 Poster: A snowHead
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We will be in Les Saisies for the week of 10th February, with car. Son is flying to GVA on Monday 12th, arriving about 16:15. Rather than drive all the way to GVA to pick him up (and lose half a day's skiing) I thought he could get a bus from GVA to Megève, and I collect him at Megève, which is about 30 minutes from Les Saisies. I've found services run by Alpybus and Chamexpress - are they ok?
PS in case anyone  ticks us off for going to LS in half-term... no choice, he works in a school!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 31-01-24 5:40; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Alpy and Chamexpress are the same firm - they’ll probably be fine (especially for arrival), but you do hear horror stories of transfers not turning up.
How about a train to Sallanches? Get the SBB app - train startion at the airport, 2hrs to Sallanches.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I've picked up visitors who bussed from Gva to Megeve, driving down from Saisies. The biggest problem in Megeve at half term will be finding somewhere to park - might need to liaise with your son about where to pick him up. It is a bore driving all the way into the airport (I did it many times, but I wasn't having to give up a scarce ski day) and expensive if it means buying a Swiss motorway vignette. Personally I'd take a chance on the reliability of the bus service rather than trog down to Sallanches, though I have picked up visitors in Sallanches who got dropped at McDonalds by bus heading to Chamonix.
There are also busses up to Saisies from Albertville - advertised all over the resort, but I don't know the details.
Is he arriving on a Saturday? If so, think hard about timing of your pick up - the roads will be busy.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Echo above. We have found Alpybus reliable (the same transfer goes via St Gervais) though there is always the first time.... They seem to have taken the decision to offer fewer door-to-door transfers and they drop off at designated stops, but of course that doesn't matter to you. (He will end up at the Gare Routiere in Megeve). You can find an indicative timetable here https://www.alpybus.com/documents/23933926/0/GVA-Megeve.png/4ff68c7c-09d5-7f2b-0bca-bb1a29f91d15?t=1698919026769 however they do flex that a bit on the day depending on the flight times of the passengers booked.
Alternatives are the train as @andy from embsay says (google "Leman Express"). Sallanches is a further drive for you but the trains are hourly. Or Flixbus which is a coach from the airport to Sallanches (so quicker if the times suit) timed to allow transfer to the local public buses which in that case would get him as close as Flumet ( https://www.sat-montblanc.com/sat-rouge.aspx?arbo_id=124 but you would also need to find the Y83 bus timetable).
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| pam w wrote: |
Is he arriving on a Saturday? If so, think hard about timing of your pick up - the roads will be busy. |
No, Monday. It's us who will be arriving at LS on a half-term Saturday 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Monday will be a lot easier.  Though there will be fewer busses. Best thing on a half-term Saturday is either to get up to resort really early, or leave it until the evening. Arriving mid to late afternoon will be the worst. Same applies to leaving. If you can't get out by 7 am, leave it till 7 pm!
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Thanks for all the tips - we'll take a chance on Alpybus to Megève bus station.
We've done a few half-term Saturday departures, including a snowmageddon day from Les Contamines a few years ago, so we know what to expect!
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Hmmmm several recent bad reviews of Alpybus/Chamexpress on TripAdvisor. Maybe Flixbus to Sallanches and then SAT to Megève or Flumet, although annoyingly the SAT bus departures from Sallanches don't seem to tie in very well with the Flixbus arrivals from GVA. I'm sure the trains are dependable, but they seem to take a while as they stop at quite a few stations - apart from the ones which are buses, and go direct to Sallanches 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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There seem to be 2 'normal' bus services GVA to Sallanches (Mont Blanc P&R): Flixbus, and the TPG service no. 274 (weekdays only). The 274 is a bit cheaper, and is bookable via SBB. Does anyone have any experience of these services, bearing in mind possible delays of the incoming flight at GVA?
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@caughtanedge,
I think it's worth having faith in the bus timetables, if they fit, because there's always the fallback of driving to the airport. Which I doubt will be necessary. It's not as if he'd be waiting for many hours.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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No experience of the bus but lots of the train , the train to sallanches would be my recommendation
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Jonny996, thanks - train is always slower and has 1 or 2 changes as far as I can see. And some of the journeys on SBB are the 274 bus anyway! I was trying to get a feeling for whether it's ok to turn up at GVA and buy tickets on the spot, do the buses fill up? (Flixbus & 274).
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You can’t buy tickets on Flixbus, they need to be booked (online) in advance. But it can be immediately before and the visitor desk opposite where you come out of arrivals will do it for you.
The same applies to Alpybus, needs booking in advance. And since they decide what size vehicle to use, and their exact timing, the day before it might be risky to try booking on the day.
Don’t know about 274, that is a new one to investigate. Train tickets can be bought in the airport (booking office or machine) immediately before travel.
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You know it makes sense.
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@j b, thanks, that's really useful info.
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