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Travel to les Arcs, Paradiski
| Good ski travel insurance is vital for a skiing holiday, we recommend Fogg Travel Insurance. Alternatively, from Wildlife Holidays to Travel Insurance, talk to Saga Holidays. When travelling in Europe an EHIC is recommended, details are on the Department of Health website. |
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| Nearby airports: Chambery is just 1.5 hours away from la Plagne if travelling mid-week. At weekends it suffers the same traffic problems as the other airports. Facilities are limited and can get very crowded but that is true of all the airports near the ski resorts. Grenoble airport is 2 to 2.5 hours from les Arcs. Further than Chambery from the resort and none of the advantages of Geneva. Geneva airport is 2.5 to 3 hours from les Arcs. It has the best all round facilities and choice of flights. The charter flight terminals can get very crowded. Lyon airport is 2.5 to 3 hours from les Arcs. The charter section of this airport is probably the most notorious in the Alps and often referred to as the cattle shed. If using Lyon for a charter flight, once you have checked in walk across to the main terminal: there are a lot more facilities available. Lyon St Etienne airport is the wrong side of Lyon for the Alps. |
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| Airlines and flights: For flights to Chambery from Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester **or** Bristol try, There are many airlines flying into other airports, when using their websites do not forget that often huge supplements are added to advertised prices. The no frills airlines (so called low cost) seem to have come up with a new trick of charging for luggage and even checking in. You could try Easyjet, Bmibaby, Flybe and RyanAir (beware airport tax and other charges) - in each case beware insurance that might be added: you need to opt out. BA is one of the easier sites to use and is less prone to strange add ons and supplements than the no frills airlines. Few people are aware of the fact that airlines offer no financial protection in the unlikely event that they stop trading, booking with an ATOL protected ski tour operator protects your money. Booking with a ski tour operator offering packaged ski holidays (check for 100% financial protection) also means that if an airline goes bust the ski operator is responsible for replacing the flight.Few people are aware of the fact that scheduled and no frills airlines offer no financial protection in the unlikely event that they stop trading, booking with an ATOL protected company protects your money. For flights try British Airways, Easyjet beware the insurance charge that you will need to opt out of, Flybmi again beware any insurance charges, Flybe beware insurance charges Ryanair charge for just about anything they can get away with and still add airport taxes. BCP is recommended for airport parking: it has secure car parks at most major UK airports and can offer other services such as pick up and drop off as well. |
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| Trains: Eurostar trains are available direct to the Alps, either daytime *or* overnight. Sleeper/ snowtrains commence either from Paris *or* Calais. All trains can be booked with Rail Europe although it is very frustrating to find that trains in France can only be booked 60 days *or* less in advance. Some tour operators will offer these trains as part of their packages. When booking a train it is easiest to say you are going to Bourg St Maurice: it is the same price and the tickets will often show this as the destination. If going to Plan Peisey, Peisey Nancroix **or** Vallandry it can be easier to get off the train at Aime **or** Landry, if you can find a taxi company to use there and pre-book it). It is only Arcs 1600 that you can easily access using the funiculaire. The direct trains do not allow for boarding at Aime **or** Landry: it is necessary to go to Bourg St Maurice for the homebound journey. The reason for this is that the smaller stations do not have the equipment to scan luggage. Leave plenty of time for the scanning process at Bourg. |
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| Transfers to resort: Doing your own thing can seem like a good idea until you try to arrange the transfer to resort. This has become a lot easier with transfer companies but can still add significantly to your costs: do not forget that some of the airports are almost 100 miles from la Plagne. Public buses are available from the airports (see the links above) and the railway station (see the les Arcs tourist office link below. New for winter 2009-10: Cheap ski transfers with NoFussBus - only €69,99 return! Shared and private options available. Unfortunately, this bus only operates from Geneva to Moutiers and Meribel so you would still need to get from Moutiers to Les Arcs but this seems to be the cheapest option from Geneva. |
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| Taxis: A full list of taxi companies is available from the les Arcs tourist office. | |
| Car hire: Holiday Autos offers car hire in most of the main airports in the Alps. | |
| Driving: The easiest way from Calais is to follow the A26 autoroute for Reims that passes Troyes and Dijon. South of Dijon it joins the main Paris/ Lyon autoroute, the A6, at Beaune. Lyon is by-passed by taking the A46 and A43 to Chambery. From Chambery follow directions for Albertville. It is motorway from Calais all the way to Albertville, tolls are €60-65 each way. After Albertville it is dual carriageway to Moutiers. For les Arcs follow the signs for Bourg St Maurice. For Plan Peisey, Peisey Nancroix and Vallandry there is a turn off between Aime and Bourg St Maurice. For the other villages of les Arcs go to Bourg St Maurice and follow the signs. Essential Motoring Information Registration Document & Licence - under French law you must carry them with you as well as your insurance policy. Insurance - any policy issued in the UK automatically provides a minimum level of third party cover within the EU. A Green Card is recommended, as is comprehensive cover. Obtain a European Accident Statement from your insurance company before you leave. Also, check that your policy covers damage in transit Eg ferry/ tunnel. Winter Driving/ Chains - Conditions can be treacherous on the roads to the resorts and snow chains are a legal requirement in the Alps. Chains are cheaper to buy in France than the UK but expensive in resorts. We recommend the supermarkets at Chambery and Albertville, they also sell cheap petrol. Snowchains, ski boxes, etc can bought in the UK from Polar Snowchains on 01892 519 933. For a discount mention Ski Beat **or** Snow Hounds. Equipment regulations - in most European countries the following items are compulsory: Fire Extinguisher, First Aid Kit, Warning Triangle, Spare Bulbs. Please consult your motoring organisation. Young children are forbidden to ride in the front seat in France and rear seat passengers must use seat belts (if fitted). Make sure you have beam deflectors fitted before you leave so that the lights shine to the right instead of the left. You should also make sure your vehicle has enough anti-freeze. We suggest you carry a de-icer, scraper and lighter (for frozen locks). Beware: minor motoring infringements will attract on the spot fines of at least €100. Please note that the French Gendarmes now enforce speed limits vigorously on all roads and any infractions are severely dealt with. If using diesel we suggest only using winter grade fuel: it does not go waxy at low temperatures - this is readily available in France, particularly in **or** near the mountains. Accommodation En-Route For a selection of hotels en-route to la Plagne and elsewhere with varioous leading brands for all budgets: |
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