Sainte Foy Resort

How To Get To Sainte Foy:

Sainte Foy is located in the heart of the French Tarentaise and is very easy to get to by air, rail or road. Located in one of Europe's most famous and well-established ski valleys, the transport networks are excellent.

Download our travel map which shows the location of Sainte Foy in relation to major towns and cities.

There are several transport modes to choose from when considering how best to get to resort:

• Channel Crossing Plus Self Drive: If you are coming from Britain, you can cross the Channel either on a ferry or on the Eurostar train service. Once you are in France, enjoy the scenic drive through France to Sainte Foy (Calais to Sainte Foy around 10-12 hours).
• Flight Plus Drive: Fly to one of the surrounding five airports which are all within around 3 hours' drive of Sainte Foy (the closest under 2 hours). Pick up your hire car and make your way to Sainte Foy.
• Flight Plus Private Transfer: Fly to one of the surrounding five airports which are all within around 3 hours' drive of Sainte Foy (the closest under 2 hours). Be greeted at the airport by your Première Neige chauffeur and be escorted in a VW minibus straight to Sainte Foy and as close to your front door as possible. Lots of luggage? Your chauffeur will even help carry your bags into your chalet.
• Flight Plus Public Transport: Fly to one of the surrounding five airports which are all within around 3 hours' drive of Sainte Foy (the closest under 2 hours). Catch a train or bus to Sainte Foy.
• Train Plus Private Transfer: Take the train from London or Ashford all the way to Bourg Saint Maurice which is just 25 minutes from Sainte Foy. Be greeted at the train station by your Première Neige chauffeur and be escorted in a VW minibus straight to Sainte Foy and as close to your front door as possible. Lots of luggage? Your chauffeur will even help carry your bags into your chalet.

Our Transport Services For You:

To ensure you have the most comfortable, relaxing journey possible to start your holiday, we offer several transport services:

• Flexible Sunday Transfers: as well as Sunday to Sunday holidays, we also offer Sunday private transfers. Avoid the busy Saturday changeover traffic and airport congestion plus ski on Saturday, the quietest day on the slopes.
• Private Transfers: return private transfers in our luxury VW Caravelle minibuses and VW Transporters. From the surrounding airports of Geneva, Lyon, Grenoble, Chambéry and Annecy as well as the train station in Bourg Saint Maurice. With plenty of luggage space, comfortable seating and child/baby seats, it’s the easiest way to travel to Sainte Foy.

Five airports serve the valley in which Sainte Foy is located. All of these airports are within around a three hour drive from the resort.

Annecy Airport (NCY):

Annecy airport (Annecy Meythet or Aéroport Annecy Haute-Savoie Mont Blanc) is a small airport located just under 2 hours from Sainte Foy (117 km / 72 miles). Air France offers flights from Britain to Annecy and the airport also receives many private flights.

Driving Map from Annecy to Sainte Foy

Chambéry Airport (CMF):

Chambéry airport (Aéroport de Chambéry-Savoie) is just 1 hour 45 minutes from Sainte Foy by car (124 km / 77 miles). It currently operates during the winter months but is continuing to grow in both size and the number of flights being scheduled there.

Driving map from Chambery to Sainte Foy

Contact us now to find out more details.

HeliJet operates helicopters and two to six-seater planes from Chambery airport for custom flights and connections between airports and ski resorts.
t: +33 (0)4 79 54 46 30

Geneva Airport (GVA):

Geneva airport is located in both Switzerland and France although it is easier to depart the airport from the Swiss side when travelling to Sainte Foy. The airport is around 2 hours 45 minutes from Sainte Foy (162 km / 100 miles).

Suggested airlines serving Geneva airport:

• Aer Lingus: from Dublin
• Air France: from Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton
• BMI Baby: from Birmingham, Cardiff, East Midlands, Manchester
• British Airways: from London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester
• Easyjet: from Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Bournemouth, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton, London Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle
• Flybe: from Exeter, Isle of Man, Jersey, Newquay, Norwich, Southampton
• Jet2: from Blackpool, Leeds Bradford, Manchester
• Thomson Fly: from Doncaster Sheffield

Driving Map from Geneva to Sainte Foy

Grenoble Airport (GNB):

Grenoble airport (Grenoble-Isère) is located around 2 hours 45 minutes from Sainte Foy (211km / 131 miles). The best driving route to Sainte Foy is often via Chambéry as it avoids driving through Grenoble which can be busy.

Suggested airlines serving Grenoble airport:

• British Airways: from London Gatwick
• Easyjet: from Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, London Gatwick, London Luton,
• Ryanair: from Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Stansted, Nottingham
• Thomson Fly: from Bournemouth, Coventry

Driving Map from Grenoble to Sainte Foy

Lyon Airport (LYS):

Lyon is the third largest city in France and has a very large airport (Aéroport Lyon Saint-Exupéry). It is located about 2 hours 45 minutes from Sainte Foy (213 km / 132 miles).

Suggested airlines serving Lyon airport:

• Aer Lingus: from Dublin
• Air France: from Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton
• BMI: from Durham, Manchester
• British Airways: from Brimingham, London City, London Heathrow, Manchester
• Easyjet: from London Gatwick, Stansted

Driving Map from Lyon to Sainte Foy

Prefer not to fly? Why not hop onto the winter ski trains which go all the way from London or Ashford all the way to Bourg Saint Maurice, just 25 minutes form your destination of Sainte Foy? It's easy, relaxing, and furthermore, it is better for the environment than flying. It can allow an extra day of skiing plus there is even a choice of daytime or overnight trains.

Once you arrive at Bourg Saint Maurice, we can pick you up directly from the train station with our private transfer service and safely drive you up to Sainte Foy and your luxury chalet or apartment.

How To Book The Ski Train:

Snowrail tells you everything you need to know about getting to the Alps by train:

• Eurostar trains run direct from London St Pancras to Bourg Saint Maurice on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings during the ski season
• Direct trains returning to London leave Bourg Saint Maurice on Saturday mornings and Saturday afternoons during the ski season
• Fares start from £149 return
• London to Bourg Saint Maurice direct trains take around 9 hours
• Ashford to Bourg Saint Maurice direct trains take just over 8 hours
• You can still travel to the French Alps outside of the ski season, with a simple change in Paris
• It’s free to take one extra item on the snow train (such as a pair of skis or a snowboard) with you as well as the normal luggage allowance
• A return journey with Eurostar to the French Alps is now carbon neutral (at no extra cost to travellers); in contrast, a Heathrow to Geneva flight releases 191kg of CO2 per person
• If you take the evening service both ways, you'll get 8 days of skiing instead of the usual 6

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Flown to one of Sainte Foy's surrounding airports or arrived locally by train? Interested in the public transport options from there? Here are the details:

From Annecy airport:

A bus service runs between the airport and the centre of Annecy which is about 6km away. The bus line is number 10 and it stops on the main road in front of the airport. There is also a taxi rank at the airport.

From Annecy town centre, it is possible to catch a train via Chambéry to Bourg Saint Maurice. The journey time including the change is around 2 hours 45 minutes and tickets can be booked in advance on the Rail Europe website. From there you will need to arrange a taxi or bus up to Sainte Foy.

From Bourg Saint Maurice train station:

Once you have reached Bourg Saint Maurice either by train or bus you are just 25 minutes form Sainte Foy! There are buses running in the winter with Transdev Martin which go between the train and bus station in Bourg Saint Maurice and Sainte Foy.

From Chambéry airport:

Altibus runs a coach transfer service between the airport and Sainte Foy taking around 2 hours 15 minutes.

As the airport is 10km from Chambéry town centre, catching a train from here is possible although it will take quite a lot longer. You will need to catch a taxi to the train station, a train to Bourg Saint Maurice, and then arrange a taxi or bus up to Sainte Foy from there.

From Geneva airport:

A coach transfer service operates between Geneva airport and Bourg Sainte Maurice and can be booked with Alpski Bus. The service takes around 2 hours 45 minutes. From there a taxi or bus will need to be arranged to get up to Sainte Foy.

Download the bus timetable for services between Bourg and Geneva for the 2010 winter season.

Trains run from Geneva airport to Bourg Saint Maurice via Chambéry and take around 3 to 4 hours depending on connections. The train station is below the airport and is clearly signed within the arrival terminal. All trains from the airport stop at Geneva town train station; it may be necessary to change at Geneva first and it is also necessary to pass through customs at this point so allow time for this if planning to travel from Switzerland to France on the train. Tickets can be booked through Rail Europe.

From Grenoble airport:

Agbus runs a coach transfer service from the airport to Bourg Saint Maurice which takes around 2 hours and 45 minutes, tickets can be booked online.

To catch a train to Bourg Saint Maurice you are able to hop onto a scheduled bus service into Grenoble town centre and the train and bus station there. This service is provided by Transisere and tickets can be bought on the bus when you arrive at the airport. This bus takes around 45 minutes.

From Grenoble train station it is possible to travel to Bourg Saint Maurice with a change at Chambéry. this typically takes around 3 hours, depending on connection times. Tickets can be booked at Rail Europe.

From Lyon airport:

A coach transfer service runs between the airport and Sainte Foy and tickets can be booked with Satobus Alpes.

Trains depart from the airport throughout the year. Some trains are direct to Bourg Saint Maurice and take around 3 hours. Indirect trains require a change at Chambéry and usually take between 4 and 5 hours. Trains can be booked through Rail Europe.

Driving To Sainte Foy

Download our travel map which shows all the main roads to Sainte Foy along with approximate distances.

There are various options should you decide to drive to Sainte Foy for your ski holiday. Whether you drive from the UK in your own vehicle or hire a car at the airport or train station, it is worth reading the information below which provides suggested routes, stopover hotels and some practical tips.

Crossing the Channel:

• Ferries from Dover to Calais, Boulogne and Dunkerque offer the shortest crossing times; view a map
• Eurotunnel's Channel Tunnel Shuttle service allows you to put your car on the train at Folkestone and arrive at Calais from where you can drive on to Sainte Foy.
• Norfolk Line operate between Dover and Dunkerque and the average crossing time is 1 hour 45 minutes.
• P&O Ferries run between Dover and Calais and take 1 hour 30 minutes on average.
• Sea France run a Dover to Calais service which takes a little over 1 hour

Driving Directions:

Boulogne to Sainte Foy:

• The driving time from here is approximately 9 to 10 hours (depending on traffic conditions and not including breaks)
• The distance from Boulogne to Sainte Foy is about 993 km / 617 miles
• French motorways are toll roads so take this cost into consideration when planning your drive
• View a suggested driving map from Boulogne

Calais to Sainte Foy:

• If you have crossed the Channel either by ferry or via the Channel Tunnel, the driving time from here is approximately 9 to 10 hours (depending on traffic conditions and not including breaks)
• The distance from Calais to Sainte Foy is about 983 km / 611 miles
• French motorways are toll roads so take this cost into consideration when planning your drive
• View a suggested driving map from Calais

Dunkerque to Sainte Foy:

• The driving time from here is approximately 9 to 10 hours (depending on traffic conditions and not including breaks)
• The distance from Dunkerque to Sainte Foy is about 991 km / 616 miles
• French motorways are toll roads so take this cost into consideration when planning your drive
• View a suggested driving map from Dunkerque

Geneva airport to Sainte Foy:

• When you leave the airport, follow signs to France via a short section of Swiss motorway
• To drive on Swiss motorways, you need to have a sticker on your car (vignette). If you are hiring a car, check whether it has one of these before setting off
• The Swiss use green signs for motorways while the French use blue signs for motorways
• Having crossed the border into France you have two options: French motorway (blue) or 'D' roads (routes departementales) via Annecy:
• View the motorway route (via Chambéry - Albertville - Moûtiers - Bourg Sainte Maurice - Séez - Sainte Foy village - Sainte Foy resort
• View the Annecy route (via Annecy Sud - Lake Annecy - Ugine - Albertville - Moûtiers - Bourg Saint Maurice - Séez - Sainte Foy village - Sainte Foy resort
• Time-wise, there isn't much between the two routes, the motorway route costs more due to tolls
• During busy periods (school holidays etc), the motorway is often the best route as it gets less congested
• The Annecy route is much prettier and affords a scenic stop on the lake
• Both routes bring you to Albertville, the motorway finishes just before this town

Albertville to Sainte Foy, The Last Leg:

• The only way into the valley in winter is via Albertville. This route can become very congested on Saturdays
• From Albertville Continue to Moûtiers and on to Aime
• Pass through Aime and on to Bourg Saint Maurice
• Follow the main road through Bourg Saint Maurice, past the train station on your right
• Continue straight over the next round-about (next to Le Tonneau), then at the next round-about (McDonald's) turn left towards Séez
• Pass though Séez, then turn right following signs to Val-d'Isère/Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise/Tignes/D902/Villaroger)
• Pass through Sainte Foy Tarentaise (the village) and continue to La Thuile
• Turn left at La Thuile up to Sainte Foy resort (Bonconseil)
• Arrive at Sainte Foy!

Important Points to Note:

• The Col du Petit St Bernard and the Col de l’Iseran are closed in winter despite what satellite navigation systems might say
• Please do not attempt to reach Sainte Foy via the Mont Blanc tunnel in winter as the Col (mountain pass) is closed due to the snow. This may also be the case when approaching from the Turin side of Italy. It is worth checking the Tunnel de Fréjus website before setting off to check that the tunnel is open
• Please do not confuse Sainte Foy Tarentaise (Chef Lieu), which is a village, with Sainte Foy resort which is known as Bonconseil. The village is 4km down the road so when you reach this you are not far from the resort!

Suggested Stopover Hotels:

If driving from the UK to Sainte Foy, Troyes is a good option, being around six hours from Sainte Foy. This enables you to break up your journey into two days, have a good rest overnight and complete your journey. Some suggested hotel options in Troyes:

• Le Royal Hotel: forty air-conditioned rooms, rates from €65 per person per night
• View map of Troyes

If you are travelling home from Sainte Foy, Reims is a good option as it is a day's drive from Sainte Foy but only necessitates a drive of a further two to three hours the following day to reach Calais. Some suggested hotel options in Reims:

• Holiday Inn Express: in a very central location just five minutes' walk from the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral. Sixty-six modern bedrooms, rates from €62
• Le Vieux Cèdre: a unique bed-and-breakfast just outside Reims in the Champagne region of France. Excellent accommodation and a great breakfast! Rates from €56
• View map of Reims

Useful Tips:

Although driving in France is quite straightforward, there are several points to note before setting off on your journey:

• Since October 1st 2008, the French Road Safety Department has confirmed that all drivers in France, including drivers of vehicles registered outside of France, must have one warning triangle and one reflective jacket in their vehicle
• View the AA's touring tips for France
• View real time traffic conditions across France
• French motorways operate on a toll system; find out more
• Roads up to Sainte Foy are generally well cleared of snow although at times heavy snowfalls may require chains to be fitted to vehicles. Special areas off the roads have been made for this purpose and are called an 'aire de chaînage'. There is a chain area at La Thuile before you start the final climb to Sainte Foy resort
• Ensure you have either correctly-fitting snow chains (and know how to fit them properly) in case of heavy snow or icy conditions
• Winter tyres or snow and mud tyres can be fitted to vehicles and will provide better grip than normal road tyres but always bring chains just in case
• The last large petrol station before driving up to Sainte Foy resort is at Super U in Bourg Saint Maurice
• Suggested hire car companies are: Europcar, Hertz, Holiday Autos

When & How To Travel

We have been operating in Sainte Foy for several years during which time we have learnt some valuable tips for travelling to the French Alps during winter. Based on our experience, here are some suggested pointers for when to travel and which methods of travel offer the easiest, most comfortable transportation to Sainte Foy.*

Saturdays:

The majority of people travelling to and from the French Alps for their skiing or snowboarding holiday travel on a Saturday. As a result, airports and roads can get very congested during peak periods. Typical travelling times to Sainte Foy can be extended during such times as Christmas, New Year, and February school holidays.

Roads are often busiest on Saturdays between 14:00 and 19:00 for arriving traffic and between 08:00 and 13:00 for departing traffic. With this in mind, we suggest that you try to plan to arrive or depart outside of these busy times. Consider booking an earlier or later flight, or consider finishing your drive when the roads have calmed down. Bear in mind that check-in time to all of our properties is 16:00, however, wherever possible we will store your luggage securely until you are able to enter your chalet or apartment.

Sundays:

Sundays are generally quieter for travelling to Sainte Foy than Saturdays during the winter. The roads are often noticeably less busy. As we offer a large number of properties, both catered and self-catered, which are Sunday to Sunday bookings, this is an excellent day on which to travel and start your holiday.

We also offer private transfers from the airports as well as Bourg Saint Maurice train station so no need to worry about how to get up to Sainte Foy resort on a Sunday!

How To Travel:

Our recommended method of travel is the ski train followed by a private transfer up to resort. The ski train is easy, relaxing, and furthermore, it is better for the environment than flying. It can allow an extra day of skiing plus there is even a choice of daytime or overnight trains. Find out more about the ski train.

As for the drive up to resort, this is a route which we know very well and do most days during the winter season. Our English-speaking drivers are experienced at driving on the mountain roads, at driving in snow, in putting on snow chains, and driving our VW Caravelles and Transporters which carry 8 passengers plus plenty of luggage. So why not step off the train at Bourg Saint Maurice to be greeted by your chauffeur who will safely conduct your simple transfer direct to Sainte Foy resort?

* Please note that this is suggested, rather than definitive, information.