Getting around Chamonix without a car

Posted on January 4, 2014 Updated on January 8, 2014

One of the most frequently asked questions by guests in the winter seems to be, “how far are you from the bus stop and how long does it take to get to a ski lift?”  So I thought I’d do a bit of research and check things out.

Ok, the main bus stop in Chamonix, in which all buses stop, is Chamonix Sud. We are 100m from the Cham Sud bus stop, so maybe 4 mins in ski boots, and of course less in comfortable shoes.

During the summer and winter seasons buses run every 20mins or less (to Brevent is once every 10mins for example).  Frequency is also improved if its on more than 1 route (e.g Les Praz is on ligne 02,11 and 12 and Les Grand Montets 01, 11 and 13) , but if you want to be specific it is best to consult the schedule.

In terms of journey time though, this is how it looks from Cham Sud:

• Les Planards – 4 mins
• Le Brevent – 9 mins
• Les Praz, Flegere – 10 mins
• Glacier des Bossons – 10 mins
• Les Houches, Bellevue – 15 mins
• Les Houches, Prarion – 18 mins
• Les Chosalets (cross-country ski area) – 18 mins
• Les Grands Montets – 19 mins
• La Tour – 29 mins

There is also the free navette service, Le Mulet, that takes you around town, the centre of which is 2 mins away.  This runs every 10 to 20mins depending on the hight of the season.

And if you happen to get stuck in Argentiere after a heavy apres ski session you can get the night bus back at 23.10, delivering you to Le Prarion Les Houches at 23.48.

So all in all, during the skiing season it doesn’t take much longer than the car to get to the lifts, which now that Flegere is charging for parking is a bonus given the buses are free with your ski pass, “Carte d’Hôte” or “Gens du Pays”.