“Wow, how long did that take? A couple of days?” a friend has just asked me, on hearing that I took the train to my ski holiday in the Alps. Two days might seem like a reasonable guess — the Swiss Alps are a long way away, after all — until you consider just how quick and convenient travelling across Europe by train really is.
Less than 10 hours after walking into St Pancras International station in London, we are stepping on to the platform at Sion in the Valais, ready to be whisked up the steep mountain roads in time for a beer before the sun goes down. The après-ski starts now, even if the skiing itself has to wait until tomorrow.
