Getting around · Chamonix · France
Getting around Chamonix
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Garrondo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The valley is linear, with Chamonix in the middle, and well served by local buses and the Mont-Blanc Express train from Les Houches to Vallorcine and on to Martigny in Switzerland. The town centre is walkable, and lifts depart from the edge of town or from the villages. No.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Walking
- Airports
- GVA, LYS
- Need a car?
- No
- Travel pass
- Carte d'hôte (guest card)
Ways to get around
Walking
The centre, the Aiguille du Midi base and the Montenvers station are all within 10 minutes of each other on foot, and a flat riverside path runs up the valley towards Les Praz.
Bus
Chamonix Bus routes run the length of the valley between Les Houches, the centre, Argentière and Le Tour, with extra shuttles to the ski areas in winter.
Ask your accommodation for the guest card, which gives free travel on valley buses and trains within the valley.
Train
The Mont-Blanc Express runs from Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet through Les Houches, Chamonix and Argentière to Vallorcine, continuing into Switzerland to Martigny with a change at the border.
The train is often faster than the bus between Chamonix and Argentière in winter traffic.
Cable car
Cable cars, gondolas and the Montenvers rack railway reach the high viewpoints: the Aiguille du Midi, Le Brévent, La Flégère, the Grands Montets, Balme and the Les Houches lifts.
Multi-day lift passes covering all the valley's lifts are usually better value than single tickets if you plan two or more lift days.
Car
Roads link the valley to Geneva via the A40 motorway and to Italy through the Mont Blanc Tunnel, but parking in the centre is limited and paid.
Tickets and passes
Carte d'hôte (guest card)
Issued by hotels and registered rentals that collect the tourist tax, it gives free travel on valley buses and the train between Servoz and Vallorcine.
Mont Blanc Multipass
A summer lift pass covering the main sightseeing lifts, including the Aiguille du Midi and Montenvers, for one or more days.
Mont Blanc Unlimited
The winter and summer pass covering all the valley's ski areas and lifts, with access to some linked areas in Italy and Switzerland.
From the airport
Geneva Airport is about 85 km away; shared shuttle transfers and coaches reach Chamonix in about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, longer on Saturdays in winter. Lyon–Saint-Exupéry is about 220 km away, roughly 2 hours 30 minutes by road. By train, the valley is reached via Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet or from Switzerland via Martigny.
Do you need a car?
No. The guest card makes buses and trains in the valley free, and shuttles run from Geneva. A car only helps for day trips to Annecy or extensive touring, and winter driving requires snow equipment.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Courmayeur | About 30 minutes by bus or car | Bus or car through the Mont Blanc Tunnel |
| Annecy | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car | Car or coach |
| Geneva | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car or shuttle | Car, coach or airport shuttle |
| Lac d'Emosson | About 45 minutes by car, longer by train and funicular | Car, or train to Le Châtelard then funicular in summer |
| Saint-Gervais-les-Bains | About 30–40 minutes by train | Mont-Blanc Express to Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet |
| Megève | About 40 minutes by car | Car or bus via Sallanches |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Chamonix?
No. The guest card makes buses and trains in the valley free, and shuttles run from Geneva. A car only helps for day trips to Annecy or extensive touring, and winter driving requires snow equipment.
+How do you get from the airport to Chamonix?
Geneva Airport is about 85 km away; shared shuttle transfers and coaches reach Chamonix in about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, longer on Saturdays in winter. Lyon–Saint-Exupéry is about 220 km away, roughly 2 hours 30 minutes by road. By train, the valley is reached via Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet or from Switzerland via Martigny.
+What is the best way to get around Chamonix?
Walking: The centre, the Aiguille du Midi base and the Montenvers station are all within 10 minutes of each other on foot, and a flat riverside path runs up the valley towards Les Praz.