There are several ways to get from Geneva to Verbier, or from any other airport. The most cost effective way is to take a shared transfer (a shuttle minibus service) with one of the many Verbier transfer companies that offer this service.
Alternatively, you can hire a car from the airport, take a Verbier taxi, use a scheduled bus, take a private helicopter transfer or take the train. Don't forget it is worth checking with your accommodation provider to see if they make arrangements for your transportation or if they can arrange it as an 'optional extra'.
Airport Transfers & Private Taxis from the Airport to Verbier
There are a number of private companies that offer door-to-door minibus Verbier transfers from most airports in the region. With all of them you have the option of booking either a private Verbier transfer where the minibus is booked for your group only, or taking a more economical "shared" minibus, where up to 8 people arriving around the same time travel to resort together. All the drivers will speak English.
Booking in advance is definitely recommended as you cannot guarantee picking up a transfer at the airport and some companies strictly forbid their drivers from doing this. You can do this easily and quickly online from the transfer companies websites. Below are approximate transfer costs comparisons between the various airports and resort:
Resort
Geneva
Chambery
Lyon
Grenoble
Chamonix, Morzine & Avoriaz
€ 25-40
€ 50-80
€ 60-100
€ 60-100
Verbier
CHF 50-75
€ 50-100
€ 60-110
€ 65-120
Meribel, Courchevel & Val Thorens
€ 40-65
€ 35-55
€ 45-75
€ 45-75
Les Arcs & La Plagne
€ 40-70
€ 40-65
€ 50-85
€ 50-85
Val d'Isere & Tignes
€ 45-80
€ 45-75
€ 50-90
€ 50-90
Alpe d'Huez & Les Deux Alpes
€ 70-130
€ 55-90
€ 65-110
€ 30-60
Prices are approximate and for one-way shared transfers
*Surcharges may apply for transfers to Val Thorens
Click here for a full list of Verbier transfers
Private Taxis
It is also possible to pick up a private taxi in one of the ranks found immediately outside the airport. Prices to resort should be negotiated before setting off. For more than 4 people the cost will obviously be higher for a larger vehicle but probably cheaper per person. Even though you agree a price beforehand, the driver is obliged to keep the meter running and may not charge more than the price shown (except for surcharges and motorway tolls etc). Take a look at our taxis page and also enquire about "private" transfer prices from the Airport Shuttle Companies above.
Car Hire from the Airport
Verbier car hire can be arranged from all the local airports and if there are a few of you travelling together, it is not necessarily an expensive option. It is however, worth checking in advance to see what parking facilities are available at your accommodation as it can be tricky to find a space in town at certain times of the season.
Pre-booking of car hire is highly recommended, and you should also detail any extra requests such as ski racks and baby seats etc, at the time of booking. Try our car hire page for some of the best deals and rental prices at the moment, or for more information on getting to resort by road, take a look at our Driving in France article.
When hiring a car from Geneva airport, you should be aware that you can do so from both the French AND Swiss sides. Renting a car from the French side tends to be cheaper, but it adds an extra 45 minutes on to your journey as the position of the exit means you need to use 'A' roads before you can join the motorway. If you have made a reservation in advance, make sure you know where you should be collecting your vehicle from. This is especially important when it comes to dropping it off at the end of your stay at the French sector is not as straightforward to find and you should allow a little more time for your journey. You can find directions to the French sector here.
Unless you book a private transfer or have a car, travelling between French ski resorts is generally not very easy. There aren’t regular inter-resort public transport routes meaning that your journey is likely to be time consuming and involve at least one change. Even if it seems that Chamonix is just over the mountain from Val d'Isere, the road over the Col will be closed during the winter because of high snow levels.
In Switzerland, it’s a different story, as the whole country is linked by its impeccably timed rail network, making travelling around almost pleasurable! You can find the latest train fares and timetables on the SBB Swiss train website. For journeys to or from Verbier, the nearest station to the resort is Le Chable, at the bottom of the valley, from where you must either take the Le Chable gondola to resort or the Post Bus (times also available on the SBB site above).
If you do wish to get from one side of the French Alps to another under your own steam, then there here are a few options to investigate further:
Go via the airport
Whilst this may take you a bit out of your way geographically, going from one resort to another via the airport is not as daft as it sounds. Airport transfer companies and tour operators run regular transfers to and from the airport (especially at the weekend) and they sometimes have spare seats that you can purchase from them. Once at the airport, the idea is to co-ordinate with an onward transfer to the resort of your choice – either with the same tour op or transfer company, or by one of the methods already explained above. As the majority of people travel on Saturday or Sunday, the weekend is your best chance of bagging an inter-resort transfer; mid-week or out of season travel is likely to be complicated and potentially expensive. You should enquire directly with the operators in resort about availability but they may not be able to confirm your place until the last minute as priority will go to their “package” clients.
Public Transport
You can potentially weave your way across the Alps by the buses and trains, but expect it to take you the best part of the day. To help you plan your route, we’ve put together a list of the main feeder/connection points for the big resorts. Use the Altibus (public bus) website or the SNCF Trains website to plan your connections to/from these towns. From there, expect to take a taxi up to resort, or a public bus.
