310 km of varied slopes, ideal for families and intermediate skiers, with numerous fun areas for children. In addition to Les Sybelles, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne offers connections to Albiez-Montrond (a village resort facing the Aiguilles d’Arves) and Les Karellis—small family resorts accessible via the S33 and S34 lines, respectively—for a more intimate skiing experience.
Modane – Haute-Maurienne and 3 Vallées via Italy
The French terminus of the Frecciarossa Paris–Milan line, Modane station is located at an altitude of 1,000 m, at the gateway to the upper Maurienne valley. From here, several charming resorts are less than 30 minutes away: Regional buses operated by Cars Région Savoie wait at the station and serve Valfréjus (20 min) and La Norma (15 min), two small family resorts perched at an altitude of around 1,500 m offering excellent value for money, as well as Aussois and Val Cenis (larger resorts, around 30–40 min by car).
Modane is also the fastest access point to the 3 Vallées via Orelle: the town of Orelle, 15 minutes from Modane (6 km, taxi or local shuttle), is directly connected to Val Thorens by a 15-minute gondola lift. From winter 2025-2026, a regular shuttle will even connect the Saint-Michel-Valloire train station (just before Modane) to the Orelle cable car every weekend and every day during the holidays, coordinated with TGV arrivals and the opening of the ski lift.
In short: a skier leaving Paris in the morning can, via Modane and Orelle, reach the slopes of the world’s largest ski area without touching their car, all in around 4 hours by TGV + 30 minutes for the connection.
Oulx – The Italian Via Lattea and the French Hautes-Alpes
The Oulx-Cesana-Claviere station, the first stop after the Italian border (about 1 hour from Modane), is a treasure trove for skiers. It serves the vast Italian-French ski area of the Vialattea (Via Lattea). Trenitalia and local operators have set up the “Vialattea Link,” an intermodal train + bus connection allowing travelers to purchase a combined ticket to the resorts of Sestriere, Sauze d’Oulx, Cesana Torinese, or Clavière. In about 40 minutes, winding through the Val di Susa, you can reach these Italian Olympic resorts (Turin 2006 Olympics) with a total of 400 km of connected slopes. Sestriere (2,035 m) will delight expert skiers with its technical descents and cosmopolitan atmosphere, while Sauze d’Oulx is known for its lively après-ski scene and larch forests ideal for off-piste skiing. The icing on the cake: the Via Lattea connects with the French resort of Montgenèvre (1,850 m, Hautes-Alpes), which is itself linked to Clavière by ski.
For those who prefer to stay on the French side, the PACA region operates the ZOU 76 line, which provides a direct shuttle service from Oulx to Montgenèvre and then Briançon (SNCF train station) via the Montgenèvre pass. In less than an hour, this shuttle takes travelers to the heart of the Serre Chevalier valley (Grand Serre Che, 250 km of slopes), without them having to take the long road trip from Grenoble. This is a real advantage for accessing the renowned resorts of Serre Chevalier (villages of Chantemerle, Villeneuve, Monêtier) or Briançon, a city of art and history covered in snow in winter.
In short, the Oulx stop offers two sides: the Italian dolce vita (Piedmontese cuisine, warm welcome) and the charm of the French Southern Alps, all on the same train from Paris.
Lyon – Metropolitan hub to all mountain ranges
Lyon Part-Dieu, served by most Frecciarossa trains (14 round trips between Paris and Lyon per day announced), is a major transfer hub. From Lyon, there is a wide choice of secondary transport options to the Alps: you can take a TER train to Grenoble (in ~1.5 hours) and then a shuttle bus to Les 2 Alpes or Alpe d’Huez (about 1 hour by bus from Grenoble station). These two resorts in the Oisans region reach heights of over 3,200 m and offer high-altitude skiing: Alpe d’Huez will appeal to those who love steep slopes (the famous 16 km Sarenne run) and a young crowd eager for après-ski parties, while Les 2 Alpes attracts an international audience of freestylers thanks to its snowpark and summer skiable glacier. Lyon is also connected by TGV or TER to the Northern Alps of Haute-Savoie via Annecy, Chambéry, or Geneva (for skiing in La Clusaz, Le Grand-Bornand via Annecy, or Chamonix via Saint-Gervais/Le Fayet).
Finally, a special feature of the Trenitalia Paris–Marseille line is that it stops at Lyon Saint-Exupéry TGV (airport). Travelers from abroad can thus make an immediate airport connection to a Trenitalia TGV, and conversely, Lyon residents can take advantage of direct seasonal buses from Saint-Exupéry to resorts in Tarentaise and Maurienne (many Altibus connections depart from the airport to Tignes, Val d’Isère, Courchevel, etc., every winter). In short: traveling by train with Trenitalia to Lyon opens up a range of options to almost all of the French mountain ranges, often with just one connection.
Avignon TGV & Aix-en-Provence TGV – At the gateway to the Southern Alps
On the recently launched Paris–Marseille line, Trenitalia serves Avignon TGV and Aix-en-Provence TGV, among other stations. These southern stations offer privileged access to the Southern Alps. Every winter, the Southern Region sets up special shuttles called “Navettes Blanches” (White Shuttles) from Aix TGV station (and Marseille airport) to the southern Alpine resorts. Every Saturday during the season, these direct coaches travel to destinations such as Orcières-Merlette 1850 (Hautes-Alpes), the resorts of Forêt Blanche (Vars and Risoul) and the Champsaur/Dévoluy mountains. This means that instead of driving across the entire Alpine corridor, travelers can get off the TGV in Aix and board a bus already chartered for their final destination. According to the Vars Tourist Office, the fastest route from Paris to this resort is to combine the Paris-Aix TGV with the direct Neige Express shuttle from Aix-en-Provence TGV to Vars, without any transfers.
This means you can reach Vars in around 6.5 hours door-to-door in the comfort of a train and then an air-conditioned luxury coach. The resorts in the Southern Alps, which are lower in altitude (between 1,400 and 2,700 m) but renowned for their generous sunshine, offer a warm welcome and often lower prices than their Savoyard counterparts – an additional argument for families.
For example, Orcières offers a vast ski area at an altitude of 1,850 m facing the Écrins, with a range of activities (ice rink, swimming pool) ideal for children, while Vars-Risoul (Forêt Blanche ski area) attracts a young clientele with its famous snowpark and freestyle events. Thanks to Trenitalia, these destinations in the South are easily accessible by train: you can avoid the sometimes long connection via Valence or Grenoble by choosing to arrive closer to your destination, in Provence, and then taking an optimized transfer. It’s the smart way to enjoy the sun while skiing, and it’s growing in popularity every year.
Comfort, frequency: Trenitalia’s offer in detail
When it comes to on-board service, Trenitalia has left nothing to chance. Its latest-generation Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed trains offer four levels of comfort (Standard, Premium, Business, Executive) that are easy to find on the train. All passengers enjoy free Wi-Fi access (Frecce portal with movies, music, news), electrical and USB outlets at their seats, air conditioning, and well-spaced reclining seats. In Premium class, the seats are leather in a cozy atmosphere, and a small welcome snack is usually offered.
Business Class (equivalent to first class) offers even wider seats in a 2+1 layout, a welcome service (drinks and snacks served at your seat), and access to a “Quiet Zone” for those who wish to rest or work in peace.
At the top of the range, Executive Class offers just 10 passengers an ultra-spacious lounge in a 1+1 configuration with 180° reclining seats, high-end dining service at your seat, and even access to FrecciaClub lounges at stations in Italy—luxury worthy of airline business class. In addition, each train has a bar car (FrecciaBistrò) offering Italian espresso, snacks, and quick meals at any time. This excellence in comfort earned Trenitalia the title of “best railway company in Europe” at the end of 2024 (T&E ranking), ahead of its competitor SNCF, among others. By choosing Trenitalia to go skiing, you can enjoy a relaxing break: a 3-hour high-speed train journey between Paris and Lyon or a 6.5-hour journey to Milan aboard this quiet and spacious train traveling at 300 km/h.
In terms of frequency and fares, the 2025-2026 winter offer looks generous: 14 return trips between Paris and Lyonwill be offered (i.e., up to one train every hour during peak times), 2 return trips between Paris and Milan via Chambéry–Modane–Turin—reinstated in April 2025 after work in Maurienne—and 4 return trips between Paris and Marseille via Lyon St-Exupéry, Avignon, and Aix. The initial prices are unbeatable: €23 for a one-way ticket from Paris to Lyon and €35 from Paris to Milan in Standard class (introductory fares available, subject to conditions), which is comparable to carpooling but with the added comfort and speed of the TGV. Trenitalia France, which has already carried nearly 3 million passengers in three years of operation, is thus confirming its ambition to expand the rail market in France by attracting new customers with its low prices and Italian-quality service. Sales open on September 15 at 8 a.m. on all channels (website, app, stations, agencies), and it is advisable to book early to take advantage of the best offers.
Green travel: trains are gaining ground over roads and planes
Beyond the pleasure and comfort, taking the train to the resort is a responsible choice. The carbon impact of a rail journey is incomparable to that of other modes of transport. According to data from the SNCF and various environmental organizations, a trip on the TGV emits on average 10 times less CO₂ per kilometer than by car, and 50 times less than by plane. In concrete terms, a return trip from Paris to the Alps by TGV can reduce CO₂ emissions by several hundred kilograms compared to flying or traveling by car. Traveling by train in France reduces greenhouse gas emissions by around 95% compared to traveling by road or air – a telling figure. This is all the more crucial given that, according to studies, transport often accounts for more than half of the carbon footprint of a skiing holiday.
With its network of stations ideally located for winter sports, simplified connections to the largest French and cross-border ski areas, unparalleled comfort on board, and affordable fares, Trenitalia is establishing itself as the essential travel companion for skiers this winter. Whether you’re keen to hit the slopes in Les 3 Vallées, enjoy the family resorts of Maurienne, or soak up the sun in the Southern Alps, the Frecciarossa will take you there stress-free, faster, and greener. Taking the train to go skiing transforms the journey into a pleasure – the experience begins when you board in Paris early in the morning with a cappuccino on board, and continues until you make your first turns on the slopes that same afternoon. This winter 2025-2026, leave your car in the garage and hop on the red and white train: the Alps await you, and they’ve never been so close!
