What is the Closest Airport to Val d’Isere?

If you’re planning a ski trip to Val d’Isere then ‘congratulations’ – you can’t fail to have a great time in Val d’Isere! Whether it is on the ski slopes, or in the bars & restaurants around the town, Val d’Isere has something for everyone and you will definitely have a great time.

However, if you have been left to plan your own travel arrangements then you may be a little confused about what is best for your group. Val d’Isere has one of the longer airport transfer times, and it is not immediately obvious which airport is the best for getting to and from the resort. In this blog we’ll take a look at the options available for flights to Val d’Isere, and try to answer questions such as:

• What is the closest / nearest airport to Val d’Isere?
• Which other airports can be used to travel to Val d’Isere?
• What are the airport transfer times & distances for getting to Val d’Isere?
• Which is the best airport to get to Val d’Isere?
• What are the cheapest airport transfers to Val d’Isere?

Chambery is the Closest Airport to Val d’Isere

The distance from Chambery airport to Val d’Isere is 144km which makes it the nearest airport by some distance. With a transfer time of around 2 hours on a good run, Chambery also provides the quickest airport transfer time and can save you up to 45 minutes on the journey time to Val d’Isere. This means that it allows some of the cheapest airport transfers to Val d’Isere too.

So, if you are looking for the shortest and quickest airport transfers to Val d’Isere then Chambery airport is definitely your first choice. However, unfortunately it is not quite such a simple choice as that.

Chambery is a very small regional airport which opens up to accept skiers & snowboarders during the winter months due to its close proximity to some of France’s best ski resorts in the Tarentaise Valley. The size of Chambery airport means that it simply cannot handle the number of flights that a larger commercial airport would. Airlines such as BA and Jet2 certainly do have flights landing at Chambery, but it may be slightly harder to find a convenient flight – or slightly more expensive perhaps.

Chambery airport is certainly a good option for onwards travel to Val d’Isere, but because of its small size, limited flights, and its issues with closures and delays in bad weather, it is also prudent to consider other options.

Geneva, Grenoble & Lyon Airports can also be used to get to Val d’Isere

Despite being further away from Val d’Isere ski resort, and having a longer transfer time, there are three other airports which should be considered. Geneva, Grenoble & Lyon airports are larger international facilities which take many more scheduled flights from low-cost airlines. Potentially, using one of these airports could add 45 minutes to an hour to your transfer time, but equally it could save you a decent amount of money on your flights too.

Most importantly for European passengers is that Easyjet has cheap flights to all three airports which can save you a bundle when getting to Val d’Isere. It is true that transfer times to Val d’Isere are longer, and that this will naturally mean that ski transfers are slightly more expensive. However, we always urge skiers travelling to Val d’Isere to price flights and transfers at the same time as paying less to fly via Geneva, Grenoble or Lyon can ultimately save you money on the whole combined journey.

Airport Transfer Times & Distances for Val d’Isere

• Chambery airport to Val d’Isere is a distance of 144km and a transfer time of approximately 2 hours on a good day.
• Geneva airport to Val d’Isere via the most direct route is 174km and has a journey time of a little over 3 hours on a good day.
• Grenoble airport to Val d’Isere is 217km and takes a little under 3 hours to drive normally.
• Lyon airport to Val d’Isere is a distance of 221km and has a similar journey time to Grenoble airport of approx 3 hours.

(all timings are approximate and will certainly increase during bad weather and at peak times / dates when the traffic volume is higher).

Geneva is the Best Airport to use for Travelling to Val d’Isere

This is obviously very subjective, and depends greatly on where you are flying in from, but in our experience Geneva airport usually works out best for most groups. Despite being just over the border in Switzerland, Geneva sees thousands of skiers and snowboarders pass through its gates each winter.

Mostly, the large numbers of passengers are due to the increased number of flights – and more importantly, the increased number of cheap flights, landing in Geneva. Most customers can find a convenient flight from their closest home airport to Geneva. This large number of passengers also means that the options for onward transfers to Val d’Isere are increased. Many more companies operate in the Geneva area and as such it is possible to find cheaper Val d’Isere ski transfers than from most other local airports.

Any of the four airports we have discussed in this article – Chambery, Geneva, Grenoble & Lyon – have their own merits for travelling on to Val d’Isere. If you prefer the least amount of time travelling then Chambery airport is for you. If you want the most flexibility then Geneva is the one. If you can find cheap flights to Grenoble or Lyon then they are excellent choices too. We would urge customers to consider their airport to resort transfers before booking flights though as the best way to get to Val d’Isere is to consider both journey elements together.

The Cheapest Airport Transfers for Val d’Isere

Whichever airport you decide to fly in to you’ll need to look for airport transfers too. While it is an option to hire a car and drive or to take shared transfer buses – if you want the most convenient method of travel then it has to be a pre-booked private transfer.

Snowcompare want to make sure every single person gets the best deal possible on their airport to Val d’Isere transfer. That’s why we work with the best local companies and are open and honest about the different costs involved. By using Snowcompare.com to search for Val d’Isere airport transfers you can ensure you get the best possible deal from a reliable, licensed transfer company. Make life easy and Search, Compare, Book & Save on all Val d’Isere airport transfers using Snowcompare!