Les Deux Alpes
Les Deux Alpes is 209 km from Geneva Airport, a drive of about 2 hours 45 minutes via Chambéry, Grenoble and the Romanche valley, ending with a climb of hairpin bends to the resort. The route crosses the border into France just after the airport. With its glacier and long vertical drop, it is a lively resort for keen skiers, and AirportsTransfers.ch can take you from arrivals to your accommodation without changes.
- Distance from GVA: 209 km
- Drive time: about 2 h 45
- Border crossing: Switzerland to France
- Character: high glacier, long vertical, lively resort
- Suits: intermediates, freeriders and younger groups
Driving from Geneva Airport to Les Deux Alpes
The route runs south on the A41 past Annecy and Chambéry to Grenoble, then east into the Romanche valley on the road towards Briançon. After passing Bourg-d'Oisans, the road follows the Romanche towards the Chambon dam; the turn for Les Deux Alpes comes before, near Mont-de-Lans, and leads up a series of hairpins to the resort on a broad shelf between two valleys.
This final climb is well maintained, but in snow it requires winter equipment and patience. The Romanche valley road is the access route for several large resorts, and Saturdays in high season bring heavy traffic, especially around Vizille and Bourg-d'Oisans. Arriving outside peak hours makes for a much smoother journey.
The ski area: a glacier above the resort
Les Deux Alpes is known for its long vertical drop from the glacier at the top, above 3,500 metres, down to the resort. The glacier provides reliable snow at the top of the domain and has made the resort a well-known destination for glacier skiing outside the main winter season, conditions permitting.
The ski area is shaped differently from many resorts: the upper slopes are wide, open and comparatively gentle, while the lower runs back to the resort are steeper and can be more challenging, particularly at the end of the day. Intermediates will enjoy cruising high up, beginners have dedicated areas near the resort, and strong skiers will find freeride terrain and a large snowpark.
Nearby La Grave, reached from the top of the domain with a guide, is famous among experienced off-piste skiers for its high-mountain freeride terrain. It is serious terrain, suitable only for experts with a qualified guide.
The resort and its atmosphere
Les Deux Alpes stretches along a wide, flat shelf, with a main street lined with shops, bars and restaurants. It has a reputation for lively nightlife and attracts younger groups and snowboarders as well as families. Accommodation is mostly in apartments and hotels, with chalets on the edges.
Because the resort is long, choose your accommodation carefully: some areas are closer to the main lifts than others. Non-skiers can enjoy ice skating, a swimming pool, sledging and walking, and the views from the high lifts over the Écrins massif are spectacular.
The resort grew from two old mountain pastures, belonging to the villages of Mont-de-Lans and Venosc, which gave Les Deux Alpes its name. Venosc, down in the Vénéon valley and linked to the resort by gondola, keeps an old-village charm with cobbled lanes and craft shops, and it makes a pleasant outing on a non-ski day.
When to go and practical tips
The winter season usually runs from December to April. Thanks to the glacier, snow at altitude is reliable throughout, while lower slopes may be thin early or late in the season. February is the busiest period; January and March offer quieter slopes, and March brings longer days.
- Avoid the Saturday peak hours on the Romanche valley road when possible.
- Choose accommodation near the lift you will use most often.
- Declare skis, snowboards and large bags when booking.
- Pack goggles for flat light on the high, open glacier slopes.
Planning the return journey
The descent from Les Deux Alpes and the Romanche valley can be slow on Saturdays, so allow the full drive time plus a generous buffer, and plan to be at Geneva Airport two hours before departure. If snow is forecast, an earlier pick-up is wise; we will advise you if conditions change.
Groups who have been out late on the final evening often appreciate a pick-up time that leaves room for packing in the morning. Agree the address and time when booking, and remember that the main street can be busy with other transfers on changeover day.
Booking a transfer to Les Deux Alpes
AirportsTransfers.ch shows you the fixed price per vehicle before payment, with secure online payment by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your chauffeur tracks your flight and meets you in arrivals with a name sign, waiting if you land late. Groups of up to seven with skis travel comfortably in a Mercedes V-Class; larger groups can book a Sprinter minibus. Child seats are available on request, and skis and snowboards should be declared at booking. For questions, call or WhatsApp +41 78 346 56 77, 24/7.
