Whether you live in a city without a car, want to save money, or are looking to protect the environment… more and more people are thinking twice before driving or renting a car to head to the mountains. Getting to the mountains without a car is not as complicated as you might think, and more and more initiatives are being developed to help you get there by bus, train or carpooling… We explain how to do it simply and easily.
The Best Ways to Reach a Ski Resort Without a Car
Can ski resorts be reached without a car?
Yes and no
In fact, not all ski resorts are accessible by bus — only certain ones can be reached this way.
Here are the best-known bus companies for getting to a ski resort:
• From Grenoble, the Transaltitude lines serve 16 resorts across 4 mountain ranges: the Vercors, Oisans, Belledonne and Chartreuse. There is something for every taste and level, whether you prefer ski de fond dans le Vercors or alpine skiing at Chamrousse or 2 Alpes.
• From central Lyon, skimania lets you reach the slopes. The ski pass is often included in the ticket price. For smaller cities than Lyon and Grenoble, there are also options to reach nearby resorts:
• Annecy to reach the resorts of Grand Bornand and La Clusaz ;
• Chambéry and Aix-les-Bains to the nearby resort of Aillons-Margériaz ;
• Albertville to Les Saisies ;
• Tarbes, Toulouse, Lourdes and other cities in the southwest to easily reach the Pyrenean resorts.
And finally, there are companies that operate across a wide area, such as Altibus. This company allows you to book a shuttle from the main airports – or from stations in Savoie and Haute-Savoie – to ski resorts. Over 80 resorts are accessible this way. Booking is all done online.
Is it possible to get to a ski resort by train?
Yes and no
You can take the train to reach a ski resort; however, you will then need to take a shuttle from the train station, as SNCF stations do not take you all the way to the resort.
Here are 3 resorts well known for their easy access from an SNCF train station:
• Les Arcs, in Savoie (via Bourg-Saint-Maurice station): a funicular connects Bourg-Saint-Maurice station to the ski slopes in just 7 minutes;
• Montgenèvre, in the Hautes-Alpes (via Oulx or Briançon stations): contrary to popular belief, Montgenèvre is easily accessible by train. Simply take the TGV to Oulx station, from where a shuttle takes you to the resort in 15 minutes. The same connection is available from Briançon station.
• Font-Romeu, in the Pyrenees (via Perpignan station): shuttles at an unbeatable price (€1) will take you to Font-Romeu from Perpignan station. This bus also lets you see the countryside, which only adds to the pleasure.
Once ski resorts are closed, is it still possible to get to the mountains without a car?
Of course
It is true that, to meet high demand, some public transport services only run during the ski resort opening season. That said, getting to the mountains without a car in summer and the off-season is still perfectly possible.
To do so, you need to know the routes accessible without a car — and that is exactly what the Changer d'approche Association helps us do by publishing its brochures. From Isère to the Verdon, via the Pyrenees and the Massif central, you can discover — freely available on their website — ideas for mountain outings (hiking, mountain biking, mountaineering…) that require no car. For each suggested route, the transport options (usually train and bus) are clearly detailed to make things as easy as possible for you.
Can you get to the mountains by carpooling?
Yes
While carpooling is primarily known for long journeys across France, the practice has grown so much that it now makes it possible to head to the mountains for the weekend.
In the Alps, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region has set up a carpooling platform and a free mobile app for users. Discover Mov’ici, the platform that makes it easy to share daily short-distance trips in an eco-friendly way. Drivers and passengers united for sustainable mobility.
Is it easy to combine different modes of transport?
Absolutely
Choosing to go to the mountains without a car sometimes means using several modes of transport to reach your destination. Bus, train, shuttle, carpooling… coordinating timetables can quickly become a headache. This is what is known as intermodality! And for it to work effectively, you need to be able to centralise all this information in one place.
That is the mission of the Tic Tac Trip website, which lets you compare different travel options and easily combine the various modes of transport available. This will save you precious time when planning your day in the mountains.
More and more people are choosing not to take their car to the mountains. This reduces traffic queues and overcrowded car parks first thing in the morning. Leaving your car behind makes for a stress-free escape and a real break from the daily routine.
