Chamonix to Zermatt — 12thto 22nd July 2025 — Getting There & Back
Posted by Mark Richardson on Sep 01, 2025
Getting There
Easyjet flies direct to Geneva from Manchester so this was the preferred option, don’t be tempted to go via Schipol, it’s a nightmare. Geneva is the gateway airport for Chamonix so there are loads of options for transfers. I got caught out though, I booked a bus for an hour after the flight was due to land so this is what happened:
- Flight delayed out of Manchester, but outcome wasn’t too bad, about 15 minutes late in Geneva – I could still make it.
- All passengers were kept on the plane for 30 minutes because the ground staff in Geneva couldn’t get a door open.
- The Swiss aren’t even in the EU, but they still adopt the practice of forcing us Brits to queue for Passport Control, it took just over an hour to get through.
I got out of the airport 1 ¾ hours after the scheduled arrival time. I couldn’t get a refund on my transfer and ended up booking another one while still in the queue for Passport Control. Growl.
Finally, I arrived in Chamonix and made a beeline for the outdoor shops to get my gas for cooking on the trail. Then I went to the supermarket for fresh food, then finally had a meal at one of the many restaurants.
There’s camping just outside of Chamonix. I’ve used the site at Le Praz de Chamonix many times, but on this occasion I booked an Air BnB in the centre of town, mainly because I had a plan to take a different route on day 1. This would be easier from the centre of Chamonix.
Using accommodation rather than camping the night before a trip can be a good idea. It means you get a good dry start in the morning and if there are amenities around, you can get the items you still require quite easily. It’s ‘no stress’ to get everything ready.
Getting Back
Unless you have a late flight you need a full day to get from Zermatt to Geneva Airport, the train journey is about four hours and my flight was at 5pm. So I had a late breakfast, shopped for a few final souvenirs and got the 11am train from Zermatt, changed at Visp and arrived at the airport just before 3pm.
Accounting for the time difference, I arrived in Manchester (after another delay) at 6pm.
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| Mark Richardson |
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Mark was the founder of Ultralight Outdoor Gear back in 2006 and has completed long distance backpacking routes in some of the remotest parts of the world. His favourite hikes have been Torres del Paine (full circuit), the John Muir trail and the Markha Valley trail (Ladakh, India). Although semi-retired Mark has not lost any enthusiasm for minimalist backpacking and is tackling Scotland’s Munros choosing multi-day backpacking routes over the more usual guide book excursions. |
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