Best Resorts For A Self Drive Ski Holiday
Driving your car to the Alps isn't for everyone, but some people enjoy the many advantages it gives you over flying.
Some fantastic ski resorts are ideally suited to self-drive skiing holidays. In this article, we'll go through the advantages and disadvantages of driving to a ski resort and list the 5 best resorts for a self drive ski holiday.
Why Go On A Self Drive Ski Holiday?
Fewer Limits For Luggage
When it comes to bringing stuff with you on holiday, you're only limited by the size of your car and how many people you've packed into it.
You can bring your own ski and snowboard equipment, things you can't live without, and those "just in case" items. This means you have all the creature comforts you want to make your holiday even better.
Freedom
Most ski resorts are pretty easy to get around these days, but occasionally you're at the mercy of public transport. Buses can be unreliable or too full of people to get you to the slopes on time. If you have your car, you can get everyone to their lessons without stress, as long as you can park.
You can also explore the local area by driving to neighbouring ski resorts for a new experience.
You Can Time Your Arrival Perfectly
Sometimes the timings of flights and transfers can make arriving and leaving a ski resort awkward. If you drive, you can arrive when your accommodation is ready and leave as soon as you want, without waiting for a transfer.
It's a good idea to break up your journey. Many people driving from the UK to the French Alps stop in Dijon or Troyes. This way, they can arrive at the resort fresh, ready to start their holiday.
Bonus Tip: Avoid driving through the centre of Paris, no matter what your sat-nav says. It can add hours of stressful driving to your trip if you time it wrong. Instead, head for Reims and Troyes.
Disadvantages Of Driving To A Ski Resort
Time
Driving to a ski resort from the UK can take a lot of time. You have to factor in the fact that you have to drive through the UK, cross the channel, and then drive through France.
This is sometimes a good thing. Driving through France is a pleasant experience, as the landscape changes all the way down until you're greeted by the Alps.
Parking
Once you've arrived at your resort, you'll need to find somewhere to park your car, which can be tricky. Sometimes you can book your parking space in advance or park at your chalet, which makes things easier.
Parking at the lifts can be a real problem if you're just a few minutes late. Often it's best to leave your car at the chalet and catch the shuttle bus to the slopes.
More Effort
Driving to the ski resort takes more effort than flying. Yes, you have to rely on the airport, airline, and transfer company, but most of the time, travel is pretty smooth going.
If you time your flights and transfer well, you can arrive at the perfect time to get settled into your accommodation. You can even enjoy a few drinks on the flight to start your holiday off right.
Snow
Snow provides a few challenges when driving to and in a ski resort. Mountain roads are narrow and winding, which is great fun in the summer but leaves little margin for error when driving in snow.
Ski resorts do their best to clear the snow from the roads, but conditions can change rapidly, making your trip up the mountain and through town more challenging. It would be best to practice fitting snow chains before you set off so you don't have to work it out in the dark during a snowstorm while you hold up the traffic.
If you've left your car parked all week, you may have to dig it out of the snow. It's best to keep visiting your car and clearing snow from it. This is because it freezes onto your windscreen and prevents your doors from opening. You don't want to be late for the ferry because your car is frozen.
Best Resorts For A Self Drive Ski Holiday
Here is our list of the best resorts for a self drive ski holiday.
1. Morzine
Morzine is a French family-friendly ski resort in the Portes du Soleil, the world's largest ski area.
Morzine is in a great location, just over eight and a half hours' drive from Calais. So if you break up your drive with a stop-off in Dijon, you can get there in less than four hours. But, if you share the driving, you can do it in one.
Staying in Morzine over the other Portes du Soleil resorts is a great option. This is because it is ideally placed for you to explore the ski area. There are some great beginner slopes for picking up the basics and some lovely tree-lined blue runs.
Advanced skiers and snowboarders can have plenty of fun in the Freeride Zone. This is an un-pisted but patrolled slope, offering an off-piste experience in relative safety.
Staying in Morzine gives you easy access to the ski resort of Avoriaz. You can then get to the other Portes du Soleil resorts and all their off-piste terrain. Alternatively, you can head in the other direction and enjoy the family-friendly resort of Les Gets, which is directly linked to Morzine's ski area.
2. Chamonix
Chamonix is a similar distance from Calais as Morzine. It has a very different atmosphere and style, mainly due to the terrain and the fact that it's a large town rather than a quaint ski resort.
With its imposing peaks and glaciers overlooked by Mont Blanc, Chamonix is big mountain country. It has five ski areas offering different experiences, but most of the terrain in Chamonix is off-piste.
If you're looking for an iconic off-piste route, book a guide and do the Vallee Blanche.
If you stay in Morzine, you can take a drive to Chamonix for a day trip, as it is just over an hour away.
3. Val d'Isere
Val d'Isere is just under ten hours from Calais by car, depending on your route. Even though it is further than Morzine and Chamonix, Val d'Isere is still a popular self drive ski holiday for many Brits.
People head to this fantastic ski resort in the Tarentaise Valley for its excellent ski area, lively nightlife and après, and attractive village-like aesthetic. It is an upmarket ski resort with high-end accommodation and fantastic restaurants. But the ski area links with the neighbouring resort of Tignes, allowing you to explore a variety of terrain for all levels.
You could also drive to Tignes from Val D' Isere in less than 20-minutes. This is ideal if you have less experienced people in your group but still want to see what Tignes has to offer.
4. Courchevel
Depending on your route, you can drive to Courchevel from Calais in between 9 and 11 hours. Doing so gives you access to 600km of marked slopes in the largest interconnected ski area in the world (worth a drive, then).
The resort is high-end, no matter which way you look at it. You can expect pristinely groomed runs, a modern ski lift system, Michelin-starred restaurants, and luxury accommodations, perfect after a long drive through France.
Courchevel's local ski area offers wide, gentle pistes, with many running through picturesque forests. The colder temperatures of north-facing slopes keep the snow in excellent condition throughout the season.
You can have different experiences depending on where you stay. For example, if you want vibrant nightlife, head to Courchevel Moriond, or relax in the rustic charm of Le Praz. Alternatively, choose the family-friendly La Tania or Courchevel Village if you're on a budget.
5. Megève, France
For a ski resort oozing charm, you might want to drive down to Megève. It may sound a bit cliché, but Megève is a proper chocolate box mountain village. It is an old-fashioned ski resort with cobbled streets, horse-drawn sleighs, and an authentic rustic atmosphere.
The ski area may not be as comprehensive as the other resorts on this list, but you can get to it in under 9 hours from Calais by car.
Once you're on Megève's slopes, you're treated to tree-lined runs, perfect for intermediates. More experienced skiers and snowboarders can have ridiculous amounts of fun on Megève's off-piste terrain.
Even though getting around by horse-drawn sleigh is romantic, Megève's village is quite spread out, so you may find that it takes a while to get from A to B. However, as you have your car with you, you can quickly get to the main lifts.
So there you have it. These are some of the best resorts for a self drive ski holiday. They are relatively easy to get to, and having your car could enhance your experience, unlocking potential and convenience.
Before you decide to drive to a ski resort, weigh up the pros and cons. Some people find driving is the best way for them to get to the mountains, but others benefit more from flying.
