A few years ago, I wrote a series of blogs which explained how to get from each of the ‘local’ airports (Chambery, Grenoble, Lyon and Geneva) to La Tania by public transport. The reason for those blogs were that transfers were and still are a bit of a nightmare, especially if there are only one or two of you coming out. Finding anything reasonably priced is pretty much impossible.
The slightly bizarre thing is, when people book a skiing holiday they will use public transport or their own car to get to their departure airport but are single-minded (I accidentally typed simple-minded there!) about using a transfer – effectively a taxi – from their arrival airport to their destination. I don’t know why this is; I can only think that people consider public transport in France to be as expensive and – frankly- as rubbish as it is in the UK (with the added problem of the language). Nothing could be further from the truth.
Public transport is a very viable option, especially from Grenoble (Chambery and Geneva are a little trickier, although Altibus provides very reasonable services from Lyon and Geneva).
In this blog, I’m going to tell you how to get from Grenoble to La Tania using only public transport and what the approximate cost will be (as of April 2025).
Although it is possible to take the bus from Grenoble Airport to Moutiers, the best way is to
take the shuttle bus from the airport to Grenoble station and then the train from there.
Grenoble Alpes Isère Airport to Grenoble train station
The regular ACTIBUS shuttle service connects Grenoble Airport to Grenoble bus station in around 40 to 45 minutes (it may take longer if the weather isn’t too good). Shuttle schedules are set according to flight departures and arrivals (non-private flights).
Grenoble airport is very small and easy to navigate. The bus waits in the front of Arrivals, on the allocated bus parking right next the cash machine. It’s difficult to miss!
At the time of writing (30th April 2025) advertised prices are as follows (please note that they me revised slightly when next season’s prices are made available in November):
- SINGLE : Adult 20€ – Child -12 years-old 13 €
- ROUND-TRIP : Adult 32 € – Child -12 years-old 22€
- Child – 2 years-old free
- Included : 1 carry-one luggage + 1 hold luggage
- EXTRA LUGGAGE : 5€
Note that if you are purchasing your ticket online then you will be able to buy only a round-trip ticket. This probably won’t be a problem, as it’s very unusual for people not to return home after their holiday!
If you decide you want only a single ticket, then you will have to buy your ticket on the bus but be aware that online tickets take priority.
The bus terminates at the bus station (gare routière), which is next to the train station (gare) and at most a five-minute walk.
Grenoble bus station to Moutiers
The journey by train (SNCF) takes between 1 hour 40 minutes and 2 hours 40 minutes, depending on your departure time.
You will normally have to change at Montmélian, although there are a very few direct trains. Montmélian is a junction between Grenoble and Chambery and the reason for the stop is most trains head north to Aix les Bains and Annecy from here. You will change on to a TGV heading south and east from Aix and Annecy
The price return (again at the time of writing) is 48.80€ return. Tickets can be booked on the SNCF Connect site.
Be warned though: the trains get booked up very early on, especially at the weekends in the season, especially the ‘grande vitesse’.
Moutiers train station to La Tania
You’re only 20 minutes away from La Tania by car, but this is where it gets a bit fiddly!
The first bit’s easy; a 4-minute flat walk from the train station to the bus station (gare routière – it’s signposted, but use Google Maps as a back-up)
From the bus station, you will need the Altibus S65 service to La Tania. Again a warning: the last bus on a Sunday is at 16:10. (depending on the day/time of day, you may see the bus indicated as S65/S64 as Altibus combine the Meribel and Courchevel services)
The price return (at the time of writing) is 21€ and tickets can be booked on the Altibus website.
Your return journey should cost you no more than 100€ (£85 – ish), so a huge saving on a ‘traditional’ transfer, but obviously you’ll have to decide whether it’s worth the extra hassle!
Worth considering: taxi from Moutiers to La Tania
The taxi operators know you haven’t got a lot of choice in getting from Moutiers to La Tania, so you can expect to pay quite a bit – probably 50€ to 60€ one-way.
This may seem a lot, but you’re still looking at less than £100 in total from Grenoble to La Tania, one way. This does make the journey relatively hassle-free and does have the significant benefit of taking you to our chalet door from the train station. The price is about the same as Ben’s Bus, but that will only get you to Moutiers.
