Travelling to Alpe d'Huez

How to Get to Alpe d'Huez

If you're not taking a package holiday, where travel to your resort is already catered for, then you might want to consider how you're going to get from the UK to the Alps. Alpe d'Huez is not so far way from the UK, and can be reached by car, train or aeroplane. With the advent of DIY travel and travel websites, it's easy to check public transport timetables in France, and there are plenty of companies offering transfer services from the airport to Alpe d'Huez. Our guide gives you an idea of the options available, plus some tips on how to get your sporting equipment safely to Alpe d'Huez.

Planes, Trains or Automobiles : Which is the easiest way to the Alps?

This really depends on personal choice, budget, phobias, hobbies (spotters!), and days of travel.

If you are travelling on Saturdays the Eurostar whilst potentially being more expensive than charter or low-cost flying, gets you to within a tiny distance of the 3 Valleys and Tarentaise resorts with the minimum of fuss in around 7hrs.

Outside the weekends and without direct train links things are trickier and require the jury this end to investigate further before give you a definitive decision....

Flying, whilst seemingly less time moving between countries, involves much longer check-ins and greater potential for delays. This all counts towards stress, tiredness and length of time to get to your destination.

With flying you are much more likely to get a 'bargain' price, and if you want to arrive/depart on days other than the weekend is probably less hassle than negotiating the train.

Driving out from the UK by car is relatively inexpensive if you can share the journey with several friends. Bear in mind that the normal nine hour journey across France may take much longer if you chose to travel on a busy Saturday or encounter heavy snowfalls.

last updated 12-Aug-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

Getting your Sporting Equipment to Alpe d'Huez

There are numerous options for getting your sports equipment to resort, be it flying, train or coach. Most travel companies have their own individual policy terms and conditions depending on the type of sporting equipment you are transporting. Here's a snap shot of the different transport options and a guide to their restrictions:

Several airlines from around Europe will get you to the Alps without too heavy a hit on the old purse strings, check here for further airline information. Low-cost carriers such as Easyjet or Flybe regularly fly between Geneva, Lyon, Grenoble and the UK. You then have a number of options to get you from the airport to your resort, all of which are explained further in the following sections.

A review of airlines terms and conditions in relation to sports equipment baggage indicates that it is highly likely that you will be subjected to a standard charge for taking your sporting equipment on board. Leisure 'Equipment' that will require additional handling can include bikes, golf clubs, parachutes, mountaineering equipment or skis/snowboards. If you like your skis, it is imperative that you pack them in a ski or board bag for protection! Most airlines will still take your skis if they are not in a ski bag; just don’t be surprised at the condition they arrive in at the other end of your flight. A ski or snowboard bag can also be packed with soft items (ski trousers, jumpers etc) around your skis or board to give them added protection. Just be careful if the equipment is covered in storage wax.

Airport Transfer companies - If you choose to take a mountain biking holiday most holiday firms will collect you from the airport where the hours drive from the airport is included within your holiday price. However, should you choose to book your transfer independently most airport transfer companies will still permit you to take your mountain bike in the vehicle provided you give advance warning at the time of booking.

By Car or Hire car from the airport - If you prefer the use of your own car you can drive down the autoroutes to Alpe d'Huez. It’s approximately an 8-10 hour drive (895kms/550 miles) from Calais and will cost around €70 in road tolls. Check out Viamichelin for exact route information. The most convenient way to travel with skis is a roof "coffin" style box that will carry several pairs of skis/boards, boots and poles. A roof rack is also a handy alternative and can be retned from many ski shops. If using a roof rack, try to cover the bindings over to prevent them getting covered in grit and salt. Roof boxes and roof racks should be lockable and therefore fairly secure from thiefs.

By Train - If you choose to take a train all the way to your ski resort it may involve a couple of changes and cost slightly more than a cheap flight. Eurostar recommends using its registered luggage service for your bike if you’re travelling from London, Paris, Brussels or Lille and charges approximately £20 for carriage of your bike. If travelling by France's national rail system check here for further train and route timetables.

last updated 9-Jun-2008