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With more skiers getting behind the wheel, we share the best resorts and top tips for hitting the road
Driving has long been a great way of getting to the mountains. Travelling by car avoids all the hassle of airports, baggage allowances and tiresome transfers at the start and end of your ski holiday – and with the ski season approaching, the number of British skiers hitting the road looks set to boom.
Recent research by the Ski Club of Great Britain showed that 27 per cent of people intend to drive to the slopes this winter, compared with just 16 per cent in 2019. It’s easy to see why.
“Self-drive ski holidays represent excellent value. They also give skiers more flexibility. Guests can bring skis, boots and as much luggage as they want without paying the airlines’ sky-high extra charges,” said Alison Willis, from tour operator Peak Retreats.
It’s not just the journey that appeals. In many resorts, having a car is handy for visiting nearby ski areas, to extend your trip and to help ease the stresses once you arrive. “Many of our clients love the flexibility of self-drive ski holidays. They can stop on the way down and back to get seven or eight days skiing in,” said Jane Bolton of Erna Low. “Those renting apartments can also shop in cheaper supermarkets in the valley to avoid paying high prices for food and wine in resort.”
Driving can also work out much cheaper than flying, especially if you are taking your own equipment and splitting the cost between a group. It’s a great way of travelling for families too, who don’t need to worry about cramming kids’ gear into their luggage allowances.
Here’s everything you need to know.
In this guide
Top resorts:
FAQs:
Best for charm
Set above Lake Annecy, this is one of the most charming ski resorts in France – a genuine old mountain village that exudes rustic beauty and Gallic atmosphere.
The slopes suit intermediates best, but there’s a fabulous high beginner area set among the extensive cross-country trails. There are few black runs but the real attraction for expert skiers is the extensive off-piste. Le Grand-Bornand is a 10-minute drive away and offers more great intermediate slopes.
If you stay centrally, you’ll find plenty of entertainment for the whole family – there’s a cinema, bowling alley and free ski lifts for children. There’s no shortage of bars and après-ski options too – but it’s not the place for those who want wild nightlife.
Drive time from Calais: Eight hours
Book it: From £1,179 with Erna Low (020 3011 1222; ernalow.co.uk) at the four-star Residence Mendi Alde
Best for families
Despite being part of one of the world’s biggest ski areas, this attractive, small, family-friendly village has retained its French identity. This is partly because of the smart food and wine shops lining the main street and a central open-air ice rink – which is just one of many off-the-pistes activities.
The resort shares its local slopes with its neighbour Morzine and has a separate small ski area of its own. But the main attraction for good intermediate skiers is the connection to the huge Portes du Soleil circuit – a car is handy for quick access to it via the gondola at Ardent (rather than going the long way round on skis via Morzine).
Beginners have two nursery areas and very easy slopes to progress to. Experts can try several steep black runs and there’s some great off-piste to explore with a guide.
Drive time from Calais: Eight hours
Book it: From £1,352 with Peak Retreats (023 9283 9310; peakretreats.co.uk) at Les Fermes Emiguy residence. Plan your visit with our Les Gets ski guide.
Best for experts
This ancient year-round tourist town spreads for miles along a narrow valley surrounded by towering peaks, including several glaciers and the mighty Mont Blanc – the highest mountain in Western Europe.
The centre is full of atmosphere, with cobbled streets and squares, beautiful old buildings, a fast-running river and pavement cafés. As you’d expect in a world-class resort, there’s no shortage of lively après ski, good restaurants and smart hotels and apartments.
There are four separate ski areas and a car is handy to drive to the outlying ones. Most suit experts best. There are plenty of steep pistes, but it’s the phenomenal off-piste that attracts a cult following here. Intermediates will enjoy the distant Balme and Les Houches areas most.
Drive time from Calais: Eight hours
Book it: From £1,434 with Erna Low (020 3011 1222; ernalow.co.uk) in a two-bedroom self-catering apartment in the four-star Residence La Ginabelle. Plan your visit with our Chamonix ski guide.
Best for value
Not a resort but a valley town, which is a great base (and great value) for keen skiers with a car who want to try a few different major resorts during a one-week stay.
A funicular from Bourg takes you right into the Les Arcs ski area, which is linked by a double-decker cable car to La Plagne. Just a short drive away are Val d’Isère, Tignes, Ste Foy and La Rosière (linked to La Thuile in Italy). All are great resort options for strong intermediate and expert skiers. You’ll have to buy day passes to explore each one but you’ll save the extra cost over buying a week’s pass for one area by the lower prices in Bourg, compared with high-altitude resorts.
If you’re travelling on a budget, there are some good-value unpretentious restaurants and lots of everyday shops, including supermarkets selling produce at valley prices.
Drive time from Calais: Nine hours
Book it: From £1,288 with Peak Retreats (023 9283 9310; peakretreats.co.uk) at the four-star Coeur d’Or residence
Best for peace and quiet
This traditional mountain village is on the road up to purpose-built Flaine and has expanded its appeal in recent years. They both share the huge Grand Massif ski area with Samöens. It has a peaceful atmosphere and is a pleasant place to stroll around.
The ski area is excellent for intermediates, who will enjoy the long, varied pistes, and for experts, who can try several steep back runs and extensive off-piste. Beginners are well catered for with quiet nursery slopes at the village level and easy slopes at the top of the gondola.
Of the half a dozen hotels, the best is the small four-star Servages d’Armelle up the hill out of town next to the slopes. Lots of apartments are available too.
Drive time: Eight hours
Book it: From £1,900 with Ski Solutions (020 3918 2496; skisolutions.com) at the four-star Residence Les Chalets de Leana near the resort centre
Best for cruising with views
This traditional resort has a charming medieval, cobbled centre that is populated by horse-drawn sleighs and a fine church. Lots of smart clothing, jewellery and antique shops plus art galleries add to the chic atmosphere. There’s no shortage of luxurious four- and five-star hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants to splash the cash in.
The extensive slopes are ideal for easy-going intermediate cruising among glorious scenery – including stunning views of Mont Blanc. Mountain restaurants are plentiful and offer quality food and service – with options for all budgets.
The main attraction for experts is the off-piste, which tends not to get tracked as quickly as in more macho resorts. And there are several beginner areas and very easy green runs to progress to.
Drive time from Calais: Eight hours
Book it: From £750 per person, excluding Le Shuttle crossings, chalet board in Chalet Hotel Sylvana with Stanford Skiing (01603 477471; stanfordskiing.co.uk), based on two sharing. Plan your visit with our Megève ski guide
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Best for snow
The nearest major Austrian resort reachable by road is a safer bet for those keen to explore the popular Arlberg ski area than nearby Lech, which can be cut off by heavy snowfalls that close the Flexen Pass access road.
The centre of St Anton is a traffic-free main street lined by traditional-style buildings, which give the resort a wealth of character. There are dozens of hotels, plus some fairly luxurious catered chalet options. The resort’s après ski is legendary, with many places buzzing with loud music and dancing as the slopes close, both on the mountain and in the village – with the latter carrying on until the early hours.
The skiing around St Anton is steep and suits confident intermediates and experts best. The off-piste possibilities are phenomenal.
Drive time from Calais: 11 hours
Book it: From £699 per person, B&B, three-star Haus Kindl with STC Ski (01730 812611; stcski.com) based on two people sharing. Plan your visit with our St Anton ski guide
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Best for lively luxury
This big, chalet-style resort has a reputation for attracting the jet set. The town is set on a high, sunny plateau, facing spectacular peaks and appeals to a much younger clientele than most other major Swiss destinations.
The slopes are mainly steep and suit experts best – with lots of on- and off-piste challenges, including ungroomed itineraries, which build up huge moguls. But intermediates can enjoy the slopes too – especially the Savoleyres area.
Accommodation is pricey and hotels range from three to five stars. There are plenty of luxury chalets and more modest apartments too. Après ski is one of Verbier’s biggest attractions, from the infamous Farm Club to a host of other lively bars and clubs.
Drive time from Calais: Nine hours
Book it: From £890 per person, B&B, at Hotel Mirabeau, with Mountain Beds (01502 471960; mountainbeds.com), based on two sharing, excluding travel. Plan your visit with our Verbier ski guide.
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Best for foodies
The nearest Italian resort for drivers – from France, you pass through the Mont Blanc tunnel and pop out right by the Courmayeur ski area. The village has a charming traffic-free centre of cobbled streets and ancient buildings and is popular with well-heeled weekenders from Milan and Turin.
The relatively small area of pistes suits good intermediates best and has fabulous views of Mont Blanc. For experts, there is phenomenal off-piste to be explored with a guide. Having a car is handy for visiting other nearby resorts such as La Thuile and Pila.
A real highlight is the excellent restaurants, both on the mountain and in the village. Après ski is mainly based around stylish bars – featuring comfy sofas and armchairs – which serve free canapés in the early evening.
Drive time from Calais: 10 hours
Book it: From £715 per person, B&B, at three-star Bouton d’Or with Momentum Ski (020 7371 9111; momentumski.com) based on two sharing. Plan your visit with our Courmayeur ski guide.
Best for crowd-free slopes
Just a few miles past Courmayeur, if you turn off the motorway and head up the steep and winding road to Champoluc you’ll find a relaxed and unspoiled mountain village.
The skiing spans three valleys (the Monterosa ski area) and the pistes suit intermediates best, with plenty of easy cruising and steeper red runs. It’s also excellent for off-piste adventures with guides, including heli-skiing to Zermatt in Switzerland and back.
And Champoluc offers a splendid choice of hotels – whether on the mountain or in the valley.
Drive time from Calais: 11 hours
Book it: From £1,350 per person, half board, at four-star Hotel La Rouja excluding LeShuttle, with Ski Champoluc (01572 842130; ski-champoluc.com), based on two sharing. Prices include lift pass, snack lunches at selected mountain restaurants, ski locker at the main lift and in-resort transfers
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Unless stated otherwise all prices are total costs, based on a week’s self-catering, in a one-bedroom apartment (including a sofa bed in the living room) for four adults and Flexiplus Le Shuttle crossings. Drive times are from Calais excluding rest and refueling breaks.
At the time of writing, Saturday return flights with easyJet from Gatwick to Geneva, departing in mid-January at civilised times, cost from £125 for a standard fare. On top of the basic cost, there are also additional, necessary extras. To take a 23kg hold bag, a decent-sized cabin bag, skis and boots came to another £220. A grand total of £345 per person. That’s almost £1,400 for four people to travel and excludes the cost of getting to the airport, transfers to your resort and accommodation.
By comparison, the cheapest self-drive package for four people listed here, including an apartment for a week, plus Le Shuttle fares, is under £1,200 (£300 per person). You’ll need to add on the cost of motorway tolls (roughly £150 return to many French resorts and fuel costs – say £170). Getting through the Mont Blanc tunnel to the Italian resorts will cost around £55 return. Despite the extras, with accommodation included, self-drive packages come up trumps.
You can get to lots of French resorts in around eight or nine hours of driving from Calais – mainly on toll motorways. You’ll need to add on time for meal or rest breaks, filling up with fuel and potential traffic. But it’s still easy to do the trip in a day from London. Be warned, Saturday traffic can be heavy with long queues on approach roads. Set off early to avoid queues, or try to book accommodation Sunday to Sunday. Accessing Italian, Swiss and Austrian resorts takes longer.
To prepare your vehicle for winter conditions, make sure your car has been serviced, the coolant is topped up with anti-freeze and you have low-temperature windscreen washer fluid. Pack your car with the essentials, plus snacks and water in case of any unexpected delays. Check for live updates of road closures and weather conditions en route. It is wise to take out European breakdown cover in case of of an emergency and to check if your travel insurance will cover any extra accommodation if you cannot reach your final destination on time.
Le Shuttle is quicker and less hassle than travelling by ferry. It’s quite pricey if you book directly, but many tour operators have negotiated great deals and include Flexiplus tickets in their prices (worth from £274 each way). Flexiplus allows you to travel at any time on the day of your booking (not just the crossing you’re booked on), priority boarding (so you’re first on and first off) and entry to an executive lounge with complimentary refreshments.
Ferries from Dover to Calais take longer than Le Shuttle but cost roughly half as much if booked independently. If you live in the north of England or Scotland you may prefer an alternative route, such as the overnight sailing from Hull to Rotterdam.
Assuming you’re using the French motorways, the easiest way to pay the tolls is by getting a Sanef liber-t toll tag (sanef.com/en) that attaches to your windscreen. The tag allows you to go through the electronic payment lane, with your account charged automatically – avoiding the need to have cash or cards to hand. It works for Italian motorways too.
To use Swiss or Austrian motorways you need to buy a vignette. These are available online at via.admin.ch and asfinag.at respectively, or locally when you arrive at the border.
You need to take the driving licence for every driver, proof of insurance (you may need to extend your regular policy to cover driving in Europe), the vehicle log book, reflective jackets, a warning triangle, a spare bulb kit, a first aid kit and snow chains – the latter are legally required when signs say so; practice putting them on and taking them off in the UK before travelling. You also need to put on the car a UK sticker and headlamp beam deflectors.
Check with the tour operator, hotel or apartment provider that you are booking with for the best parking arrangements.
Yes. French motorway service stations are well-provided with electric charging points. You can use an app such as plugshare.com to locate charging points en-route and your tour operator or accommodation provider should be able to advise on local facilities.
This article was first published in November 2023, and has been revised and updated.
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