Serre Chevalier occupies the Vallée de la Guisane in the Hautes-Alpes département of southeastern France, within the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The valley descends northwest from the Col du Lautaret at 2,058 metres to Briançon at 1,200 metres, where it meets the Durance Valley. The ski area borders Écrins National Park to the southwest, with the Dôme des Écrins rising to 4,102 metres across the valley. The location sits at the convergence of four valleys - Guisane, Clarée, Haute Durance and Cerveyrette - creating a high-altitude crossroads in the southern Alps.

Briançon, France's highest city at 1,326 metres, anchors the valley base with UNESCO-listed Vauban fortifications dating to 1692. The fortified upper town maintains cobbled streets and military architecture, whilst modern Briançon provides full urban services including supermarkets and medical facilities. Saint-Chaffrey encompasses Chantemerle village, La Salle-les-Alpes contains Villeneuve, and Le Monêtier-les-Bains sits at the valley's western end beneath alpine terrain. The area belongs to the Briançonnais region, historically significant for trans-Alpine trade routes and military positioning near the Italian border. The southern Alps climate produces drier, sunnier conditions than northern Savoie resorts, with Mediterranean influence tempering extreme cold.

Road access from northern France follows Autoroute A51 to exit Pont de Claix, then 80 kilometres via Route Nationale N91 and the Col du Lautaret, occasionally closed in severe weather though prioritised for clearance. From southern France, A51 exits La Saulce, followed by 90 kilometres through Gap. From Italy, the Fréjus Tunnel and Autoroute A43 exit at Oulx-Montgenèvre, 35 kilometres east. Drive times from Grenoble reach two hours 10 minutes covering 143 kilometres, Lyon requires two hours 30 minutes for 190 kilometres, and Gap sits 90 kilometres south. The valley road links all four villages continuously, with free shuttle buses supplementing private transport.

Turin Caselle Airport lies 127 kilometres distant, typically requiring two hours transfer time through the Montgenevre pass. Grenoble-Alpes-Isère Airport sits 143 kilometres away at two hours 10 minutes, Lyon Saint-Exupéry reaches 190 kilometres at two hours 30 minutes, and Marseille Provence extends 256 kilometres. Geneva Airport at 254 kilometres requires three hours 50 minutes, making it less practical despite larger flight networks. Briançon maintains a railway station with direct services to Paris including overnight trains, plus connections to Grenoble, Marseille and Lyon. Regional LER buses link Grenoble to Briançon twice daily in high season, covering 112 kilometres in two hours 20 minutes.