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Getting to Chamonix

Chamonix, Argentiere, Les Houches, Vallorcine and Le Tour are all easy to reach from Geneva airport and there are good transfer services. There are also railway stations in Chamonix, Argentiere, Les Houches and Vallorcine. And the resorts are relatively easy to drive to from the UK or Northern Europe.

Nearest Airports to the Chamonix Valley 

Distances and drive times to the centre of Chamonix in good road conditions.

  • Geneva Airport to Chamonix: 101km – about 1 hour, 5 mins drive; 
  • Chambery Airport to Chamonix: 142km – about 1 hour, 40 mins drive;
  • Lyon St Exupery Airport to Chamonix: 220km – about 2 hours 15 mins drive;
  • Grenoble-Isere Airport to Chamonix 220 km – about 2 hours 15 mins drive.

Les Houches is on the way to Chamonix so travel times are reduced by about 10 minutes.

Argentiere, Le Tour and Vallorcine are all on the far side of Chamonix so travel times are increased by about 15 minutes for Argentiere, 25 minutes for le Tour, and 30 minutes for Vallorcine.

Airport Transfers to Chamonix and the Chamonix Valley

Ski-Lifts Airport Transfers

Each year Ski-Lifts helps thousands of skiers and boarders get to their accommodation in ski resorts, with a range of hassle-free, door-to-door transfer options from all major airports and train stations, and 24/7 English language assistance if needed. Get an immediate quote and book online >>>

Alps2Alps Airport Transfers

Alps2Alps provides private and group transfers to all major Alpine ski resorts from airports in France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Germany. Our 24/7 multilingual customer service assistance and dispatch centre keeps you informed. Book online and get a real time quote in seconds!

Getting to the Chamonix Valley Ski Resorts by Rail

Chamonix, les Houches, Argentiere and Vallorcine all have railway stations that are on the Mont Blanc SNCF railway line between St Gervais-les-Baines-le-Fayet and Martigny in Switzerland. From St Gervais to Chamonix takes about 40 minutes by train, so if you’re in a hurry it’s quicker to take a taxi (about 20 mins) for this last leg of the journey. You can book one online through Ski-Lifts.

St Gervais-les-Baines-le-Fayet connects with high speed services from Paris and Northern Europe, but most train journeys from Paris require at least one change before reaching St Gervais. The total travel time from Paris to Chamonix by train including changes is around 5 to 7 hours.

There are sometimes special part TGV services from Paris to Chamonix at weekends during the ski season,

For full details see the SNCF website.

Driving to the Chamonix Valley 

The Chamonix Valley is easy to drive to. Distances and times to drive to Chamonix are:

Geneva – 100km – 1 hour 5 minutes
Calais – 896km – 8 hours
Paris – 600km – 6 hours
Lille – 826 km – 7 hours 30 minutes
Milan – 240km – 3 hours (via Mont Blanc tunnel).

If you are driving down through France, Les Houches is on the way to Chamonix, whilst Argentiere,and Le Tour are on the far side of Chamonix.

Vallorcine is in France but is on the Swiss side of the Col des Montets. In normal weather conditions the quickest route to get there from the UK or Geneva airport is via Chamonix and over the col. The Swiss route via Martigny takes about 25 minutes longer but in poor weather can be a better option.

The Mont Blanc Unlimited ski pass covers other ski areas such as  Courmayeur, Verbier and Megeve, and these are all much easier to visit if you have your own car.

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