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How to get to Les Arcs

Discover the top ways to get to Les Arcs

Updated

With four nearby airports and a train station only seven minutes away, there are plenty of options for getting to Les Arcs.

Les Arcs sits at the heart of Paradiski, one of the largest and highest mountain resorts in Europe.

The easiest way for most international visitors to get here is probably to fly to Geneva.

But Les Arcs is definitely doable by train too. Bourg St Maurice railway station is only seven minutes away and links directly to the resort via funicular.  

If you're driving, it's straightforward as far as Bourg St Maurice. The road gets increasingly twisty after that.

So given the options, what’s the best way to get here? 

Plane over snow-capped mountains

Flying to Les Arcs

Flying to Geneva is probably the easiest way to get to Les Arcs for most international visitors.

You'll easily pick up a transfer from Geneva. You can also hire a car and be on your way in no time. Journey time is around 2h45.

The only trouble with flying anywhere is the environmental cost. Driving, coming by coach or catching a train are usually better options if you want to reduce CO2 emissions.

Flying to other airports

Lyon or Grenoble are options for Les Arcs if you can’t get a flight to Geneva. Both are around 215km away and transfers take 2h30 hours.

Chambery is actually closer than the three airports already mentioned, but it's a lot smaller and not as many airlines fly there. But if you can get a flight then great. 

We wouldn't recommend flying to Turin or Milan - even if they look close on the map. It usually takes a lot longer to get to the resort, and you'll often have to rely on pricey private transfers.

About Transfers to Val Thorens

Getting from the airport to Les Arcs

There are several ways to get from the airport to Les Arcs. If your transfer only takes you as far as Bourg St Maurice, you can hop on the funicular at the train station and be at Arcs 1600 (the lowest of the Les Arcs) resorts in just seven minutes. 

There are free shuttle buses between Les Arcs 1600 and other villages in the resort (including Les Arcs 1800, Les Arcs 1950 and Les Arcs 2000).

Airport transfer options for Les Arcs
Flying to Best option Journey time
Chambery Private transfers to Les Arcs 2000
Regular bus services to Bourg St Maurice on weekends during the winter season
1h50
2h45
Geneva Airport transfer to Les Arcs 2000 3h15
Grenoble Private airport transfers to Les Arcs 2000 3h
Lyon Private transfers to Les Arcs 2000
Regular bus service to Bourg St Maurice
3h
3h15
About Trains to La Plagne

Train to Les Arcs

Getting to Les Arcs by train may involve a few changes, which can be tricky with baggage or kids. But:

  • it's the most environmentally-friendly option
  • you get more leg room than on a plane or in a car
  • you normally won't have to pay extra for luggage
  • journey times can be similar to driving or flying if you're doing a trip like London to Les Arcs

Which train station is closest to Les Arcs

Bourg St Maurice is the closest train station to Les Arcs and it's connected to Arcs 1600 by a funicular that takes seven minutes. 

High speed (TGV) trains from Paris and the Eurostar Snow train stop at Bourg St Maurice. 

If you're coming to Les Arcs from the UK

London to Les Arcs by train takes nine to 12 hours.

About Transfers to Val Thorens

Driving to Les Arcs

Les Arcs is relatively easy to get to by car, but you don't really need your car once you're in resort, thanks to the free shuttle buses.

Read more about parking in Les Arcs

If you're using the French autoroute, the journey as far as Bourg St Maurice is straightforward. The final 35 minutes is a little more arduous as you wind your way up the 17km stretch into Les Arcs.

This road is cleared every day during winter, but it's not a trip for nervous drivers - especially in bad weather. 

Remember too that if you're coming here for a ski holiday, you'll need to fit winter tyres or keep snow chains in the boot of your car.   

Driving to Les Arcs from the UK

It takes about 9h40 to drive from Calais to Les Arcs - a distance of around 930km.

Unless you're driving an electric car to the Alps however, driving isn't very environmentally friendly.

About Transfers to Val Thorens

Coach to Les Arcs

Getting to Les Arcs by coach takes longer than flying. It's usually cheaper though, which makes it a good option if you're on a budget.

It's also a relatively environmentally-friendly way to travel.

International coach companies like FlixBus, Eurolines, BlaBlaBus and RegioJet run services to Lyon, Grenoble and Geneva. From there, you can pick up a bus transfer to Les Arcs.

Coaches from London to Les Arcs

There's a direct overnight coach from London to Les Arcs that runs once a week during the winter. The coach stops in Bourg St Maurice, where you can hop on the funicular for a short ride into the resort.

Total journey time is about 19 hours.

About Getting to Val Thorens

Reducing your environmental impact

We know flying is often the most convenient way to get to Les Arcs, but we'd encourage you to look at alternatives.

As Bourg St Maurice is so close to the resort, Les Arcs is one of the few ski resorts where it's genuinely possible to do the journey without lots of changes. This means you can minimise your carbon footprint while still getting to the resort in good time.

Carbon footprint | Comparing ways to get to Les Arcs
Mode of transport CO2 per km per person
Train 6 grams
Electric car with 4 passengers 13 grams
Coach 28 grams
Diesel car with 4 passengers 43 grams
Petrol car with 4 passengers 48 grams
Flying 156 grams

Source: Carbon footprint of travel per kilometre (ourworldindata.org)