Travel Tips: Ski Transfers

Skiing Transfers

Successfully negotiating your way through baggage claim with a pair of skis and a snowboard under one arm may sound like no mean feat for any winter sport enthusiast. But all too frequently, the biggest challenge of your skiing holiday can be travelling from your destination airport to the resort. Here’s our guide to how to arrange those problematic airport transfers to some of the world’s most popular ski resorts.

Destination	Airport	Who flies there?	Distance from airport (kms)	Transport from airport to resort
Alpe d’Huez, France	Grenoble	British Airways, First Choice, easyJet, flyglobespan, Ryanair	110	Transfers by car take about two hours. Allow extra time for coach/bus transfers. Return bus fares start from about £30.
Aspen, Colorado, USA	Aspen / Pitkin Country	Northwest Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways	5	Free buses operate along Highway 82 during ski season departing from outside the terminal building. Most hotels offer free shuttles and taxis are readily available at the airport.
Banff, Canada	Calgary	Air Canada, Air France, British Airways, Continental Airlines, Swiss Air, US Airways	120	A number of private shuttle companies operate daily services between Calgary and Banff. Approximate prices per person are $50 one-way or $93 return. Chartered buses for larger groups are also available. The drive from the airport to Banff is about two hours. Numerous companies offer rental car hire at the airport. The Rocky Mountaineer train, covering the Kicking Horse Route from Vancouver to Calgary, stops in Banff.
Breckenridge, Colorado, USA	Denver	Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways, Continental Airlines, KLM, Northwest Airlines	167	A choice of shuttles and bus routes operate from the airport to the resort with a journey time of about two hours. Prices start from approximately $70 one-way, per person. Chartered buses are also available for groups.
Cervinia, Italy	Turin	Air France, British Airways, easyJet, First Choice, Lufthansa, Ryanair	129	Public buses travel from Turin to Cervinia and take about two hours. Ski taxis start from £166 (approx) and mini buses for up to eight people cost under £200. Chatillon train station is 27km from Cervinia and coach transfers to the resort operate from the station.
Chamonix, France	Geneva	Air France, bmibaby, British Airways, easyJet, First Choice, flybe, flyglobespan, Jet2, Lufthansa, Swiss International	88	Direct bus transfers from the airport to the resort take about 90 minutes. To travel by train from the airport you will need to change at Geneva Cornavin and St Gervais les Bains. Numerous car hire companies also operate from the airport.
Courchevel, France	Geneva	Air France, bmibaby, British Airways, easyJet, First Choice, flybe, flyglobespan, Jet2, Lufthansa, Swiss International	149	Altibus operates up to eight buses a day from the airport to the resort. The journey takes just over three hours and costs €64 one-way. By rail, travel via Champery to Moutiers, 37km from Courchevel. Then take a forty minute bus or taxi ride from the station to the resort.
Courmayeur, Italy	Geneva	Air France, bmibaby, British Airways, easyJet, First Choice, flybe, flyglobespan, Jet2, Lufthansa, Swiss International	108	Catch a bus transfer service from Geneva to Chamonix and travel via the Mont Blanc tunnel to Courmayeur. You can also arrange a hire vehicle or catch a transfer bus service direct to the resort (a two hour drive), with shared transfers from €70 per person. Travel by train from the airport to Pré-St-Didier station just outside of the resort.
Klosters, Switzerland	Zürich	Air France, British Airways, easyJet, Lufthansa, Swiss International	150	Two trains per hour travel from Zürich to Klosters via Landquart, where you board a second train (two and a half hours journey time); hourly trains leave Landquart for Klosters. Transfer time can be reduced by an hour when hiring a car at the airport.
Les Deux Alpes, France	Grenoble	British Airways, First Choice, easyJet, flyglobespan, Ryanair	120	Regular transfer bus services operate from the airport to the resort, via Grenoble. Journey time is just under two hours and costs about £30 return.
Megève, France	Geneva	Air France, bmibaby, British Airways, easyJet, First Choice, flybe, flyglobespan, Jet2, Lufthansa, Swiss International	70	The journey from Geneva to Megève takes about an hour and a half by car. Scheduled bus services operate from the airport. Travel by rail to Sallanches station, 13km from the resort, and pick up a connecting bus service.
Sauze d’Oulx, Italy	Turin	Air France, British Airways, easyJet, First Choice, Lufthansa, Ryanair	80	A taxi from the airport to the resort will cost about €35-45 and regular buses and taxis take an hour to reach the resort from the airport. Alternatively take a train from Torino Porta Nuova to Oulx station.
St Anton am Alberg, Austria	Innsbruck	Austrian Airlines, British Airways, easyJet, First Choice, Lufthansa	106	The journey by coach from the airport takes about 90 minutes. The Arlberg Express train also runs to the centre of St Anton from the airport and costs approximately €38.
St Moritz, Switzerland	Zürich	Air France, British Airways, easyJet, Lufthansa, Swiss International	206	Travel by rail from the airport to Chur and then get a connecting train to St Moritz. If your budget allows, you can fly from Zurich to Samedan, a local airport near St Moritz.
Tignes, France	Geneva	Air France, bmibaby, British Airways, easyJet, First Choice, flybe, flyglobespan, Jet2, Lufthansa, Swiss International	165	Journey time by car from Geneva to Tignes is about three hours. A daily bus operates from the airport to the resort during winter. Alternatively, take a train (indirect) to Bourg St Maurice station followed by a 20 minute bus or taxi ride to the resort.
Val d'Isere, France	Geneva	Air France, bmibaby, British Airways, easyJet, First Choice, flybe, flyglobespan, Jet2, Lufthansa, Swiss International	165	Journey time by car from Geneva to Val d'Isere is about three hours. The Aero-skibus will transport you directly to the resort, with prices starting from about £36. Mini buses, coaches and taxis also operate from the airport to the resort. Alternatively, take a train (indirect) to Bourg St Maurice station followed by a 20 minute bus or taxi ride to Val d'Isere.
Verbier, Switzerland	Geneva	Air France, bmibaby, British Airways, easyJet, First Choice, flybe, flyglobespan, Jet2, Lufthansa, Swiss International	160	Scheduled buses, shared shuttles, taxis, trains and tour operators all provide transfers from the airport to the resort. Catch a train to Martigny station (three hours) where the regular St Bernard shuttle will transport you to the resort. By car or coach, journey time from the airport is approximately two and a half to three hours.
Whistler, Canada	Vancouver	Air Canada, bmi, British Airways, KLM, Northwest Airlines, US Airways	120	Hire a car and drive the two hour route long the Sea-to-Sky highway to reach Whistler. Perimeters Whistler Express shuttle bus operates between the airport and resort, with one-way prices from £17. Limousine services for up to six people are also available. The Whistler Mountaineer train leaves for Whistler from North Vancouver station daily (three hour trip) and costs about £50 one-way. You will need to take a taxi or bus from the airport to the train station.
Zermatt, Switzerland	Geneva	Air France, bmibaby, British Airways, easyJet, First Choice, flybe, flyglobespan, Jet2, Lufthansa, Swiss International	235	Zermatt has its own train station, making it easily accessible via rail from Geneva airport. The train journey usually requires one change at Brig or Visp. Journey time from the airport to the resort is approximately four hours.
Updated February 2008