Private jet · Critérium de la Première Neige, 12-13 December 2026: 40 minutes by helicopter from Geneva
The Critérium de la Première Neige opens the winter at Val d'Isère: 12 and 13 December 2026, giant slalom on Saturday and slalom on Sunday on the Face de Bellevarde. From Geneva it is 220 kilometres and three hours by road, or 40 minutes by helicopter to the La Daille heliport. On a race weekend those three hours are the least predictable part of the journey.
By helicopter
By car
By helicopter
By car
Transfer times and distances as published by the airports, the operators and the tourist boards. Where a figure is missing, no public source publishes it.
Where from, when, how many
Three fields and the quote form opens with Critérium de la Première Neige already set as arrival. Luggage and aircraft come next; name and contact details only at the end, if you decide to send.
Where you actually land
| Airport | ICAO | km | By car | By helicopter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chambéry | LFLB | 135 | 2h 00 | 35′ |
| Geneva | LSGG | 220 | 3h 00 | 40′ |
| Grenoble | LFLS | 165 | 2h 30 | — |
| Lyon | LFLL | 240 | 3h 00 | 55′ |
| Val d'Isère | — | — | — | — |
A dash means no public source publishes that figure. We write the dash instead of estimating it.
The programme
Val d'Isère has hosted the Critérium de la Première Neige since 1955 and it is the first major stop of the winter on the Face de Bellevarde. In 2026 it runs over two days: Saturday 12 December the men's giant slalom, 08:30 to 15:00; Sunday 13 the slalom, same hours. Around the racing there are concerts, DJ sets and tastings: the resort works at full load all weekend.
What constrains the flight Operating notes written in Italian
- Programma 2026: gigante maschile sabato 12 dicembre dalle 08:30 alle 15:00; slalom domenica 13 dicembre, stesso orario. Pista Face de Bellevarde.
- Da Ginevra e da Lione sono tre ore di strada: in un weekend di gara vanno considerate al rialzo.
- Il regime invernale di Chambéry parte dal 1 dicembre: PPR obbligatorio, massimo 5 arrivi l'ora nei weekend.
- L'eliporto della Daille chiude alle 23:00: un arrivo tardivo a Ginevra non ha coincidenza.
- Cinque passeggeri per rotazione in elicottero, bagagli inclusi.
- Un treno TGV diretto da Parigi a Bourg-Saint-Maurice opera nel weekend delle gare: è un'alternativa reale per chi parte dalla Francia.
Season and peaks Operating notes written in Italian
- Opens
- 12 dicembre 2026
- Closes
- 13 dicembre 2026
- Peaks
- sabato 12 dicembre: gigante maschile
- domenica 13 dicembre: slalom maschile
The last leg, and what it costs
| From | Means | Pax | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geneva | helicopter | 5 | No public source publishes this figure. |
| Chambéry | helicopter | 5 | No public source publishes this figure. |
Three hours, or forty minutes
Val d'Isère is the French resort furthest from any airport: 220 kilometres and three hours from Geneva, 240 and three hours from Lyon, 165 and two and a half from Grenoble, 135 and two hours from Chambéry. On a World Cup weekend those times should be read upward, because the road climbing from Bourg-Saint-Maurice is the same one for everybody. The alternative is the La Daille heliport: 40 minutes from Geneva, 35 from Chambéry, 55 from Lyon, 35 from Annecy. Open 07:00 to 23:00, five passengers per rotation. The giant slalom starts at 08:30: by road you have to sleep in the valley, by helicopter you can leave the same morning.
December is already high season at Chambéry
Chambéry's winter regime starts on 1 December: mandatory PPR, business terminal open 07:30 to 21:00, a maximum of five arrivals an hour at weekends, no hangar and around thirty stands. The Critérium weekend falls inside that regime. At Geneva the winter PPR starts on 15 December, so the Critérium weekend sits just before: a useful window, but demand is already high because the lifts have only just opened. Grenoble, with 3,050 metres of runway and no crew qualification required, is often the simplest answer for these dates.
The Sunday return
The slalom finishes in the early afternoon on Sunday. Anyone wanting to leave the same day has a timing problem: Chambéry and Grenoble close at 21:00, Annecy at 19:00. Lyon is the only one open in the evening. If your plan is to watch the prize-giving and then leave, the combination that works is helicopter to Lyon, 55 minutes, and a flight after dinner. We tell you that when we prepare the quote, not when you are on the road.
How we work
Alpine Private Jet works with Air-Dynamic, a Swiss company that arranges charter flights and operates helicopter and air ambulance directly. For the Critérium we quote the outbound and the return against the airports' real hours, the helicopter last leg and the number of rotations for your group. We do not sell race tickets or book tables. The intermediation fee is written into the quote. Quote in 1 minute.
Questions we get
When is the Critérium de la Première Neige 2026?
Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December 2026. Men's giant slalom on the Saturday and slalom on the Sunday, both 08:30 to 15:00, on the Face de Bellevarde.
Which is the nearest airport?
Chambéry, 135 km and about two hours, or 35 minutes by helicopter to the La Daille heliport. Geneva is 220 km and three hours, or 40 minutes of flying.
Can I leave on Sunday evening?
Only from Lyon, the one airport in the area open in the evening. Chambéry and Grenoble close at 21:00, Annecy at 19:00. From the La Daille heliport to Lyon is 55 minutes by helicopter.
Is PPR required in December?
At Chambéry yes, from 1 December. At Geneva the winter regime starts on 15 December, so the Critérium weekend just precedes it, but demand is already high.
How many passengers does the helicopter carry?
Five per rotation, luggage included. Larger groups need two flights, to be planned in advance.
Is there an alternative to flying?
Yes, for anyone travelling from France: on race weekend a direct TGV runs from Paris to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, 30 km from the resort.
Where people fly in from
Flight time and quote, route by route:
- London → Val d'Isère
- Paris → Val d'Isère
- Milan → Val d'Isère
- Geneva → Val d'Isère
- Zurich → Val d'Isère
- Frankfurt → Val d'Isère
On Sardinia Private Jet: Olbia → Val d'Isère — flight time and quote
Tell us the date. We tell you where you land.
Give us the day and how many of you are travelling: we come back with the airport that holds up on that date, the aircraft that fits your luggage and what the last leg costs.
Sources
- valdisere.com — Programma del Critérium de la Première Neige 2026: 12-13 dicembre, orari delle gare, Face de Bellevarde, TGV diretto da Parigi
- valdisere.com — Distanze e tempi stradali dagli aeroporti a Val d'Isère, Bourg-Saint-Maurice a 30 km
- alpes-helico.com — Eliporto della Daille: orari 07:00-23:00, 5 passeggeri, tempi di volo verso Ginevra, Chambéry, Lione, Annecy
- chambery-business-airport.com — Chambéry: regime invernale dal 1 dicembre, PPR, orari 07:30-21:00, massimo 5 arrivi l'ora nei weekend, nessun hangar
- ops.group — Grenoble pista 3.050 m e orari 07:00-21:00; Ginevra PPR dal 15 dicembre e slot a 21 giorni
- topskinews.com — Calendario Coppa del Mondo 2026-27
What is not confirmed
This page carries 3 figures that come from our own operating data or from a brief, and that we have not been able to confirm against a public document. They are listed here rather than left where they look like facts.
Open the Italian notes
- Le date sono quelle dell'organizzatore, worldcup-valdisere.com: gigante sabato 12 e slalom domenica 13 dicembre 2026. In giro si trovano ancora «12-14 dicembre» con la cerimonia di apertura del venerdì: sono le date dell'edizione 2025. Nel 2026 il 12 dicembre è un sabato e il 14 è un lunedì, e una gara di Coppa del Mondo di lunedì non esiste. Il calendario FIS 2026/27 resta comunque provvisorio fino all'approvazione del Consiglio FIS: la data si riconferma prima di partire.
- Prezzi dell'ultimo tratto in elicottero: non pubblicati dagli operatori.
- Tempo di volo in elicottero Grenoble-Val d'Isère: non pubblicato.