Travel to Chamonix from Turin by Car

Turin City Centre to Chamonix

It's important to take the best route if driving from Turin city centre. This is the recommended route from Turin Centre to Chamonix Mont-Blanc.

Caselle to Chamonix 

Renting a car out of Caselle is a smart idea. Caselle Airport is on the on the autostrada (Motorway) network, on the north side of the city and no partial circumnavigation of Torino is required. Caselle is a medium sized airport and is well laid out. Check our recommended route.

Locating Car Rental Desks in Caselle 

On exiting the main terminal through Arrivals, walk out of the main exit, leaving the taxi rank on your left, and cross the waiting bays to the door directly opposite for car parking and Car Hire. There is one exception. Italy by Car (aka autoEuropa) has their desk in the Arrivals hall to the right of the main exit. All other car hire agencies are located on the ground floor of the parking complex. All the car hire vehicles are conveniently located in the parking area immediately after the Car Rental Agency desks. There is no requirement to walk any distance and all hire vehicles are located under cover.
 
On exiting Caselle airport by car, the route leads quickly to the Autostrada. Sign posting has been greatly improved. For Chamonix, follow signs for Ivrea and Aosta.

The journey from Caselle to Chamonix will take about two hours. The Autostrada heads north, crossing the flat lands of Piedmont, passing Ivrea and on towards the foothills of the Alps that rise abruptly out of the plain. On a clear day, the dramatic alpine scenery that lies ahead is quite a distraction. The autostrada follows the route of least resistance, into the Aosta Valley. The narrow valley floor is shared with the rapid waters of the River Dora Baltea, twisting and turning its way down the valley, and many settlements, of which, Aosta is the largest. Some 70 minutes into the journey the road passes Aosta and heads on towards Courmayeur and the Tunnel di Monte Bianco.  As the tunnel gets closer, the altitude increases gradually, until the final short and steep climb between Courmayeur and the Tunnel entrance.

Cuneo Levaldigi Airport to Chamonix

There is one car hire company available at Levaldigi Airport: Hertz. The desk is located in the arrival hall, as the airport is small, is easy to find. Check the recommended route from Cuneo Levalidig Airport to Chamonix Mont-Blanc.

Driving on the AutoStrada

Several sections of the Autostradas of northern Italy provide a welcome departure from the monotony of motorway travel. Tunnels and bridges penetrate the mountain terrain with feats of engineering almost as wonderful as the landscape and scenery they reveal. 
It's smart to drive within the 130/110 (dry/wet) kilometres per hour (80/68mph) speed limits in force through much of western Europe. Do that, and the journey from Caselle to Chamonix takes a cruising 2 hours.

Forget ideas about travelling at high speed on the Autostrada. The days of burning the asphalt at 200+kph are long gone. Italy has embraced and is enforcing speed restrictions vigorously. Some may consider this surprising for a nation that designs and assembles an impressive line up of high octane vehicles; Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti and and Maserati are some of the better known supercar manufacturers; Ducati heads up the bike builders. A tough act to beat! 

Travelling through the Mont-Blanc Tunnel 

From the Italian side, the entrance to the Mont-Blanc Tunnel is at 1381m above sea level. There is an Italian Immigration post and a Customs post. It is not always possible to find personnel at these posts. However, the ticket kiosks are always managed by at least one person. There is a parking area with great views down the Aosta valley, but this parking is not setup for a picnic stop. For the additional toll cost of the tunnel, check the rates.

Taxis & Transfers from Turin to Chamonix 

The second realistic option works best for larger parties. For a single passenger or a couple, it is expensive. 
www.cta-to.com run a driver hire service with a one way option. Effectively it's a taxi service, but not sold as such. This may be to get around restrictive practices governing taxi pricing.
CTA require customers to book in advance and e-mail is their preferred form of communication.

If the CTA option is to be considered, do not ignore another competitive option… transfer companies out of Chamonix. They are permitted to collect clients from any airport in the vicinity. Only transfer companies that offer a Private Hire option provide this service. There is no Shared Transfer Service from Chamonix to Turin Caselle.  

The CTA offers the opportunity to share the vehicle, with driver, with other people who need to reach the same destination or surrounding areas. There are three options: 

1. A fixed fee for each passenger: this option can be used by those who are willing to share a vehicle with other people, paying a fixed fee. The service is guaranteed with a minimum of passengers. There are 4 routes, the one which interests us is from Caselle Airport to Courmayeur, the fee is 60 euros + VAT per person. Then to reach Chamonix from Courmayeur there is  the option to take the bus, it's a one hour trip.
2. Carpooling and shared fee: this option is for those who wants to share the vehicle in the same day and time for the same destination. 
3. Private transfer: this option is dedicated for those who want to use a vehicle with a driver dedicated to them, with time and location determined by them. Depending on the number of passengers the most appropiate vehicle will be set up. Payment is made at the time of departure.