How to Get to Val d’Isere

Val d’Isere is an amazing ski resort. It has everything that any group of skiers & snowboarders could want from a weeks holiday. The huge Espace Killy ski area means almost endless on and off-piste runs are possible every day. And in the evening there are enough bars, restaurants and family activities to keep you occupied before bed.

If you have been left to organise your own travel to resort then the first thing you’re probably asking yourself is ‘how do I get to Val d’Isere?’ There are many travel options in terms of getting to Val d’Isere. But perhaps this all becomes a bit overwhelming as well. In this blog we’re looking at how to get to Val d’Isere and more specifically we’ll be looking at:

• Flying to Val d’Isere
• Airport transfers to Val d’Isere
• Driving to Val d’Isere
• Train, buses & coaches to Val d’Isere
• The best way to get to Val d’Isere

Flying to Val d’Isere

Flying to Val d’Isere (well, to one of the four local airports at least) is the quickest and most popular method of travelling to resort. There are four airports you can choose from. Flights from the UK and Europe run regularly during the winter ski season, so a lot of the choice regarding which airport to use will be determined by where is most convenient from where you live.

Chambery is the closest airport to Val d’Isere – but remember that you are travelling to the mountains so the travel time from Chambery airport to Val d’Isere is still a little under 2 hours. Chambery is a small regional airport though so the choice of flights is less here. Geneva airport in Switzerland is the most popular airport for skiers going to Val d’Isere due to the increased number of low-cost flights scheduled here. Grenoble and Lyon airports are also good options for getting to Val d’Isere and have a good range of international airlines using them both.

If you are looking to spend the least amount of time travelling during your Val d’Isere ski holiday then flying should definitely be the first consideration. However, keep in mind that you will also need to arrange travel from the airport to the resort, and this will add to the cost of the total journey…

Airport Transfers to Val d’Isere

If you’re planning on flying to Va d’Isere then you will need to factor in airport to ski resort transfers as well. Unfortunately, Val d’Isere’s location at the very end of the Tarentaise valley means that it has some of the longest airport transfer times going. Plenty of Val d’Isere airport transfer options exist to suit ever budget and group size though.

For individuals and small groups the most cost effective option is going to be shared transfer buses. These run from each airport and combine passengers from different flights, and going to different resorts. So there will potentially be a little bit of waiting at the airport, and the journey time is longer as they make stops along the valley on the way to Val d’Isere. However, sharing the cost of the journey means that there are huge savings to be had versus hiring a whole vehicle.

If you are travelling with a slightly larger group, as a family, or if you simply don’t want to waste any precious holiday time then the best airport transfer option is private taxi transfers. Pre-booking a private transfer means your driver will be waiting when you land and will take you straight to your accommodation door with no messing around. On the return journey you can be sure that your resort pick-up time has been specifically chosen to mean no stress and as little waiting time at the airport as possible.

There are a lot of Val d’Isere airport transfers out there and they do vary massively in both cost and quality. If finding ski transfers seems a little overwhelming or time-consuming then we recommend using Snowcompare.com. Snowcompare works with the best Val d’Isere transfer companies and shows you exactly what is available with one quick search. You can read customer reviews, see the costs involved and book Val d’Isere transfers all from one easy-to-use website.

Driving to Val d’Isere

There are two options here – driving all the way to Val d’Isere using your own vehicle, or flying and hiring a car from the airport.

If you are considering driving all the way from the UK (or wherever you call home) then there are definitely advantages. You won’t have to worry about luggage restrictions, or about paying additional fees fro ski equipment baggage. You’ll also have a vehicle in-resort for the week should you need it, and if you have children then they can use their own car seats. Self-drive holidays have certainly become more popular recently as people are less excited about the prospect of being packed into an aeroplane with strangers.

However, we would just urge you to have a real think about the amount of driving involved before committing to driving to Val d’Isere. If you only have a week holiday then this could eat in to your time on the slopes – and leave the driver feeling exhausted at the start and end of the week. A family could potentially save some money over flying to resort, but you do need to factor in that 90% of the journey in France will be done on toll roads too. Val d’Isere itself is keen to dissuade the use of cars in resort and the free bus service around town is so effective that you won’t need a car for the week – you will just be paying to keep it parked.

Hiring a car from the airport can be a good option if you don’t want to wait for shared transfers, or to pay for private transfers. But on the other hand, by the time you have paid for the hire, the petrol and the parking the money saved is not too much. You will also have the stress of driving an unfamiliar car on snowy mountain roads, and if you are really unlucky you may be required to fit snow chains. for us, it’s better to let the professional transfer drivers have that to worry about while you relax in the back seat.

Trains, Buses & Coaches to Val d’Isere

Taking a train to Bourg St Maurice at the bottom of the mountain is an interesting way to get to Val d’Isere. From the UK it is possible to travel all the way from London to Bourg and, like driving, you won’t have to worry about baggage allowances set by airlines which is very helpful. There is a time factor involved though – and the journey does also involve changing stations in Paris which will be best done by taxi at an additional cost.

When arriving in Bourg St Maurice there is still an approximately 45 minute journey to be done up the mountain to get to Val d’Isere. This can be done by taxi (either pre-booked, or by taking your chances when arriving) or there is also a public bus service going to Val d’Isere. As we are all trying to reduce our carbon footprint these days, train travel to Val d’Isere can be a good way of arriving in a more eco-friendly way. Much like flights though you will need to book way in advance in order to get the best prices, and seats do get taken very quickly during the winter.

If you’re looking to save some money on your travel to Val d’Isere then there are options to take a bus or coach all the way from the UK to resort. While this is possibly one of the cheapest methods of getting to Val d’Isere, it is also long and involves trying to sleep a night on a moving vehicle. Unless you are a university student and are happy to make the coach trip a sociable part of the holiday we would probably advise avoiding this one.

The Best Way to Get to Val d’Isere

The best way to get to Val d’Isere is subjective of course and depends on what you and your group value as most important. If you want to save the most amount of money then a coach will work, if you want your independence then driving is an option, and if you want to watch the French countryside go by then the train may be for you.

For us though, arranging a flight into one of the four airports local to Val d’Isere and then having a private transfer meet you in the arrivals hall is the best way to get to resort. It will be the quickest way, and the one with less stress certainly. In terms of money, flights and transfers may not be the absolute cheapest method of travel to Val d’Isere but between a group of friends or family it doesn’t have to be excessively expensive. Plus there’s no hidden costs once you’ve booked so you know exactly what you’ll pay.

There are plenty of websites out there to search and compare flights to Chambery, Geneva, Grenoble or Lyon airports. These ensure you get the best prices, but they also allow you to see the various options involved without spending huge amounts of time searching the internet. Snowcompare.com does exactly the same thing for airport transfers to Val d’Isere. Simply type in your journey details and we’ll show you what options are available along with the prices and customer reviews. As well as getting the best possible deals you can be sure that your money is safe with a reputable UK limited company. We’ve helped thousands of people get the cheapest airport transfers to Val d’Isere – be sure to take a look at our 5* customer feedback if you want to see how we can help…