An independent guide to Val Thorens
This Val Thorens by car page has information about driving to Val Thorens.
Channel Crossings | Route, Distance & Time | Legal Requirements | Tour Operators
If you're travelling from Britain to Val Thorens by car, you will of course need to cross the English Channel.
You can take a ferry from Dover to Calais with P&O Ferries or DFDS Seaways. DFDS also offers Dover to Dunkirk.
Book in advance for a more competitive price.
The ferry companies offer the lowest price if you commit to a particular time of crossing. You pay a bit more for a 'flexi' crossing, where you book onto a particular ferry but you can take an earlier or later boat at no extra cost provided there's space.
P&O even have three options:
It can be worth going for a Flexi option if you're travelling a long way to the ferry port, making it harder to estimate your exact arrival time.
The crossing takes about 1h30. There's usually a coffee bar, and at least one restaurant on board. Big-screen TVs show BBC World. It's a good opportunity to rest and re-fuel (food for the body, not petrol for the car) on a long journey.
There's wifi on board, which may be included or extra depending on the ticket you've bought. Or you could go out on deck and enjoy the view and the breeze.
The alternative to a Dover-Calais ferry is the Eurotunnel (now branded as Le Shuttle) from Folkestone to Calais, which takes 35 minutes.
The company says its market share of cross-Channel traffic is nearly 60%.
If you're travelling from Scotland or northern England, travelling from Hull can be a good option.
The Hull-Zeebrugge ferry is no longer running, since 1st January 2021.
Hull-Rotterdam still runs, but the arrival point is further north and therefore a bit less convenient than Zeebrugge for driving to the French Alps.
Hull-Rotterdam is an overnight crossing, and your ticket includes a cabin. There are restaurants on board, and entertainment.
Viamichelin is a useful site for route, distance, and journey time.
A good route from Calais to Val Thorens is:
Viamichelin suggests a distance of 930km from Calais to Val Thorens; journey time 9h40; and a cost of €185 in a petrol car (September 2025).
It is compulsory in certain mountain areas of France in Winter (1st November to 31st March) to:
It is compulsory to have at least 3rd party insurance that's valid in France.
You must have with you your driving licence, registration document (V5), and insurance papers.
You must carry the following items:
These vary according to whether the weather is fine, or wet. The limits are as follows (fine/wet):
See also the extra obstacles and legal requirements created by the Conservative Party's awful Brexit.
You can book a self-drive holiday through a tour operator (an accommodation plus Channel crossing package). Erna Low specialises in these.
Most of the other tour operators sell self-drive ski holidays to Val Thorens too, including Inghams.
Have a good journey to Val Thorens by car!
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