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Skiing in The Time of Brexit
Posted 6th December 2020
HOW WILL BREXIT AFFECT ME IF I WANT TO GO SKIING IN FRANCE?
Thinking about skiing in France in the 2021 / 2022 season but worried about what paperwork you will need? There have been a few changes due to Brexit, so it’s understandable if you’re confused. We’ve been keeping a close eye on things and have summarised what we’ve learnt below.
Our blog post about entry requirements for Switzerland and France is also quite useful.
Our page dedicated to Coronavirus and Safety explains what you can do to help everyone stay safe whilst on our ski transfer buses and on holiday.
Read about our Refund Policy and how upgrading to Ben’s Bus Plus gives you the peace of mind everyone is looking for.
WHICH AIRPORT ARE YOU FLYING INTO?
If you are flying into Grenoble Airport or Lyon Airport, and skiing in France, then you only need to worry about what France asks of you. You’ll either need to be fully vaccinated or have a negative test. Regardless of where you are coming from, you will need to fill in the Declaration sur l’honneur form.
If you are flying into Geneva Airport, then you also need to consider what the Swiss ask of you. If you are fully vaccinated and have tickets booked to transit straight to France, you should be ok. All the ski resorts we cover are in regions in France so you need to ensure your comply with the French rules. You will need to fill in an entry form before landing at Geneva Airport.
I AM BRITISH AND COMING IN FROM THE UK
Brexit hasn’t had much impact on Brits holidaying in France. However, since the UK’s departure from the EU, British nationals are required to have at least 6 months validity on their passport. Use the Government’s passport validity tool to be sure. Ensure you have adequate health insurance and/or check your E111 is still valid. You can find more up to date info, including about Covid-19 on the UK FCO page for France or the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. The Ambassador’s website has regular updates with the latest news.
The information above is intended as a guide only. Ben’s Bus cannot be held responsible for inaccurate or out of date information. To be certain of the current laws, guidelines and entry requirements, you should visit the official Government websites. This page was last updated on the 26th Nov 2021.
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Ben’s Bus Plus Refund Guarantee
Updated 8th May 2024
UPGRADE TO BEN’S BUS PLUS FOR BETTER REFUND TERMS
We understand that you need the peace of mind of booking with confidence in case you need to cancel your booking. That’s why we’ve introduced Ben’s Bus Plus.
What is Ben’s Bus Plus?
Ben’ Bus Plus is an upgrade that offers you better refund conditions and free changes to your booking. For a small surcharge of between 7-9% on the total cost of your transfer, you can get a 100% refund should you no longer be able to travel. You just need to give us at least 4 days notice from your first transfer date. You’ll also get free unlimited changes to your booking. Visit our Ben’s Bus Plus page for full details and Conditions.
Ben’s Bus Plus is available on all our transfers, including our buses from Geneva Airport to Val Thorens, Geneva to Tignes, Geneva to Val d’Isere, and Grenoble Airport to Alpe d’Huez. Visit our ski resorts page for a full list of available routes.
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Travel, Entry & Quarantine Rules | Skiing in France and Switzerland
Posted 16th October 2020
TRAVELLING TO FRANCE (INCLUDING TRANSITING THROUGH SWITZERLAND) DURING PANDEMIC
Due to the constantly changing rules by the various governments in Europe, we are keeping all the information regarding entry requirements for Switzerland, France and for returning to the UK, on our Safety and Covid Page. Please ensure you expand and read all the sections on this webpage.
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New Bus Stop in Mottaret Le Hameau
Posted 16th July 2020
BEN’S BUS CREATES EXTRA BUS STOP IN MOTTARET LE HAMEAU
We’ve listened to our customers and have added a new stop in Mottaret. Now all our services from Geneva Airport to Mottaret will make a stop at Mottaret Centre and Mottaret Le Hameau.
The Hameau area includes accommodations such as Residence Le Lac Blanc, Les Logis du Meribel, Residence Club Odalys Le Hameau de Mottaret and VVF Le Fontany a Meribel. There are also 2 hotels, Les Arolles and Hotel Tarentaise close by.
The area of Hameau is above the centre of Mottaret and so previously customers would have to take the shuttle bus to get from our stop in the centre up to the Le Hameau sector. The problem is that in the early hours of the morning and late in the evening, the shuttle bus might not have been working, which meant a bit of a walk. So our services will make a stop on the roundabout at the top of the road, so it’s just a very short walk to many of the large accommodations centres in Le Hameau. Click on the map to view a larger version.
Our services from Grenoble Airport and Lyon Airport still only make stops at Moutiers, but from here you can use public buses or taxis to take you onto your accommodation.
Our cheap shared ski transfers from Geneva Airport will continue to make stops at Meribel and Meribel Village, Les Allues and Brides Les Bains.
We hope you can make use of this new stop and that it will enhance your holiday experience.
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Charity Donations from Ben’s Bus Customers
Updated 5th May 2025
BEN’S BUS CUSTOMERS HELP GENERATE £1, 200 FOR CHARITY
Thank you to all our customers who opted in to donate 25p to charity when they booked their ski transfer in the 2024 / 2025 ski season. As promised, Ben’s Bus has matched the total amount donated by our customers. This year our passengers generated £628 in charitable contributions, so we’ve doubled it to make a total of £1,256.
We’d like to send out a huge thank you to all our customers who travelled from Geneva Airport, Grenoble Airport or Lyon Airport and opted to give to charity.
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
We gave £628 to WaterAid, a charity helping to deliver clean water and sanitation to people around the world.
We gave £628 to Shelter, a UK homelessness organisation.
Our Environment and Charitable Donations page can tell you more about our Policy for Charities.
A huge thank you from our chosen charities and and from Ben’s Bus to all of you who donated. Hopefully next year we can generate even more money!
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How to Avoid French Holiday Ski Resort Traffic
Updated 19th June 2025
DRIVING TO THE ALPS FOR THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS? READ OUR TOP TIPS FOR BEATING THE TRAFFIC
If you’ve travelled to a French ski resort during the school holidays, you’ve probably experienced some heavy traffic. Bottlenecks can form at motorway toll stations and when 2 lanes turn into the 1-lane mountain roads, causing huge tailbacks. If it’s snowing, things can get really messy as vehicles pull over to put chains on or, even worse, lose control and cause an accident.
It can be a stressful start or end to your holiday. We’ve created some top tips to help you avoid spending half a day stuck in a traffic jam. Or read our suggestions on how to kill time at the airport.
WHAT ARE THE WORST DATES TO TRAVEL?
The French take holidaying as seriously as they take striking. And they’re good at it. They get 2 weeks off for Christmas and then another 2 weeks for February half term. In February they split the country up into 3 zones, each one taking a different 2 week period. This spreads the load evenly, but it means there are a total of 8 Saturdays in the winter season when the traffic can be pretty nasty.
Here’s a list of dates when you should expect a lot of cars on the road. You should plan your journey more carefully on these dates and take some precautions to make sure you don’t get caught out.
HEADING UP THE MOUNTAIN
20th & 27th December 2025 – You may find the days either side of these dates will be busier than usual too.
7th, 14th, 21st and 28th February 2026 – The 14th & 21st February will be particularly bad.
HEADING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN
27th December 2025 & 3rd January 2026– If it is snowing on these dates, the traffic will be horrendous!
14th, 21st & 28th February and 7th March 2026 – The 21st & 28th February will be the worst dates.
The Annecy Carnival and the Geneva Motor Show are on the 28th February. You should avoid Annecy after 8am if you can.
BE PREPARED – BRING PLENTY OF FOOD AND WATER
However you are getting to and from the resort, whether it be on a shared ski transfer with Ben’s Bus, a private transfer or driving in your own car, make sure you have enough food and water, especially if you are diabetic. Keep any medicines in your hand luggage and make use of the toilets before you get into your vehicle.
It’s not unusual for an airport transfer from Geneva to Tignes to take 5 or even 6 hours instead of the usual 3 & 1/2 hours. So bring a book, some games for the kids and lots of pre-downloaded videos to view on your device.
AVOID THE MOUNTAIN ROADS BETWEEN 7AM – 2PM
Plan your journey in advance. If you’re heading up to the resort, try to get to Grenoble or Albertville by 8am. Between 11am and 3pm the roads climbing the mountain can be moving at a snail’s pace. When leaving the resort, try to do it before 07:00 or after 14:00. The worst areas are between Bourg St Maurice – Moutiers (transfers from Val Thorens & Les Menuires don’t take that road), the ring road around Grenoble and the Lyon and Chambery motorway peages.
If you’re on a Ben’s Bus leaving Grenoble, Geneva or Lyon Airports between 9am – 4pm, you will probably hit some heavy traffic. Your Ben’s Bus eTicket will mention if we have allowed extra time for your journey. If you are heading to La Plagne, Les Arcs, Val d’Isere or Tignes, our drivers may have to take a legal break en-route. This is to comply with EU legislation and is designed to protect all road users. Use the facilities at the airport or in the resort before you leave as not all of our vehicles have toilets. If you need to go en-route, just ask the driver to pull over at the next convenient place.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE IS GOLD!
Book your ski transfer with a reputable and established company. Ben’s Bus has been working in the mountains for 15 years and works with local coach companies. Our drivers know the cheeky short cuts and how to avoid the bottlenecks. Our coordinators consult traffic websites and traffic cameras and our drivers and reps report where the roads are congested.
Top Tip: Don’t rely completely on Sat-Nav as it might try to take you across mountain passes that are closed in the winter!
CHOOSE YOUR DATES WISELY
The easiest way to avoid the rush and the crowds is to take your ski holiday in January or March. You’ll also get cheaper deals on accommodation and the queues for the ski lifts will be much smaller. Plus, you’ll get that table at your favourite restaurant! This website is a good source of information about school holidays in France https://about-france.com/school-holidays.htm Of course if you have kids in school, then that’s not possible.
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Rise Festival Transfers | £35pp!!
Updated 2nd July 2025
RISE FESTIVAL AIRPORT TRANSFERS FOR £35pp
The Rise Festival is returning for 2025! The pre-Christmas party in the Alps runs from the 6th – 13th December. It promises to be one of the best ski parties of the season.
The Rise festival is located in Les Deux Alpes, in the southern French Alps. The resort offers fantastic skiing and even better apres-ski. The Main Stage and Indoor Arena will, as always, be playing host to some big names.
Ben’s Bus runs airport transfers from Grenoble Airport, Lyon Airport. and Geneva Airport to Les 2 Alpes. Our transfers are the cheapest way of getting to the Rise Festival.
Grenoble Airport Single : £35pp | Grenoble Airport Return £61pp | Lyon Airport Single : £42.50pp | Lyon Airport Return £77pp
All our Rise airport transfers are carbon neutral and make 3 stops in the resort so you won’t be far from your accommodation.
COMING SOON : Transfers from Geneva Airport to the Rise Festival!
WHICH AIRPORT IS CLOSEST TO THE RISE FESTIVAL?
– Grenoble is the closest airport to the Rise festival. It’s only 68 miles away. This means the journey takes just 1 hour 45 minutes!! View the route from Grenoble Airport to the Rise festival in googlemaps.
– Lyon is the 2nd closest airport. It’s 97 miles away and a lot of the journey is on motorways. If there is no traffic, the journey takes just over 2 hours. View the route from Lyon Airport to the Rise festival in googlemaps.
– Geneva Airport is furthest airport at 134 miles away, but you need to cross an international road border. This could cause delays to the journey.
GETTING THERE FROM GRENOBLE AIRPORT
We’ve laid on extra buses so getting to the Rise Festival easier is now easier than ever. This means you’ll spend less time in the airport and more time at the Rise festival. Our prices are unbeatable at £61pp Return, £35pp Single. With our group discounts, you could pay just over £30pp Single.
Make sure you book early as we expect to sell out. Upgrade to Ben’s Bus Plus in case your flight changes. The available flights include:
easyJet from London Luton, London Gatwick and Bristol on the 6th, and back again on the 13th (as well as to Edinburgh and Manchester).
Jet2 from Newcastle (and back to London Stansted, Birmingham and Manchester on the 13th December).
BA flies to and from London Heathrow.
Wizzair have flights available from London Luton. Skyscanner is a great website to compare prices and see which airports you can use.
Ryanair will have flights back to Manchester, Birmingham, London Stansted, London Luton, Bristol and Dublin on the 13th December.
GETTING THERE FROM LYON AIRPORT
Lyon Airport to Les Deux Alpes Transfers take a little longer than from Grenoble Airport, at just over 2 hours. All buses are non-stop and direct. One of our 3 stops in resort is right outside the main meeting point for the festival. A Return costs £77pp and a Single costs £42.50, but with our group discounts, you could be paying just £36.
Our first bus on the 6th December will leave at 09:40 and our last bus at 17:55. For the return on the 13th December, our first bus will arrive at Lyon Airport at about 04:10 in time for any flight departing after 08:45
As always with Ben’s Bus, a rep will meet you at Lyon Airport and in resort to make sure you get on the bus.
GENEVA AIRPORT BUS TRANSFERS
We will soon be launching our new route from Geneva Airport to Les Deux Alpes specifically for the Rise Festival. Our prices and timetable will be announced soon but rest assured, they will be great value and cheaper than anything else you can find.
IMPORTANT! Don’t forget there may be new Passport Control checks for non-EU citizens this winter! Read more about it in our blog post
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Trip Advisor Award for Ben’s Bus
Updated 19th June 2025
4.5 STAR AVERAGE TRIP ADVISOR REVIEWS EARNS BEN’S BUS A ‘TRAVELLERS’ CHOICE AWARD’ 2024
We’re delighted to have earned yet another
Trip Advisor Award! Given the challenges faced from the after-effects of the Covid years, we’re especially proud of this award and our hard working team.
Ben’s Bus is very grateful to its customers who took the time to write us a review. We’re delighted that we continue to meet your expectations. Rest assured, we’ll work hard to make sure we continue to provide a great service for the upcoming ski season.
To see what the travel community thinks of us, visit our Trip Advisor page. Or find out why over 2,500 people rate us as “Excellent” on Trust Pilot.
All our services will continue to run during the 2025 / 26 season, including our popular Geneva to Val Thorens and Geneva to Tignes routes. Take a look at what ski transfers we have available by selecting your airport from our Airports page. Or you can select your resort from our Ski Resorts page.
PREVIOUS CERTIFICATES OF EXCELLENCE FROM TRIP ADVISOR
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