It is extremely useful to have a car in Chamonix – the valley is 20 km long and the lifts are all along the length of it. However it does also have public transport, and it’s a greener option. Here’s an overview of the pros and cons.
The short answer is that it is undeniably much easier to have a car, whether you rent one at Geneva Airport or drive here in your own. Public transport can be patchy and taxis are very expensive and difficult to find. There is no Uber or Lyft. As of this update in 2024 you can expect to pay 30 euros (yes thirty!!) to go the two kilometers into town.
I don’t recommend staying here with us if you don’t have a car. It helps you make the most of your time on a short break, and gives you greater flexibility on a longer break.You don’t have to use it all the time, it is perfectly feasible to get the bus or train to and from the lifts, but for shopping, restaurants and other errands, it is really vital.
A lot of our reviews mention how nice it is to walk from the house – this is true! We have several restaurants and a small shop within walking distance. You can walk to Chamonix easily in good weather. But without a car you will be very limited by conditions and and I seriously don’t advise it. If you really want to not use a car, it is better to stay in central Chamonix to make shopping and eating out easier.
You can of course also use public transport to get around the valley, thus helping a lot with congestion and pollution. You don’t have to use the car it all the time. But our experience is that for some things, especially shopping, you will really need it. It is no joke to be waiting at a bus stop with heavy shopping bags, or getting steadily colder after a nice meal, and you can often be walking quite some distance in wet, slushy snow.
Getting from the airport to Chamonix is relatively straightforward: Depending on the make-up of your party and timing / length of your visit (better deals on the cars outside peak times), renting a car and driving from the airport can be comparable in price to a transfer. It is almost all motorway to the town and not a difficult drive.
Driving in Chamonix in winter is not unduly difficult, the roads are regularly snowploughed. Hire cars all have snow tyres. If you are driving in your own car, snow socks are generally easier to get on, as
Our Location
We are on the outskirts of Les Praz-de-Chamonix, which is 2km from Chamonix centre. More about our location here.
Shopping: There is a small and delightful grocery ten minutes walk away in the village which is very useful for your morning bread and croissants. However, supermarket shopping for the chalet is very inconvenient without a car. It is possible, but you have to walk from the supermarket to the bus stop (300 – 400 metres depending on which one) and then from the bus stop to the chalet (600m). This is quite a distance when you are carrying heavy shopping with drinks and so on.
Restaurants and bars
Again, it is limiting to not have a car, especially in bad weather.
There are some restaurants and bars within walking distance of the chalet in Les Praz, and plenty of transport from Chamonix centre at apres time. However transport after around 7pm is difficult.
There are some late night buses, generally at 10 pm and midnight, for later nights out and dinner, but these must be be booked in advance the day before. It is fairly easy to walk (almost flat and 2 km, generally about 25 minutes) but this is not advised in bad weather, which in winter can be frequent.
Public Transport
Buses
Buses are regular in high season but can get terribly crowded at peak times. In low season they don’t go so often and you can have long waits.
There is a bus stop at the end of our lane (100m walk, but not so frequent) and more frequent buses from Flegere (600m walk). There are some late night buses, generally at 10 pm and midnight, but these must be be booked in advance the day before.
Trains
Very reliable and punctual, but not that frequent so check sbb.ch for times. Last train is around 8pm. Five minutes to Chamonix, with around a five to ten minute walk to Les Praz station from the chalet. So it’s not much less time than walking, for Chamonix, but useful for other parts of the valley.
Taxis
Are really disgracefully expensive in Chamonix. There is no Uber / Lyft as yet. You can expect to pay 25-30 euros (yes twenty-five to thirty!) for the 2km (yes two kilometre!) trip into town.
Winter notes
The ski buses are regular and generally efficient. In the last few years they have improved a lot. They can be very crowded at peak times, but then, so can the car parks!
If you have small children, however, it can be useful to have the car to carry their equipment and leave shoes etc. in. There are no ski lockers at most of the lift bases, and anyway, you are likely to be in a different area each day. Smaller kids especially can get cold very quickly waiting for buses in winter. Even the short walk down the lane to the chalet can be a lot for a small tired child in deep snow. And also if you suddenly need something for them such as medicine, a replacement for a lost glove, and so on, it’s very handy to have a car.
It also gives you flexibility in choosing to ski at Verbier or Courmayeur for the day – there are buses to both of these (Verbier once a week, Courmayeur daily) but they need to be booked in advance.
In general I think the ski buses are manageable though. For some areas with limited or expensive parking , they are better than using a car.
Summer notes
Walks can often start at one lift and finish at another, so you’re likely to be using public transport from time to time anyway.
Bikes and e-bikes can be a very pleasant way to get around and the flat valley floor is ideal for cycling. Bike hire is highly recommended!
However, a car can be very useful to get to some beautiful but harder to access places like Lac Passy and Lac Vert. Also if the weather is bad, you have the option to drive through the tunnel to Italy for the day, which often has different weather.
Summing up
In general, I feel that a car is almost essential when staying at La Petit Foret. It helps you make the most of your time on a short break, and gives you greater flexibility on a longer break. If you really want to not use a car, I advise staying in central Chamonix to make shopping and eating out easier.
