Geneva to Flaine: transfers, buses, trains & driving

The short version

Geneva Airport is 70 km from Flaine, and the tourist office puts the drive at about an hour. Without a car you have three options: the direct Eurobus coach in winter, a transfer, or the train to Cluses and the local bus up the mountain. Whichever you choose, book early: the tourist office strongly recommends it for every kind of transport.

By car from Geneva Airport

Take the A40 motorway towards Geneva and Chamonix and leave at exit 19, Cluses Centre. Flaine is signposted from there: take the D1205 towards Sallanches for 2 km, then turn left at the next roundabout onto the D106 towards Flaine and Les Carroz. From that point it takes about 30 minutes. The road climbs through Balme, Arâches and Les Carroz and over the Col de Pierre Carrée before dropping into the resort.

The road services aim to keep the road driveable from 06:00 to 21:00, though not always dry.

Winter tyres and chains

From 1 November to 31 March, every vehicle in Haute-Savoie must have winter tyres or carry snow chains or snow socks. Winter tyres must carry the 3PMSF mark (a mountain with a snowflake). Tyres marked only M+S have not been accepted since 1 November 2024. If you hire a car in Geneva, ask for it to be equipped.

Parking

Flaine's centre is pedestrian only. You park at the entrance to your level:

• P1, Flaine Front de Neige. The tourist office recommends it for day visitors.
• P2, Flaine Forum.
• P3, Flaine Forêt.

Parking is charged in winter. At the time of writing it costs €5 for 30 minutes to 12 hours, €10 for 12 to 24 hours, then €10 for each further 24 hours. The car park at the Col de Pierre Carrée is free and served by the free shuttle, and the lift company also lists a free car park at Vernant. All outdoor car parks are free in summer.

You may drive into the centre to load and unload for up to 1 hour 30 minutes, and the local transport authority adds an evening window from 19:00 to 03:00. Blue-badge (GIG/GIC) parking is free with a ticket from the welcome office. There are two electric car chargers at the Flaine Forum entrance, with free parking while you charge, and two more inside P3.

By coach from Geneva Airport

EBA Eurobus runs a direct winter coach from Geneva Airport to Flaine Forum, calling at Les Carroz. On its published timetable, coaches leave the airport at 07:15 and 13:30 and reach Flaine at 09:30 and 15:30. Return coaches leave Flaine at 10:30 and 16:30. A single trip costs €35. Each passenger can bring two bags plus one ski or snowboard bag, which you declare when you book.

Eurobus and the tourist office both give the pick-up point as in front of the Montreux Jazz Café inside Terminal 1. Eurobus doesn't say which days its timetable applies to, so confirm them before you travel. It also sells weekend day trips from Geneva with a Grand Massif lift pass included.

By train and bus

The nearest stations are Cluses, 30 km away, and Geneva, 70 km. Trains run towards Cluses from Geneva Airport or Geneva Cornavin station.

From Cluses, the Les Carroz–Flaine Express bus climbs to Flaine through Balme, Arâches and Les Carroz in about an hour. Arv'i runs it for the local council, and you book it through Altibus. Booking is compulsory. Last winter the line ran daily from 13 December 2025 to 19 April 2026, from 06:30 to 19:00. A single from Cluses to Flaine cost €12, a return €19, and a family return for four €56. Tickets for winter 2026/27 go on sale in mid-October 2026.

In summer the same line cost €2 a trip in 2026, from 4 July to 29 August. Between seasons it runs on demand, and you book 48 hours ahead.

By transfer or taxi

The tourist office lists ten transport providers for Flaine: Alps-Direct, Taxi Rhône Alpes, Transévénements Taxi, Taxi Mermillod, FMJ Voyage, Go Massif, Arv'i Mobilité, Érica Transferts, EBA Eurobus and Mont-Blanc Taxi.

• Go Massif runs shared and private door-to-door transfers from Geneva in minibuses of up to eight passengers.
• Alps-Direct covers Geneva, Lyon and Chambéry airports and Cluses station.
• FMJ Voyage covers Geneva, Lyon Saint-Exupéry, Grenoble and Chambéry.
• Transévénements runs to Geneva, Lyon and Chambéry airports and the stations.

From further afield

The tourist office puts Flaine about two hours' drive from Lyon, and about four hours from Paris by high-speed train to Cluses.

Getting around Flaine

• Inclined lifts: two free inclined lifts link Flaine Forêt and Flaine Forum, around the clock in winter and summer.
• Footpaths: paths link Flaine Forêt, Flaine Forum and Flaine Front de Neige.
• Free shuttles: shuttles run all day between Flaine Forêt, the Hameau de Flaine, Les Gérats and the Col de Pierre Carrée. Les Gérats has no pedestrian link, so you rely on the shuttle or ski to the other levels.
• To Les Carroz in summer: the tourist office says free shuttles run between Les Carroz and Flaine in summer, but the Les Carroz–Flaine Express charged €2 a trip, so check which service runs when you visit.