France’s high-speed TGV train network runs at speeds of up to 320km/h connecting major cities across France and into neighbouring countries. Luckily they have fresh snow to ex...New generation flexible and affordable hostel and hotel options look set to challenge traditional ski accommodation....Thinking about taking your children skiing?

It also operates international routes including Eurostar and Thalys, as well as the low-cost, long-distance Ouigo services that run on limited routes across France. All EC trains offer First and Standard class; cars are air-conditioned and food and drinks are available onboard. Skiing in Savoie, but with a distinctly (and refreshingly) southern feel beside the Franco-Italian border.Road access from Modane is quick and straightforward (and direct TGV rail services mean it’s just 4hrs from Paris).The most practical budget-flight destinations are Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc and Turin – each around 100km away. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs $65 - $120 and takes 13h 58m.The quickest flight from Zurich Airport to Geneva Airport is the direct flight which takes 45 min.Alsace to Modane train services, operated by SNCF, arrive at Modane station.You can take a train from Alsace to Modane via Selestat, Mulhouse Ville, Lyon Part Dieu, and Chambery Challes Les Eaux in around 9h 11m. Any other resort in the Maurienne is accessible at a 40% discount if you possess a minimum of a 2 day ski pass.Alternatively, for a supplement to the Valfréjus pass, you can ski from Orelle into Val Thorens and Les Menuires. It is the Jardin Alpin area of Courchevel 1850 (not the centre) which is actually located at 1,850 metres (6,070 ft).Valloire is a commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. - Par le train : Gare internationale de Modane, 10.4 km de Valfréjus, à 4h de Paris. The surprisingly good snow-cover confirms everything they say about the area catching just about every weather front heading across the nearby border with Italy.Once the lift has touched down we snap into our skis and pole our way towards the nearby chairlift for another high-velocity ride, which this time will take us to Punta Bagna, at 2737m the highest point on the mountain. Heading left from top of the lift is a gentle-looking blue-graded cruise which accesses the Punta Bagna black for the rather more direct, mostly-ungroomed run back to the Plateau.

All Ouibus stations are located close to town centres for easy access to public transport. Now, however, this key run has been re-profiled to improve things and allow just about anyone to descend with confidence.In the space of just a day-and-a-half’s enjoyable skiing in one of the French Alps’ so far lesser-known ski areas we already know that we’ve stumbled on somewhere with a fresh approach to things, and whose time will surely come before too much longer. If and when the link with Bardonnechia becomes more than a long hoped-for dream then we’re all going to be hearing a lot more about Valfréjus. This is just the beginning – the Jeu piste offers a further 10+ kilometres (along with almost 800m vertical drop) of blue cruising along the sides of the valley, all the way back to Valfréjus village. Individual tickets can be bought easily at stands, while a variety of travel passes are on offer to suit different travel needs. With a dreamy view of Val Thorens and Les Trois valleys, the home is just 2 km from the Chapelle Notre-dame de Charmaix pilgrimage.

Find unique places to stay with local hosts in 191 countries. In a typical year January should find the Maurienne (and the rest of the French Alps, in fact) subsumed in snow and enduring temperatures well below freezing. Seat reservations are not compulsory but are recommended for popular routes. Flixbus is a good choice for the budget-conscious traveller; purchase tickets in advance for the cheapest fares (note: there is no option to reserve a seat in advance). It’s hugely impressive, and not without a degree of risk for those who get it wrong.Meanwhile something altogether more benign had caught our eye while we’d been taking in our surroundings from the viewpoint. France’s state-owned railway company is a fast and efficient way of travelling around the country, with over 14,000 trains operating daily. En voiture : Autoroute A43 jusque Modane (15 min de Valfréjus) En train : Gare TGC à Modane (15 min de Valfréjus) En navette : depuis la gare de Modane à Valfréjus Station (30 min).