© Erich Westendarp
How to Get to La Plagne
Discover the top ways to get to La Plagne
With three nearby airports and a train station only 20km away, there are plenty of options for getting to La Plagne.
La Plagne is about 2h30 or so drive or bus ride from Geneva airport.
If you're driving, it's straightforward as far as Aime. The road after that gets increasingly twisty.
La Plagne isn’t on a train line, but high speed (TGV) trains from Paris and the Eurostar snow train stop at Aime, which is only 20km away. From there, you can catch a bus to the resort.
So given the options, what’s the best way to get here?
Flying to La Plagne
La Plagne is around 2h30 from Geneva, Grenoble and Chambery, so in theory any of those airports are good for the resort.
However, flying to Geneva is probably still the easiest way to get to La Plagne for most international visitors, due to the number of airlines and transfer companies that operate there.
You'll easily pick up a transfer from Geneva. You can also hire a car and be on your way in no time.
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 is also an option for La Plagne. The journey time is just under three hours.
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.
Train to La Plagne
Getting to La Plagne by train may involve a few changes, which can be tricky with baggage or kids. But, if you're in no rush the train is the most environmentally-friendly option and it's arguably the most comfortable way to travel.
Aime is the closest train station to La Plagne. It's about 20km from the centre of the resort, or 45 minutes by bus. High speed (TGV) trains from Paris and the Eurostar Snow train stop here.
Overall journey times can also be similar to driving or flying if you're doing a long trip.
Driving to La Plagne
La Plagne is relatively easy to get to by car, but you don't really need your car once you're in resort. Read more about getting around the resort.
If you're using the French autoroute, the final 25 minutes is a little tricky as you wind your way up the 20km stretch into La Plagne. This road is cleared every day during winter, but if you're a nervous driver, you might prefer to do this bit by bus.
Unless you're driving an electric car to the Alps however, please consider driving isn't very environmentally friendly.
Coach to La Plagne
Getting to La Plagne 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 La Plagne.
There's an overnight coach from London to La Plagne that runs once a week during the winter. It takes about 20 hours.
Reducing your environmental impact
We know flying is often the most convenient way to get to La Plagne, but we'd encourage you to look at alternatives.
One option is to take the train as far as Geneva, Grenoble or Lyon and do the last leg by transfer from the airport or city centre. This allows you to minimise your carbon footprint while still getting to the resort in good time.
| 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)
