How to get to Val d'Isère by train, plane or car

Val d’Isère sits at the end of the road. In winter, with the Col de l’Iseran closed, the only way in is up the valley from Bourg-Saint-Maurice, the station served by TGVs, OUIGO trains, Eurostar and even a night train. So the real decision comes earlier: the train to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, a flight to Geneva or Lyon, or the car, ideally avoiding Saturdays in the school holidays. Here is how to go about it, depending on where you are coming from and how you are travelling.

By train: Bourg-Saint-Maurice, the skiers’ station

According to the tourist office, Bourg-Saint-Maurice station is served by many trains, high-speed services included. On SNCF’s planned timetables, the direct TGV from Paris takes about 5h, from 4h50 to 6h depending on the train. This season, for the opening of the first resorts, SNCF is adding six TGVs in total on the weekends from 27 November to 12 December, ahead of the usual mid-December service; the planned timetables then show direct TGVs until 28 March 2027. In early October, tickets were only on sale for journeys up to 6 January, so check the timetables when you book. OUIGO also serves Bourg-Saint-Maurice from 17 December 2026 to 29 March 2027, and for the February 2027 holidays the tourist office announces a first TGV return service between Marseille and Bourg-Saint-Maurice: again, check when you book.

From London, the Eurostar Snow train leaves St Pancras on Saturdays from 19 December 2026 to 20 February 2027, with a change at Lille Europe and a journey of just under 8 hours; return trains run on Sunday mornings or some Saturday afternoons, from 27 December to 28 February. From Brussels and Amsterdam, it runs on Saturday mornings from 19 December to 3 April, taking 6h30 from Brussels.

No SNCF night train serves the Tarentaise this winter, but the Travelski Night Express, a couchette sleeper run by the tour operator Travelski, links Paris with Moûtiers, Aime and Bourg-Saint-Maurice on Friday evenings, returning on Saturday evenings, from mid-December to the end of March. It is mostly sold as part of an all-inclusive package; if you buy the train ticket alone, you will still need to book the shuttle to the resort.

The coach station is right next to the railway station. The S82 coach runs between Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Val d’Isère all year round, more frequently in winter, taking about 40 minutes according to the tourist office and 50 according to the town hall. The town hall advises booking your seat in advance in high season and at weekends. You arrive at La Daille coach station, at the entrance to the resort, from where the free Train Rouge shuttle bus reaches the centre in under 10 minutes.

AEC tip. The advice comes from the tourist office itself: to avoid the crowds on holiday Saturdays, shift your arrival and book a Sunday-to-Sunday stay. Our stays can be booked Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday.

By air: Geneva or Lyon, then the coach

The tourist office puts Geneva and Lyon about 3h away by road each, with Chambéry and Grenoble airports closer. From Lyon, the LYS’Express coach runs to Val d’Isère with no change, stopping for a break in Moûtiers, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 December 2026 to 3 April 2027. From Geneva, the Alpskibus service runs daily throughout the winter season, also with no change; its winter terms had not yet been published in early October. According to the tourist office, several other companies operate the route all season, and taxis and private drivers round out the options. If you are flying privately, our private jet and helicopter guide covers the business airports and transfers.

By car: up the Tarentaise to the very end

The route takes the A43 then the A430 to Albertville, then the RN90 to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, before the climb to Val d’Isère. The tourist office allows about 40 minutes from Bourg-Saint-Maurice, 1h20 from Albertville, 2h from Chambéry and 3h from Lyon or Geneva. On the RN90, the RÉCITA system regulates traffic near the tunnels and cliffs: stay on the route, even when traffic slows. In winter the Col de l’Iseran road is closed, and the Tignes tourist office warns against routes suggested by satnavs.

From November to March, your equipment matters as much as your route. In Savoie, winter tyres or chains are compulsory from 1 November to 31 March, and only tyres marked with the 3PMSF symbol count as winter tyres. On snow-covered stretches where a sign requires it, chains must be fitted to at least two drive wheels; there is a chain-fitting area, La Raie, after Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise. As for traffic, the tourist office points out that traffic to the resorts has risen by 40% on winter weekends since 1992, and Bison Futé, the French road-traffic forecasting service, predicts a very difficult day in the region on Saturday 2 January 2027.

When you arrive, the car parks charge in winter, and the town hall advises booking your space in advance. The largest are covered and open day and night: 252 spaces at the Parking du Centre, 224 at Face de Bellevarde, 203 at La Daille. Maximum height ranges from 1m90 at La Daille to 2m10, or even 2m30 for some spaces, at Face de Bellevarde; taller vehicles go to the car park reserved for coaches, camper vans and vans. The town hall is also clear that sleeping in your vehicle is forbidden in Val d’Isère, as the village has avalanche-prone areas. There are charging points in every hamlet. If you are taking a chalet, check its listing to see whether it has a garage or parking.

Getting around: the Train Rouge and the village lifts

Once you are there, everything is done on foot or by shuttle bus. The Val bus shuttles are free, winter and summer alike, and serve every hamlet. The Rouge line runs between La Daille and Le Fornet roughly every 10 minutes during the day, from 7am; the Bleue and Jaune lines complete the network into the evening. The Val d’Isère Ski app shows their times in real time. At the foot of the pistes, several village lifts are free, which is handy for your first runs. For the skiing, our guide to the Tignes-Val d’Isère ski area covers its 300km of pistes, and the Centre Aquasportif de Val d’Isère is there for days off the slopes. Lines, evening timetables, the shuttle to Tignes and taxis: the whole network is set out in our guide to the Val d’Isère shuttle bus.

To choose where to stay with these journeys in mind, our guide Val d’Isère: which area to choose, from La Daille to Le Fornet compares the resort’s hamlets.

Where to drop your bags

All our chalets and apartments in the resort are gathered in our Val d’Isère rentals. If you are still deciding, our comparisons Val d’Isère or Tignes and Courchevel or Val d’Isère weigh things up, and our guide to renting a luxury chalet answers the practical questions. To click into your skis outside the door, see our ski-in ski-out chalets in Val d’Isère. Our guides to getting to Courchevel, getting to Megève and getting to Chamonix follow the same thread. Once you are there, our guide what to do in Val d’Isère in winter will help you plan the week.

The simplest thing is to write to us: send us your dates and how you are travelling, and our agents will suggest a chalet that suits your arrival.

Then, at the end of the road, Val d’Isère comes into view, beneath the Face de Bellevarde.

Frequently asked questions