Verbier is located a mere 1h 45 minutes from Geneva Airport by car, or just over 2.5 hours by train. Located in Switzerland but also under an hour from both the Italian and French border, it’s not only an easy flight away from most of Europe, but also a popular day or weekend destination for French and Italian locals. If you’re in the area for work or pleasure, summer or winter, it’s definitely a trip you won’t regret making.
How to get from Chamonix to Verbier
Chamonix is Verbier’s French neighbour, another extensive ski resort with a big appetite for mountaineering. The two are a short journey apart, perfect for a day trip. If you’re got your own car or a hire car, it’s just over an hour over the Col de Forclaz, a scenic mountain pass connecting the two regions. Leaving Chamonix you head toward the Swiss border, and the pass will bring you out in Martigny, only a half an hour drive away from Verbier. Remember your passport; it’s a short journey but you will need either this or an ID if you’re from within the Schengen zone.
If you don’t have access to a car, the Mont Blanc Express train makes for a very scenic if slightly longer journey. It’s less ideal for popping over just for a single ski day unless you don’t mind an early start, as it takes 2 hours on the train to Martigny, and then a further 20 minutes from Martigny to Le Chable, the village at the foot of Verbier. To continue up to Verbier the quickest way is to take the gondola, or if you’re visiting out of season or after hours (the gondola runs 08.45-19.30 from December to late April during the winter season) there is a bus. Use www.sbb.ch to plan your journey online easily, which includes all the bus and gondola connections too.
How to get to Verbier from Zurich
Zurich is a bit further than Geneva when heading to Verbier, but it’s still a doable journey for a weekend or trip away.
By car is the easiest way to make this journey, at just over a 3 hour drive. If you’ve got your own car this is no problem at all, but if renting a car you may want to make sure your accommodation offers parking during your stay in Verbier or you can use paid parking facilities. There is free day or longterm parking in Le Chable, or up in Verbier, Perrin behind the Centre du Sportif is free for 24 hours and only CHF 5 a day after that.
Train is a great way to get from Zurich to Verbier, the journey takes about 3hr 45 minutes from the city centre train station, or a bit longer if travelling from the airport. You’ll need to change at Lausanne and then again at Martigny to travel toward Le Chable. From Le Chable you’ll then need to take a bus or a gondola depending when you arrive, if you’re staying up in Verbier.
How to get from Geneva to Verbier
By Car
Geneva airport is the most convenient airport to fly to for a trip to Verbier for anyone arriving on a commercial airline. From Geneva Airport there are numerous services running transfers to Verbier.
The most popular options if you don’t have your own or a hire vehicle are to take one of the private or shared transfer services. Prices usually start at about CHF 55 per person for a one-way shared transfer with a single drop off point in central Verbier, but differ slightly depending on the company you use and the time of year. If you’re travelling in a group or prefer a door-to-door service private transfers may be a better option, starting at around CHF 550 and usually in vehicles seating up to 8 passengers. Journey times are around 1hr 45 minutes from the airport, but you may be doing a little more waiting around with a shared transfer as often similar flight arrivals are grouped together.
By train
The train is by far the most scenic way to travel to Verbier. The route skirts Lake Geneva for half the journey, and you are treated to beautiful lake vistas with snowcapped mountains in the background. Trains are large and relatively comfortable, and of course being Swiss they are always on time. Grab some snacks and drinks if you’re travelling with kids as it’s a good 2.5 hours to reach Verbier, and this line rarely has a snack bar or cart like you may be used to. There’s usually no need to reserve a ticket, and you can buy these at the machines in the airport before boarding, or in Le Chable before your return journey. A second class ticket from Geneva Airport to Verbier will set you back just over CHF 60 for an adult.
SBB makes it very easy to plan your journey with timetables in advance for all connections in Switzerland, these will also give you the bus or gondola times up to Verbier if selecting this as your destination. If you’re travelling here for the first time, be aware that Swiss trains have a habit of not listing the stations it is stopping at during the second half of the journey, so it can be reassuring to make sure you’re on the right train and platform to use the app. The train line used to travel to Verbier is to Brig, and you will want to disembark at Martigny and then take the St Bernard Express to Le Chable (the terminal station so impossible to miss!).
See you in Verbier soon!
