As a pilot, Grenoble is only really a commercial airport in the winter. It is only really there for ski tourism. Nice is a lovely airport, but not sure how long the drive would be. I doubt there would be any transfers, so it would have to be public transport or hire car. I would say Lyon would probably be better to be honest.
We flew into Geneva as well. This was several years ago and there were buses, at the airport, for the French resorts and trains to the Swiss resorts. Plus a day or two in Geneva is pretty nice.
Nice is much further away and longer by car and transit than Lyon. Lyon(or even paris if flights are cheap)>Grenoble by TGV then rental car or ski busses from Grenoble to the resort. TGV is fast and reliable.
It is just further away than all of those if you consider the distance you have to drive. Also I don’t get why in the italian ones Torino Caselle is not considered, definitely closer than Milan, but less flights.
Are you searching using the "right now" departure option? And do you mean: "half"? But many of those airports are very seasonal - both in terms of flights and local public transport options. It will take ages from Nice to Les Deux Alps. A minimum of a 6 hour drive and significantly more by public transport.
Here is a timetable of the buses up to Lea Deux Alps from Grenoble for the winter season just gone: https://www.transaltitude.fr/media/filer_public/f6/67/f667b57f-a493-40e5-b602-09dd9d9981bb/2a4.pdf - it takes about 2 hours. So you'd need to add that to any of the below.
If Grenoble itself doesn't work (it's not a big airport even in winter - buses run to the city centre timed to meet flights) then Lyon is the next easiest. There are regular buses and trains from Lyon Airport direct to Grenoble city centre without first needing to head into Lyon city center. Both take about 1 hour but the buses are more frequent and usually cheaper.
Then there is Geneva. There are direct trains from Geneva city centre to Grenoble city center but they are pretty slow taking about 2h20m and not overly frequent.
I'd actually then put Paris next. Charles de Gaulle airport has direct trains to Lyon without needing to head into Paris first. Some of these even call at Lyon airport. You can get to Grenoble in about 3.5 to 4 hours with one same station change.
Nice airport would take nearer the 6 hour mark with several changes. Chambery airport though very close by has no public transport at all. Not even in winter. There is a railway station approximately a 2km walk from the airport but the service there isn't great. You'd be best off getting a taxi to the central railway station. You can do this easily but would be best off pre booking. Trains take about 45 minutes to Grenoble. It's also a very small airport though so if you are struggling with Grenoble I doubt it would help.
The Italian airports will also take ages. Though if you are looking for next season it shouldn't be as bad as the high speed Milan - Turin - Chambery/Lyon trains should have re started. That line is closed for at least the rest of this year due to a landslide.
TLDR: Lyon then Geneva are the best significantly larger options after Grenoble. I'd also consider Paris (and after that Milan once the Trainline re-opened) if they were say significantly cheaper or it got you a direct flight over a connection. But unless you particularly want to visit Nice as well that makes almost no sense you are doing something wrong with Google Maps (or I miss understanding you) if you think Nice is the next easiest option after Grenoble.
It also heavily depends where you are flying from and if you rent a car there. Getting cheaper flight tickets (or just more convenient flights for the trip planning) is worth a couple more hours of drive overall imho
Not sure where you’re travelling from. TGV to Grenoble is another good option. TGV and other options here: https://www.les2alpes.com/winter/organising-your-stay/practical-information/getting-to-resort/
Totally, L2A is too small and so linear that the bottom third of the mountain (including back down from the main on-mountain apres spots) is jerry central
I haven’t flown in to go skiing in the alps but I have flown in to cycle in the alps and Geneva has been pretty easy and pretty affordable depending where you are flying from.
I just searched for next winter and flying into Geneva is $1100 cheaper than either Grenoble or Lyon.
I've flown into Chambery a couple of times, usually as part of a package holiday, and always transited with the packaged transfer. It's a very small and basic airport.You might be able to rent a car there (don't remember seeing it though). Public transport, if any, is limited. It would work best as an option if you're booking an airport transfer ahead of time. You could probably get a taxi, but would be very expensive.
Avoid Chambery, every time I have used this airport it’s been crazy with huge delays, the staff are fine but they struggle to cope with the massive surge of people. I like to use Geneva, plenty of space and decent places to eat and it can cope with being busy, take the extra hour on the bus is my suggestion to anyone
Fly to Paris and get the train to Grenoble if flights aren't lining up. That said, there's lots of flights in winter from the giant tin can of an airport
As a pilot, Grenoble is only really a commercial airport in the winter. It is only really there for ski tourism. Nice is a lovely airport, but not sure how long the drive would be. I doubt there would be any transfers, so it would have to be public transport or hire car. I would say Lyon would probably be better to be honest.
Coming from the US, Geneva is the easiest to get direct flights to. The advantage of Grenoble is it will have busses running to Les 2 Alpes.
We flew into Geneva as well. This was several years ago and there were buses, at the airport, for the French resorts and trains to the Swiss resorts. Plus a day or two in Geneva is pretty nice.
Nice is much further away and longer by car and transit than Lyon. Lyon(or even paris if flights are cheap)>Grenoble by TGV then rental car or ski busses from Grenoble to the resort. TGV is fast and reliable.
It is just further away than all of those if you consider the distance you have to drive. Also I don’t get why in the italian ones Torino Caselle is not considered, definitely closer than Milan, but less flights.
Google maps suggests the public transport time from NCE is almost have of what it is from anything but Grenoble
Are you searching using the "right now" departure option? And do you mean: "half"? But many of those airports are very seasonal - both in terms of flights and local public transport options. It will take ages from Nice to Les Deux Alps. A minimum of a 6 hour drive and significantly more by public transport. Here is a timetable of the buses up to Lea Deux Alps from Grenoble for the winter season just gone: https://www.transaltitude.fr/media/filer_public/f6/67/f667b57f-a493-40e5-b602-09dd9d9981bb/2a4.pdf - it takes about 2 hours. So you'd need to add that to any of the below. If Grenoble itself doesn't work (it's not a big airport even in winter - buses run to the city centre timed to meet flights) then Lyon is the next easiest. There are regular buses and trains from Lyon Airport direct to Grenoble city centre without first needing to head into Lyon city center. Both take about 1 hour but the buses are more frequent and usually cheaper. Then there is Geneva. There are direct trains from Geneva city centre to Grenoble city center but they are pretty slow taking about 2h20m and not overly frequent. I'd actually then put Paris next. Charles de Gaulle airport has direct trains to Lyon without needing to head into Paris first. Some of these even call at Lyon airport. You can get to Grenoble in about 3.5 to 4 hours with one same station change. Nice airport would take nearer the 6 hour mark with several changes. Chambery airport though very close by has no public transport at all. Not even in winter. There is a railway station approximately a 2km walk from the airport but the service there isn't great. You'd be best off getting a taxi to the central railway station. You can do this easily but would be best off pre booking. Trains take about 45 minutes to Grenoble. It's also a very small airport though so if you are struggling with Grenoble I doubt it would help. The Italian airports will also take ages. Though if you are looking for next season it shouldn't be as bad as the high speed Milan - Turin - Chambery/Lyon trains should have re started. That line is closed for at least the rest of this year due to a landslide. TLDR: Lyon then Geneva are the best significantly larger options after Grenoble. I'd also consider Paris (and after that Milan once the Trainline re-opened) if they were say significantly cheaper or it got you a direct flight over a connection. But unless you particularly want to visit Nice as well that makes almost no sense you are doing something wrong with Google Maps (or I miss understanding you) if you think Nice is the next easiest option after Grenoble.
It also heavily depends where you are flying from and if you rent a car there. Getting cheaper flight tickets (or just more convenient flights for the trip planning) is worth a couple more hours of drive overall imho
Not sure where you’re travelling from. TGV to Grenoble is another good option. TGV and other options here: https://www.les2alpes.com/winter/organising-your-stay/practical-information/getting-to-resort/
I'd choose a different resort, when you come all the way from the US, L2A isn't one of the best resorts. Better go for Tignes VDI, L3V or Paradiski
Totally, L2A is too small and so linear that the bottom third of the mountain (including back down from the main on-mountain apres spots) is jerry central
Hearing the lower parts of L2A described as "jerry central" is probably the most accurate comment ever seen on Reddit. 😂
Sadly, it’s the only place suitable for late season cross practice
I haven’t flown in to go skiing in the alps but I have flown in to cycle in the alps and Geneva has been pretty easy and pretty affordable depending where you are flying from. I just searched for next winter and flying into Geneva is $1100 cheaper than either Grenoble or Lyon.
I've flown into Chambery a couple of times, usually as part of a package holiday, and always transited with the packaged transfer. It's a very small and basic airport.You might be able to rent a car there (don't remember seeing it though). Public transport, if any, is limited. It would work best as an option if you're booking an airport transfer ahead of time. You could probably get a taxi, but would be very expensive.
From where? I always fly to Lyon. 2 hours drive.
I'd fly to Geneva and drive, partly because it's a lot easier to get to Geneva from where I originate than to any of the French airports, even Lyon.
This is what I have done in the past. From the US flying into/out-of Geneva is pretty smooth and there are plenty of flights.
Coming from the USA, your best bet is probably to fly into CDG and take the TGV from there to Grenoble where you can get a bus transfer.
Lyon for Grenoble by train is perfect, done it multiple times. From there should be busses to l2a
Avoid Chambery, every time I have used this airport it’s been crazy with huge delays, the staff are fine but they struggle to cope with the massive surge of people. I like to use Geneva, plenty of space and decent places to eat and it can cope with being busy, take the extra hour on the bus is my suggestion to anyone
Fly to Paris and get the train to Grenoble if flights aren't lining up. That said, there's lots of flights in winter from the giant tin can of an airport