Val d'Isere — Planning your trip

Val d'Isère sits in south-eastern France in the Rhône-Alpes region and is one of the easier resorts to get to by train. Eurostar Direct Ski trains stop in Bourg-Saint-Maurice which is just a short transfer away. Air travel incurs slightly longer transfers than other resorts (about 3 hours) and the journey time from Calais by car is approximately 12 hours.

Flying to Val d'Isère

Val is not as close as other resorts to the major airports. However, the resort, and quality of pistes, make up for this. The majority of airlines fly into Geneva (Switzerland), which is 177km away and has the most transfer options. The next biggest airport is Lyon St Exupéry, which has public buses to the ski stations. The smaller airports of Chambéry and Grenoble are closer but public transport links are fewer. 

Transfers to the resort

Bus transfers are the most economical way to travel to resort from the airport or train station. If possible, try to book your tickets well in advance as the buses can get very busy.

Taking the train to Val d'Isère

A couple of trains a week arrive into Bourg-Saint-Marice, which is 30km from Val d'Isère. Traditionally the trains operate on Fridays and Saturdays. Eurostar runs a direct train from London that only take 7.5 hours and can be purchased for about £150.

Driving to Val d'Isère

Having a car gives the option to explore neighbouring resorts such as Les Arcs and La Plagne but parking in resort is pricey and can be difficult to find unless you pre-book. If you prefer to drive all the way you should allow 12 hours from Calais and expect to pay about €66 for tolls. Be warned that many route planners show the quickest way from UK to Val as going over the St. Bernard pass. The pass is nearly always closed between November and June so head through Lyon and Chambéry towards Albertville instead.