Driving from Geneva Airport to Val d'Isère

Have you ever tried doing this? Hiring a car andchoice again between more motorway and the
driving to your favourite ski resort? From someonenormal main road. Again, the motorway is slower
who's done it, let me tell you it's not as easy as itexcept in bad weather. (If driving conditions are really
sounds, especially if you are short sighted and havediabolical, or there is heavy traffic, it is probably
no sense of direction.faster and safer to take this autoroute, the A41,
Abundant cheap flights from the UK to Geneva havepast Annecy to Chambéry, then take the A43
made it easier than ever to do your own thing, hire ato Albertville, in spite of the extra 30 miles this adds.
car and head for the slopes.Luckily you do not need a vignette for French
Determined types shun the maps offered by theirmotorways.)
car-hire company and follow signs, ending upHowever, normally, the quickest route is through the
circumnavigating the picturesque but confusing centrecentre of Annecy, following ALBERTVILLE.
of Geneva, usually several times, sharing traffic jamsUnfortunately, the Annecy Town Council would
with Swiss commuters.rather send you, literally, round the houses, so the
So the first piece of advice is to hire a car on thesigns to follow are "LAC" at first, and then "CENTRE
Swiss side of the airport rather than the French sideVILLE" and then "ALBERTVILLE". After that, it's plain
- for a very simple reason that the Swiss car parkssailing.
are closer to the terminal building, but also for theOnce through Albertville, go left towards MOUTIERS.
motorway vignette or ticket, of which more below.This road takes you straight on to Bourg St. Maurice
On leaving the airport follow TOUTES DIRECTIONS,and then Val d'Isère, about an hour and a half
then the green FRANCE signs. These will take youfrom Albertville. The whole journey should take from
along a long, straight road, at the end of which thethree to three and a half hours.
FRANCE signs take you left. Stay in the right-handFor the return journey, leave the expressway at
lane, because immediately after the left turn youAlbertville, following ANNECY. Go through the centre
follow FRANCE to the right, down the motorway slipof Annecy, following GENEVE, except in bad
road.weather, when it's easier to follow the TOUTES
This autoroute, with a strictly enforced 100kph speedDIRECTIONS or autoroute signs just before Annecy.
limit, takes you to the border. In Switzerland, inUnless you have or don't mind buying the Swiss
theory, you need an annual vignette, or licence, toautoroute vignette, you must avoid joining the
use their motorways, but we have only ever heardmotorway back to the airport at the border, so half
of one car being stopped on the way out ofan hour after Annecy, when you see signs to the
Switzerland and made to pay the £20 or so. (Ifmotorway and Geneva to your right, stay on the
you don't want to run that slight risk, don't take themain road. You go towards St. Julien, and then pick
slip road but carry straight on, looking out for ST.up GENEVE. There's an easy-to-miss left turn at the
JULIEN or ANNECY - in blue, because in Switzerlandsecond traffic light. At this frontier post, at Perly, go
green is for the autoroute.). However, Swiss hire carsthrough the red channel: the green one is for locals.
should have the vignette already - you shouldHowever, you can save lots of time now by taking
definitely check with your hire company beforethe left turn onto the motorway about a mile into
setting out.Switzerland. It is at a traffic light, and marked
You cross the border after a few miles ofLAUSANNE. Once again, you theoretically need the
motorway. A quarter of a mile later, filter right,vignette, and should have one with your Swiss hire
following the green ANNECY sign, not the blue, unlesscar but may not be spotted if you're in your own car
there is heavy snow. In France, green is for ordinarywithout one. The airport exit is clearly marked, as is
roads and blue is for autoroutes, and the motorwaythe exit for the French sector if that is where you
route to Annecy is twice as long as the direct route.have to return your car.
Following ANNECY, you will bear right again and goWe wish you a bon voyage, and happy skiing.
round a roundabout. In a few miles, you have a