How to get there
Where is Val d'Isere resort?
Val d'Isere lies in Tarentaise Valley in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France, 5 km (3 miles) from the border with Italy.
The central part of town is called Val d’Isere, but Val d’Isere is actually made of various little hamlets that are fairly close to the “Old Town”. As examples, it is 2km between the hamlet of Le Daille and Val d’Isere, and 2.4km between Val d’Isere and Le Fornet.
Ski Resorts Nearby
Tignes is another world class ski area nearby. A free shuttle bus runs between the villages in the valley every five minutes from 08.00 to 18.00, thereafter every 30 minutes, providing free transport throughout the towns of Val d'Isère & La Daille.
Within the Tarentaise Valley you’ll find the biggest concentration of world-class ski resorts in the world. Other well known neighbouring areas are Paradiski (Les Arcs La Plagne) and Les Trois Vallées (Courchevel, Meribel, Val Thorens). Unfortunately it is not possible to interlink all the resorts to create the largest ski area in the world considering the creation of the Vanoise National Park a few years ago.
Flights to Val d’Isere
Chambéry (144km) is the nearest airport to Val d'Isère (about 2.5 hours away by road), followed by Geneva (187km / 3.5 hours) and Lyon Saint-Exupéry (221km / 3.5 hours).
Chambery is the closest airport but it may close in bad weather. Geneva has excellent bus and shuttle links to Val, whilst finding the route in a hire car isn't particularly easy. Lyon St-Exupery has fewer links to Val, especially midweek, but the journey is easier and quicker than from Geneva if you hire a car.
Before succumbing to a bargain flight into one of these airports, take a few minutes to investigate the premiums charged to carry ski equipment on board and your onward transfer options.
How to Travel to Val d’Isere
A popular method of transport is to use one of the various airport transfer companies because this is often quicker and cheaper. Alternatively there are regular buses (eg Altibus) serving all the airports. It is recommended to book a seat in advance.
The Bourg St. Maurice train station is 30km / 20miles from Val d'Isère and is on the schedule of numerous train lines such as TGV and Eurostar. Bus services run regularly from Bourg St. Maurice to Val d'Isere and take about 1 hour, or you can take a local taxi for about €100.
From the UK
Driving out from the UK by car can be cheaper if you can share the journey with some mates. Bear in mind that the normal nine hour journey across France may take much longer if you chose to travel on a busy Saturday or encounter heavy snowfalls. Once at Val d’Isere you won’t need to use your car.
Getting Around Val d’Isere
Val d'Isère is proud that is has reduced the volume of car traffic courtesy of its three shuttle bus routes offered free of charge. The Red, Green and Blue bus lines link the different areas of the resort from morning to night every day of the season (with reduced frequency in the evenings and in inter-season).