Part of the Portes du Soleil ski region and located to the south of Lake Geneva, near the Swiss border, Chatel ski resort is only directly accessible by road. Self-drive is a popular option for many due to the excellent network of motorways en route, while a rail and bus travel combination is another option. The quickest option is to fly to Geneva and hire a car.

Geneva-Cointrin Airport is the nearest major airport receiving both scheduled and charter services from all major cities. There is a rail terminal at the airport with transfers to Thonon-les-Bains. By hire car, drive along the (N-5) Thonon-Les-Bains road and then head southeast on the D-902 and D-22, for Chatel (76kms; 1 hour, 30 minutes). Lyon-Satolas is the alternative airport.

If you're driving from the UK, the quickest route from Calais goes via the cities of Reims, Dijon, Lausanne and Monthey, and utilises efficient autoroutes. From Monthey, carry on west on route 201 (820kms; eight hours). Autoroutes (motorways) can be fairly expensive but offer the fastest possible journey time.

Train connections from London involve a Eurostar departure which terminates in Paris, from where a high-speed TGV trains goes to Geneva. From here, an Interregional train goes to Thonon-les-Bains; it is a 45-minute bus journey from here to the resort. The total journey time is about eight to nine hours, and trains can also go via Lille. Eurolines buses also run to Geneva from London.