Access: How to get to La Grave and Villar d'Arène?

How toget to the Pays de la Meije?

To get to La Grave - Villar d'Arène, there are several transport options available: car, bus, train, car-sharing...

La Grave and Villar d'Arène are iconic villages in the Hautes-Alpes, nestled at the foot of La Meije and the Girose glacier. Their location on the edge of the Col du Lautaret makes them an impressive destination that is easily accessible from major cities and highways in the Alps.
There are several ways to get to Briançonnais: by train,car, bus, carpool, or bike for the more adventurous. Whichever mode of transport you choose, be sure to check schedules and availability in advance, especially during peak season.

©T.Poinas

Come to the Briançonnais region

How to get to Briançonnais, La Grave, or Villar d'Arène? From Paris, Marseille, or Grenoble? Or even from Turin, Italy? Find all the transportation options to reach your vacation destination in the Hautes Vallées—La Grave, La Clarée, and L'Izoard.

By bus

ZOU regional express line: Grenoble – Briançon

The ZOU regional express line – Grenoble – Briançon No. 55

Bus schedules for Briançon – Grenoble

It is now possible to easily book and pay directly on the ZOU website:

Book my Zou bus

Altigo line between Briançon and La Grave

Seasonal summer and winter shuttles between Briançon and La Grave: Line 6
The rest of the year, school bus service – Haut le Pied – Line S 26
Haut le Pied bus service – What is it? These are the trips that a vehicle makes empty to get to the starting point or return point of its route. These routes are open to the public during the school year and during school vacations in Zone B.

Altigo timetables

Bensbus private line – airport transfer Lyon and Grenoble

Transfer from Grenoble or Lyon airport

Linkbus private line – Turin airport transfer – Briançon

From Turin airport or train station, reach Briançonnais by private transport: Linkbus

I'm booking Linkbus

ZOU! bus line 76: OULX TGV – BRIANCON – SERRE CHEVALIER

Buying tickets online

Information and reservations

By car, motorcycle, or RV

Access by road

With high mountain passes, the landscape of the journey makes for an immediately immersive experience. The Pays de la Meije (La Grave and Villar d'Arène) is located at:

600 km from Paris
200 km from Lyon
300 km from Marseille
40 km from Briançon
330 km from Geneva
200 km from Turin

Please check traffic conditions during winter (the Lautaret Pass is sometimes closed): Road information 05

From Grenoble: 80 km via the RD1091 road towards "Des stations de l'Oisans / La Grave / Briançon"

From Gap:120 km via the RN94 towards Briançon, then the RD1091 towards Grenoble via the Col du Lautaret.

Parking – Cars and RVs

There are numerous free parking lots in La Grave.

For motorhomes, the following parking areas are authorized during the summer:

Chazelet parking lot (between May 1 and October 31): Water supply and waste disposal available on site
At the various campsites in the municipality:
All campsites

Please note that winter regulations are different due to snow removal: overnight parking is not permitted in any of the town's parking lots.

Mountain law: mandatory special equipment

❄ Snow tires or special equipment are mandatory from November 1 to March 31 ❄

To improve user safety in snowy and icy conditions and limit road blockages, winter equipment is mandatory.

You can choose to equip your vehicle :

with four winter tires
or have chains or snow socks for at least two drive wheels.

For road conditions and pass closures : Info Route 05 or 04 65 03 00 05 (voice server).

COVOITURAGE

Come to the High Valleys and share your journey and costs with other users.

Blablacar Mov'ici Mobicoop

Altio – Share your journey and find partners for your activities

Never go out alone again.
Altio connects you with outdoor enthusiasts near you to run, cycle, hike—and go together.

Find my next outing

By train or plane

Book your train

Several SNCF train stations provide access to the Briançonnais region and La Grave – La Meije.

From Briançon, Oulx , or Grenoble, Altigo buses Altigo buses Zou or Cars Région Auvergne Rhône Alpes buses will then take you to your holiday destination.

Book your train + bus

https://www.sncf-connect.com

Nearby airports

Lyon Saint Exupéry – 2.5 hours from La Grave

Airport – Shuttle from Lyon → Bus station and SNCF train station – Grenoble → Grenoble bus – Briançon
Linkbus from Lyon → La Grave → Briançon
Private line – airport transfer: Bensbus

Grenoble Saint Geoirs – 2 hours from La Grave

Grenoble Airport → Bus to Grenoble train station → Bus to Grenoble Briançon
Private line – airport transfer: Bensbus

Geneva – 2 hours 45 minutes from La Grave

Grenoble Airport → Bus to Grenoble train station → Bus to Grenoble Briançon

Turin – 2.5 hours from La Grave

Caselle airport > Turin city center: LINEA 268 bus

Arrival at Torino Porta Nuova > take the train to OULX, then private transport or on-demand transport (taxi) or private Linkbus transfer

©Cedric Tempier

Getting around on site

Are you staying in La Grave or Villar d'Arène and want to get around without taking your car? Here are some solutions for getting around the Briançonnais region.

Station du Chazelet shuttle

Find the winter shuttle bus timetables to get to the Chazelet and Villar d'Arène. A great alternative for minimizing car use during your vacation in the Pays de la Meije.

Shuttle schedule La Grave – La Chazelet

La Grave–Les Deux Alpes line during the cable car closure

From Monday, February 24, 2025:
Passes are still on sale at the La Grave cable car ticket office between 8:15 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. for the first shuttle departure at 9:15 a.m. A second departure will take place at 10:30 a.m. with passes on sale from 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

Passengers will be dropped off at the foot of the Les 2 Alpes ski lifts for quick access to the slopes.

For the return trip to La Grave, meet at the foot of the JANDRI 3S at 4:15 p.m. for a shuttle departure at 4:30 p.m.

This shuttle is exclusively reserved for customers purchasing their ski pass at the La Grave ticket office. For season passes (non-contractual) purchased in La Grave, access to the shuttle will be subject to availability and the validity of the pass.
For SuperNova passes purchased at other AEON sites, access to the shuttle will be subject to availability.

To ensure smooth operation, users must notify us the day before (before 3 p.m.) of their intention to use the shuttle and the number of people traveling, by emailing caisse@la-grave.com (and providing a cell phone number if possible), along with their preferred departure time.
Your registration will only be confirmed once you have received a reply and confirmation of your departure time by email.

This system will need to be modified if weather conditions change.

Cab

Cab Service Pays de la Meije

Cab de la Meije

Carpooling and Rezo Pouce

For your travel needs during your stay in the Hautes Vallées, consider carpooling and hitchhiking!

The Rezo Pouce-Mobicoop service allows ride sharing in the following modes:

Organized hitchhiking, thanks to registration and Rezo Pouce stops for hitchhiking within the community.
Carpooling via the Mobicoop app, a cooperative service with no commission fees.

More information on Rezo pouce Briançonnais

information useful

Passes closed in winter

Please note that the Galibier, Izoard, and Échelle passes are closed in winter. The Lautaret pass remains open in winter, except in the event of snowstorms.

Lautaret and Galibier passes

Info route 05

For information on roads in the Hautes Alpes department, including closures and openings in real time, visit the Info route 05 website or call 04 65 03 00 05.

Click here