Moûtiers → Val Thorens

Many travellers arriving by rail picture the final leg as a formality of a few minutes. To Val Thorens it is not: the resort closes the Belleville valley, and you climb that valley from the bottom, passing Saint-Martin and then Les Menuires. Of the five destinations we serve from Moûtiers, it is the one that asks the most of the road.

What that means in practice

That the vehicle stops being a detail. Over ten minutes you will tolerate almost anything; over a full valley climb, with a party tired from several hours on a train and carrying ski equipment, the vehicle becomes a criterion again.

That the finishing time matters too. An evening train, plus the longest climb in the valley, places the arrival after many resort services have closed. That is not a problem if it is anticipated — our guide to arriving after dark sets out what catches people out.

A resort where cars do not go everywhere

Val Thorens manages its internal traffic strictly. How close a vehicle can bring you depends on your address, and that is checked before departure.

Going home

The descent deserves the same attention as the climb, with one deadline added: your train’s fixed departure. We set the margin against it.

What the figures on this page are worth

The distance and journey time shown are measured on the public road network, from the station forecourt to the resort’s public reference point — its tourist office — never to your accommodation. The time is free-flowing driving, excluding winter conditions: an indication, not a commitment. On a winter Saturday it is your train’s actual arrival that sets the pick-up — not an average. On this arrival in particular, variability is higher than elsewhere: the resort sits at the head of the valley and at altitude.