Skiers and snowboarders who wish to travel to resorts by train will soon have a new place to look for information.
Snowcarbon.co.uk, a new website to be launched in September 2009, will provide information on every aspect of rail travel to European ski resorts.
The site is the brainchild of ski journalist Daniel Elkan, who has written about train travel to ski resorts for newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Observer and the Daily Mail Ski magazine.
As flying becomes increasingly unpleasant, and rail infrastructure across Europe improves, the advantages of rail travel to ski resorts are growing. Journeys are fast, stress-free and trains are punctual. In many cases, it is possible to take a train directly into a resort.
Some journeys can be made overnight - providing skiers and boarders with two extra days on the slopes. And there are no extra charges for carrying bags - as there are with many airlines.
The environmental benefits are obvious. While aircraft spew out damaging emissions, trains are far more efficient and rail travel within France is carbon-free.
Despite the popularity of train travel - and the growing demand for it - there is currently no single source of information of rail journeys to ski resorts. That's why Elkan has launched Snowcarbon.co.uk. "It's an idea whose time has come," he says.
Snowcarbon.co.uk already has the support of more than 20 winter sports resorts, and a number of European tourist boards and environmental organisations.
http://www.snowcarbon.co.uk/
