Ben’s Blog | News From Ben’s Bus

WINTER SKI TRANSFERS NOW ON SALE!

Posted 8th July 2025

ALL 2025 / 26 AIRPORT SKI TRANSFERS ARE NOW ON SALE!

All our shared ski transfers to all destinations are now on sale for the 2025 / 2026 winter ski season. We’ve managed to freeze loads of our prices, so your transfer up the mountain from either Geneva Airport, Grenoble Airport or Lyon Airport are, as always, unbeatable value for money.

Book before the 30th July 2025 using the promo code EarlyBird5%BB to get a 5% discount!

SKI RESORTS

See how we can get you from your airport to your destination by selecting a ski resort below:

We can also help you get to La Tania, Peisey and Les Coches (from Aime) La Rosiere, Villard Reculas and Auris en Oisans.

Our transfers from Grenoble Airport are currently only on sale up until the 28th March 2026. Our April 2026 transfers will go on sale around early November. Find out why on our Easter and Spring Transfer Buses Page.

Transfers for the RISE festival in Les Deux Alpes will run between the 6th – 13th December. For all other resorts, our Saturday-only service starts on the 13th December. The resorts we service are listed on our Lyon Airport page. Our transfers are now on sale and you can get a quote or book online!

Ski transfers from Geneva Airport operate on Saturdays and Sundays. For our most popular routes, such as Geneva to Val Thorens, Geneva to Tignes and Geneva to Val d’Isere, we have up to 13 buses per Saturday.

If you are heading to Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes, we will have a bus connecting with every single scheduled flight, any day of the week, throughout the season. Our services to other resorts such as Tignes and Val Thorens, will run on Saturdays and some Sundays.

OUR CARBON OFFSETTING SCHEME

Travelling on a shared transfer is already the most environmentally way of getting up the mountain.

We’re delighted to continue our unique carbon neutrality scheme, which means all your carbon emissions on our services are offset. You could help further by following a few useful tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint when flying.

WHAT REFUND GUARANTEES ARE THERE?

We know that you need the peace of mind of receiving a refund should you need to cancel. Flexibility to change your booking for free is another key requirement for many holidaymakers. That’s why we recommend upgrading to Ben’s Bus Plus. This allows you to book with confidence.

To keep up to date with all our news, follow us on facebook.

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New Bus Stop in Plagne Bellecote

Posted 27th May 2025

NEW BEN’S BUS STOP IN PLAGNE BELLECOTE

We’re delighted to announce a new bus stop at Plagne Bellecote. All our services from Geneva Airport to La Plagne can now drop you at this fantastic ski resort.

Plagne Bellecote is a purpose built, car-free resort with direct access to the ski slopes. It’s a perfect destination for families, with access to the huge Paradiski area.

The modern accommodation block has been built with ease of access in mind There is a large shopping gallery on the ground floor of the apartment buildings with a skating rink and outdoor pool just outside.

We use the main bus stop in the resort, which is just opposite the Tourist Office and very conveniently located for everyone.

Our services from Grenoble Airport will still only go as far as Aime and Lyon Airport will make a stop at Moutiers. From these towns on the valley floor you can use public buses or take taxis up to your accommodation in the resort.

Our cheap shared ski transfers from Geneva Airport will continue to use all our existing stops in La Plagne.

We hope this new service will be useful for our customers.

Heathrow Disruption 21st March 2025

LAST UPDATED 21st March 09:50 (UK Time)

POTENTIAL DISRUPTION TO HEATHROW FLIGHTS FOLLOWING POWER FAILURE

We are aware of the news about the disruption to Heathrow airport due to a fire in a nearby power station which has caused power outages. You can follow live updates on the Sky News website. Alternatively, visit the Heathrow Airport website for updates and information.

If you are flying home back into London Heathrow, we would urge you to contact your airline to see how your flight has been affected. If you need to change your bus with us, you can do so up until 12 noon (French Time) the day before your bus transfer.

If you are flying out of London Heathrow, we would urge you to contact your airline to see how your flight has been affected. If you need to change your bus with us, you can do so up until 1pm (UK Time) the day before your bus transfer.

We do have many routes available, so you could fly into a different airport we service (Lyon, Geneva or Grenoble) and edit your booking with us so your transfer is from that airport.

View Ben’s Bus Routes out of Geneva Airport

View Ben’s Bus Routes out of Lyon Airport

View Ben’s Bus Routes out of Grenoble Airport

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EES Scheme for Non-EU Residents

The European Union (EU) is in the process of implementing a scheme called the EES which will affect how non-EU passport holders travel to most EU countries. The EES was scheduled to start on the 10th November 2024, but has now been delayed indefinitely. When it comes into effect, it will impact any non-EU citizens travelling to any airport which Ben’s Bus operates from during the 2024 / 2025 ski season. Passengers should prepare for potentially longer queues at Passport Control.

WHAT IS THE EES?

The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is a system for digitally registering travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries when they first cross an EU external border. It is being introduced to allow stricter controls of movement into the Schengen area.

As reported in this BBC article and quoting EU Commissioner Johansson, the rules will mean “we will know if people stay too long” and “will make it harder for criminals, terrorists or Russian spies to use fake passports“.

HOW WILL THE EES AFFECT ME?

If you hold an EU passport, you won’t be affected. If not, the first time you enter the EU, you will be asked to register your biometric data (such as fingerprints and / or a photo). This will be done in special EES kiosks when you arrive.

Authorities are anticipating it will take an extra 1 minute to process each passenger. Although most airports have invested in extra staff and technology, you will probably experience longer queue times when you arrive at your airport. You should consider this when selecting a bus time on our website.

Your data will be held for 3 years. EES registration will replace the current system of manually stamping passports, so it should be a quicker, smoother process the next time you enter the EU.

WHAT CAN I DO TO PREPARE FOR THIS?

You do not need to apply for the EES and there is not much you can do in advance. As reported in this Europe Street News article, Frontex, the EU border agency, may develop a mobile app where travellers could pre-register some of their details. However, this would not replace the need to register biometric data at the physical border.

As mentioned above, you should consider the potential for longer queues at Passport Control. You should select a later Ben’s Bus if you think, once you enter your flight arrival time, our first bus time listed is too tight for you. Most of our routes have many buses operating each day. For instance, our Geneva Airport to Val Thorens service has up to 11 services a day, so you wouldn’t have to wait long until the next bus.

It is obviously impossible for us to say how long you should allow, as this would depend on many factors. Such factors could include where you are sitting on the plane, how many people are in your group, how many bags you have to pick up, how busy the airport is and whether you’ve already travelled to the EU and registered your biometric data.

You can read about how we manage late-arriving customers here.

We recommend upgrading to Ben’s Bus Plus in case you need to edit your booking. For instance you may decide, after booking, that you actually want to take a later bus. You get free changes with Ben’s Bus Plus.

FURTHER INFORMATION

We would also advise checking your own governments’ website for precise information and advice. For the UK, this can be found here.

Another scheme the EU is planning on implementing in the first half of 2025 is the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). This will take the form of a paid-for travel authorisation, which will be required for citizens of non-EU countries that do not need a visa to enter the EU.

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Transfers to European Gay Ski Week 2026

Updated 8th July 2025

EUROPEAN GAY SKI WEEK VAL THORENS TRANSFERS FROM €54pp

The European Gay Ski Week is returning for 2026. The Number 1 ski event for the LGBTQI+ community runs from the 21st – 28th March 2026. Ben’s Bus is the only shared transfer provider running from 3 different airports.

The EGSW is located in Val Thorens, part of the famous les 3 vallees ski area in France. The resort offers fantastic skiing and even better apres-ski, complemented by the brilliant activities and events laid on by the organisers.

Extra buses are available from Geneva Airport with 11 running up to the resort on the 21st March. We also have transfers from Grenoble Airport and Lyon Airport. Return transfers cost from €107pp.

Our shuttle buses stop at the main bus station and the UCPA centre. Visit our Val Thorens Airport Transfer page to view maps of the resort. We’re used to running large numbers of transfers for festivals, so you can feel confident booking an airport transfer with us. In December 2025, we operate about 40 buses from Les Deux Alpes for the RISE music festival.

We transport our customers in large coaches, which is the most environmentally friendly way of getting from the airport up to the resort. We’ve done our bit as well and have created a unique initiative to make all our airport transfers carbon neutral. No other shared ski transfer company does this – as far as we know.

GENEVA AIRPORT TO THE EUROPEAN GAY SKI WEEK VAL THORENS

Geneva Airport is the closest airport to Val Thorens at only 155km away. This means the journey takes about 3 hours. A Single cost €55.50pp, but we have some great discounts for groups. View the route from Geneva Airport to the EGSW in Val Thorens.

GRENOBLE AIRPORT TO THE EUROPEAN GAY SKI WEEK VAL THORENS

Grenoble Airport is 187km away and a lot of the journey is on motorways. If there is no traffic, the journey takes just over 3 hours. A Single costs £52pp. View the route from Grenoble Airport to the EGSW in Val Thorens.

LYON AIRPORT TO THE EUROPEAN GAY SKI WEEK VAL THORENS

Lyon Airport is the furthest airport, at 199km away. The journey usually takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes. A Single costs £52pp. View the route from Lyon Airport to the EGSW in Val Thorens.

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Ben’s Bus Goes Carbon Neutral!

Updated 5th May 2025

CARBON NEUTRAL AIRPORT SKI TRANSFERS

We’re delighted to announce Ben’s Bus Airport Ski Transfers are now Carbon Neutral! That’s right folks, if you travel on any of our transfers, you will now have your carbon footprint offset via our new new environmental scheme.

As a responsible company who’s always cared about climate change, we’ve found a way for our monetary contributions to make a real difference. We’ll be donating a large sum at the end of the season to SolarAid.

Shared transfers are already the most environmentally friendly way to get to your ski resort. Since you’ll be on a large vehicle with lots of other passengers, you’ll all be sharing your carbon emissions. However, we’ve gone a step further and will now, at the end of each season, calculate our total carbon emissions. We’ll then convert that to money and donate it to the award-winning SolarAid. Their initiatives in Africa not only reduce CO2, but make a real difference to people’s lives.

REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT EVEN FURTHER

Did you know you could go even further in reducing the pollution in our beautiful mountains? All you need to do is make a few small gestures when you travel to our ski resorts and collectively we can save tons of CO2.

We’ve written a guide with some top tips on how to get your carbon footprint even lower, including cunning ways to reduce your luggage weight on the plane.

As far as we know, we’re the first shared transfer company to go carbon neutral. So now, whether your on a bus from Geneva to Val Thorens or Grenoble to Tignes, you can travel in the confidence that the impact you’re having on global warming is as low as it can be.

Our Geneva Airport Ski Transfers and our Lyon Airport ski transfers will go on sale at the end of May 2025. We hope to get our Grenoble Airport ski transfers on sale by the end of June 2025. Sign up to our mailing list below to be notified as soon as we’re live and to hear about any early bird discounts we may offer.

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Thank You to Our Customers and Bus Companies

Posted 8th May 2024

BEN’S BUS SAYS ‘MERCI & AU REVOIR’ TO THE 2023 / 24 SKI SEASON

We’ve now run our last bus of the 2023 / 2024 ski season and it’s been another great year. This was our 18th season running airport buses to the ski resorts and we’d like to thank you all for your custom over the years.

A huge thank you must go out to our amazing reps and managers, our bus company partners and their office teams for ensuring our customers had the best possible experience.

And of course to the unsung heroes – the drivers. Waking up at crazy hours to drive up and down mountain roads, in sometimes treacherous conditions, to get people safely to their ski holiday destinations and home again.

We’re already planning for the 2024 / 2025 season and are working hard to ensure we have even more buses for you all. We’ll also be trying to keep our prices as low as possible, despite ever-increasing costs. We’re hoping that we will only have to increase our prices by a very small margin this year.

Our transfers from Geneva and Lyon Airports should go on sale in early June 2024, whilst our Grenoble Airport transfers will go on sale around early August 2024. Sign up to our mailing list using the form below to be alerted as soon as we are live.

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New Youth Football Team Sponsored by Bens Bus

Posted 11th February 2023

BEN’S BUS ANNOUNCES NEW YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAM SPONSORSHIP

We’re delighted to have just received this photo of the Under 11 youth football club we sponsor. Wessex Giants play in the south Somerset youth league and are doing great! We’re so pleased that our money has bought them new kits and assistance to fund training programs. Good luck for the season boys and stay active!

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Travel Restrictions Ease & Snow Arrives in France

Posted 19th September 2021

COVID TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS EASE AS SNOW HITS THE ALPS

It’s as if the Snow Gods heard the announcement that double-jabbed Brits will face less stringent travel restrictions. There’s no longer a need to take expensive tests and both France and Switzerland have moved to the Green List. The news was greeted with jubilation by the ski industry and skiers alike.

24 hours later – the snow starts falling in most of the resorts we cover. It’s a good omen!

VAL THORENS

Of course, the highest ski resort in Europe picked up some snow. Our transfers to Val Thorens run regularly from Geneva, Grenoble and Lyon Airports

ALPE D’HUEZ (and LES 2 ALPES)

Alpe d’Huez and Les 2 Alpes also received their first snowfall of the Autumn. Travel there from Grenoble and Lyon Airport.

VAL D’ISERE (AND TIGNES)

Val d’Isere and Tignes have an excellent snow record.

LA PLAGNE

La Plagne is linked toLes Arcs via the Paradiski Express lift

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Ski Holiday Flights | How to Reduce CO2 Emissions

Updated 8th May 2024

HOW TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT WHEN FLYING TO YOUR SKI HOLIDAY

After a summer of extreme floods, heatwaves and wildfires, the issue of Climate Change has never felt so real. Sustainability has become an important part of all our lives. Many travellers are now asking “How can I reduce my carbon footprint and still fly to my ski holiday?”

Carbon offsetting initiatives such as easyJet’s sustainability scheme are helpful, but they don’t eliminate the CO2 emitted when flying. However, done right and over a certain distance, flying is not actually as bad as some people think. Trains and cars still use energy and electricity is not yet 100% green. The extra emissions caused by congestion if everyone were to stop taking planes needs to be considered.

TOP TIPS TO REDUCE YOUR CO2 EMISSIONS WHEN FLYING

1. TAKE DIRECT FLIGHTS

A large percentage of greenhouse gas emissions on short flights are used on take-off. There’s a huge selection of direct flights to airports such as Geneva, Grenoble and Lyon, so it’s hard to justify stop-over flights via places like Amsterdam or Munich.

If you can’t find a flight that suits your budget / time, Skyscanner has a great function where you can click “Add Nearby Airports”. You could also fly into one airport and out of another if the times / prices suit you better.

2. USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO GET TO THE AIRPORT

For some people, driving to the airport cannot be helped. Electric cars are great, but remember that not all electricity is green yet and your car still contributes to congestion. Consider getting a taxi to the bus / train station if you have bags / children in tow.

Most UK airports do have good public transport access. Find out how to get to your UK airport by bus or by train. It can also be cheaper when you factor in airport parking and it’s a nicer way to arrive, since you’re usually dropped right outside Departures.

3. USE SHARED TRANSFERS TO GET UP TO YOUR SKI RESORT

Most of the big resorts like Tignes, Val Thorens and Val d’Isere have at least one shared transfer service, public bus or train service. See a list of which ski resorts we cover.

Just one Ben’s Bus can potentially replace 15-20 private transfers / hire cars on the road. On the busy weeks for ski resorts, the congestion on the access roads can sometimes result in total gridlock. This slow moving traffic caused by so many vehicles considerably increases the CO2 emissions / person.

4. HIRE SKIS IN RESORT

Ski hire shops have come a long way in recent years. Prices are very reasonable and probably comparable with the extra cost of bringing your skis / board on a plane. That extra weight adds a lot of CO2 onto your carbon footprint.

Most shops have a large range of modern equipment and some even deliver to your accommodation. You don’t need to lug your gear to and from the airport and wait at the oversized luggage. Visit our discounted ski hire page to get a quote.

5. PACK LIGHT

Every extra kilo in your bag means more CO2 going into the atmosphere. This article by Fly Aware explains how if everyone on a Heathrow to Frankfurt flight took 1kg less in their luggage, in 1 year they would have collectively saved 60 tonnes of Co2!! You’ll also put less strain on your body, so you’ll arrive fresher and fitter to enjoy your ski holiday.

Set yourself a challenge this year to see which of our top tips you can use and how many kilos you can shed:

– DON’T OVERPACK. Give more thought to what goes in your bags. Do you really need all those clothes? Potential Saving = 3kg

– LAPTOPS and chargers don’t make for a relaxing holiday. Maybe your phone can do everything? Potential Saving = 2.5kg

– LIGHTWEIGHT SKI GEAR. For instance, Merino wool thermals are very light and effective. Potential Saving = 1kg

– TOWELS & LINEN. Check if your accommodation could provide or rent towels and sheets. Potential Saving = 1kg

– TOILETRIES such as shower gel and shampoo could be bought in resort and shared. Potential Saving = 0.5kg

– CO-ORDINATE with your friends so you don’t bring 4 sets of hairdryers / speakers. Potential Saving = 0.5kg

– DUTY FREE. Check if your arrival airport offers a pick up service. Potential Saving = 1kg

– LOSE WEIGHT. Easier said than done! Potential Saving = ????kg

For those who aren’t regular skiers, or just trying it for the first time, you could rent your ski clothes in resort. This would also save you a lot of money.

6. CHOOSE A RESORT IN EUROPE

The US and Japan are inviting, exciting destinations if you’re lucky enough to afford it. Perhaps those long-haul flights could be used for a longer trip though? You could include skiing in a 3 week holiday to that country? The ICAO has developed a flight CO2 calculator. Below is a list of how much CO2 is produced for a Round trip flight from London, in economy class.

Tokyo, Japan =  774kg of CO2

Denver, Colorado, United States =  764kg of CO2

Geneva, Switzerland =  200kg of CO2

As a comparison, driving to Geneva, Switzerland = 171kg of CO2 (according to the CO2 myclimate website). This is based on a 2,000km round trip from London to Geneva in a mid-range petrol car with 4 of you in the car. This is interestingly not that much less than flying! Put a roof box on the car and it adds between 10-25% to your fuel bill, so flying becomes a carbon-efficient way of getting to the resort.

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