What's the quickest way to an Alp?

petethedrummer

I want to fly as close to an Alp as possible on a Friday afternoon, spend the night nearby. Then cycle up and down it and neighbouring Alps for the weekend and home on the Sunday night.

Where's the best airport and town to head for? My preference would be to fly to France but any country containing Alps is fine.

Anyone done this in the recent past?

ROK ON

Milan or Bergamo.

The Italian alps loom over Milan. You could get a train north to avoid the flatlands and foothills and get straight into climbing.

Never done it myself. Both airports are utterly chaotic however.

Mr. Grieves

I've never done it, but I would have said Geneva is your best bet with regular flights.

serendip

Geneva, probably.

But there was a lot of snow over the alps last night. Weather is not great.

Captain Havoc

Lyon wouldn't be too far either but Geneva would be closest.

petethedrummer

Thanks Lads. I'll price a few flights with all this info. Probably head in June.

Mr. Grieves

Let us know how you get on, it sounds like a good weekend. Something I wouldn't mind doing at some point.

Just thinking, I've flown into Lyon, Chambery, Grenoble, Geneva, Turin, Milan, Bergamo and Salzburg (all in winter). Geneva was the best. Turin might be worth considering for Alpe D'Huez, but probably need to get train or bus.

Or fly into Turin and out of Geneva and be able to say you crossed the Alps!

wanderer 22

I'd be very interested in doing something like this sometime in the summer. If you'd be so good as to post details of your trip I'd be very appreciative :-)

SomeFool

Given your time limits why not consider Nice, the Madone is a good climb for example or does it have to be an alp? Going back to Bourg d'Oisans again for 10 days this year myself, love it there!

get on your bike

Another suggestion

Mt Teide Tenerife south airport. Literally u land & it's there to be climbed. Proper tough

dermur

Would Grenoble not be best suited for Alpe d'Huez?

Was hoping to get down there myself during the summer but was thinking about driving down with the missus. As long as I can get the bike into the boot un-noticed I'll be home and dry...

Practice?

Ole Rodrigo

Am quite certain Grenoble is the closest to Alp D'Huez.

2 Wheels Good

Flew to Nice 3 yrs ago. Train up to Avignon (~€100 ret) and did a couple of days around Mont Ventoux. Nice area and Ventoux a good challenge.

2 Wheels Good

dermur wrote: »

Would Grenoble not be best suited for Alpe d'Huez?

Was hoping to get down there myself during the summer but was thinking about driving down with the missus. As long as I can get the bike into the boot un-noticed I'll be home and dry...

Drove from Cork to the alps last year for the Etape, long!! drive. 2 1/2 days each way via the UK. Great once I got there! Area around Alpe really stunning (except when you realise where you're going! )

cantalach

Dónal wrote: »

Practice?

You beat me to it...when I saw the thread title, I immediately thought of the old joke. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice!

MrCreosote

Fly into Lourdes or Pau.

Aubisque, Soulor, Tourmalet, Marie-Blanque...

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!! Luz-ardiden, Hautacam, Lac d'Estaing

And so on.

All easy from Lourdes. Easy access anyway.

manwithaplan

MrCreosote wrote: »

Fly into Lourdes or Pau.

Aubisque, Soulor, Tourmalet, Marie-Blanque...

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!! Luz-ardiden, Hautacam, Lac d'Estaing

And so on.

All easy from Lourdes. Easy access anyway.

You can't beat a flight to Lourdes. Joyful mysteries all the way and a round of applause for the man upstairs on landing. Gives you wings for the climbs.

El Vino

Turin is great for the Alps you can be in Sauze d'Oulx in an hour. Bergamo is also good, Milan not quite as good, never managed to make it into the mountains in under 2 hours by car. For Austria Salzburg is close. If it didnt have to be an Alp, Perpingnan, Girona, Toulouse and Biarritz for Pyrenees - Lourdes (don't snigger) is brilliant also.

dermur

2 Wheels Good wrote: »

Drove from Cork to the alps last year for the Etape, long!! drive. 2 1/2 days each way via the UK. Great once I got there! Area around Alpe really stunning (except when you realise where you're going! )

That's a long spin alright! I was going to get the overnight ferry direct to Cherbourg or Roscoff. Whatever way you look at it, it's a long trek. that part of the fun though, right? Right? :eek:

ford2600

Flying into Lyon next wed, home on following Monday. 170km sportive on the sunday plus at leat 2 other good hilly spins.
Will post details off trip and how to fine tune on my return

SomeFool wrote: »

Given your time limits why not consider Nice, the Madone is a good climb for example or does it have to be an alp? Going back to Bourg d'Oisans again for 10 days this year myself, love it there!

studiorat

There used to be a "Snow Train" that went from London to la Tarentaise on Friday night.
You could also consider flying into Paris or Turin Thursday night and getting the Train. Overnight from Paris starts at under €50.

But this being boards I'd suggest you go through Lourdes, so we can give you a good slagging..

2 Wheels Good

dermur wrote: »

That's a long spin alright! I was going to get the overnight ferry direct to Cherbourg or Roscoff. Whatever way you look at it, it's a long trek. that part of the fun though, right? Right? :eek:

Drove solo so no Mile after mile of fields of crops in northern France. Might be more interesting going the other way, someone recommended using the motorways hugging Paris as a better way of getting down but nothing online agreed with that. It was great having the car in the alps though, loved that part.
Was unlucky with the weather, was much the same as our crappy summers when I was over.
They used have trains from north to south before but I think they're gone now.

If I was doing it this year, I'd box the bike in cotton wool and fly to Nice (easiest from Cork) and rent/train it from there.

Muckers

8 of us flying in to Nice in 2 weeks time. Based in Menton, close to the Italian border for 4 days climbing. Routes planned include the Cipressa, Poggio, Madone, Eze, Braus, Turbie and more.