Getting to Combloux

A snowHead

I have booked a crafty weekend break to Combloux 26th Dec to 28th Dec this year for Mrs K and myself. As is typical for a weekend break we arrive early to Geneva and depart late in the evening. I was pretty horrified that the cheapest car I could find online for a 3 day hire was £166.00 Plus Petrol, ins, tolls etc looking at a total of well over £200 - as much as the flights!!

Can any Snowheads recommend a cheap transfer company that will take us to the village, or do we have to get dropped off at the railway station near St Gervais and taxi it?

Any help would be much appreciated,
Please be nice - first time poster Very Happy

A snowHead

Penzanceopinion, Combloux has a really good tourist office, their website has travel options.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

welcome to snowheads, Penzanceopinion,

Transfers usually do cost around the same as a cheap flight. There are buses from Geneva to Megeve which will pass through Combloux - they will be your cheapest option, I imagine. "autocars Borini"

Where in Combloux are you staying? Very nice village but you might well be glad of a car to get from your accommodation to the lifts.

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There are signposts to the French side by the baggage collection hall.

Tolls will be about 6 euros each way

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Penzanceopinion, 6 euros is the cost for the french tolls. Main thing to remember is to avoid the Swiss motorway as this would cost you 30 euros for the vignette (Swiss hire cars have this already). So check map or set sat nav for avoiding tolls.
On our trip back last year we got caught in heavy traffic in GVA centre around 4 pm, so have some alternative routes or leave plenty of time.

After all it is free

Penzanceopinion Firstly, to maximise the short break experience and minimise the inconvenience, you just have to bite the bullet of cost and go for car hire. Secondly, and above all else, the words 'transfer' and 'cheap' are never to be found juxtaposed in France.... Confused

Penzanceopinion, you need to do a bit more thinking, to hire on the French side, both to avoid the Swiss motorway on arrival and then (more challenging) to find the French side of the airport on the way back, as road signs to the airport will take you to the Swiss side. Do a search on here - there is quite a lot of advice. It might be worth paying the extra, being able to use to Swiss motorway AND having less likelihood of needing chains.

Combloux is not a climb, though one of my visitors, without snow tyres, did have to put chains on on the way up from Sallanches to Combloux, one particularly snowy year. You might also need them for the smaller roads/side streets in Combloux and elsewhere even if main roads are cleared. They are a pain - much better to be able to manage without.

You are there only a very short time - if the roads are at all snowy then I'd be inclined to stick to Combloux/La Giettaz/Megeve area which has more than enough skiing for a week, let alone a few days.

Also, 28th December is a Saturday and probably about the busiest in the entire year. A good day to ski (transfer day) but definitely a very bad day to spend more than the minimum possible time on the road.

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pam w, +1

If you're only there for three days, there is more than enough to see....there are three sectors to the Megeve/Combloux area alone, which would be good for more than a week, let alone 3 days.

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Try the Chamonix transfer companies, ask (not the automated part of their website) - if they can't help to Combloux, they may well be able to help to Sallanches - then just get a local taxi up the hill - this is how a lot of Megeve (a bit further up the same hill) skiers get there from Geneva

snow reports

Thanks for the advice everybody. I have just realised that the dates I advised were wrong - we are 27th - 29th Dec - so avoid busy Saturday traffic.
To summarise this is what I have got so far.

Cheapest option - Transfer via private transfer company - to probably Sallanches then Taxi - total approx. 75euro each.
Advantages - cheap. No concerns about getting lost/ stuck in traffic or the snow. Disadvantages - hanging around waiting for transfer company/ not maximising time on the slope. no transport when in the village.

Next cheapest option - Hire car from French side of the airport and drive to Clomboux.
Advantages - 30-40% cheaper than Swiss side, may squeeze in a few more hours skiing, have freedom to drive to other resorts, and to supermarket etc. Disadvantages - Snow tyres and chains not as standard - Risky with unknown weather/road conditions. Longer and more difficult route to resort as have to circumnavigate Swiss motorways. More likely hood of getting lost, and If I have to buy chains and vignette this will negate any saving made.

Most expensive option - Hire a car from Swiss side
Advantages - Quickest route to the snow, most time spent on the slope, snow tyres, chains included.
Disadvantages - Most expensive option.

Penzanceopinion, Your original dates might have been better, there isn't any traffic down the hill to Sallanches on a Saturday evening, on a Sunday the queue down can start in Megeve.

Have you looked at getting the local bus up from Sallanches rather than using a taxi ?

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

pam w and beequinn, I am quite intrigued by the idea of driving through GVA - can you direct me to a link with route directions (I assume this would be only any use if hiring from French side).
pam w - Staying at LE FLORALP 45 , Chemin des Beus, apparently 300 metre from The Boucher ski station, it looks as though I can access the whole of les Portes du Mont-Blanc ski area from this station - do you know if this is correct? Do they have ski hire at the bottom of this lift? Sorry for so many questions - just trying to sus it all out. Smile

A snowHead

Penzanceopinion, if you drive down into Geneva following your nose down the main road to the Lake, then skirt the end of the lake (ie keeping the lake on your left) you will start picking up signs to Chamonix which will take you off to the right, shortly after the end of the lake. If you look at google maps and ask it to take you from Gva airport to Combloux, avoiding tolls, it gives you that route, though unless you are in leisurely mode I'd suggest taking the autoroute once you are in France. It's pretty clearly signposted. Much the same route through GVA whether you are driving from the French or Swiss side, though if you were renting a Swiss car the easiest route is along the motorway to the Bardonnex border crossing. Come off the motorway at Sallanches and follow the signposting to Albertville which takes you through Combloux, not far up the very winding hill where you will be closely followed by some impatient local drivers. wink

I don't know that ski area well at all, never skied Combloux (it's been on my "do do" list for years) but I think that you can range over the Portes du Mont Blanc from there, yes. Need to cross the road (ie bus) to get over to the main Megeve area. Don't know about ski hire but the Combloux tourist office could no doubt tell you.

There's a big car park at the main lift place - I think it's the top of the Bouchet. Has the most stunning view of Mont Blanc that you could ever hope to get from a car park! I've done walks and had picnics up there - must ski there soon! If you have your own car would probably be easier to drive straight up there. Might be ski hire - there's certainly a café and it would be an obvious place for a ski hire shop.

A snowHead

pam w, There is a ski hire place next to the lift and a better one near the lift pass kiosk. But, better places in the village.

Help!!

Getting to Combloux

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