Alpe d'Huez ski resort is 165kms from Lyon and 185kms west of Turin, Italy, in the Grands Rousses mountains of the Southern Alps. There are many ways to get here, including international rail travel from London and self-driving. The most practical option is to fly to Grenoble and take the direct Alpe d'Huez-bound bus.

The gateway airport is Lyon-Satolas Airport, and buses run to the centre of Lyon every 20 minutes during the day, from where buses go to Alpe d'Huez. Geneva-Cointrin Airport is a good alternative, receiving flights from all over the world, and rail transfers also go to Grenoble. Lyon's airport involves a three-hour transfer; while it is four hours from Geneva. Hiring a car will reduce transfer time by an hour.

By car from Calais, the Reims-Dijon-Lyon-Grenoble route is the quickest option, via the A-26, A-5, A-6, and A-48 autoroutes. From Grenoble, drive along the A-480 (south) and take exit 8 on to route N-85, which leads on to the N-91 for Alpe d'Huez (930kms; eight to nine hours). From Lyon-Satolas Airport, take the A-43/48 (Lyon-Grenoble autobahns) and the follow the A-480, as above (150kms; two hours).

Rail travel is also possible from London, from where several Paris-bound Eurostar trains go from Waterloo station. Trains arrive in Paris (Nord), and then TGV high-speed trains leave from the southern gare de Lyon, for Grenoble. From Grenoble, change to an Alpe d'Huez-bound bus (about eight hours).

The cheapest and least comfortable, yet convenient option, is to take a Eurolines bus from London's Victoria Coach Station to Grenoble. From here, take a local bus to the resort.