Route and ticket for trip Geneva-Chamonix Mt Blanc
Mengelo58 plans to travel from Geneva Cornavin to Chamonix and back on June 16 with three friends. They want to know the best train routes and options for visiting Aiguille du Midi, taking the Montenvers Train, and exploring Mer de Glace. They also ask if the trip is worth it and if the Mont Blanc Multipass is a good purchase.
- Take the Leman Express from Geneva to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc via St-Gervais-les-Bains for the quickest route.
- Plan for a long day, leaving early and returning late, to fit in all activities.
- Consider the Mont Blanc Multipass for independent travel and attraction access.
- Check online for pre-arranged bus tours from Geneva that cover Chamonix with flexibility in activities.
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I will be traveling from Geneva Cornavin to Chamonix and back to Geneva Cornavin on June 16 (4 adults). Can you please let me know the trains I should. When I check the schedules, it seems I’m going different routes and I’m getting confused. Some say Leman Express and some say Mont Blanc Express. I’d like to visit Aiguille du Midi, ride the Montenvers Train and explore Mer de Grace. Does it make the most sense to buy the Mont Blanc Multipass. Is this trip worth it and will I have enough time and still be able to get a train back to Geneva Cornavin. Thank you for your help.
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Hi Mengelo58,
The easiest way would be to use local trains to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc via Annemasse and St-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet. You can find details if you enter Geneva (this is just another name for the main railway station of Geneva, which indeed is called “Genève Cornavin” in French) as your departure station and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc as your arrival station in the timetable: https://www.myswissalps.com/timetable.
The Léman Express is the name of a train network connecting Geneva to several French and Swiss towns. It includes the regional trains to Annemasse and St-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet.
The Mont Blanc Express is a very different route: from Martigny in the western end of the Rhone valley to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc via Finhaut/Le Châtelard at the Swiss/French border. You’d first have to travel to Martigny along the northern shores of Lake Geneva (https://www.myswissalps.com/lakegeneva) in your case, to it will be a longer trip than the one proposed above. You’ll have about 30 minutes of additional traveling time for a single ride, and since you want to do a lot in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc I don’t think this is the right option for you.
I think you should be able to do all activities at Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, but it will be a long travel day and you’ll have to leave early and return pretty late. If you want, you can alternatively book a pre-arranged (bus) tour that guarantees easy traveling from and to Geneva. You can book such trips with or including or excluding mountain excursions. You’ll find options at http://www.myswissalps.com/geneva/activities. Just enter “Chamonix” as a name in the search grid and all available offers for trips to Chamonix will pop up.
If you travel independently, then the Mont Blanc Multipass could be a good option.
Does this get you started?
Thank you so much for your help. I worked out the timetables for the trains and should be all set.
The Leman Express network is a new cross-border regional railway network launched 2.5 years ago. There are now regular trains to Chamonix from Geneve Cornavin main station.
The confusion arises for many people because the main standard gauge railway stops at St Gervais, and you have to change into the narrow gauge Mont Blanc Express trains to ride from St Gervais to Chamonix.
There may be more confusion however! because the old Tramway du Mont Blanc is not the same as the Mont Blanc Express train
There are four separate railways in the Chammonix area:
1) main line railway from Geneva and Lyon to its terminus at St Gervais
2) narrow gauge tramway Tramway du Mont Blanc St Gervais – Glacier du Bionnasay (half way up Mont Blanc – 19th century plans for it to go higher up Mont Blanc akin to the Jungfrau railway never materialised.
3) Mont Blanc Express: narrow gauge railway St Gervais – Chamonix – Martigny (Switzerland)
4) Mer de Glace aka Chamonix – Montenvers railway narrow gauge rack tramway up to the ‘Sea of Ice’
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