Getting Around Guide to 2 Alpes

You're arrived in Les 2 Alpes after flying, driving, catching the train or transfer bus, but how do you find your way around whilst you're here? We've put together this handy guide on the best way to get around so you can get to all the key places, and help you find your bearings quickly. 

Buses

Once in resort, getting about is easy, with the free shuttle bus running round town all day, plus two extra buses serving the Village at 1800 and the apartments up the hill at the Venosc side. You can ride the buses with or without a ski pass. There’s no night bus service though, so bear in mind that if you fall out of the Avalanche in the small hours and you’re staying on Petit Plan, you’ll have a bit of a hike to get home.

One of the plus points of the 2 Alpes lift pass is the access it gives you to other resorts in the area – two days in Alpe d’Huez plus one each in Serre Chevalier, Montgenevre, Puy St Vincent and the Milky Way resorts. Whilst you can in theory take public transport to get to Serre Chevalier, in practice you’d get there with enough time to do only one run before you had to turn round and catch the bus back home.

If you haven’t brought a car, then realistically the only one of the resorts you're more likely to visit is Alpe d’Huez. Transport to Alpe d’Huez is easy. There’s a bus service every Wednesday and Thursday leaving resort around 08:30 and getting you back around 18:00. Tickets can be bought in advance from the VFD office on the Avenue de la Muzelle.

Helicopter

If you want a quicker trip and a cool experience, opt for the daily helicopter transfer from Cretes direct to the Altiport at Alpe d’Huez. This takes about 10 minutes and offers a breathtaking view of the Parc des Ecrins. Book it at the lift office in the middle of town, but remember that it won’t go if a) the weather’s bad or b) they don’t fill all the seats on both legs of the trip – at 70€ return the flight is a bargain, but they keep the price down by filling every seat every time it flies. Check it out early in the week for advice on the best day to go.

Driving

If you’ve come by car, it’s more than feasible to ski a different resort every day. Cut the journey time to Alpe d’Huez by heading to Auris just across the valley and starting from there.

The trip to Serre Chevalier usually takes just over an hour by car, but you’ll want to add a bit this season, as one of the tunnels on the main road has been threatening to slide into the Lac de Chambon since last April, and access this winter will be via a temporary route round the other side of the lake.