Chamonix to Annecy?

From Chamonix Mont Blanc ( main station ) The Mont Blanc Express west bound to St Gervais - Le Fayet , Change there to any north bound Leman Express to La Roche sur Foron , Change there to Leman Express L2 south bound to Annecy https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Leman_Express_map_avec_frontiere.svg

My husband and I did My Way Alpine tour last year.. It was our 4th with RS and we loved it.
We also went to Annecy and stayed 3 nights. We loved that as well.
I researched this forum how to get to Annecy the easiest way.. someone recommended using a Taxi.
We had spent five nights in Salzburg at the start of the tour… so by the time we got to end of tour we were ready for a little pampering. It was so easy but not cheap. We both agreed it was worth every penny.
We used. Taxi Massingy Gaëlle Dunoyer She was very informative and pointed out sights and made suggestions.. I will look where we stayed.. the hotel was clean and had an outstanding view.. the room was oddly shaped and very tiny but the view made up for it.
Here is the email for Gaelle

taximassingy@gmail.com

I am also looking at how to get from Chamonix to Annecy. With a train that takes 2.5 hours and has multiple connections it appears easier to have the blablacar bus (thats the actual name) or a private cab /transfer which takes around 1.5 hours.

I wonder if the train, although it takes much longer is far more scenic than going by car that it would be worth it though?

(anyone who has taken this route that can comment on this?)

We have booked the bus (Bla Bla Bus)direct from Chamonix to Annecy in June.

Last spring we did a quick trip from Annecy to Chamonix to do the Aiguille du Midi. There were few transports operating yet then because of the effects of COVID closures. We took the BlaBla Bus that got us to Chamonix at 11 and the return at 3. It is a little over an hour; a nice coach type bus and ran on time.

The station in Annecy is an easy walk to the central tourist areas.

We took the train last summer as the bus schedules were being updated and it wasn't
clear if the bus would be operating....

Flixbus may be another option to BlaBlaBus as well.

If you can take the bus, especially with luggage, I suggest doing that over the train. One
of our trains was packed to the gills, and you have no way of knowing that ahead of time,
The bus is faster and even if it's full, you know you have a seat.

When we were looking for train options it was close to a 4 hour trip from annecy to Chamonix -- it was a little over an hour by bus.

@ travelgirl The one hour difference between the train and the bus . is small potatoes for me , and the train route from St Gervais - Le Fayet to Chamonix is really beautiful ( Mont Blanc Express ) . Also not being terribly enamored of bus travel ,I avoid it wherever , reeasonably possible . Also , since the completion of CEVA ( Leman Express Network ) the rail trip works very smoothly . , On the changes , the one at Le Fayet is a simple cross platform change

Hi there:

I’m also following my MWAT with a stay in Annecy before heading to Paris. I’m going to take the bus to Annecy from Chamonix, just not sure what time. Maybe around 3 or 4pm for another walk along the river? The bus is quick and very cheap! Plus, our “Hotel Plan B” is next to the bus station in Chamonix. I’m on a budget so I chose Hotel des Alpes in Annecy for 2 nights. Easy to walk/drop my suitcase and check out the lake, old town, maybe bike the next day?

I remember from previous / canceled plans there’s a bus that operates btw Annecy and Geneva, called FlixBus. You may check their schedule to see if it works with your flight times.

Enjoy! When are you traveling?? My tour is coming up next month :)

Hello,
After reading these comments I have a question. We are on the Alpine tour July 5. At the end of the tour we planned to go to Annecy for the day then go to Geneva for 2 nights before coming back to the states. Any opinions on Annecy vs Geneva?

Thanks for your help.

Annecy is a better place to start then Geneva, in my opinion. I'd try to stay there overnight - and depending on flight times, you could stay both nights and take a prearranged taxi to Geneva airport on the morning of your flight. It costs about €100, maybe 120, but you'd save on hotel and food costs in Annecy vs Geneva.

Restating and summarizing my and other folks' thoughts....

• Annecy is smaller than Geneva, more scenic, and cheaper. Two nights is enough
  to explore the old town, and do something along or around the lake. Geneva seems
  like a fine place to live if you can afford it, but not all that touristy.

• from Chamonix to Annecy, the first part of the train ride is definitely scenic, but the
  majority is less so. If you have a lot of luggage, schlepping it from train to train is
  going to be a hassle, even if it's just across the platform. If the train is crowded,
  then finding a place to put it, and a place to put you, will be a hassle (you might be
  able to pay for seat reservations on some of the trains).

But there are limited buses and regularly scheduled trains, so some of it depends on your
schedule.

• from Annecy to Geneva Airport is a 45 minute bus ride, and there are multiple buses, so even in the summer, they are not likely to be full. A taxi seems a bit superfluous,
  and the train is not direct to the airport (you have to change, and most likely purchase another ticket, at Cornavin).

Flixbus and BlaBlaBus are private services that run between Annecy-Geneva Airport, and
there is also a public bus (line 272).