Alpbach ski resort is well connected by train, and this guide will show you how to book rail travel to Alpbach in the best ways possible
Planning your journey to Alpbach
The closest station to Alpbach is Jenbach. When it comes to routes and times, the Snowcarbon Journey Planner shows you recommended, hand-researched rail journeys from London to Alpbach by train for the entire winter season ahead.
The Snowcarbon Journey Planner is useful for three reasons. Firstly, it shows journeys that we believe are the most convenient from a skier perspective. And second, the journeys are hand researched and inputted - rather than subject to the quirks of rail-company website algorithms (which sometimes fail to show journeys). Third, instead of waiting for rail-company websites to show you options (which they only do once tickets are on sale) the Snowcarbon Journey Planner is a way of planning in advance.
Once tickets are on sale, rail company and ticketing websites such as such as Eurostar, Rail Europe, Trainline, Deutche Bahn and SBB, are also useful for researching journey schedules. These sites may show you more options than you find on the Snowcarbon Journey Planner. But definitely don't rely on websites for booking journeys from London to Alpbach. Too many times we've seen website's fail to show options that are available (more about this below).
When to book train travel to Alpbach
Daytime and overnight journeys to Alpbach go on sale approximately 90 to 120 days in advance (it varies depending on the date).
Generally, in terms of saving money, trains around Europe work the same way as flights do - i.e: the earlier you book, the lower the fares.
How much does it cost?
Based on many years of experience and constant research, these are the rough costs for return rail travel from London to Jenbach, in standard class:
Holiday date
Adult return fare
Feb half term
£285 - £445
Christmas, New Year, Easter
£285 - £420
Off peak dates
£180 - £325
Children aged 4-11 pay 30% less than adults
Under 4s: free without a reserved seat
How to book – online, phone or agency?
In this day and age, booking a train journey from the UK to the Alps should surely be about as simple as booking a flight, right? Wrong. It’s fair to say that the various rail operators have made a veritable dog’s dinner of integrating their booking systems. As a result, it’s very important not to treat as gospel the journey options or prices that you are given – whether you get them online or by phone.
For journeys that involve two or more trains, more suitable schedules or better prices might exist. And indeed, in many cases journeys or trains that are definitely bookable show up as 'not available' online. It’s ridiculous. And somebody needs to say something. And now we have.
Oh, and by the way, if you want extra time in Paris, either when changing trains or to stopover, then you’ll find that online booking - which automatically minimises the time between trains - isn’t suitable.
So what’s the solution? Essentially, you need to be prepared to use a combination of phone, online or booking agency until you’re satisfied you’ve got the best options.
Booking online
We wouldn't recommend booking the overnight journey from London to Alpbach online.
You can use the websites below to research components of the journey online, but don't treat what you find online as gospel - treat it with a big pinch of salt instead. The best way to book the journey will instead be with an expert rail-booking agency or by phone (see sections below)
Indeed, the same goes for daytime journeys from London to Alpbach. Although technically some of these can be booked online, the fact that there are several changes (with the daytime journey) make it unwise to expect online booking systems to cope and deliver you the best prices. Crazy, but true. But by all means use websites for some initial research, just don't take at face value the results they deliver.
Deutsche Bahn Deutsche Bahn's website can be good for looking up journeys, but has awful usability in terms of buying tickets.
Rail Europe Formerly known as Loco2, this online ticket retailer was recently bought by SNCF. It is relatively easy to use with well-written guides. Can struggle with showing journeys and tickets from the UK to Austrian destinations. Trainline.eu This ticket retailer has a fairly user-friendly website and helpful guidance, which we rate as on a par with Rail Europe. Can struggle with showing journeys and tickets from the UK to Austrian destinations.
Booking by phone
We’d advise booking by phone for journeys where each leg involves two or more trains and/or you want more flexibility, such as allowing for more time to change station in Paris, or to stopover in Paris - or simply when you want to check whether what you’ve been offered online really is the best option. Be aware that, in many cases, online systems won’t allow you to book combinations of trains that you could book if you picked up the phone. So, in essence. Double check by making a phone call – a retro pleasure that people used to indulge in before the inter-web came along. Be mindful that the person at the end of the phone may not be familiar with the best journey options to the Alps, so have your own pre-researched train-journey schedule to hand.
SWITZERLAND TRAVEL CENTRE
Please note: Very annoyingly, SNCF no longer offers telephone booking. And breathe…
You can also call Ffestiniog Travel or Canterbury rail - see details below.
Booking with an expert rail-booking agent
We recommend both Ffestiniog Travel and Rail Canterbury for their expertise. These two companies both have experienced staff who have helped many skiers that we’ve sent their way in the past. Although they have to charge a modest commission on tickets, these agents can often source cheaper prices overall - and they certainly make booking easy. For journeys where you would really benefit from expert, tailored help, they’re a good option.
Ffestiniog Travel Ffestiniog Travel is a rail-booking agent - and also a charitable trust - based in Wales. Profits, rather wonderfully, go to the upkeep of a local heritage railway. Phone: 01766 515630; email: rail@ffestiniogtravel.co.uk
Rail Canterbury Husband and wife team Jacky and Phil run this small Canterbury-based agency and are hugely experienced in booking trains. Phone: 01227 450088; email: rail@rail-canterbury.co.uk
Group bookings
You can’t book more than nine tickets online in one booking. So if there 10 or more people in your party, you’ll need to book via the groups department of SNCF or with one of the aforementioned rail-booking agents such as Ffestiniog Travel or Rail Canterbury. There are modest discounts for groups and you can book a little further in advance of the normal booking horizon.
Some ski tour operators offer ski holidays to Montgenèvre with rail travel included as part of the package. In some cases the rail element is from a special allocation of seats bought by the tour operator in advance; and in other cases the tour operator will purchase rail tickets at your request (at roughly the standard rate). You can visit the rail-packages section on Snowcarbon to browse ski holidays by train to Montgenèvre.
For more tailored advice and suggestions for suitable ski holidays by train to Montgenèvre, Snowcarbon’s founder Daniel Elkan has an ‘Ask Daniel’ service and will be happy to help. Just send Daniel and email to let him know what you are ideally looking for.
It’s always worth checking whether your accommodation or tour operator can provide or arrange a transfer for you, so that it’s all made as easy as possible.
If you are booking a rail-inclusive package with a ski-tour operator, then the transfer will normally be included as part of the holiday package.
More about train travel to Montgenèvre
Before you book travel to Montgenèvre, you might like to find out more about the train options. We’ve already mentioned that you can use the Snowcarbon Journey Planner to research train travel from London to Montgenèvre.
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