Getting from Serre Chevalier to Turin Airport

I went back to England to get the metalwork removed from my leg where I had broken my fibula 19 months ago. This operation is not obligatory but the more people I spoke to about it; the more I decided that this was definitely the way to go. As I wasn’t insured to do this in France it was better to sort it out in the UK. Technically ex pats get 4 years NHS after leaving the country so that is OK. Easyjet had already cancelled my flight once this year so this time I left a few clear days. I decided to go to Turin by public transport, so this is how you do it.

Get to Oulx railway station in Italy.

I actually got a lift from my wife Sue to Oulx, but I believe you can get a ‘Hautes Alpes’ bus from Briançon Railway Station, although I am led to believe it is quite expensive at something like 15€.

Go to Porto Nouva, Torino Railway Station

From Oulx you can get a train to Porto Nouva which is a station in the middle of Turin. This is a very pretty train journey but it does take quite a long time and you usually have to change at Bussoleno. Check out the Tren Italia web site for times and fares. This is a real cheap bit of the journey at only 3.40€ for a single. Don’t forgot to validate your ticket with the machines that are dotted all around the station. The waiting room/shelter on platform 3 has one in there too. Eventually nearly 2 hours later you arrive at Porto Nouva. Next you need to buy a ticket for the airport bus, operated by a company called ‘Sadem’, don’t confuse this with the local buses that are operated by a company called ‘Sapau’. Anyway, assuming your Italian is as bad as mine; mumble something like 'Bus ticket Sadem per aeroporto, por favori' to various newsagents in the station and they will sell you one for 5€, I eventually realised that the correct ones have a big red neon sign saying something like ‘we sell Sadem Aeroporto tickets!’ The actual newsagent I bought mine from was the one near the automatic self service rail ticket machines. You can actually buy your tickets from the cafes and bars near the bus stop, but I didn’t know where that was so I thought I would kill two birds with the one stone.

As you walk out of the station you will see a sign directing left to the buses and taxis, walk to where the buses are, this is Via Sacci. Now turn right and walk along to the end of Via Sacci and when you are facing those lovely arches across the road look left and you will see a bar, which I have completely forgotten what it is called, but this is more or less where the bus stop is. There are two bars next to each other and the second one you come to is right where the Sadem bus stop is. Both these bars sell the tickets. There is a Sadem timetable stuck on the wall of one the arches near the second bar. The buses generally run about every 45 minutes and the journey takes just under an hour. When you get on the bus there is a little machine on the left where you validate your ticket.

Sit back and relax and you will arrive at Turin Airport, you actually arrive at Arrivals, but you can go in there and just go up the escalator which puts you in Departures.

That’s it, if you have any problems don’t blame me, this is the most detailed explanation available on the internet to date.

Rick Lomas