Hi
We are staying in Annemasee on the French side of the border from Geneva & would like to take a day trip to see the Matterhorn. Is it possible to get there from the French side without going clear around the lake back through Geneva? Maybe going by way of Evian & a stop at the Chillon Castle?
Posted by
Green Bay
20090 posts
By car or public transport?
By bus/train it is 4 1/2 hours going the "long" way through Geneva. It is 5 1/2 hours to go by train to Thonon-les-Bains, boat across the lake to Lausanne, U-bahn to Lausanne station, then train to Zermatt.
Not really enough time for a day trip, let alone a stop at Chllon.
By car it would be about 4 1/4 hour through Evian-les-Bains, but add Chllon and you're at 5 hours. and that is not considering any time at Chllon.
By Chamonix it is 6 hours on the train, 4 hours by car.
Of course, by car, the last stretch from Taesch to Zermatt is by train only.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you so much for the info Sam. We would probably take public transportation but I thought we could maybe take a bus to the end of lake Geneva where the Chillon Castle is on the French side then hook up with a bus or train from there to Zermatt..... Not possible?
Posted by
Green Bay
20090 posts
Not that I am aware of. Even if it existed, it would not be any faster than by taking the bus to Geneva Cornavin station, then train to Visp, then train to Zermatt. That route would take you to Chillon and you could stop for 2 hours. It just doesn't look like a day trip to me. Would you be disappointed if you arrived in Zermatt and found it socked in with no glimpse of the Matterhorn? If so, you would be rolling the dice big time to do a day trip with at most a couple of hours in Zermatt. Alpine weather changes on a dime.
Better would be a day trip to Chamonix and a ride to the top of the Aguille du Midi, where you can see the Matterhorn on the distant horizon (if the weather is clear).
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Once again thank you for your info Sam....it has been invaluable!!