Alps ski travel guide: resorts and transfers
Our Alps ski travel guide brings together the essentials for reaching the resorts from the airport: routes, journey times, winter rules and an honest comparison of the options.
Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens, Megève, Chamonix or Val d'Isère: most travellers reach the Alpine resorts from Geneva Airport, sometimes from Lyon, Chambéry or Grenoble. The journeys are long, the road climbs, and Saturdays during the winter holidays are often busy. This category of the Aura Journal brings together our advice for preparing the trip: which airport to choose, how much time to allow, what equipment is compulsory in the mountains in winter, and how to compare a private chauffeur, a shared shuttle, the train and a hire car.
The altitudes, distances and rules quoted are checked against official sources and dated. Our transfers to the resorts are offered on quotation, with a fixed price confirmed before booking, a bilingual chauffeur (French and English) and a recent vehicle chosen according to the number of passengers and pieces of luggage.
All articles: Ski & Alps
A 3 Vallées family ski holiday: planning the journey
From Geneva Airport, allow about 2 hr by road to Moûtiers, then 30 to 60 minutes for the climb.
Checked in November 2026Arriving at Courchevel altiport by private plane
Courchevel altiport, at 2,007 metres according to the town hall, receives planes and helicopters from 9:00 to 19:00, with no night flights, on a 537-metre sloping runway.
Checked in November 2026How to get from Paris to Courchevel: train, plane or chauffeur-driven car?
Three routes lead from Paris to Courchevel: the train to Moûtiers, then 30 minutes by road; a flight to Geneva, then just over two hours by road; or the car, about 658 km and 5 hr 52 excluding traffic jams according to Mappy.
Checked in November 2026Where to stay in Courchevel: which village to choose?
Courchevel has six villages.
Checked in November 2026Winter tyres and snow chains in France: what the Mountain Law says
From 1 November to 31 March, in the municipalities designated by the prefects, including the whole of Savoie and Haute-Savoie, a car must have four winter tyres marked 3PMSF, or snow chains or snow socks on board.
Checked in November 2026Saturday ski traffic in the Alps: how to avoid the jams
On Saturdays during the winter holidays, Bison Futé often forecasts heavy traffic in both directions towards the Alpine resorts.
Checked in November 2026Geneva or Lyon for the 3 Valleys: which airport to choose?
By road, Geneva and Lyon-Saint-Exupéry are on a par: about 2 hr 15 to Courchevel from either, without traffic.
Checked in November 2026French side of Geneva Airport or Swiss side: which to choose?
The French sector opens directly onto France; it handles direct flights to France and six car rental agencies.
Checked in November 2026How to get from Geneva to Chamonix: coach, train, shuttle or chauffeur?
Among published prices, the FlixBus coach is the cheapest: from €18.98, departing from the airport, for a journey of about 1 hr 25.
Checked in November 2026How to get from Geneva to Megève: every option
By car, Megève is 73 km from Geneva Airport, about 1 hr 10 without traffic.
Checked in November 2026How to get from Geneva to Méribel: six options compared
Méribel is 2 hr to 2 hr 30 by road from Geneva Airport, by private transfer or by car.
Checked in November 2026How to get from Geneva to Val Thorens: road, coach, train or helicopter
Val Thorens is 2 hr 30 to 3 hr by road from Geneva Airport.
Checked in November 2026How to get from Geneva to Courchevel: every option
Six options lead from Geneva Airport to Courchevel.
Checked in November 2026Geneva airport to ski resorts: every option
Shuttle, train then bus or taxi, hire car from the French sector or private transfer: several options lead to the resorts.
Checked in November 2026
Fixed prices online for the Paris airports, Disneyland and Nice airport; all other journeys on quotation, with a fixed price confirmed before booking.