Geneva to Samoëns: transfers, buses, trains & driving

By car from Geneva Airport

The tourist office puts Samoëns about an hour from Geneva Airport. Take the A40 motorway towards Chamonix and leave at exit 18, Cluses-Scionzier. From there it is about 20 minutes up the Giffre valley.

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, ask for it to be equipped.

Parking

All the car parks in Samoëns are free except one: the Grand Massif Express gondola car park charges in winter. The Vercland gondola car park is free. Most car parks allow up to 48 hours. The place du Gros Tilleul (one hour) and the place du Criou (two hours) are blue-disc zones, so you need a parking disc on your dashboard.

By bus from Geneva Airport

Line 274 runs from Taninges to Geneva Airport, with Y02 connections from Samoëns and Morillon, operated by Autocars Jacquet. It started in the 2025/26 season, and the cross-border fare was €7.50. Its published dates contain an obvious error, so check the current timetable with Autocars Jacquet before you rely on it.

By train and bus

Cluses is the nearest station, 20 km away, and the bus station sits next to the railway station. From Geneva, take the train to Cluses, then the Y94 bus up the valley to Samoëns. The tourist office also suggests a route through Annemasse: the train from Geneva Airport to Geneva Cornavin, the Léman Express line 4 to Annemasse, then the Y02 bus.

Both buses are run by Autocars Jacquet and stop at seven points in Samoëns, including the Grand Massif Express car park and the bus station behind the tourist office. Last winter a journey within the valley cost €1.60 to €1.70 (€4 on the Y02 beyond it), and the Y94 was free between the Grand Massif Express and the Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval.

The valley's local authority says Cluses now has direct trains from Paris, northern France and western France.

By transfer or taxi

The tourist office lists three taxi and transfer companies: Alps-Direct, Alps Transfert and Go Massif. Compare them before you book.

Getting around without a car

You can manage a week in Samoëns without a car. The free Navettes du Giffre ski buses run seven days a week in winter, on 19 lines covering the valley from Mieussy to Sixt. You don't need to book, the buses take wheelchairs, and dogs travel on a lead and muzzled. The routes are on Google Maps.

The lines you are most likely to use:

• Ligne blanche, a loop from the Grand Massif Express through the village and on to the Morillon gondola and Verchaix, about every 30 minutes. It runs even when the ski areas are closed.
• Lignes jaune and bleue, which link the village's districts to both gondolas.
• Ligne rouge, from Sixt and Salvagny to the Grand Massif Express.
• The Joux Plane line, from the tourist office up to the cross-country area at the Col de Joux Plane.

In summer, the valley shuttles run in July and August. A day pass cost €2 in 2026 and children under six ride free.

The valley also has 50 Rezo Pouce stops, a scheme for organised hitch-hiking marked by green signs with a thumb.