At just over an hour from Chambery, and 20 minutes from the nearest railway station in Moutiers, Valmorel is one of the easier resorts for arranging your travel to. This purpose built resort is one of the youngest in the world and enjoys a regular schedule of transfer links from the nearest airport Chambery, Geneva, and Lyon. Arranging your travel from Grenoble is not quite as convenient however, but certainly possible if you have to.
Valmorel is within striking distance of the three valleys at only 20 km away from Brides-les-Bains, making day tips over to the three valleys a great option if you have access to a car during your stay. That’s not to say you won’t have plenty of terrain to explore with one of the largest ski areas in France, the Grand Domaine, at your fingertips.
By Plane
Chambery Airport - 86 km / approx 1 hours
Altibus operate regular coach transfers to Valmorel
You can arrange private transfers with Ski Lifts or hire car hire.
Geneva Airport - 170 km / approx 2 hours
You can drive in a hire car or take a private transfer with Ski Lifts
Altibus keeps a regular schedule of busses directly to the resort
Train is an option from Geneva Airport, but it isn’t hugely convenient. The journey involves 2 changes, takes over 3 hours and then a short taxi ride is from Moutiers to Valmorel.
Lyon Airport - 190 km / approx 2 hours 10 mins
There are direct coach transfers to Valmorel with the Altibus
Other than this you can take a private transfer with Ski Lifts (as above) or hire a car and drive to Valmorel.
Grenoble Airport - 115 km / approx 1 hour 20 mins
You can travel from Grenoble, however it’s probably the least convenient airport. Bens Bus operates coach from Grenoble airport on Saturdays and Sundays to Moutiers, where it is possible to order a taxi up to resort
Of course, you can always hire a car and drive up, or arrange 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
Valmorel is a great resort to travel to by train with the nearest train station only 20 minutes away in Moutiers. If you can travel at the weekend then a really good option is the Eurostar’s direct snow train from London St Pancras straight to Moutiers. As easy as that!
There are two that run each week. The first is on a Friday night and travels through the night, arriving the following morning. The great thing about this service is that you’ll be able to stick on your skis and get on the slopes that afternoon for a half day whilst everyone else is still travelling to the resort! For those of you that value your sleep, the second service leaves on a Saturday morning, arriving at Moutiers later that afternoon. To have a look at the timetable and to book tickets, go to www.eurostar.com.
If you can’t travel at the weekend there are also daily services running between London and Moutiers, however this requires a few changes. The first is in Paris, from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon, and often another change just before reaching the Alps before arrival in Moutiers in the evening. You can book your tickets at rail-europe.com
Self-Drive
Driving to Valmorel is certainly possibly in a day. However, it does take between 7 and 10 hours from Calais depending on the weather and traffic. Before setting off you may want to consider investing in a good set of snow chains, a worthy investment if the snow sets in. It may also be worth topping up your coolant with a heavier mix of anti-freeze, especially if you’re going in the height of the winter. On arrival at Valmorel free public parking is available at a location near the town centre as well as covered car parks for around €42 for a week. When arranging your trip, www.viamichelin.com offers great directions, toll costs and petrol estimations.