Currently 14% of British skiers travel the Alps by car. Driving to the Alps will usually only reduce your carbon emissions if there are at least three people travelling together or you are travelling in a vehicle with low emissions, such as an electric car.
Travel by car is more efficient with a full vehicle
Based on research by the Anthesis Group (formerly known as Best Foot Forward), four people travelling by car to the Alps will produce around 2/3 of the amount of CO2 emissions compared with flying.
Three people travelling would be slightly less than the emissions generated by flying, but only by around 10%.
Four times more CO2 than train travel
It’s important to note that even with four people in a car, the emissions generated is still more than four times that of train travel.
If you really want to cut your emissions and keep skiing, the best option is to travel by train.
How long does it take to drive?
The average journey time the Alps is 8-9 hours from Calais (excluding stops). You can split up the journey by stopping overnight on the way, take your time and enjoy the journey.
How much will it cost?
You should budget for 500-600 miles of driving in each direction from Calais. Depending your mileage this may be around £160.
Driving to the Alps via French motorways will incur around €80 of tolls in each direction. If you travel on Swiss motorways you need to buy a vignette for around €40.
How to cross the channel?
We recommend Eurotunnel for crossing the channel, with crossings available from £100. Ferries take slightly longer and are a similar price.
If you book a package with a ski company like Erna Low, you will be upgraded to a Flexiplus Eurotunnel ticket. This gives you the flexibility to turn up at any time or day you want, instead of being restricted to certain crossings.
Electric charging points
Evidently if you have an electric vehicle you can drive all the way to the Alps and back emissions free.
Although there is already an excellent provision of fast-charging points on motorways in Europe, you will need to research your trip to ensure that you can access the appropriate chargers.
Sites like ChargeMap will show you where and how to access charging points on your journey.
Telsa drivers have an advantage as the company is leading way in fast and super chargers in many locations
You can find more information about charging points in Europe on the AA website.
