Travel Directions to Val d'Isère, France

With its location set deep in the Tarrentaise Valley and almost bang on the border of Italy and the Vanoise National Park, travelling to Val d’Isère leaves you with a longer transfer than most other French ski resorts. It is well worth it though, as the climb up from the valley floor is dramatic and when you arrive you’ll find yourself in a world class ski resort.

Although the journey can be long, Val d’Isère has a number of airports to choose from, and also benefits from the Eurostar link to Bourg St Maurice. With this range of travel options, you’ll find that travelling to Val d’Isère can be a long journey, but is actually a fairly easy one.

By Plane

Chambery Airport - 145km / approx 2 hours

Private transfers are available from Ski Lifts or car hire is available.

Alternatively Altibus operate a regular coach transfer to Val d’Isère.

Geneva Airport - 225 km / approx 3 hours

Ben's Bus operate weekend shared transfers from Geneva to Val d'Isere and offer our clients a 5% discount. This is only available for clients who book their ski accommodation through PowderBeds.com. Please get in touch for the promotional code.

Alternatively or you can drive in a hire car or take a private or shared transfers in smaller vehicles with Ski Lifts or AlpyBus. AlpyBus offer our clients a 5% discount using promotional code P0WDERB$DS. Please note this code is only valid if you have booked your accommodation through Powderbeds.

Lyon Airport - 220 km / approx 3 hours

Other than hiring a car and driving to Val d’Isère you can take a private transfer with Ski Lifts.

Ben's Bus operate weekend shared transfers from Lyon to Val d'Isère and offer our clients a 5% discount. This is only available for clients who book their ski accommodation through PowderBeds.com. Please get in touch for the promotional code.

You can also take one of the regular Altibus coach transfers.

Grenoble Airport 210 km / approx 3 hours

Ski Lifts (as above) have private transfers and of course, there is the hire car option.

Ben's Bus operate weekend shared transfers from Grenoble to Val d'Isère and offer our clients a 5% discount. This is only available for clients who book their ski accommodation through PowderBeds.com. Please get in touch for the promotional code. 

Car Rental

If you require a hire car for your ski holiday, there are a number of fantastic car rental companies based in Europe.

By Train

Trains arrive daily at Bourg Saint Maurice Station, which is only 30km away, making train travel to Val d’Isère an attractive option, with a transfer up the mountain then necessary. If you are on a self-catering ski holiday, Bourg St Maurice isn’t a bad place to stop as you can stock up on your food provisions for the week in one of the supermarkets (there’s a large Super U there) which will save you a small fortune.

Daily services require a change in Paris from Gare du Nord to Paris Austerlitz station. The domestic TGV will then takes you to Bourg St Maurice (bookable at Rail Europe), again with an evening arrival time. This option makes it not only easy, but also flexible to use the train to travel to Val d’Isère.

Self-Drive

A drive to Val d’Isère can easily be done in a day, but it is a long drive. The drive typically takes 9-10 hours, although it can be quicker (or longer for that matter!). The scenery as you climb up the valley from Bourg St Maurice is dramatic, but the drama of the scenery can at times be matched by the drama of slow moving and heavy traffic.

At weekends and during the peak holiday season, particularly when the weather is poor, it can be very slow going getting up to the resort, so make sure you leave yourself enough time and come adequately prepared with snow chains. When the weather closes in and the snow is heavy police are often out checking that cars have chains or snow tyres, and won’t allow you to proceed if you’re without either.

Arriving into Val d’Isère you’ll find two free, large outdoor car parks. One at La Daille just before the main village and another after passing through main village at Le Laisinant. If you don’t fancy the risk of digging your car out at the end of the week (well worth it for a few days of powder, mind), there are several indoor car parks that typically cost €20 day. These can be pre-booked here.

For directions on how to drive to Val d’Isère from the UK, we suggest you use the excellent service at ViaMichelin, which will even estimate your petrol costs.