Using the Train from Thonon to Geneva Airport
Practical guide to Léman Express rail service connecting Alpine villages to Geneva airport, offering alternatives to costly parking and long driving times.
The Léman Express has been going since 2019, incredibly it is the first RER (regional train) that crosses a border in Europe. It can be really useful for transport between Geneva airport and the ski areas of the Haute Savoie.
This little guide is for using the train to access Geneva airport from the Vallée d'Aulps (Morzine, St Jean d'Aulps, Le Biot, Seytroux etc). Saying that the Léman Express can be just as useful for people that live in Samoens, Les Carroz, Les Gets, St Gervais and Chamonix.
In the past people that live in these valleys might have left a car in the airport parking (30€ a day), asked a friend or relative to drop us off (a 3 hr round trip from Morzine – assuming there is no traffic), or used a shared transfer (50€ each way, and only available in the season). The driving option has become harder and harder over the years thanks to the increase in traffic around Geneva.
Now we have the option of taking a train from Thonon. It works well. It's a half hour drive to Thonon and there is rarely any hold ups due to traffic. The train is reliable and takes 1h10 to get to the airport. Normally you only have to change once at the central station in Geneva.
The quick answer is to book a ticket using the Swiss rail service via their website sbb.ch or better – their app – called SBB Mobile. The French rail apps don't work for this trip. Probably because of the cross border issue. The cost is 14CHF (15€).
The trains run every 30 min during the morning and evening busy periods (and they are busy), and every hour otherwise.
Buses
I am afraid to say that currently the bus system is not as easy to navigate as the trains. There are at least 5 buses a day that run up and down the valley. Some match up with the trains, some don't. You might be lucky.
Parking
Parking in Thonon at the Place des Arts is 8€/day.
Parking at the Parking Gare de Thonon-les-Bains – EFFIA 18.90€/day.
Parking at Geneva airport
P1: 1 day = 38 CHF, 4 days = 128 CHF, 1 week = 197 CHF
P51/26: 1 day = 30 CHF, 4 days = 81 CHF, 1 week = 132 CHF