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Bus and coach connections to ski resorts in France – Day-tripper.net the web magazine for channel shoppers and visitors to France.
Cheap air travel means we can now take a last minute holiday or advantage of a special offer or deal which may not include travel to and from the resort.
This page lists all the companies we have managed to find that run a connection service from airports skiers use to most French Ski resorts.
The Ski season generally begins with at Les Deux Alpes during the last week of October each year.
If you driving to the Alps you will find our Ski autoroute Hotels page useful.
Rail Europe / Eurostar – the weekly direct train service to Aimé la Plagne, Albertville, Bourg-St-Maurice, Chambéry and Moutiers runs from December 21st to April 13th this season (2012/13). You have two options; Eurostar, via Lille or Paris connects you to overnight trains from Calais or Paris, and TGV's from Lille or Paris, or take the ferry to Calais and board the train from there (save about £80).
November 2010 – Good news. The by-pass around Reims is now open. www.a4csr-sanef.com
Foreign Office warning – too few skiers have proper insurance. They note that most ski resorts only have private health facilities which are NOT covered by the European Health Insurance Card (old E111).
Good news! Swiss Airlines does not charge its passengers for ski and snowboard equipment transport. One pair of ski (including ski boots and sticks) or one snowboard (including boots) per passanger is included in the ticket price (unless it exceeds the free baggage allowance). In 2009 at the annual Guardian and Observer Travel Awards ceremony, Swiss won the "Best short haul airline" award.
Skiing in France • Ski Companies A to M, Ski Companies N to Z • Skiwear brands • U.K. Ski shops • Ski equipment hire • Factory shops (skiing) France • Ski resort connections • Ski train • Flat in Les Deux Alpes • Les 2 Alpes • Cheap fuel off the autoroutes • Hotels in France
Book by 30th June 2013. Includes a car, up to 4 passengers and all taxes.
Daytrip from £23 - Cheap Daytrip from Dover to Calais with PO Ferries.
Book by 30th May 2013. Includes a car, up to 9 passengers and all taxes.
2 and 5 day Spring break fares
Use code Spring3Day
Book by 29th June - travel by 30th June 2013. Includes a car, up to 9 passengers and all taxes.
40% off Amsterdam Mincruise Offer – from £48 pp
Book by 31st May 2013. Available on selected departures until end of June 2013.
– National Express to most United Kingdom airports. www.nationalexpress.com
– Skibus. From Victoria Coach station in London to Tignes and neighboring Val D'Isere. www.skibusuk.com
– Snow Coach. Tel: 01727 866 177. www.snowcoach.co.uk
– Tignes Express. Tel: 0161 610 2000 / 0845 890 0390. www.snowexpress.co.uk
– Ski Meribel. Coach service from London from £119 return. "Clients travelling to France from the U.K. early Friday evening arrive fully rested in time to ski on Saturday morning. If you'sd like eight days's skiing in the Three Valleys, try the Ski Meribel coach – the smart way to travel. Ski Meribel – Leaves London Victoria and Dover every Friday PM, throughout the ski season – Stops in Meribel Les Allues, Meribel Village, Meribel Centre and La Tania – Calls at Moutiers, the main rail and bus station for transfers to surrounding resorts (La Plagne, Les Arcs, Tignes, Val d'sisere and more). Free ski and board carriage, no airport delays and an extra day to ski! www.skimeribel.co.uk
It really is necessary to have a good look around all the companies – some prices quoted are simply ridiculous (see below). Resorting to a taxi can be surprisingly expensive. If you can use the local bus companies, do, as it's very much cheaper, although the times are often inconvenient and waiting times can be lengthy.
– Aerocar from Geneva Airport to Grenoble Gare and Chambery. www.aerocar.fr
– Altibus is a company representing a wide range of local bus companies. The following page lists all the companies involved with links and telephone numbers. www.altibus.com
– AG Bus. Regular service Grenoble Airport to Tarentaise and Lyon. Also does private hire. Tel: 0033 476 27 89 29. www.agbus.fr
– Alp Lines. Tel: 0033 450 74 38 42. Comprehensive links with almost every ski resort from Annecy, Chambery, Geneva, Grenoble, Lyon and Turin airports. Runs its own fleet of vehicles. www.alp-line.com
Alpski-bus, Tarantaise resorts – 4 companies. www.alpski-bus.com
– Autocars Martin, Val D'Isere, Tignes, Les Arc. Tel: 0033 479 07 04 49. www.autocars-martin.com
– Trans Savoie Moutiers, Courchevel, Meribel. Tel: 0033 479 24 21 58. www.transavoie.com
– Touriscar (France), Geneva to the Tarentaise ski resorts, Geneva to the Mont-Blanc ski resorts. Tel: 0033 450 43 60 02. www.touriscar.com
– Touriscar (Switzerland), Geneva to the Tarentaise ski resorts, Geneva to the Mont-Blanc ski resorts. Tel: 0041 22 785 42 20. www.touriscar.com
Altibus, excellent list of all local companies offering transfers to ski resorts (click on "nous contacter"). www.altibus.com
13 Companies in all providing transfers from gare routiers (Chambéry, Annecy, Genève, Moûtiers, Bourg Saint Maurice, Modane, Cluses, Annemasse, Thônon, St Gervais, Le Fayet), and airports (Chambéry, Genève, Lyon Saint-Exupéry) to Tarentaise, Maurienne, Aravis, Grand Massif, Chablais, Pays du Mont Blanc, and the Massif des Bauges. Tel: 0033 820 32 03 68.
– Autocars Martin, Val D'Isere, Tignes, Les Arc. Tel: 0033 479 07 04 49. www.autocars-martin.com
– Trans Savoie Moutiers, Courchevel, Meribel. Tel: 0033 479 24 21 58. www.transavoie.com
– Trans Savoie Chambéry, La Féclaz, Le Revard. Tel: 0033 479 68 32 90. www.transavoie.com
– Trans Savoie Modane, Valloire, Valmeiner, Val Frejus, La Norma, Aussois, Lansvillard, Bessan, Bonneval sur Arc. Tel: 0033 479 05 01 32. www.transavoie.com
– Autocars ITV, Moutiers to St Martin de Belleville, Les Menuires and Val Thorens. Tel: 0033 4 79 00 06 83.
– Alpbus Fournier, Flaine, Les Carroz. Tel: 0033 450 03 70 09. www.alpbus-fournier.com
– Autocars Sat, Geneva to Les Gets, Morzine, Avoriaz, Abondance, La Chapelle, Châtel. Tel: 0033 450 71 00 88. www.sat-leman.com
– Autocars Sat, Geneva to Les Gets, Morzine, Avoriaz, Samoens, Combloux, Megeve, Praz sur Arly, Guebriant, Plaine Joux, Les Houches, Chamonix, Saint Gervais les Bains, Les Contamines Montjoie. Tel: 0033 450 98 07 81. www.sat-montblanc.com
– Autocars Berard, Bourg Saint Maurice to Montchavin, Les Coches, Plagne, Aime 2000. Tel: 0033 479 09 03 44. www.autocars-berard.com
– Touriscar (Switzerland), Geneva to the Tarentaise ski resorts, Geneva to the Mont-Blanc ski resorts. Tel: 0041 22 785 42 20. www.touriscar.com
– Voyages Crolard, Lyon to Chamonix, Saint Gervais, Le Grand Bornand, St. Jean de Sixt, La Cluzaz. Tel: 0033 450 51 08 51. www.voyages-crolard.com
– Airport Hoppers. From Chambery, Geneva, Grenoble and Turin. www.airporthoppers.com
– Airport Transfer Service, useful service as you can hire a minibus and share the costs between you. From Chambéry, Geneva, Grenoble, Lyon, Nice, St. Etienne Tel: (UK) 0709 209 7392 or (FR) 0033 450 53 63 97. www.a-t-s.net
– Ben's Buses – Grenoble Airport (St Geoirs) to Les 2 Alpes and Alpe D'Huez (including help to get to Oz en Oisans, Vaujany and La Grave). Fares are £45 Return, departures tie in with Low Cost flight arrivals/departures.
Geneva airport from £74 return going to Meribel, Mottaret, Val Thorens, Les Menuires, St Jean de Belleville, St Martin de Belleville, Brides les Bain, Les Allues and Moutiers. For ski transfers to Courchevel we can drop you at Moutiers but from here you will need to take either a public bus or a private taxi. www.bensbus.co.uk
– Chamonix First. Connections from Geneva Airport. www.chamonixfirst.com
– Chamonix Bus. www.chamonix-bus.com
– Grenoble Altitude bus service, from Grenoble Airport to Grenoble Gares Routieres (SNCF) and direct to Les Deux Alpes and Alpes d'Huez. www.grenoble-altitude.com
– Cool Bus. From the ski resorts in the Tarentaise, and 3 Valleys (including Tignes, Val D'Isere, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Meribel, Courchevel and Val Thorens) to Geneva, Lyon, Chambery and Grenoble airports. Taxi sharing forum. www.thecoolbus.co.uk
– Holiday Taxis. www.holidaytaxis.com
– Holiday Transfers – seems pricey but worthwhile if in a larger group. Tel: 0870 444 1880.
www.holidaytransfers.com
– Ligne Directe. Annecy, Geneva, Lyon transfers. Tel: 0033 450 51 20 08. www.ligne-directe.com
– Mountain Drop Offs. www.mountaindropoffs.com
– Resort Hoppa, horribly expensive, although comprehensive. www.resorthoppa.com
May 2011 – Resorthoppa have launched a new exclusive product, Speedy Shuttles. Shuttles services have always been the best value option for holiday makers to get to their resorts, whilst they are still the cheapest, with Resorthoppa introducing their new Speedy Shuttle product, they are no longer the best value. Lengthy waits at the airport and numerous stops on route, the norm for what has been the great value holiday shuttle transfers service. Private services are clearly more convenient, but often not within the budget of the vast majority of holiday makers. Speedy Shuttles offer an affordable solution for customers. They are operated on smaller vehicles, therefore offering door to door service, minimum waiting time at the airport and a maximum of 4 stops along the route. Upgrading from a standard shuttle to a Speedy Shuttle Services is available from as little as £4 return per person. Speedy shuttles are available on over 200 key routes.
Lyon airport to Grenoble. www.faurevercors.fr
– Satibus Alpes transfer service, Lyon to major ski resorts. Tel: 0033 472 35 94 96. satobus-alpes.altibus.com
– Ski Lifts. Geneva to Les Portes du Soleil, Chamonix and Le Grand Massif. Tel: United Kingdom 020 8819 7950. France 0033 811 85 01 55. www.ski-lifts.com
– Ski Shuttles, comprehensive. A subsidiary of Holiday Taxis. www.skishuttles.com
Ski Transfers. Hire a minibus from Chambery, Grenoble, Lyon and Geneva. Not suitable for small parties. Tel: 0033 677 008 903. www.skitransfers.com
Ski Transfer Finder. "Ski Transfer Finder is the only airport transfer site that allows you to share your ski transfer requests with all participating airport transferproviders. You get the quotes, transfer providers get new business and best of all, there is no commission to pay, so everybody wins! We just make the connection. Transfer operators will quote directly and you can book directly". www.ski-transfers.com
– Snowlinx. Airport transfers to Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens from all the major airports. www.snowlinx.com
Three Valleys Transport, Airport Transfer Service to Courchevel and Meribel in Les Trois Vallees, France. Tel: (UK) 01782 644 420. (FR) 0033 0603 367 927. www.3vt.co.uk
Touriscar (from Geneva). www.touriscar.net
– Regular bus service – Geneva to the Tarentaise ski resorts. From December to April. Tignes, Val d'Isère, Courchevel, Val Thorens, Méribel, Les Ménuires, Les Arcs, La Plagne, St Martin de Belleville, Moutiers, Aime, Bourg-St-Maurice, Albertville.
– Regular bus service – Geneva to the Mont-Blanc ski resorts. From December to April. Megève, St Gervais, Combloux.
– Transaltitude. Sadly the good value service offered by Transisere (www.transisere.fr) has largely been replaced by a new service in 2010 (and massively increased prices). Last year I could buy an ECO ticket (10 ticket carnet) which cost 3.70 euro per journey. Now I must buy a single Transaltitude ticket costing 16 euro. Still cheap compared with a taxi though.
Serving BELLEDONNE (Chamrousse, Collet d'Allevard, Prapoutel – Les 7 Laux) CHARTREUSE (Saint Pierre de Chartreuse). OISANS (2 Alpes, Alpe d'Huez, Alpe du Grand Serre, Auris en Oisans, Oz en Oisans, Vaujany, Villard Reculas). VERCORS (Autrans, Lans en Vercors, Meaudre, Villard de Lans – Correncon). www.transaltitude.fr/skiligne
– Transfer Intelligence. www.transfer-intelligence.com
From Geneva go by train. Tel: 00800 10 02 00 30. www.myswitzerland.com
Or by coach. Departures to most resorts in France and Switzerland. www.coach-station.com
– From Geneva Airport to resorts in the Chamonix Valley. Tel: 0044 1509 213 696 (UK). www.alpybus.com
Geneva Airport Transfers. From Geneva Airport. France and Switzerland. Tel: 0033 450 54 57 24. www.genevaairporttransfers.com
– Rhone Express, train from Lyon Part-Dieu to the local airport (Aeroport Lyon Saint-Exupery, formerly known as Lyon Satolas Airport). www.rhonexpress.net
SNCF. There is a train from Geneve to Grenoble (four trains a day), costing 88 euro return (2010).
It's not only the cost of transporting skis that are working out very expensive these days (Ryainair charge £57 each way for a set of skis and boots – 2009), but also the inconvenience factor involved in carrying bulky items. Happily you can now have your skis, boots and poles couriered to your resort direct from the United Kingdom for £100. What is more, the company collect your skis.
– Swishfasttrax. www.swishfasttrax.com
In Grenoble there is a bar / cafe almost opposite the train station called "Le Continental". As long as you buy a drink the wifi is free.
Le Continental, 6 Place de la Gare, Grenoble. Tel: 0033 476 43 19 81.
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