Your fastest way to the resort

Having your own car also allows you explore or ski in neighbouring ski resorts. And culture vultures can take a day off ski and tour an ancient European capital, such as Geneva, Turin or Salzburg.

Safety First

• When renting a vehicle abroad do ensure tyres have good tread – minimum of 3mm advised.
• Winter tyres are a mandatory requirement during winter in many European countries, but they are an added extra from most car hire suppliers, so always check the terms and conditions with your provider before leaving the rental desk.
• It is also compulsory to carry snow chains in many ski countries, so check the AA website before you travel to make sure you are covered.

• Extras
  If you take your own skis or board you might need to hire a roof rack but these items are an extra cost and will often need to be booked in advance – best to check with your supplier for a full breakdown of additional costs incurred.
• Borders
  Cross border travel in a hire car is becoming increasingly popular, but there are costs involved and implications for insurance policies, so make sure you are aware of the added extras before committing.

Alternatively, you can rent a car on location from the four nearest airports to the UK – Geneva, Lyon, Grenoble and Chambéry all have an extensive range of car hire suppliers. To help you plan your car hire journey, Gareth Robinson, ski-mad Managing Director of Carrentals.co.uk has picked out a few of the best deals for a 9 day trip from 15 – 24 December:

• Courchevel
  Rent an estate car from Geneva Airport for as little as £258.28, or a 5-seat people carrier for just £172.57 with plenty of space for your ski equipment.
• Val Thorens
  Chambéry Airport, only two hours from the Val Thorens, has a wide range of vehicles including SUVs for only £241.88.
• Meribel
  For a more scenic drive to enjoy the sights, you can get car hire from Lyon Airport, which is approximately 3 hours away from the 3V resorts, for £253.14 (based on estate car).