Self-drive Ski Holidays to France

Driving to French ski resorts

France is the favourite for self-drive ski holidays from the UK. Its resorts are the quickest and easiest to reach, and there are some fantastic towns and cities to visit along the way if you want to extend your trip.

The fastest way to cross the channel to Calais is via the Eurotunnel Le Shuttel, which sets of from Folkestone (4 times an hour at peak season) and arrives 35 minutes later. Your other option is the ferry, which takes longer to reach the other side (usually 90 minutes) but also tends to be cheaper. Having an hour and a half of non-driving time can be handy if you’ve already been on the road for a few hours before reaching Dover – giving you the chance to rest and have a change of scene before you’re back behind the wheel.

From Calais, the best self-drive ski resorts take around 8-10 hours to reach (breaks not included). Most routes take you straight along the A26, onto the A5 after Toyes and then onto the A31 – forking off around Dijon to pass either Lyon or Geneva and then continuing to the ski resorts.

Not only does driving keep your carbon footprint down, with a full car it nearly always works out cheaper as you’re paying for channel crossings, tolls and fuel per car rather than per passenger (as you would with flights or rail). Self-drive also makes travel a lot more flexible – you can set off whenever you like, stop when, where and for however long you please and also avoid the hassle of luggage weight limits, check ins and baggage carousels.

Approx. toll costs for driving to the French Alps from Calais:

70-90€ (as of 2021)

Approx. fuel costs for driving to the French Alps from Calais:

80-90€ (as of 2021)

France road rules

• Legal driving age: 18
• Drive on the right
• Speed camera detectors not allowed
• Seat belts must be fastened

Items required for driving in France (as of 2021):

• Driving licence
• European breakdown cover
• Proof of insurance
• ID/passport
• V5C certificate
• Reflective jacket
• Warning triangle
• Headlamp deflectors
• Breathalyser
• GB sticker
• Spare bulbs
• Snow chains
• Crit'Air vignette if driving through Paris, Lyon or Grenoble

Good overnight stops on a drive to the French Alps

If you want to see another face of France during your time away, these destinations are either en-route or can be reached by a short detour:

Reims – the champagne region

Paris – city centre or Disneyland

Dijon – the historic capital of Burgundy

Best French Ski Resorts for Self-drive

With distance and approximate non-stop driving time from Calais

La Plagne

523 miles, 7 hrs 50 mins

Les Gets

537 miles, 8 hrs 10 mins

Chamonix

554 miles, 8 hrs 15 mins

Megeve

546 miles, 8 hrs 15 mins

Morzine

542 miles, 8 hrs 20 mins

Flaine

548 miles, 8 hrs 30 mins

Avoriaz

550 miles, 8 hrs 40 mins

Les 2 Alpes

580 miles, 9 hours

Meribel

594 miles, 9 hours

Alpe d’Huez

578 miles, 9 hours

Courchevel

599 miles, 9 hrs 15 mins

Val Thorens

606 miles, 9 hrs 20 mins

Les Arcs

606 miles, 9 hrs 30 mins

Tignes

619 miles, 9 hrs 40 mins

Val d’Isere

620 miles, 9 hrs 40 mins

The information on this page was accurate for the 2017/18 ski season, but it is recommended that you check the latest laws and journey details through sources like the RAC and ViaMichelin.

Find more advice and information on driving to the alps or browse self-drive holidays in Austria, Switzerland, Italy or throughout Europe.