Taking the train to La Plagne
While taking a direct La Plagne transfer is normally the easiest way to get to La Plagne’s 11 villages for your La Plagne ski or snowboard holiday, many people forget La Plagne lies directly above Aime la Plagne which is on the main train line towards Moutiers, Albertville and Chambéry – and, thereafter, Geneva. This makes taking the train to La Plagne from Geneva or Chambéry very easy and an attractive alternative to bus, taxi or transfer services – particularly if you’re travelling on a weekday when many services stop operating.
This guide can be applied to all the major Tarentaise resorts (further info below). There’s also a slightly shorter guide for how to get to La Plagne by train from Chambéry. We also have a guide on how to get to La Plagne covering other travel options.
Schedules and booking to get the train to La Plagne
It’s considerably easier (and cheaper) than you might expect to get to La Plagne from both Chambéry and Geneva airports – plus, it can save a lot of time when the roads are rammed in high season and through the February mid-term holidays. Click here for La Plagne by train schedules and bookings.
Also, if you’re arriving pre-season as a saisonnaire or are hoping to arrive in summer when the transfers have all but stopped, this is a good route. We’ve also included details for Paris to La Plagne / Les Arcs by train as well as travel options from Lyon airport to La Plagne.
Advice for taking the train to La Plagne from Geneva airport
First up, you’ll want to check train times to try and get the best fit for your inward and outward flights. On weekdays, there are normally around ten different train options with the journey from Geneva taking anywhere between three and a half hours to a little over five hours (depending on stop times). The prices in budget class are around 40€ at time of writing. The trip from Geneva requires a stop in Chambéry while from Chambéry itself, trains are direct. If you’re travelling from Chambéry, most trains go direct and take a little over an hour and a half. You can expect to pay around 18€.
For this article, we’re going to concentrate on getting to La Plagne from Geneva airport as this is by far the busiest and most common route.
Geneva airport to Geneva Cornavin station
As you would expect from an international airport, trains run regularly from Geneva airport into the city centre and Geneva Cornavin station. You can book this as part of your overall journey using this link – Geneva airport to Aime La Plagne. The transfer takes about ten minutes to cover the two miles into Geneva city.
As you come out of the arrivals area in Geneva airport, take a left towards a largely glass-fronted building (this is all very clearly signposted). You’ll need to get down two escalators or take the elevator to get down to where the trains depart. You can see in the Geneva airport map below how close the railway station is to the main terminals.
Note, if your flights don’t match well with the trains, you could sleep in Geneva airport overnight as it’s open 24 hours and is one of the better airports I’ve slept in (find a quiet corner). Alternatively, if you’d prefer a hotel, you could take the train into Geneva and get a hotel near the station.
Arriving at Geneva Cornavin station
Next up, you’ll need to find your train in Geneva Cornavin. This isn’t a particularly large train station but you do pass through customs again as you cross the border. I’ve never once seen anyone get stopped here (it must be the most pointless customs area in the world).
Geneva Cornavin station to La Plagne
After passing through customs, most times, you’ll turn right to get your train and head up a short flight of stairs. Top tip – if you have a long wait before your train, head out the front of the station. There’s a good bar directly across the road from the station and a McDonalds just five minutes to your left 😉.
Geneva to La Plagne train changes at Chambéry station
Having successfully caught the first train, just sit back and relax as you pass through some beautiful scenery on your way to Chambéry. This part of the journey should take around an hour and a half. Oh – and btw – remember French and Swiss trains are considerably more comfortable than the ones in the UK, normally on two floors with plenty of space for your bags.
On arrival in Chambéry, you’ll need to change tracks (at least I always have). Another top tip – rather than dragging your bags down and up the stairs as you pass under the lines, look for the elevator instead. And another thing – the time between trains is typically quite short so don’t hang about.
Should you have a longer delay until your next train, there is a nice-ish small cafe directly outside the station 😁.
Alternatively, if you need to stay overnight for your connecting train, you can check hotels near Annecy train station below.
Chambéry train to La Plagne
The last part of your train journey is simply a case of sit back and relax. Again, this route passes through some truly stunning scenery. When you arrive in Aime la Plagne, take a left as you depart the station to find the bays for the local valley to resort buses (in the picture above to the right). Click to check the 2024 Aime to La Plagne bus times. The ride by bus up to La Plagne takes about 30-40 minutes. Note – if buses aren’t running (either because you’ve arrived too early or late), you can always book a transfer or call a local taxi company using this La Plagne transfer link. Click this link to check La Plagne road conditions and webcams.
Get your bearings – see the La Plagne resorts in 3D
The animation above shows the location of the main La Plagne resorts so you can get your bearings.
Geneva or Chambéry train to Champagny-en-Vanoise
If you happen to be staying in Champagny-en-Vanoise rather than the main La Plagne resorts, you will need to get off at Moûtiers and take the bus from there up the valley through Brides-les-Bains and Bozel. Click to book the bus from Moûtiers to Champagny.
Geneva or Chambéry train to Plagne Montalbert
Plagne Montalbert is the closest La Plagne village to Aime train station and also has a regular bus service. Click to book the bus from Aime to Plagne Montalbert online.
Geneva or Chambéry train to Plagne Montchavin
For skiers and snowboarders staying in Plagne Montchavin, you need to stay on the train one more stop and get off at Landry. From there, you can take the bus up to Montchavin and Les Coches. Click for the Landry to Montchavin bus timetable or to book your bus from Landry to Montchavin.
Geneva or Chambéry train to Les Arcs
If you’re staying in Les Arcs, simply stay on the train until it reaches the terminus at Bourg-Saint-Maurice. The animation above shows how close the village stations are to each other. For Les Arcs, the final leg of the journey is simplest of all as you can just jump on the regular funiculaire up to Arc 1600 then organise a ride from there, depending on where you’re staying. The base of the funiculaire is just a short walk over a bridge from your arrival platform. The other option is to look for a taxi or transfer service.
Geneva or Chambéry train to the Tarentaise resorts
I’ve made this journey more times than I can remember and have always found it one of the best ways to get to the Tarentaise ski areas – particularly outside the regular season or if you want to be more flexible with your travel arrangements. See the animation above showing how close these resorts are to each other.
Geneva or Chambéry train to Trois Vallées
The instructions above work equally well for taking the train from Geneva or Chambéry to all Trois Vallées resorts. You just need to get off at Moûtiers and take the bus from there up to your resort. Click to book Moûtiers to Trois Vallées bus tickets online.
Geneva to Trois Vallées by train (alight at Moûtiers)
Geneva to Val Thorens by train (alight at Moûtiers)
Geneva to Les Menuires by train (alight at Moûtiers)
Geneva to Brides-les-Bains by train (alight at Moûtiers)
Geneva to Méribel by train (alight at Moûtiers)
Geneva to Courchevel by train (alight at Moûtiers)
Geneva to Champagny-en-Vanoise by train (alight at Moûtiers)
Geneva to Pralognan la Vanoise by train (alight at Moûtiers)
Geneva or Chambéry train to Valmorel
if you’re staying in Valmorel, you can follow the instructions above. You just need to get off at Moûtiers and take the bus from there. Click to book Moûtiers to Valmorel bus tickets online.
Geneva or Chambéry train to La Rosière, Val d’Isère or Tignes
The instructions in this guide also apply to trips to the other Tarentaise resorts including:
Geneva to La Rosière by train (stay on the train until Bourg-St-Maurice)
Geneva to Sainte-Foy by train (stay on the train until Bourg-St-Maurice)
Geneva to Val d’Isère by train (stay on the train until Bourg-St-Maurice)
Geneva to Tignes by train (stay on the train until Bourg-St-Maurice)
Click here for ski buses from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to all the ski areas listed above.
Geneva or Chambéry train to Tignes summer skiing
Taking the train from Geneva or Chambéry to Bourg-Saint-Maurice is one of the best ways to get to the summer glacier riding in Tignes. The majority of transfer companies don’t operate during the summer months.
La Plagne month-by-month travel information
It’s worth noting the options and schedules for travelling to La Plagne can vary from month to month and are largely dictated by demand. Check our month-by-month La Plagne guides for more information: La Plagne in December, La Plagne in January, La Plagne in February and La Plagne in April. There’s also an abbreviated, shorter version at when is the best time to ski in La Plagne. Although specific to La Plagne, much of the information in these guides is equally applicable to the other nearby resorts.
More info about La Plagne on the LaPlagne360 site
The La Plagne 360 site and La Plagne 360 blog give you the best information on La Plagne. We’ve also got extensive La Plagne activity guides, La Plagne information guides and La Plagne ski and snowboard edits – plus images from our La Plagne gallery to help work out how to make the best of your next La Plagne ski / snowboard holiday and make sure you choose the best accommodation in La Plagne.
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