Located at the heat of the massive Les Sybelles ski area on a wide plateau at the base of a large bowl, La Toussuire links to six other resorts in the Maurienne Valley via the Pointe de l’Ouillon. Thought of as more attractive than the Tarentaise and only 20km south as the crow flies, the Maurienne Valley is known for its interesting history and so has more landmarks and points of interest resulting from interaction with the Italians and the Kingdom of Sardinia.
By far the easiest airport for La Toussuire is Chambery, located only an hour away by car with regular buses and trains to the nearby town Saint Jean de Maurienne from which there are regular taxis and buses up to resort. The other airports such as Grenoble, and Lyon are not as convenient with fewer buses and lengthier rail links.
By Plane
Chambery Airport - 90 km / approx 1 hour
You have the option of private transfers or a hire car.
Grenoble Airport - 199 km / approx 2 hours 26 mins
Buses directly to La Toussuire are hard to come by. The best option is probably private transfer with Ski Lifts that you can book in advance or you can hire a car and drive.
Otherwise you can take a 2 hour train journey to Saint Jean de Maurienne, and then a bus or taxi up to resort.
Lyon Airport - 190 km / approx 2 hours
It is possible to organise a private transfer as above or rent a car.
Otherwise, you can take the train from Lyon to Saint Jean de Maurienne which takes between two and three hours and requires a bus or taxi to and from the train station either end.
Geneva Airport - 190 km / approx 2 hours
Geneva is not quite as easy as some of the other airports for arranging travel. The best option is most likely car hire or organise a private transfer with Ski Lifts as above.
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
There are regular trains that run between London and St Jean de Maurienne, just down the valley from La Toussuire. This requires a couple of changes, a change in Lille, and a change in Lyon before arriving in St Jean de Maurienne. From here you can get a bus or arrange a taxi up to resort. You can book tickets and check times here at rail-europe.com.
Self-Drive
Driving to the Alps in a day is perfectly doable, provided you don’t mind between 7 and 10 hours (from Calais) behind the wheel, and you’ve got a decent playlist prepared! The journey time can vary considerably and depends on the weather, traffic and obviously how fast you drive. We recommend that you bring snow chains and check the forecast before you set off, especially for the long climb up to La Toussuire at a snow-sure altitude of 1750m. It may also be worth considering topping your coolant up with a nice heavy mix of anti-freeze to combat the cold and avoid it freezing.
There is indoor parking available in La Toussuire, however it is availability permitting and costs around €40 per week. There is also the option of outdoor car parks which are great if the weather is good. If you know it’s going to snow and you’d rather not dig your car out at the end of the week, it may be an idea to pay for a covered car park. Viamichelan.com provide great directions as well as petrol and toll cost estimations.