Chalet Chardon Les Gets Portes du Soleil

Getting There:

By Road:

Les Gets has very easy access by road. From Calais, the journey is 540 miles, all motorway except the last 15 miles, and can easily be done in 8hr driving time. It is essential to have snow chains in the car in winter, but they are seldom needed, as the road is kept well cleared. For detailed directions click here.

Although we recommend that you have a car, it is by no means essential. You can ski from and back to the chalet, and even in poor snow conditions, the maximum walk carrying skis is only about 300m. The links to Avoriaz and the rest of the Portes du Soleil can be made on skis. The shops and restaurants are within walking distance.

Flights:

Geneva is the nearest airport, and well served by both low-cost carriers and the major airlines. (The information here relates to winter 02/03, and may not apply in summer 03 or winter 03/04):

EasyJet/Go fly from Luton and Gatwick 4-6 times daily, twice daily from Liverpool and once daily from East Midlands.

Ryanair (was Buzz) fly once daily, Saturdays only, from Stansted.

Swiss/Crossair and British Airways fly several times daily from Heathrow and Gatwick. Both sites are tediously slow, especially the Swiss/Crossair site. However, both can be very competitive re price compared with easyJet at peak season and sensible times.

If you intend to fly and hire a car, in peak season, when the EasyJet flights to Geneva are heavily booked and hence expensive, it is worth considering alternative airports with a somewhat longer journey to Les Gets. Ryanair/Buzz fly from Stansted to Chambery (1.5hrs' drive, twice daily flights), Grenoble (2hr, once daily) and Dijon (2.5hr, once daily).

To get to the resort from the airport, you can either hire a car, or take taxis at each end of the week. From Geneva airport to the chalet is 38 miles via the city centre, or 47 miles by the motorway, for which you need a Swiss vignette. Both routes take just over1hr. Taxi transfers (pre-booked) cost around £70 each way. There is also a coach service several times daily from the airport direct to Les Gets. If hiring a car from Geneva, you can choose to pick it up at either the French side of the airport or the Swiss side. The French side is cheaper, but less convenient, and the car will not have a vignette. Also, hire of chains and winter tyres is compulsory if you visit a ski resort in winter, and the cost is usually extra on the French side and included on the Swiss side, so check prices for both options. For detailed driving instructions from Geneva airport to Les Gets, click here.