Zurich to Chamonix by train/bus

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    9 January 2019 at 19:50:59 #819419

    Hello! We will be traveling from Zurich to Chamonix. I had planned on just booking tickets for these train trips but it looks like I can use the Swiss Travel Pass for that journey. Because we won’t need tickets, should we just look up the train transfers and time tables they would recommend if we were going to buy tickets? Are there other recommendations?

    Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

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    rockoyster
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    9 January 2019 at 21:56:34 #901776

    Hello Torrierd and Welcome to MySwissAlps,

    No need to buy tickets if you have a Swiss Travel Pass.

    Use the SBB Timetable (http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable) to plan your travel. If you are not familiar with using the timetable it will pay to first read the instructions on that page.

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    10 January 2019 at 0:13:41 #901777

    If you are just travelling Zurich – Chamonix and nothing else then getting a Swiss travel pass is pointless. Are you planning anything else for Switzerland?

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    10 January 2019 at 0:17:49 #901778

    You don’t need to use a bus, the normal route is:

    Zurich – Lausanne

    Lausanne – Martigny

    Martigny – Vallorcine

    Vallorcine – Chamonix

    In theory Martigny – Chamonix is a through service but you may have to change trains at Vallorcine

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    10 January 2019 at 0:19:19 #901779

    Thank you! I was planning on just using the time tables just wanted to make sure that was the right thing to do.

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    10 January 2019 at 0:21:29 #901780

    Good catch! From Chamonix we’ll work our way back to Geneva, Vernier, Bern, then back to Zurich. While we’re in each of those we’ll be using public transportation also.

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    10 January 2019 at 0:36:27 #901781

    Thanks for this list of stops! Using it as a guide to make sure I get this right 🙂 I think from the station in Chamonix, we’ll need to take a bus to the place we’re staying. Would you all just use the SBB time table for busses also?

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    10 January 2019 at 8:39:22 #901782

    Hi Torrierd,

    The SBB timetable shows you the most direct route between any destination in Switzerland and whichever transportation is needed to get there. This is almost always by train, but if you are going to smaller villages and there are no trains servicing the route then the timetable will show you a bus option (or cable car for example if you are going up a mountain).

    With those further destinations, a Swiss Travel Pass (3, 4, 8 or 15 days) may be a good option for you. Read more here: http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass

    It is possible another pass is a better option (depends on your exact daily itinerary) but you can read about how to choose the best rail pass (once your itinerary is set) here: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass

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    11 January 2019 at 1:56:13 #901783

    Chamonix is not in Switzerland so can’t help on that score.

    Within Switzerland, if you are on a Swiss travel pass you can use it for all trains and buses and local city transport.

    I see a rare reference on this forum to Vernier 🙂 – I assume you are referring to the suburb of Geneva? If so you would make your way from Chamonix to Geneva (not all that easy as public transport in France is notoriously worse than Switzerland…) and take a local TPG bus route 6 to Vernier (or possibly tram 14/18 or the La Plaine local train to Vernier CFF)

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