Serre Chevalier Ski Transfers – Private Airport Transfers to the Southern Alps

Serre Chevalier is not one village but four, strung along the Guisane between Briançon and the Col du Lautaret: Chantemerle, Villeneuve, Le Monêtier-les-Bains and Briançon itself. They share 250 km of piste on the north-facing side of the valley, and their altitude — 1,200 m at the bottom, 2,800 m at the top — combines with the light of the Southern Alps to give the resort its reputation: cold snow, and sun on it.

Briançon, at the lower end, is the highest town in France and a fortified Vauban site listed by UNESCO. It is one of the few ski destinations where the evening options include a walled town rather than a resort street.

Which airport for Serre Chevalier?

Turin (TRN) — 131 km, about 2 h 45

The closest airport, and the surprise for most British visitors. The route runs west from Turin, through the Fréjus road tunnel and down the Maurienne to Briançon. Flights from the UK and northern Europe are frequent in winter and often cheaper than the French airports.

Grenoble Alpes-Isère (GNB) — 155 km, about 2 h 55

The French option most people know, with weekend charters through the season. The road crosses the Col du Lautaret at 2,058 m — spectacular, and the part of the journey most affected by heavy snow.

Lyon Saint-Exupéry (LYS) — 204 km, about 3 h 30

Year-round flights and the widest choice of airlines, at the cost of the longest French drive.

Marseille Provence (MRS) — 244 km, about 3 h 20

The approach from the south, up the Durance valley. Worth comparing for flights from southern Europe, and it avoids the Lautaret entirely.

The Lautaret, the tunnel, and winter

Two of these routes cross a real obstacle. From Grenoble, the Col du Lautaret at 2,058 m is kept open through the winter but closes for a few hours at a time during heavy snowfall or avalanche control; when it does, the alternative is a long detour and a transfer that takes twice as long. From Turin, the Fréjus tunnel removes the pass altogether, which is one reason the Italian route is often the more reliable in a storm.

Whichever way you come, winter tyres and chains are required in the Hautes-Alpes from 1 November to 31 March, and our vehicles carry both. Tell us your flight number and we set the pick-up from the actual landing time.

Which village should the driver take you to?

The four villages are 15 km apart end to end, and the difference matters when you land at midnight. Briançon is the town, with the fort and the shops. Chantemerle and Villeneuve are the two main lift bases. Le Monêtier, at the top of the valley, is the quietest of the four and the one with the thermal baths. Give us the exact address when you book — it is the same journey, but not the same last twenty minutes.

Serre Chevalier at a glance

• 250 km of piste between 1,200 m and 2,800 m, on the shaded side of the Guisane valley.
• Four villages: Briançon, Chantemerle, Villeneuve and Le Monêtier-les-Bains, on one lift pass.
• Around 300 days of sun a year in the Southern Alps — the reason the resort skis differently from the Tarentaise.
• Briançon is a UNESCO-listed Vauban fortified town, and the highest town in France at 1,326 m.
• Le Monêtier has natural hot springs, used since Roman times, at the top end of the valley.

Skis, luggage and children

Ski and snowboard bags travel free, and the vehicle is sized to the equipment you declare rather than to the number of seats. Flag anything bulky when you book.

Child and booster seats are free and fitted before departure — an approved restraint is required for every child under 10 in France, and this is a long transfer to make without one.

Which vehicle, and when to book

On a journey of three hours, a private vehicle earns its price: it leaves when you land, stops when you ask, and goes to your door. The vehicle category is set by your group and your luggage — in winter the boot fills before the seats do. Book as soon as your flights are set — the Hautes-Alpes fill for the February half-terms, and vehicles crossing the border are taken early.