This post is also available in: Français (French)
The Léman Express has been going since 2019, incredibly it is the first RER (regional train) that crosses a border in Europe. It can be really useful for transport between Geneva airport and the ski areas of the Haute Savoie.
This little guide is for using the train to access Geneva airport from the the Vallée d’Aulps (Morzine, St Jean d’Aulps, Le Biot, Seytroux etc). Saying that the Léman Express can be just as useful for people that live in Samoens, Les Carroz, Les Gets, St Gervais and Chamonix.
In the past people that live in these valleys might have left a car in the airport parking (30€ a day), asked a friend or relative to drop us off (a 3 hr round trip from Morzine – assuming there is no traffic), or used a shared transfer (50€ each way, and only available in the season). The driving option has become harder and harder over the years thanks to the increase in traffic around Geneva. Geneva itself needs to be avoided during the working day and the motorway route adds up to 30 min to get through the border in the morning and often 1hr in the evening.
Now we have the option of taking a train from Thonon. It works well. It’s a half hour drive to Thonon and there is rarely any hold ups due to traffic. The train is reliable and takes 1h10 to get to the airport. Normally you only have to change once at the central station in Geneva.
The quick answer is to book a ticket using the Swiss rail service via their website https://www.sbb.ch/ or better – their app – called SBB Mobile. The French rail apps to work for this trip. Probably because of the cross border issue. The cost is 14CHF (15€)
The trains run every 30 min during the morning and evening busy periods (and they are busy), and every hour otherwise.
They start at 5h30 and run every half hour 6h, 6h30, 7, 7h30, 8, 8h30
then every hour 9h30, 10h30, 11h10, 11h41, 12h30, 13h30, 14h30, 15h30,
and then every half hour 16h30, 17h, 17h30, 18h, 18h30,
Then 19h, 20h30, 22h
There is an interactive map here. You can see on this map that this train is also useful for transfers to Samoens, Les Carroz and Les Gets using Cluses station and Chamonix using the St Gervais/Le Fayet terminus. From St Gervais you have further trains to Chamonix or a telecabine to St Gervais itself.
https://www.lemanexpress.ch/fr/sevader/carte-interactive
Buses
I am afraid to say that currently the bus system is not as easy to navigate at the trains. There are at least 5 buses a day that run up and down the valley. Some match up with the trains, some don’t. You might be lucky. When I wrote this blog I checked the bus website(s).
https://www.sat-leman.com/lignes%20regulieres/ligne-91-thonon-morzine.aspx
https://www.laregionvoustransporte.fr/lignes/y91-thonon-les-bains-morzine-les-gets
The first site looks like something from 20 years ago. Their PDF timetable is pretty hard to work out and even then does not match up with their online booking. It’s not good enough and until they sort it out, they’ll remain mostly empty. A real shame.
This is the online booking site, I think I would start here and cross my fingers.
https://www.oura.com/calculateur
Parking
Parking in Thonon at the Place des Arts is 8€ /day.
https://www.transdevpark.com/parkings_et_voiries/thonon_les_bains/des_arts
Parking at the Parking Gare de Thonon-les-Bains – EFFIA 18.90€ / day
Parking at Geneva airport
As I write this (October 2024) there are renovations going on at the main airport carparks, spaces are even more limited than usual!
https://www.gva.ch/en/Site/Passagers/Acces-Transports/Parkings/Parkings-aeroport
P1
1 day = 38 CHF
4 days = 128 CHF
1 week = 197 CHF
P51 / 26
1 day = 30 CHF
4 days = 81 CHF
1 week = 132 CHF
The departures board at Geneva airport train station. If you are heading to the Leman Express you can get on any of these trains. They all go to the main Geneva train station and leave approximately every 15 min. However for the most efficient trip check the SBB app.
