violetduck

The train from Geneva to Annecy is not
a good choice. There is a bus from the
airport and I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has used it or who has other suggestions other than car rental or the expensive taxi. Thank you.

JEFF_

I'm planning to take the bus from Annecy to Geneva in a few weeks. So this information is only based on my research. If anyone has first hand experience with the bus service, I'd be interested, too.

Here's the web site for buses. Click on English and then under schedules, scroll to "regular lines bordercross." Then look for "Geneve-St Julien-Annecy."
www.gare-routiere.com

There are a few express buses from the airport to Annecy on weekdays, but most buses leave from the Geneva Train Station (Gare Geneve CFF)and take about 1 hour 15 minutes. This shouldn't be a problem since there are frequent shuttle trains to the station.

violetduck

Jeff_ ,I would be interested to hear about your bus journey when you return. We are not going until Sept.
The bus is mentioned on several sites
if you google "geneva airport to annecy" and I looked at the routiere
site. I am hoping for a bus directly from the airport, although going to the rail station seems easy. It is nice to know what to expect upon
arrival. I am glad to know we don't have to take the train. Thank you for the information and I hope you have a great trip.

AZKathy

I took the bus from Geneva to Annecy a couple of years ago. I went from the bus station in Geneva, not the airport, though.

We went on Annecy's market day. The buses can be very crowded that day so I arrived early at the station. On our return we were able to catch the first bus we tried but our traveling companions tried to leave at a different time and had to wait for a while as the buses were sold out. I don't think this is a problem on non-market days.

We walked to the bus station from our hotel in Geneva and found it a little hard to find, I can't remember why but we were not very familiar with the area. At any rate, if you are walking you might want to give yourself an extra few minutes.

If you would like any more information I will try to remember....

Kathy

JEFF_

violetduck - I'll let you know how the bus trip is when I get back the end of May. It appears to make several stops so I'm not really looking forward to it.

Kathy - I'll be leaving Annecy on a Saturday, their big market day. Do you recall having to buy tickets in advance to avoid missing the bus you wanted? Or did you just get there early? I plan to leave on the 10:15 AM bus. Thanks.

AZKathy

Hi Jeff,

The problem was getting a bus after the market closed, early-afternoon. But that was the normal food market. I think you are referring to the large Sat market at the end of the month, right?

"There is another interesting market in the heart of the old town, running parallel to the Thiou River. It runs last Saturday of every month, 8am to 5pm and features antiques (size: 150-200 stalls)."

I imagine you would be safe then as well as 10:15 is close enough to opening time that people will still be arriving, not leaving, but I have no first-hand knowledge of it.

Hope you have a great time. I have been in Annecy twice and though it was rainy both times we had lots of fun. Maybe you will be able to see the mountains though.

JEFF_

Thanks Kathy. I'll hope for sunny weather and an empty bus - or - better yet, someone offering me a ride.

violetduck

Thanks Kathy. I appreciate your willingness to get the information but at this point I assume from what I read that we can get a bus from the airport. If you happen to remember without searching just let me know.

Jeff, we will just plan on you getting that ride and not having to make the bus journey. Keep us posted.

JEFF_

violetduck - I did take the bus from Annecy to Geneva a couple Saturdays ago. Although the bus makes several stops as it picks up and drops off passenger along the way, it really wasn't bad. The bus was almost full and dropped most passengers off at the Geneva train station before its last stop at the bus station.

Getting information about the service and schedule in Annecy amounted to me showing the guy at the ticket window a copy of the schedule I had printed from the website (in my first post above) and having him say yes.

Like I said before, I don't believe there are many buses direct from the Geneva airport except for a couple on weekdays. I think you'll have to take the train from the airport train station to the Geneva train station and then catch the bus there - or at the bus station a few blocks away. But since it picked up passengers along the way, I'm pretty sure you can catch the bus just outside the train station. Except for the people that got on at the Annecy bus station, everyone paid on the bus.

The airport train station is in a separate building just outside the airport. All the trains stop in Geneva. They're regular long distance trains not shuttle subway like trains.

Hope this helps

Jan_604

Great information. I bought an online bus ticket from the Geneva train station to Annecy. I arrive at the Geneva train station 35 minutes before the bus is supposed to depart (also it's the last one of the day) Is it a fairly close walk from the Geneva train station to the bus station? The website says to be there 30 minutes in advance. Thanks!

violetduck

Jeff,glad to see you had a successful journey. I appreciate the information and will definitely take the bus to Annecy from Geneva unless we can't work with the bus
schedule. How did you like Annecy?
Any must see and do or definitely don't see and do? : ) Any hotel or restaurant suggestions? Thanks!!!!

JEFF_

Jan - I know the bus station is fairly close to the train station, but since the bus dropped me off at the train station, I don't know exactly where it is. Maybe someone else here will know for sure.

But according to the schedule (see my first post), all buses stop at the train station after leaving the bus station. So with 35 minutes you'd have plenty of time to find where the bus stops in front of the train station - or to walk to the bus station.

I suppose the reason to go to the bus station is to make sure you get a seat. I have no idea how crowded the bus will be when you're there. I found however when I left Annecy that they didn't open the bus door until 15 minutes before it was to leave.

violetduck - Thanks. I liked Annecy but found the old town around the canals and waterfront to be the main attraction. Although there is some interesting shopping on the adjoining pedestrian streets. As you might suspect, the area around the bus and train stations isn't that savory. The castle was bit disappointing if you've seen others. I stayed at the ***Hotel Splendid in a nice but relatively pricey room in a good location with professional staff. I'm not sure I can recommend any one place to eat.

kappa

The bus terminal (La Gare Routière) is located at La Place Dorcière. That's 5 minutes (without carrying luggage) straight & easy walk, on the Rue du Mont Blanc. You will see a Mcdonald's on the pedestrian part of the street and a big post office building on the way. La Place Dorcière also has a small church facing Rue du Mont Blanc. Two minutes more walk and you will be at the foot of the Mont Blanc Bridge.

Jan_604

Thanks for putting my mind at ease, Jeff & kappa Very much looking forward to my trip in July. I will be staying at Auberge du Lyonnais.

violetduck

JEFF-thanks for info. I will be sure and have a day trip planned while there if needed. We have reservations at the Ibis which I know will have no character but it has good reviews for a very inexpensive hotel and is in old town. We will have five hotels in all this trip and I have compromised on three to

violetduck

JEFF--Oops, obviously hit the wrong key---help with the euro situation.