Which ski resorts to choose if you are going by car?

You would have liked to reduce your ecological impact but you have no choice: you go skiing by car. But in what ski resorti going on a snow holiday?

At the end of this article you can read a list of ski resorts easily accessible by car, but before that AlpAddict would like to give you some advice to organize your trip.

Driving while skiing: a necessary evil?

As a family, with children, luggage, equipment, the car certainly offers more flexibility and freedom in terms of schedules and journeys, while offering independence on site. Go skiing does not only mean choosing a place where the trails and landscapes attract us; it also includes planning the journey, costs and logistics to get there. This is why the car is still the most commonly chosen means of transport for go to the ski resort.

However, driving to ski resorts can present challenges depending on weather conditions, road types, and distance. Not everyone enjoys driving on snowy roads.

Additionally, driving alone to the mountain is a significant source of CO₂ emissions. You can still optimize your ski trip to minimize the environmental impact while still enjoying the mountains to the fullest. Opting for eco-responsible practices can make a difference.

Once you have made your choice, go on a ski holiday by car , you still have the possibility to choose the ski resort depending on the means of transport you have chosen.

Tips for a successful road trip to a ski resort

Equip your car for winter conditions: check your tires, prepare chains, and bring blankets and provisions just in case. Remember that in mountain areas, snow tires or chains on board are mandatory.
Plan ahead for station parking : some resorts offer reserved parking, but it can fill up quickly, especially in high season. Choose resorts where parking is accessible or well organized or for accommodations that offer parking available during your stay.
Plan your route to avoid complex mountain roads. For example, some resorts like La Clusaz and Valmorel are easily accessible without too many bends from the motorway exits, unlike higher altitude destinations like Tignes, Val Thorens, Montgenèvre or Isola 2000 where the roads can be more winding.

Carpooling to go skiing — Shared chairlift… like the car!

Eco-friendly tips for a road trip to a ski resort

Carpool ! By sharing your ride with other holidaymakers, you significantly reduce your carbon footprint per person. Platforms like Blablacar make it easy to organise carpools for mountain destinations.
Adopt eco-responsible driving: respect speed limits, anticipate braking and accelerate smoothly to reduce fuel consumption. Economical driving also reduces CO₂ emissions.
Opt for hybrid or electric vehicles if possible. Some stations have electric charging stations. Check in advance the availability of these infrastructures for a 100% electric trip. Stations easily accessible by car located near major cities and charging networks are ideal choices for a more sustainable stay.

Which ski resort to choose if you travel by car?

On low altitude stations, up to around 1200 metres, especially if they are located at the bottom of the valley, are generally, and logically, less subject to the winter weather hazards experienced by high-altitude resorts.

Concretely, what does it give?

All the stations in Haute Savoie tick this criterion, with the exception of Avoriaz, Praz de Lys and partly Vallorcine, because you have to cross the Col des Montets.

In Savoie, the choice is limited to Val d'Arly (Flumet, Crest Voland, Cohennoz, Praz sur Arly, ND of Bellcombe), at Beaufortain and in Orelle in the Maurienne Valley which allows you to ski in Val Thorens. Elsewhere, you have to take roads with hairpin bends that go quite high. They are always very well maintained, but of course when it snows, it can quickly become complicated for the uninitiated. Aren't they the " monchus "?

The same situation in Isère, where the three major ski resorts of Les 2 Alpes, L'Alpe d'Huez and Chamrousse are reached after about fifteen kilometres of hairpin bends. Apart from the Vercors, more accessible, it is better to know how to drive on snowy roads. Isère is not the department of valley bottom resorts!

In the Southern Alps, the climate is more generous. The sun shines more often and there are fewer snowy days. However, the high-altitude resorts accessible after long hairpin bends present the same access risks as in the Northern Alps. If this worries you, choose resorts accessible without hairpin bends from the valley: Serre Chevalier, from Briançon, the Devoluy, Queyras are good examples. On the other hand, resorts like Montgenèvre, Risoul 1850 or Isola 2000 are at altitudes that could require you to fit snow chains. But once again, this is to be tempered with the problem of snow cover that we will discuss later.

Stations Ubaye, around Barcelonnette, are also often easily accessible.

So of course, it's not the best plan from an ecological point of view, but when you come from far away, and especially as a family with children, the car remains the most comfortable means of transport.

You can still do a few things, such as avoiding the hours of traffic jams that clog up the valleys not only for tourists but also for locals, consuming locally and not taking the car once you are there!

Enjoy your stay in the Alps!

To learn more about how to choose your ski resort based on your criteria, you can download this little complete guide !