The main airports served by the major airlines are Lyon in France and Geneva in Switzerland. Most flights from the London area take about 1hr 50 minutes but you have to add on the extra 1 hr time difference.

With more and more cheap flights available, most people tend to use scheduled carriers including:

British Airways, www.britishairways.com
Swiss, www.swiss.com
Easy Jet, www.easyjet.com
Ryan Air (who have now purchased Buzz), www.ryanair.com
British Midland, www.flybmi.com

Easy Jet have just launched 2 new routes from Birmingham & Newscastle to Geneva, starting this winter.

We highly recommend you try a ski specialist flight agent in the UK called Ski Flights. Mention you have come from Mountain Rooms & Chalets and they will look after you.
Contact them on www.ski-flights.com and check out their latest deals and prices. Or email info@westernair.co.uk

If you book in advance you can get some great rates. Smaller airports such as Chambery & Grenoble, are now attracting airlines like Ryan Air but beware of transfers to and from resort as hire car companies and public transport are not easy to find.

If you don't like searching every airline for hours on end, we have found a new website called www.skyscanners.com who show all airlines and available flights for most European routes. It can reduce search time dramatically.

If you are experiencing difficulties in finding a flight in to any French or Swiss airport, try Turin in Italy as this is not as far from Val dÄIsere as you think. We regularly do a staff trip to Turin and on a Saturday or Sunday it can take from 3.5hrs to reach resort (allow more time on a heavy high season Saturday).

The Eurostar overnight service departs from Waterloo Friday afternoon and stops in Paris. You change platforms (not station) and take another train that arrives at Bourg St Maurice the following morning (Saturday).

You then have most of the following Saturday to ski as the train departs Bourg St Maurice early evening, stops in Paris, again you change platform (not station) and arrive in Waterloo Sunday morning. This options gives you more ski time either end of your weeks stay in resort. This option and the price you pay includes a couchette (bed).

The Eurostar Saturday service leaves London Waterloo early Saturday morning and runs through the day to get you to Bourg St Maurice around 5pm. This is a dream if you are travelling with children and don’t want the hassle of airports, check in, baggage re-claim etc… It’s worth considering but you have to book in advance.
Check out www.eurostar.com for prices and availability.

Every winter I take my car from the UK to Val d’Isere and every year I do the drive alone and it takes me around 9-10 hours from Calais to Val d’Isere. I do put my foot down but 10 hours seems to be the general time it takes to get from Calais to Val with take away food stops only.

I take the motor way all the way (until it runs out) and tolls cost 65€ in total, petrol for a gas guzzling Subaru = 180€ and the Eurotunnel €217 (but that is a one way price).

The route, very roughly is Calais, Reims (Champagne region), Troyes, Dijon, Lyon, Chambery, Albertville, Moutiers, Bourg St Maurice, Val d’Isere.

Beware, there are often speed cameras on the return journey just before Calais. I got stopped in June 05 and had to pay a spot fine of 90€.

There is also a speed camera in the tunnel on the way to Moutiers from Val in the tunnel to Moutiers.

Total distance = 1003.7 km.

There are alternative routes but Dover is quick and easy using the Eurotunnel but cheaper and longer alternatives are available.