Geneva and the Alps
Helicopter transfers in the Alps
It is not a whim, and it is not always justified. Here is how to decide.
The honest maths
What you actually gain
The flight itself lasts twenty to thirty-five minutes depending on the resort. But a helicopter transfer is not only the flight: you have to reach the airfield, move the luggage, wait for the slot, then come down from the landing point to the chalet.
On a quiet day the real gain against the road is around an hour and a half for Courchevel or Verbier, and forty minutes for Megève. For Chamonix it is often nil.
A changeover Saturday changes everything. The road can double; the flight keeps exactly the same duration. The gain rises to two or three hours, with children and equipment on board. It is the one day the question no longer arises.
Where you land
Three distinct situations
Courchevel: landing at altitude
The altiport sits at over 2,000 metres and stays cleared all season. Flights there follow specific procedures published by the civil aviation authority. You land above the resort, not down in the valley.
Megève: the village altiport
The landing point is minutes from the centre, facing the Mont Blanc massif. It is the shortest transfer from Geneva.
Verbier and Crans-Montana: landing in the valley
You land at Le Châble, at 821 metres, for Verbier, and in the Sion area for Crans-Montana. A drive up follows, short but real. The vehicle waits at the foot of the aircraft.
What nobody mentions
The weather
A helicopter flies visually. Low cloud, snowfall, wind in the valley: the flight is postponed or cancelled, and the decision often comes the same morning.
That is exactly the day a provider is judged. Good practice is to book the flight and hold a vehicle on standby from the moment of booking. If the aircraft does not take off, you have nobody to call: the car is already planned.
The question to ask before signing
What happens if the flight is cancelled for weather, and who pays for what? The answer should be immediate, and in writing.
In short
When we advise against it
For Chamonix, unless you are heli-skiing or moving on to another resort: an hour and a quarter on a good road cannot be beaten.
On a Sunday or a Tuesday outside the holidays, whatever the resort: the road flows and the gain does not justify the cost.
In uncertain weather announced several days ahead, if your schedule tolerates no delay.
We tell you before you book. A flight sold for nothing costs more than a missed sale.
See also: Geneva and the Alps, Geneva to the ski resorts and private transport.
Transfers
Fly or drive?
Give us the resort, the date and the landing time. We decide with you.