Val d'Isere is 'driving' to become a car free resort and therefore cars are not favoured in resort. Instead, Val d'Isere provides an excellent free bus service which runs until around midnight including a service to La Daille. It's worth checking with your tour operator to see if they offer a free minibus service to their clients. Information and timetables for the public transport system can be found in this section, along with parking information for car drivers.
Car Parking in Val d'Isere
With Val d'Isere set to become a "car free resort" by 2010, cars are not favoured in resort. Instead, Val d'Isere provides an excellent free bus service which runs until around midnight including a service to La Daille. With the exception of La Daille, parking near to the pistes can be difficult, and the local Police Municipal are pretty hot on issuing parking tickets for unauthorised parking!
Pedestrian areas are given priority in the resort centre and there is very limited street-side parking in Val d’Isere town, but both underground and outdoor car-parks are available. There are four main outdoor car parks in Val; La Daille, Le Chatelard and two in Le Laisinant, which cost cost around €50 per week. However, these are often full and due to the unpredictable weather conditions in the winter, indoor parking is recommended.
There are also four main covered car parks in resort all costing ~ €20 per day or ~ €70-€80 per week and permits of 6-31 days are bookable on-line at www.parkingvaldisere.com from October. Booking is advisable during peak weeks such Christmas, New Year, February half-term and Easter but all parking isfree during the summer season.
You will find some additional parking areas dotted around the resort, so to give you your bearings.....as you drive into Val d’Isere the car parks are located as follows:
Parking La Daille (P2): Covered car-park attached to the Pierre et Vacances hotel opposite the Centre Commercial in La Daille. Height Limit: 1.90m. Handicapped spaces.
Parking du Plaine de la Daille (P5): Large outdoor car parking area just past the Funival. Height Limit: 2m
Parking de la Balme: Covered car park attached to the Les Jardin de la Balme self-catered apartments in the Verdets area of Val d’Isère. (the first available right hand turn before entering Val d’Isere). Car-park can be booked and paid locally.
Parking du Face de Bellevarde (P1): Covered car park just next to Club des Sports at the bottom of the Solaise slopes in the Verdets area of Val d’Isere. Height Limit: 2.10m. Handicapped spaces.
Parking du Centre (P0): Covered car-park pre-bookable online located right in the centre of town 100m from the Solaise area opposite Dicks Tea Bar. Height Limit: 2.05m. Handicapped spaces.
Parking du Manchet (P7): Outdoor parking area in Le Chatelard, heading towards the Manchet Valley. Height Limit: 2m
Parking du Jardin Alpin (P): Covered car park in the La Legettaz area of Val, past the Solaise Express towards the Manchet Valley.
Parking du Laisinant (P6): On leaving Val d’Isere, there is an open car-park on the right hand side at the bottom of the Laisinant Express left. Height Limit: 2m
Parking Camping Car (P3): Outdoor parking area reserved for motor homes and camping cars - parking only, no hook up facilities available.
La Fornet: During the winter, the road terminates at Le Fornet and just prior to this, there is a small open car park on the right hand side. Parking here is very limited.
NOTE : If you park illegally in Val d'Isere the Police Municipal (Traffic Police) will be hot on your tail! You will usually get a warning (yellow ticket) first time round, but if you leave your car somewhere you're not meant to, it is very liable to be towed. Also, if you are parked on the street or in an outdoor parking area, be especially vigilant after a heavy snowfall as the council will put up notices warning when areas are due to be cleared of snow. If you don't move your car in time then you may find that it has been unceremoniously towed away, or more likely, completely boxed in by a 3 foot wall of snow and ice that will take you some time to dig out. Snow plough driver humour....
Public Transport in Val d'Isere
Chambéry (144km) is the nearest airport to Val d'Isère, followed by Geneva (187km) and Lyon Saint-Exupéry (221km). There are regular buses serving all the airports, please see the links below for details. You can also travel by airport transfer, an option that many choose as it is quicker and can often work out cheaper. For more information on getting from your chosen airport to resort please read Travelling Between the Airport & Val d'Isere.
Bourg St. Maurice train station is 30km / 20miles from Val d'Isère and is on the schedule of numerous train lines such as TGV, Eurostar, etc - please see the SNCF link below for online information and booking. Bus services run regularly from Bourg St. Maurice to Val d'Isere and take about 1 hour or, alternatively, you can take a local taxi (approx €80).
Val d'Isère is proud that is has reduced the volume of car traffic in resort courtesy of its three shuttle bus routes offered FREE OF CHARGE to visitors. There are Red, Green and Blue extended buses linking the different areas of the resort from morning to night every day of the season (with reduced frequency in the evenings and in inter-season).
SUMMER BUS TIMETABLE
Operates during the peak summer months, please see Val d'Isère Lift System for this year's dates.
Rouge
Bleu
Vert
Runs from La Daile to Le Fornet every 30 minutes from 9am to 7.30pm
Runs from Gare Routière to La Legettaz every hour from 9.20am to 11.20am and from 3.20pm to 6.20pm
Runs from Gare Routière to Le Manchet every 15 minutes from 8.15am to 7pm
WINTER BUS TIMETABLE
Rouge
Bleu
Vert
2 services operate between La Daile - Les Rond Point des Pistes and Le Fornet - Les Rond Point des Pistes
Runs between Legettaz and Les Rond Point des Pistes
Runs between Clochetons and Les Rond Point des Pistes
From 8.30am to 5.30pm this service operates every 5/6 minutes
From 8.30am to 5.30pm this service operates every 15 minutes (weekdays only)
From 8.30am to 5.30pm this service operates every 15 minutes (weekdays only)
From 5.30pm to 8pm this service operates every 10 minutes on the La Daille line and every 15 minutes on the La Fornet line
This services begins at 7am on Saturdays and operates non-stop every 15 or 30 minutes. No service after 8pm
This services begins at 7am on Saturdays and operates non-stop every 15 or 30 minutes. No service after 8pm
Before December 15th & after April 20th, the Train Rouge bus service stops at midnight. Train Vert & Train Bleu services stop at 8pm
Below are a selection of bus and train timetables to help you plan your route from the main airports and Bourg St Maurice to Val d'Isere. Val also has a network of 3 shuttle bus routes that operate within the resort itself, see Transport & Parking in Val d'Isere for more info >>
For Val d'Isere, the most convenient airport is Chambéry, situated 144 kms (2 1/2hrs) away bu motorway and then mountain road; From here, you have a number of different methods of transport to choose from to get you up to resort.
If you can’t get a flight to Chambéry, the next best options are Lyon (3hrs) and Geneva (3.5hrs) all of which are serviced by a number of the major airlines. Each airport has it pros and cons. Chambery is closest but may close in bad weather and your flight be diverted elsewhere. Geneva has excellent bus/shuttle links to Val, but finding the route in a hire car isn't particularly easy. Lyon St-Exupery has fewer links to Val, expecially midweek, but the journey is easier and quicker than from Geneva if you hire a car. Each major airline carries destination information on its website - although you either have to try all of them to find one which operates to from your local airport or know your local operatorsHowever, before succumbing to a bargain flight into one of these airports, take a few minutes to investigate your onward transfer options below; your flight may only cost you £50 but your transfer to resort could set you back €300 - €400!!
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