Lyon transfer or drive yourself

[Carrie76]

We’re skiing in Val Thorens and looking at airport transfers. The cheapest option is Bens bus but it’s booked out. So we either pay €1,000 for private return transfer or hire a car for €350. Has anyone driven it themselves? I presume the roads are gritted and safe to drive on 😬

Is there parking in Val T? Think it might be a car free resort

There is parking for €8 a day

When are you going? Presumably the rental comes complete with winter tyres (and chains for worst case?) can you fit a snow chain? I've driven it late in the season and it was fine but it can be unpredictable and the roads can't be cleared throughout the evening.

Were going at the start of February, I’ve driven in snow in Tasmania and New Zealand, parking in VT can be pre-booked. I’m just unsure as to how tricky the drive will be 😬Most companies have no availability for a transfer so we may have no choice

Can you get a shared transfer? We did this and it was a lot cheaper. Not to val theorems though. We used alpybus

Drove to VT many years ago - it's a straightforward journey from the airport to Moutiers - you go via Chambery & Albertville and there are a number of peages (all take cards) on the motorway - which is where you turn off to go up the mountain, I think. Just remember it taking quite a long time - over an hour to do this last stretch from Moutiers - but we drove up in the dark in heavy snow and had to stop and fit chains.

If the roads are clear it shouldn't be a problem, but make sure the hire company provides you with snowchains. And just make sure you're vigilant and get in the correct lane at Moutiers - the resorts are well sign-posted, but turning around there would be a pain.

I've driven. It's a mountain road with hairpins but lots and lots of cars doing it. We had to fit chains on our way back down. And then take them off at the bottom! Top tip - pack old gloves in hand luggage for handling the chains! It was a message affair!

Also pack a thick shopping bag or similar to kneel on - we take a head torch, bag, disposable gloves and wet wipes in event of chaining up: kneeling in the snow is not a lot of fun.

A head torch can also be useful when you need to fit chains

It is now compulsory to carry chains between certain months of the year (I think December to end of March). Swiss rentals (more expensive) provide them routinely with you only paying if you use them. French rentals have doubled their prices since the new regulation came in and it's now around 90E to hire.
Practise putting them on before you go (find a local friend in the UK who owns some) or at the very least, watch some YouTube videos on how to do it. As others have said, take old gloves and hand wipes and something to kneel on. Bear in mind you're likely to be doing this in a blizzard, quite possibly in the dark. Snow socks are easier but I'm not sure they're considered sufficient. Check that out.