Photo Paulne Styles
Marathon de Bessans. Photo Pauline Styles
Racers in the 2013 Marathon de Bessans. Photo Pauline Styles
LRNSC trip 2013. Photo Pauline Styles
There are bus connections from Lyon Saint-Exupéry, Chambery and Geneva airports to Haute Maurienne.
SNCF offer regular connections to Modane which is less than 4 hours from Paris by TGV. Then get a bus connection, from the bus station on your left as you leave Modane train station. You can buy your bus ticket online.
It is about a 13 hour drive from the UK, and nearer the destination you take the A43 Motorway towards Turin (Fréjus Tunnel, Italy), exit at Modane, Haute Maurienne, on the 1006 (ex-RN6). Then c ross Modane and take the direction of Val Cenis. Go through the villages of Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis then Lanslevillard. Continue on the D902 for a few kilometres in the direction of Bessans. Bessans is 35 km from Modane.
There is a shuttle bus that runs from Val Cenis through to Bessans, and beyond to Bonneval sur Arc operated by Altibus. The timetables are here.
There are quite a few options by looking on the tourist website but a few to note are:
The Hotel le Mont Iseran is in the centre of Bessans.
The Hotel le Grand Fond is situation right on the cross country ski tracks and walking distance of the village centre. It is also about 500m from the foyer of the ski de fond, where you buy the trail pass and has good waxing facilities.
The Hotel Vanoise - mid range hotel with gym and pool.
There is a choice of 3 outlets for ski rental.
The Marathon de Bessans is held every year on the second week of January and is part of the Euroloppet race series.
There are 15 kms of discovery trails that are marked for walking. Other activities include snowshoeing, ice skating and ice climbing.