Directions
The ease of access to Le Chatelard and our chalet means that it is possible to leave in the morning and be skiing in winter by lunchtime at Les Aillons or lunching and swimming in <a href=”http://www.lac-annecy.com/gb/”>Lake Annecy</a> in the summer, so weekend breaks are also possible.
Flydrive – Geneva, Chambery, Grenoble
Flights run regularly and if booking in advance you should get a return for about £50. Go to https://www.skyscanner.net/flights-to/gva/airlines-that-fly-to-geneva-airport.html for prices and flight times from all airports.
Access to Le Chatox in Le Chatelard is just 60 minutes away from picking up your car in Geneva, now the new motorway route to Annecy is open. Car hire is available from £22 a day at http://www.autoeurope.co.uk/go/car-hire-uk/. We strongly recommend hiring the car from the Swiss side if you use the toll roads to get to us (which is the quickest route, see below, and costs around 7€ each way). In Switzerland you are required to have a vignette to drive on the motorways. Swiss hire cars will have these but not the French ones. When crossing the border using the motorway, usually when returning to Switzerland, the guards may spot that you do not have a vignette and relieve you of 40CHF (approx £30) to purchase one.
Directions from Geneva Airport (Swiss side) to Le Chatelard (75 km)
As you leave the car rental follow the signs to France.
Continue on this road (Route de Pre Bois) until you can go no further (about 1km) and then turn left.
Immediately get into right hand lane and take the next right which is the slip road onto the A1/E25/E62.
After passing through customs/frontier into France continue on toll road A401 to Annecy A41.
Take Exit 15 marked Rumilly, (not Exit 15.1 which is the one before), and once off the auto-route and through tolls take 3rd exit off the roundabout towards Cusy on D3. You pass through Hery sur Alby after about 5 minutes and can stop off for a snack / meal at L’Alibi Bar (04 50 44 54 28) on the right hand side.
At the end of the road at Cusy centre – take left turn towards Lescheraines.
At Lescheraines (centre) veer left. Pass through La Motte-en-Bauges & Le Chatelard.
Exit the village and just after the sign showing the border of Le Chatelard you will see some alpine chalets on your left. Le Chatox is the last chalet on the top road.
Directions from Le Chatelard to Geneva Airport (Swiss side) (75 km)
Turn right onto main road and pass through Le Chatelard, La Motte-en-Bauges.
At Lescheraines veer right towards Cusy. After hairpin bends take left fork (direction Aix-les-Bains) to Cusy.
At Cusy turn right onto D3 towards auto-route A41.
Turn right at big roundabout – signs for Genève, go through tolls & merge onto A41 via the ramp to Annecy / Genève.
Follow directions to Geneva airport.
If returning a hire car, follow signs ‘Hire Car return’. There is a self-service automated petrol station on the right at the World Trade Centre just before the Hire Car return. Make sure you have a credit/debit card handy.
By Road
Here’s the route on Google Maps..
Getting to Le Chatelard is extremely easy with France’s superb road system. The drive down is very straight forward and is all motorway except the last 30mins as you drive up into Les Bauges and Le Chatelard. Whilst it can be done in 7hrs 30min – allow 9 hours with comfort breaks and lunch from Calais. Ferries are available at least hourly from P&O and SeaFrance.
Winter Ski
Geneva is superb in winter although some of you might want to check out Snowjet as they fly direct to Chambery (45mins to us) and have some all inclusive deals with ski gear etc..
Grenoble is also easy for access only 90mins away with Ryanair or Easyjet.
By Rail
You can travel by day, taking Eurostar to Paris, crossing Paris by Metro, then a high-speed TGV to Chambery, or overnight, taking Eurostar to Paris, crossing Paris by Metro, then taking an overnight train with couchettes. In summer book to Chambery and hire a car from there (45mins to us). In winter you can do the same or try the snow train from London or Ashford to Bourge St Maurice (90mins to us). We have not tried this mode of transport yet.