Vars is located just south of the highest town in Europe, Briançon, between the Italian Boarder and the National Park of Ecrins. Located almost right between Grenoble and Turin, the public transport links are far from easy although there is also the option of a flight into Marseille, where there are train links to Montdauphin-Guillestre just 12 km up the road.
Provided you do you research, this is no harder than getting to resorts like Tignes further up the Tarentaise, as long as you time your changes and don’t mind a bit of a journey after your arrival at the airport.
By Plane
Turin Airport - 172km / approx 2 hour 30 mins
The public transport links from Turin are relatively complicated and most involve a change in Oulx. However it is perfectly doable as long as you don’t mind the journey time.
It is probably easier to rent a car and drive up.
Grenoble Airport -166 km / approx 2 hours 40 mins
The easiest solution would be private transfers with Ski Lifts directly to vars. There is also the option of car rental.
It is certainly possible to take public transport from Grenoble Airport to Vars, but it does require a good few changes. The first is Grenoble Gare Routière, from here you can get a bus to Briançon and from Briançon you can get a bus or taxi down to Vars. This is a long journey by Public transport so make sure you can squeeze it all into one day.
Chambery Airport - 200 km / approx 2 hours 50 mins
Private transfers with Alp Line (www.alp-line.com) or car hire is your best option.
Marseille Airport - 240km / approx 2 hours 50 mins
You can catch the train up to Montdauphin-Guillestre, right next to Vars from Marseille.
There is the option renting a car and driving.
Lyon Airport - 240 km / approx 2 hours 20 mins
You’re probably best to just book a private transfer with Ski Lifts or just rent a car and drive from Lyon.
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
The train journey from the UK to Vars is of course possible however it’s really not the easiest. Travelling to the Alps is not a problem, it just means you change in Lille or Paris from the stations Gare du Nord to Gare du Lyon where you can take one of the domestic TGV services down to Grenoble.
From Grenoble Gare Routière ther are buses to Briançon (vdf.fr), from here there are buses that operate between Briançon and Vars. You could take a taxi but the 50 minute journey will be quite expensive. When arranging your transport make sure you arrive in Grenoble before the last bus to Briançon as you don’t want to end up stuck in Grenoble!
From Marseille, there are direct train links to Montdauphin-Guillestre about 12km north of Vars. From here you can take a taxi or catch a local bus up to resort.
Self-Drive
It is certainly possible to drive to Vars in a day, as long as you can handle between 7 and 10 hours driving from Calais to Vars. The journey time can vary considerably depending on the weather, traffic, and your driving style. We strongly recommend you check the forecast before setting off, especially if you plan to drive through the Col du Lautaret pass from La Grave to Briançon. It’s often closed throughout the season after heavy snow fall and snow drifts. If it is, you’ll have to go south round the Ecrins National Park via Gap and approach Vars from the south. Another point to note would be to look out for junction 8 of the A480 from Grenoble which is not all that clear, referring to Les Deux Alpes and its neighbouring resorts as “Stations de l’Oisans-Vizille”.
When driving past Grenoble, it is very easy to get pulled into the centre of Grenoble. Try to avoid this as getting out can be particularly difficult without a SatNav! For good directions and estimations for toll and fuel costs check out viamichelin.com. Free outdoor car parks are available in resort for self-drivers.