Getting to the French Alps from the UK: fly, drive or train?

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Getting from your front door to the snow is half the battle on a ski holiday. Fly, drive or take the train? Geneva or Grenoble? Private transfer, shared minibus or hire car? The right answer depends on where you live in the UK, which resort you are going to, and how many of you there are. This guide walks through the options for the French Alps.

The short version

• Flying is quickest for most people, especially from regional airports such as Manchester and Birmingham, but add on luggage, ski carriage and the airport transfer.
• Geneva suits the northern French Alps, including Avoriaz. Grenoble is usually the better choice for Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes. Les Arcs is reachable from either, and Chambéry is closer still if you can get a flight.
• Driving often works out well for a family of four with lots of kit, but it is a long journey and French mountain rules require winter tyres or snow chains.
• The train (Eurostar Snow) is a relaxed option for the Tarentaise valley resorts, including Les Arcs.

Which airport for which resort?

The French Alps are served by four main airports: Geneva (just over the border in Switzerland), Lyon, Grenoble and Chambéry. Transfer times vary a lot with traffic and weather, and Saturdays in the school holidays are the busiest of all. These are rough guides, based on figures published by the transfer company Alps2Alps:

Resort	Usually best airport	Approximate transfer time
Avoriaz	Geneva	Around 1 hour 30 minutes
Les Arcs	Geneva or Grenoble (Chambéry also close)	Around 2 hours 45 minutes from Geneva or Grenoble
Alpe d’Huez	Grenoble	Around 1 hour 30 minutes
Les Deux Alpes	Grenoble	Around 1 hour 45 minutes

Times are approximate and can take a lot longer during the school holidays, especially on Saturdays, or in snow. The Avoriaz figure is our estimate based on the published time to neighbouring Morzine.

Flying from the UK

Geneva has by far the most flights from the UK, but in winter there are also dedicated ski flights to Grenoble, Chambéry and Lyon. Jet2, for example, has announced a winter 2026/27 ski programme from UK airports including Manchester and Birmingham, with Geneva, Chambéry, Grenoble and Lyon among its Alpine destinations. Check which routes run from your nearest airport. Other airlines, including easyJet and British Airways, also fly to the Alps, so compare a few before you book. Not every route runs from every airport, so check what flies from your nearest one, whether that is Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham or elsewhere.

Hidden costs to budget for

• Hold luggage for each person, especially on budget airlines.
• Ski and boot carriage if you take your own equipment. It is charged per item each way.
• The airport transfer, which can cost as much as the flight.
• Parking at your UK airport for a week.

Getting from the airport to the resort

You have four main choices:

Option	Good for	Watch out for
Shared transfer	Couples and small groups on a budget	Waiting for other flights; several drop offs
Private transfer	Families and groups who want door to door with no waiting	Price, which is per vehicle, so it gets better value the more of you there are
Public bus or coach	Travelling light on a tight budget	Limited timetables; carrying luggage at the other end
Hire car	Families who want flexibility and supermarket trips	Winter tyres and chains, parking costs in resort, mountain driving

If you are travelling with a tour operator, the transfer is often included in your package. If you are booking independently, book your transfer as soon as your flights are confirmed, especially for Saturdays in half term.

Route by route: Geneva airport to Avoriaz, and Grenoble airport to Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes.

Driving to the French Alps

Driving takes much longer than flying, but it suits some families very well. You can pack as much as the car will hold, including your own skis and boots, the cost of fuel and tolls is shared between everyone, and you have a car for supermarket runs and days out. Most people take the ferry or the Eurotunnel to Calais, then drive through France, often with an overnight stop. French motorways are excellent but most are tolled, so budget for tolls as well as fuel.

Winter tyres and snow chains

France’s mountain law (often called the Loi Montagne) requires vehicles in mountain areas to carry winter equipment from 1 November to 31 March. In the departments that cover our priority resorts, including Savoie and Haute-Savoie entirely and parts of Isère, you must either have winter tyres marked with the three peak mountain snowflake symbol on all four wheels, or carry snow chains or snow socks for at least two wheels. The Connexion reports fines of €135 for drivers caught without them, and warns that insurers may refuse claims. Signs mark the start of the zones. Practise fitting your chains before you go, ideally on your drive at home rather than in the dark at the side of a mountain road.

Other things to check before driving

• Your UK car insurance and breakdown cover for driving in Europe.
• The UK sticker on your car (or a UK identifier on your number plate).
• The items French law requires you to carry, such as a warning triangle and high visibility vests.
• Whether your route passes through a low emission zone, such as in Lyon or Grenoble, that requires a Crit’Air sticker. Only buy it from the official French government website.
• Parking in resort. Some resorts, including Avoriaz, are car free, so you leave the car in a car park at the entrance.

Taking the train

The train is the most relaxed way to reach the Tarentaise valley, which includes Les Arcs. Eurostar Snow runs on selected Saturdays from London St Pancras, changing in Lille, to Chambéry, Albertville, Moûtiers, Aime-La-Plagne, Landry and Bourg-Saint-Maurice. For 2026/27 it runs outbound between 19 December 2026 and 20 February 2027, with one way fares advertised from £99 and ski equipment carried free.

For Les Arcs, Bourg-Saint-Maurice is the station to aim for. A funicular railway runs from the town up to Arc 1600, with buses and transfers to the other Arcs villages, so you can get from London to the slopes without a car. Travelling from the North West or the Midlands, remember to add the journey to London.

Going to Les Arcs? See our guide to getting to Les Arcs by train, or Geneva airport to Les Arcs if you are flying.

Which option is cheapest?

There is no single answer, but some patterns hold:

• Couples and solo travellers usually find flying with a shared transfer cheapest.
• Families of four or more often find driving competitive, especially with lots of kit, or flying with a private transfer split between everyone.
• Anyone who hates airports should price up the train. It is not always cheapest, but the day of travel is much more pleasant.

Work out the full door to door cost for your group, including luggage, ski carriage, transfers, parking, fuel and tolls, before you decide. Our February half term guide has more ideas for keeping the overall cost down.

Frequently asked questions

Is Geneva or Grenoble better for skiing?

It depends on the resort. Geneva is best for the northern French Alps, such as Avoriaz. Grenoble is usually better for Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes.

Do I need snow chains to drive to the Alps?

Between 1 November and 31 March, French mountain areas require either proper winter tyres or snow chains or socks carried in the car.

Can I get to Les Arcs without a car?

Yes. Take the train to Bourg-Saint-Maurice and the funicular up to Arc 1600, or fly and book a transfer.

Can I get to Avoriaz by car?

You can drive to Avoriaz, but the resort itself is car free. You park at the entrance and continue on foot, by sledge or by the resort’s own snow transport.