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Book a self-driving ski holiday to the French Alps with Esquiades.com

Published: May. 14, 2021

Content

1 What’s the best way of travelling by car from the UK to go skiing?

2 What kind of ski packages in France can you book on a self-driving ski holiday?

3 What are the best ski resorts to drive to from the UK?

3.1 1. Méribel

3.2 2. Les Deux Alpes

3.3 3. Alpe d’Huez

3.4 4. La Plagne

3.5 5. Val d’Isère

Having your car with you on a ski holiday is super convenient and allows you to travel at your own pace.

Plus, if you’d rather ski with your own equipment, you can avoid having to pay expensive rates at the airport and let’s not forget that you don’t have to waste precious time in airport lounges…

Travelling to a ski resort by car has loads of benefits. Read them all in our post Self-driving ski holidays with Esquiades.com and you might not find it such a bad idea after all!

What’s the best way of travelling by car from the UK to go skiing?

Book your tickets on the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle from Folkestone to Calais and you’ll be in France in just 35 minutes! How crazy is that? This service offers 4 departures every hour, every day of the week!

What kind of ski packages in France can you book on a self-driving ski holiday?

In case you don’t already know this, on Esquiades.com our ski holidays are totally flexible and adaptable to your needs and requirements. So, if you’re thinking of maybe going on a short but sweet ski break, you can book a ski holiday for as short as a 4 nights and 3-day ski pass up to a full week! The choice is all yours!

What are the best ski resorts to drive to from the UK?

1. Méribel

The Méribel ski area is one of the best ski resorts in the French Alps to drive to as it’s the nearest to Calais (8 hours 45 minutes / 957km from Calais). You can take the motorway route from Calais to Moûtiers and then expect a short drive up to the town of Méribel (about 25 km).

If you’ve never visited Méribel, you may have heard of it as it’s everyone’s favourite ski resort in France and is also part of a larger ski resort called Three Valleys (Les 3 Vallées). It’s one of the largest ski resorts in the world (a whopping total of 600 km) and comprises Val Thorens, Courchevel and Méribel.

On Esquiades.com you can book different types of ski passes depending on how much you want to ski. If you’re planning a week ski holiday and want to get as many km done as possible, you should definitely book one of our ski holidays with Les 3 Vallées Ski Pass included. These packages include accommodation in Val Thorens where there are loads of ski-in ski-out hotels and self-catered apartments so you can maximise your time on the slopes ;)

If you’re more interested in a short ski holiday in the French Alps, then we suggest you book one of our ski holidays with a Ski Pass for Méribel-Mottaret.

✔ Esquiades Choice: The Residence Club Odalys Hameau Hotel Base Camp Lodge *** right on the slopes!

2. Les Deux Alpes

Les Deux Alpes is our personal favourite! If all you can think of is skiing like us, this ski resort has a glacier that is also available for skiing in Summer! Guess where we’ll be next Summer?

The village of Les Deux Alpes has a great après-ski atmosphere and there are plenty of traditional French restaurants where you can try delicious Savoyard meals. Have you ever tried the Tartiflette?

The drive from Calais is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is take the motorway route towards Grenoble and before you get there, there’s a 65 km road that takes you to this resort (the drive from Calais is about 8 hours 45 minutes / 935km).

We currently have a great selection of ski holidays in Les Deux Alpes and, if you book in advance, some include early booking discounts!

✔ Esquiades Choice: The Residence L'Alba Vacanceole*** is an excellent choice and has a great price quality ratio.

3. Alpe d’Huez

If you’re a fan of the Tour de France, you’ll be delighted to know that after driving from Calais to Grenoble on the motorway, you will afterwards take a very scenic route that is famous because of this tour. The drive from Calais to Alpe d’Huez takes about 9 hours (930 km).

If you’re looking for a ski resort with excellent skiing conditions and blue bird skies, this is the place for you! This resort was designed to offer skiers the best conditions as it’s prime position guarantees an average of 300 sunny days. It’s actually known as the island in the sun. Check out our ski deals in Alpe d’Huez and start planning your 2022 ski holiday!

✔ Esquiades Choice: The Residence Pierre Vacances Ours Blanc*** are overlooking the slopes.

4. La Plagne

If you’re looking for a family ski holiday, La Plagne Ski Holidays should definitely be on your wishlist! This resort is ideal for lower intermediate skiers and boarders. If there’s someone in your family that is looking for something a bit more challenging, there’s the Bellecôte Glacier.

There’s plenty of après-ski activities you can do as a family as well. One you should all definitely try is the Olympic Bobsleigh track! It’s open to holidaymakers in the afternoon and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

La Plagne may be one of the longest drives on this list of ski resorts, the drive from Calais is about 9 hours and 15 minutes (972km) but it’s definitely worth it! Just make sure the kids have plenty of movies ready to watch during the journey ;)

✔ Esquiades Choice: The self-catered apartments Residence Odalys Le Cervin*** are a great option and right on the slopes!

5. Val d’Isère

Known worldwide, this ski resort is perfect if what you had in mind during your ski holiday in France are rustic chalets and luxurious hotels. Then it’s definitely a must-visit ski destination! Our ski deals in Val d’Isère include any type of accommodation to suit all budgets, but be prepared to find more pricey options in this ski area.

We recommend you to head over here during off-peak dates especially after the february half-term ski break, when you can find some real bargains if you have a champagne taste but are travelling on a beer budget ;)

The drive to Val d’Isère from Calais is around 9 hours and 20 minutes (998km), so you might want to book a ski holiday of 5 or more nights.

✔ Esquiades Choice: The Hotel Base Camp Lodge *** usually has some excellent bargains during off-peak dates.

If you’re worried about booking a 2022 ski holiday now, don’t worry, we have plenty of options that include our exclusive free cancellation service! All you need to do to confirm your booking is pay a 10% deposit and you can pay the rest in as many installments as you wish and as late as a couple of weeks before your ski holiday!

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Super Ski Savings: Free Ski Passes for Children in Andorra

Esquiades.com offers Free Ski Passes in Andorra for children under 12 years old. For each adult who has at least a 4-day Ski Pass, 1 child will have a free Ski Pass! Read more here.

Published: 25-02-2026

Pow Weeks - Exclusive discounts for skiing in the French Alps

Looking for ski deals in the French Alps? Introducing Pow Weeks, exclusive deals for skiing in the French Alps with amazing discounts

Published: 29-12-2025

Free cancellation and flexible payments for the 2025/2026 ski season

Book your ski holiday with total peace of mind, knowing that we guarantee a total refund!

Published: 16-03-2025

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