Landing in Lyon, skiing at Alpe d'Huez? Your driver meets you in the arrivals hall and takes you all the way up the 21 bends to your chalet. The price is agreed on quote before you travel.
From the airport, the A43 heads east and the A48 runs down to Grenoble. The route skirts the city to the south, then the N85 leads to Vizille. From there the D1091 follows the Romanche valley to Le Bourg-d'Oisans.
Then comes the climb. The D211 rises from 717 m to 1,860 m through 21 hairpin bends, over about 14 km. Each bend is numbered and named after a Tour de France stage winner. The first part of the resort you reach at the top is the Vieil Alpe.
From 1 November to 31 March they are compulsory in the mountain areas of Isère, including Le Bourg-d'Oisans. Our vehicles are equipped.
Everyone arrives and leaves on the same day, so the Romanche valley gets busy. Keep an hour in hand if you have a train or flight home.
The driver tracks your flight. If it lands later, they wait for you at the exit.
The price is for the whole vehicle, not per person. Sedan for up to 4 passengers, 7-seat van for groups and skis.
Motorway to Grenoble, then the mountains. The numbered stages are described below the map.
When you come out of baggage claim, your driver is already there with your name on a tablet. They help carry suitcases and ski bags to the vehicle.
Give it when you book. The driver watches the actual landing time, not the scheduled one.
If your flight is late, the driver adjusts. The delay costs you nothing extra.
Need a baby seat or a booster? Ask when you book and we bring the right one.
The resort is large. Give the name of your residence or hotel and the driver drops you at the door.
The historic quarter, the first one at the top of the bends. Small streets and family restaurants.
Two quarters on the edge of the resort, right by the slopes, with many holiday residences.
Lower down, at around 1,450 m. A gondola links it to the resort near the Vieil Alpe.
These villages are part of the ski area. Oz and Vaujany are reached by a different road from the 21 bends, so mention it in your request.
The taxi does not only leave from the airport. Many skiers arrive by TGV, and two stations work well for Alpe d'Huez.
Lyon Part-Dieu station: 166 km to the resort, 2h20 to 2h50. The driver meets you at the station.
Grenoble station: the closest one. 64 km, about 1h15. If your train continues to Grenoble, this is the shortest taxi ride.
The resort sits on a sunny plateau at 1,860 m above the Oisans. The ski area has around 250 km of runs, and the highest point is the Pic Blanc, at over 3,300 m.
Several villages are linked: Huez, Oz-en-Oisans, Vaujany, Auris and Villard-Reculas. You can stay in one and ski in all the others.
In summer the resort belongs to cyclists. The 21 bends are one of the most famous climbs of the Tour de France.
Aim to be at Saint-Exupéry about 2 hours before take-off. Add the drive and a buffer. Our advice:
The driver picks you up outside your residence, so there is no need to carry your bags into town.
In winter, coaches run from Grenoble bus station to Alpe d'Huez in about 1h45. But you first need to get from the airport to Grenoble, then fit your flight around the timetable.
You need winter tyres, have to drive the 21 bends at night or in snow, then find a parking space for the whole week.
One car from the plane to your chalet door, with no connections. The easiest option with children, skis or a late flight.
For Alpe d'Huez, Lyon wins clearly: 153 km from Saint-Exupéry against 215 km from Geneva. That is about an hour less on the road.
Skiing nearby instead? See our transfer from Lyon to Les 2 Alpes, or to Courchevel in the Tarentaise.
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