|
|
 |
Alpe d'Huez Transport & Parking
| Transport & Parking in Alpe d'Huez |
|
Environmental concerns are pushing more and more Alpine resorts to become traffic-free; with free buses, train links and plenty of long-term covered parking spaces you may find that you can happily manage without the car whilst in Alpe d’Huez. If you are staying in a catered chalet enquire with your host about the availability of minibus transport, many chalets offer this service to and from the slopes and sometimes of an evening as well. |
| Car Parking in Alpe d'Huez |
There are 9 free outdoor car parks in Alpe d’Huez; Avenue des Brandes (J6), Les Bergers (L/M5), Chemin de Brandes (N5), L’Éclose (J7), Avenue du Rif Nel (I3), Place Paganon (F6), Avenue de l’Éclose (D7), Place du Cognet (H3) and Chemin de la Chapelle (H6).
There are also 6 pay and display covered car parks: Huez Village, Route de Villard-Reculas (D13) - 133 spaces +33 (0) 476 80 32 32; La Patinoire, Avenue des Jeux (G5) - 114 spaces +33 (0) 476 11 21 16; Le Coulet, Rue di Siou Coulet (F5) - 97 spaces +33 (0) 476 80 23 59; La Palais des Sports, Avenue de Brandes (J6) - 74 spaces +33 (0) 476 44 21 41; Les Bergers, Route de l’Altiport (M4) - 264 spaces +33 (0) 476 11 21 75 and Le Rif Nel, Avenue du Rif Nel (I3) - 244 spaces +33 (0) 476 11 21 17.
Motor homes can be parked at the Parking des Brandes (East exit into resort, by altiport) where you will find 75 spaces with water supply, drainage points and electricity hook-ups. Tokens for the facilities can be bought at the Sports Centre, the swimming pool or the ice rink for €4 each. |
|
last updated 22-May-2008 |
| Travelling Between the Airport & Alpe d'Huez |
The nearest airports to Alpe d’Huez are Lyon and Grenoble. To travel from these airports to resort you have the choice of scheduled bus, shared shuttle, hire car, taxi, tour operators, private helicopter transfer or train. However, it is always worth checking with your accommodation provider in Alpe d’Huez first, to see if they make arrangements for you anyway or if they can as an 'optional extra'.
Car Hire
Car hire can be arranged from each of the above airports and if there are several people travelling, it is not always an expensive option. It is however, worth checking in advance to see what parking facilities are available at your accommodation as it can be tricky to find a space in town at certain times of the season. Pre-booking of car hire is highly recommended if not obligatory. Try Holiday Autos for some of the best searches and rental prices, or for more information on driving in Alpe d’Huez and getting here by road, take a look at our FAQ Driving section.
You can drive from either airport to Alpe d’Huez by taking the autoroute to Grenoble, then changing on to autoroute A480 and following signs for Gap – Sisteron. Take exit 8 ‘Gap, Briançon, Vizille – Stations de l’Oisans’, which joins the RN85 and then the D1091 to Bourg d’Oisans. From here you need to take the RD211, a long winding road that leads you to Alpe d’Huez.
Remember that it is a legal requirement in France to carry a warning triangle and spare bulbs, and that the Motorway speed limit depends on the weather. On autoroutes the speed limit is 130km/hr (81mph) except during rain when it reduces to 110km/hr (68mph). Speeding fines are expensive and must be paid immediately to the traffic police. For more details and helpful tips on driving in France please see our FAQ Driving section.
The roads around Lyon are often slow moving or at a standstill during the busy French holiday weekends. You can check which weekends to avoid by visiting the French Government’s Bison Futé Traffic Information site.
Buses
You can book coach seats online either from Grenoble Airport or Grenoble coach station with Trans’Isère. The coach station is situated near the SNCF train station and services run daily. The journey takes approximately an hour and a half and a one way trip is reasonably priced at €5.10.
Shared Shuttle
There are a number of companies operating in and around Alpe d’Huez that offer door-to-door minibus transfers from most airports in the region. With all of them you have the option of booking either a private transfer or a more economical "shared" one, where up to 8 people arriving around the same time travel to resort together. Booking in advance is definitely recommended as you cannot guarantee to just pick up a transfer at the airport. For a full list of all the airport transfer companies in Alpe d’Huez, see our Travel & Transport section.
Taxi
The average taxi fare for up to 4 people from Grenoble to Alpe d’Huez is around €168. For more than 4 people the cost will obviously be higher for a larger vehicle but probably cheaper per person. Take a look at our taxi listings and also enquire about "private" transfer prices from the airport transfer companies.
Tour Operators
Here there are two possibilities:
1. You can book a "Flight & Transfer Only" with a tour operator which they sell through their agents/web-sites/call-centres - therefore it is paid for in advance and you will appear on the transfer manifests.
2. You can make your own flight arrangements and upon arrival at the airport catch up with a rep from one of the companies and book onto their coaches.
In both cases, as the reps are unlikely to know where you are staying (as you made your own accommodation arrangements), make sure you establish the return journey procedures; give them your flight details, get the resort office's contact number and call a couple of days ahead for transfer details/confirmation.
Option 2 is not guaranteed but is usually fine. Expect to pay €50 one-way for Geneva-Chamonix and you will have to pay the two journeys separately (as the return cannot be guaranteed till the end of the week).
See Tour Operator listings for contact details.
Helicopter
If you're feeling fancy or it's a special occasion then you can also get to resort by helicopter! Alpe d’Huez has a helipad at Altiport Henri Giraud and most helicopter companies can organise transfers for up to 5 people (without much luggage). Take into consideration that in bad weather conditions the helicopter cannot fly and alternative transfer arrangements will be made. It must also arrive during daylight hours. Please see our Flying/Parapenting listings for contact details of helicopter companies.
Train
The nearest train station to Alpe d’Huez is Grenoble, from which you would then need to take a bus or taxi; so, unfortunately, there is no direct train link from either airport to the resort.
Bus Timetable to/from Grenoble Station
|
|
last updated 25-Feb-2008 |
|
