Quezal

What's the best option to go from Paris Gare de Lyon to Chamonix in September? The TGV to Lyon and then the local train with a couple of connections or the TGV to Lyon Perrache or St. Exupery Airport and connect to a direct Ouibus? We like the idea of avoiding 2 connections by using the Ouibus. And saving money of course. Is the bus comfortable and reliable? Is the bus schedule likely to be reduced in September? It's only available through July 5 as of today. Is Lyon Perrache or the airport the best option? Is one route prettier than another? We'll have luggage for a month of travel and we're in our 70's. Many thanks.

PalenQ

Well the most direct train routes do not go thru Lyon at all but still yes require 2-3 simple changes of trains or to buses and take about 7 hours (frm www.bahn.de/en - German Railways pan-European schedule site good for quick reference and usually accurate as they use SNCF data base - those are simple changes - like in St-Gervais-F-l-Bains - one train to other because of differing track gauges- from normal to narrow-gague. If bus from Lyon is quicker - I don't know - go for it if not take the quickest train route for your time.

Check www.seat61.com for lots on booking own tickets at www.oui.sncf - general info trains BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

Can't see the Lyon route being any prettier than the more direct rail-bus-rail route.

Man_in_seat_61

Just use www.loco2 nearer the time when booking opens

Sometimes there's a one-change all-train option. I'd avoid buses. Indeed, the last leg on the little Chamonix-Mont Blanc Railway narrow-gauge train is a delight, you won;t want to miss that by being crammed onto cheapo-bus.

PalenQ

Why push loco2 instead of booking from the source - www.oui.sncf - French Railways site who runs the trains. Why loco2??

Cannot find any 1 change trajectories all by train but the one change goes via TGV to Lyon or another place and then has bus all the way to Chamonix - being on a bus instead of train - I agree the train up to Chamonix has to be lots nicer to see the lovely scenery than on a bus with small windows and is you hae an aisle seat...

PalenQ

Actually the quickest way Paris-Chamonix is via Lausanne - about 90 minutes quicker than other routes and IMO by far the most scenic route - it does involve several changes of train but those are very easy - the Martigny to Chamonix railway is one of the most awesomely scenic in Europe - much more scenic IMO than coming to Chamonix thru France. Check www.oui.sncf for discounted tickets Paris-Chamonix via this route. Some of the transfer times are short but there are lots of other trains if you do miss one after Lausanne.

Even going up the Rhone Valley to Martigny is scenic - going via Montreux. I would highly recommend this route - quicker and IMO more scenic. There is also a 7:45 am routing the same as the 11:45 one I got from www.bahn.de/en - great schedule site - easy to use.

Paris Gare de Lyon dep 11:45 TGV 9269TGV
15:373Lausanne dep 15:505 IR 1825Interregio

Martigny arr 16:422 Transfer time 4 min.
Adjust the transfer time Martigny dep 16:4640 R 26226
Partially 2nd class only (Martigny --> Le Ch telard-Frontiè) Vallorcine arr 17:33 Transfer time 5 min.
Adjust the transfer time Vallorcine dep 17:38 TER18926Train Express Regional
2nd class only Chamonix-Mont-Blanc arr 18:12

PalenQ

Another option take TGV train Paris-Geneva then from Geneva station hop a bus or mini-bus for as low as 29 euros from Geneva to Chamonix - TGV about 3 hours to Geneva and bus to Chamonix about 1..5 hrs -could be quickest easiest way.

neckervd

PARIS - CHAMONIX WITH 1 CHANGE (from train to bus):

Paris L dp 07.49 - Chamonix ar 14.10, change at Annecy
Paris L dp 10.41 - Chamonix ar 17.30, change at Annecy
Paris L dp 15.15 - Chamonix ar 21.10, change at Geneva
Paris L dp 18.11 - Chamonix ar 23.45, change at Bellegarde

ALL BY TRAIN:

Paris L dp 07.57 - Chamonix ar 14.12, change at Lausanne and Martigny
Paris L dp 09.49 - Chamonix ar 16.38, change at Annecy and St. Gerwais
Paris L dp 10.41 - Chamonix ar 17.38, change at Annecy and St. Gerwais
Paris L dp 11.57 - Chamonix ar 18.12, change at Lausanne and Martigny

PalenQ

As Man in Seat 61 says trains allow you to much better see the scenery - and neckervd do you think the Martigny all-train route is the most scenic as I pose? I've been both ways and Matigny-Chamonix is really lot more scenic than St-Gervais-Chamonix if I recall rightly.

neckervd

" Matigny-Chamonix is really lot more scenic than St-Gervais-Chamonix if I recall rightly"

You are right. There is no doubt.

PalenQ

And, if they leave early on the Swiss route they could easily stop off at say Montreux for lunch - though check conditions of use of ticket if discounted about that - I think you could not stop off in France but once to Switzerland can take any train on any segment with the Paris-Lausanne-Martigny-Chamonix ticket but not sure.