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Getting to Avoriaz

Avoriaz is a car-free resort. Geneva is the nearest airport and transfers take under two hours using a specialist transfer service, or you can hire a car, or take a bus. There are also two train stations within an hour’s drive of Avoriaz. 

Nearest Airports to Avoriaz

Approximate distances and travel times from the nearest airports to Avoriaz (assuming good road conditions):

  • Geneva Airport to Avoriaz: 100 km; about 1 hour, 45 minutes drive.
  • Chambery Airport to Avoriaz: 165 km; about 2 hours, 10 mins drive.
  • Grenoble-Isere Airport to Avoriaz: 222 km; about 2 hours 35 mins drive.
  • Lyon St Exupery Airport to Avoriaz : 217 km; about 2 hours, 30 minutes drive.

Airport Transfers to Avoriaz

Avoriaz is a car-free resort, so it tends to be easier and cheaper to get there from the airport by a transfer service rather than hiring a car and having to leave it outside the resort in an official car park. Most transfer services take you to the Les Prodains Lift outside Morzine, which stays open until late at night, and from where a cable car whisks you into Avoriaz. This is usually quicker than driving up the final twisty mountain road to the official Welcome Point on the edge of the Avoriaz (you’re not allowed to drive beyond this). There are special electric taxis and horse drawn sleighs to take you from the Welcome Point or the Cable Car station to your accommodation, but you may not need them because Avoriaz is very compact.

Ski-Lifts Airport Transfers

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Bus Services from Geneva Airport to Avoriaz

There are also public bus services from Geneva airport to Avoriaz (usually to the Prodains lift), but the service is not very frequent and much slower than airport transfer. 

Getting to Avoriaz by Rail

The closest train stations to Avoriaz are at:

  • Cluses (42kms away/1 hour drive)
  • Thonon-les-Bains (45 kms/1 hour drive)

The quickest way to get from the stations to the resort is by taxi. Thes can be booked in advance through Ski-Lifts. There are also cheaper but slower scheduled public bus services as well – see www.altibus.com for details.

Both Cluses and Thonon-les-Baines have direct TGV service from Paris Gare de Lyon which take about four and a half hours. But there are not many direct trains to either station, so often you have to change onto a local TER service at Bellegarde, Annecy or Lyons. The fastest indirect services can be slightly quicker than the direct service. Full details are at www.voyages-sncf.com.

Neither Cluses nor Thonon-les-Baines currently have direct Eurostar services from London but this is subject to change.

Driving to Avoriaz

Arriving in Avoriaz by car means first making your way to Morzine – the shortest route from Geneva airport is via Thonon-les-Baines and is just 85 kms (53 miles) but it can be quicker to go via the A40 and get off at Exit 18 at Cluses. Once you’ve reached Morzine, your choice is between a 40 minute drive up the mountain and parking or parking your car and taking the Prodains Cable car to the Avoriaz plateau – which takes about 7 minutes. 

If you’re driving all the way from the UK, it takes about 9 hours from Calais. The A26 route is usually quicker than the A6 route.

Parking in Avoriaz

Avoriaz is car-free, so if driving you will need to park outside the resort. There is a covered car park at the entrance to the resort; an outdoor car park 300m away; or parking near the Les Prodains lift (which goes into the heart of the resort) just outside Morzine. Booking a car parking space in advance is advisable. 

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