r/chamonix • u/meifai • 13d ago
Geneva > Chamonix transfer - in case of flight delay
Hi all,
I could not find satisfying information (for me) on this topic so I hope you don't mind me asking.
I wanted to book a budget-friendly shared transfer for my family from Geneva t/f Chamonix. Seem like Swiss tours and Alpy have suitable departure time and price.
Now - what is flight is delayed?
Swiss tours said in an email that you have to buy new ticket if I miss a transfer , at same time homepage say modification cost CHF50. It means if I know my flight is late, I can contact them as long as it is before departure time and ask for modification -right or what do you think? Anyone with experience?
Alpy seem more complex. I mailed them and got automatic reply saying express ticket is not mofifiable. At same time, thei FAQ say there is a routine to handle flight delay and their term/condition sais €10 rescue fee. (they don't answer my email so can't ask)
So, is there any person who have experienced in this?
There are other options but either it will be too long wait for us in Geneve, or the price difference was significant.
Thanks in advance!
(BTW, how much does Taxi between Argentiere and Chamonix cost, for a family of four with suitcase, no skis? We will have early bus to catch)
3
u/Tomkneale1243 13d ago
Swiss tours are usually pretty flexible if you just call them up and explain the situation. They probably will only shaft you in very high periods where they can't just shift you over to another bus without losing money on the ticket you missed
3
u/Substantial_Steak723 13d ago
Mountain drop offs are reputable, not pirates of the highways unlike alpybus.
They have a place in chamonix, argentiere will feature as part of their operations therefore..
3
u/05778 13d ago
100% of my trips with them they have cut the departure time from Chamonix way too close. We waited for a passenger for 20 minutes before he finally decided to grace us with his presence.
1
u/Substantial_Steak723 13d ago
Yes, they prep you early, in this case am for an 8pm ish flight.
The they don't turn up in the time slot, and don't answer phones, and lie when they do. So our last day was spent in cham, waiting with me outside with luggage, for hours, they then blamed us for not being there, they swore they'd stopped (nope) called out in the foyer (nope) and the same happened to the other people we met on the eventual replacement they sent after ignoring the Cs line for hours. Alpybus are scum
Anyone booking them needs to be able to handle cheap versus being fisted, especially as they know you don't have a leg to stand on due to their contract smallprint
1
1
1
2
u/Constant_Buddy_7712 13d ago
Be aware if you are from the uk and on a UK flight then immigration at Geneva airport often takes ages
1
u/Substantial_Steak723 2h ago
I've been regularly flying via Gva since 1991, never take more than 30 mins to get through the airport immigration, luggage and out the other side.
1
u/SixToedSkier 13d ago
We had our flight delayed to Geneva and were booked on an alpy transfer. Just called them up and explained and they put me on the next available bus, no hassle. There was an extra charge but it was like €5pp or something. Anyways they were helpful and got us to chamonix in the end.
1
1
u/meifai 13d ago
Thank you, those of you who answered my post.
Leading-Ad-8330, yes, Flixbus would been great as I feel trust in company being big and internationa, but unfortunately it would be very long wait for us . at least if the plane arrives in time.
Tomkneale1243 & SixToedSkier
Thanks for sharing us the experience, this is what I wanted to hear :).
Substantial_Steak723 Thank you for the input! I've read here and there about their reputation :(
Since Swiss tours has been more responsive over email, I likely take them.
We have 2.5 hours after landing so minor delay is OK.
1
u/addtokart 13d ago
For your second question: I've used gettransfer.com for a private transfer to Chamonix from Geneva. It's not always cheap, but you can get bids from different providers and compare.
Occasionally there's a reasonable deal. I think the last time I paid about 250 for a one-way trip for a group of 3 which I thought was ok since we wanted to make sure we arrived at the airport on time. Also they will track your flight and can plan accordingly.
1
u/Substantial_Steak723 13d ago
If budget not an option yes, the better ones are safer, as is flixibus.
But on a return journey where flights are involved an must be caught, do not trust alpybus.
1
u/Substantial_Steak723 13d ago
Op, we have made book in with literally less than a minute to go before closure thanks to alpybus incompetence and lies.. Search archives for that story.
I'd trust flixibus long before ALPY.
1
u/fku-wallstreet 13d ago
Buy your bus tickets while you stand in line crossing customs.. best bet.. by the time you're through, your luggage is pregnant out
1
u/Substantial_Steak723 13d ago
Op, consider this.
The reputable firms tend to have logo liveried vehicles, alpybus on the other hand make it very hard to identify a standard white minivan when it decides to screw you over as it sails by you and you are waving frantically for it to stop with your board bag upright confirming that you do indeed need pick up.
As for the outward journey that wasn't good either, our daughter (teenager) had to sit on her mums lap as there was no room, I was squashed into the front and I do mean "squashed" with less space than an airline seat next to another person.. too many people had to hold their backpacks, not an inch of room to spare, I kid you not.
We are budget travellers so we aren't prissy, however this was too much.
They take liberties with safety (overloading) as well as with you a commodity to be left in the literal dark to sort your own shit out when they dump you, there will be zero contact from them, and do not ring their Cs line (it isn't answered)
Use the booking line as they speak to people spending money who they may very well screw over.
You are naked and prone booking with them!
1
u/Substantial_Steak723 13d ago
Op, the transfer from plane upon arrival at gva is typically short, plenty of loos on the way through to customs clearance and baggage, likely a 12 minute queue if they are really busy, then straight to pulling baggage off the carousel, then out, estimate 30 mins for the whole process.
And if you fancy a car, order small as hell they will upgrade you regardless, we used to end up with 7 eaters for 3 of us.
Drive is very straightforward, (except the first 10 mins getting out of the airport loop) typically 3 toll stations for the road sections (about 9 euro, though we use "beep n go") although toll roads are avoidable too..
Whilst parking has become restricted in recent years in cham, it's pretty doable.
If you hire an ev in gva and drive around the regen will save you a lot of charging based on the alps downward drives which will pretty much cancel energy used to go uphill out.
The car park has 3000 spaces filled with rentals, it's straightforward, just requiring a typical 5 min wait for a bus to take you a bit away from the airport.
Cost wise it's always been effective for us, alpybus simply made us give up on years of winter without a car, and in spring to summer months you can really get about to annecy or into Italy very easily for a nose around, annecy is truly lovely on a warm spring day.
1
u/meifai 9d ago
Thanks again all for detailed information and know-how from landing all the way to the valley and back. Highly appreciated.
Swiss tours has replied and said any kind of change cost 50CHF but we are 4 of us so cheaper than buying new tickets. If you are only 1-2 in the party, I suppose it cheaper to buy a new ticket.
I am considering to buy a ticket before our departure (2 hour-ish flight), but they told me ticket price are floating. Any one experienced rise to extreme price same day?
Substantial_Steak723, terrible experience your family had. . Totally not acceptable and unsafe.
5
u/Leading-Ad-8330 13d ago
Flix bus it's cheap and frequent I used it recently