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London to chamonix on a budget

Jan 22, 2025

Any normal budget trip article would start with something generic like: Traveling on a budget from London to Chamonix can be an exciting adventure with a bit of planning. Consider taking a budget flight to Geneva, then use affordable public transportation, such as trains or buses, to reach Chamonix. Opt for budget-friendly accommodation like hostels or chalets to save further...

woman smiling looking outside the window of a car in the winter time
Top tip: Add 25% extra to your planned budget for "surprise expenses"

How to truly plan your trip to the very last detail

The real money saving comes from paying attention to all your travel needs when making a realistic travel budget. We have made an extensive list for all the specifics of a trip from London to Chamonix.

1. Choose the right vacation period

When is the best time to travel to the French Alps?

Most favourable snow conditions are in January and February.

What to consider

  • French bank holidays are best avoided in winter, specifically December 25th and January 1st. Consider travelling two weeks before Christmas or in the two weeks after New Year.
  • School holidays are more crowded and expensive. In France, Winter Holidays (Hiver) are two weeks in February, dates vary by zone.

    In 2025, French school winter holidays:  zone A February 8 – February 24; zone B February 15 – March 3; zone C February 22 – March 10.

    In the UK, Half-Term Break is one week in mid-February.

    If you're planning a ski trip, mid to late January is the best time to avoid school holiday crowds while still getting great snow conditions.
  • Periods when airlines offer major discounts to flights
  • Most important: Choose a time frame that works for you and that you are comfortable with. Don't forget that travelling is as stressful as it is exciting.
two people skiing in the winter
Life is a lot more exciting when you get to enjoy the things you love

2. Cheapest vacations must include the lowest airline fares.

Is this statement "True" or "False" ? and why is it important to carefully select your flight...

Usually transportation eats up a huge chunk of any vacation budget, but not in your case! You took the time and planned for all your transport needs, from the moment you leave your home to the time you insert your key back into your front door.

Best initial assessment starts with Google Flights.

Cheap flights from London to Geneva: easyJet

  • Low-cost airline: easyJet. Start by checking out their Fare Finder.
  • From your home to the airport, explore your options. easyJet operates their flights to Geneva from Luton Airport. Go to CheckMyBus to explore which transport company offers the cheapest fare for your dates and times.
  • How much luggage will you need? Winter clothes are voluminous. easyJet offers only a small backpack in their basic fare. Will you need extra bags? Probably, that will be approx. £50 extra per person, per flight. Check the table below.
easyjet total flight cost for a 4 day round trip
£39 for the round trip with only a small bag included
easyJet 3 flight fare options
£100 extra for the round trip with luggage
  • Bear in mind that easyJet operates many flights to Geneva in a day. The cheapest flight might not always be the best option for you, never forget that this is a vacation and you have to enjoy yourself! For example, if the cheapest flight is at 6 am, and your check-in is at 4 pm, you might want to consider taking a later flight by spending an extra £5 to £10.
  • Usually National Express offers airport transfer for £10 one way, but at certain hours the fare can be as low as £6. So consider this: instead of spending £18.99 for your flight ticket, the cheapest option, you book a flight for £23.99 at a later time and also book a bus transfer to Luton for £6. You only "lose" one pound, but you gain a lot of extra comfort while traveling, your vacation start will be less stressful and you will get a couple extra hours of sleep. Always cross-reference the airport transfer fare with the flight price. Look at the cost of transportation as a whole: Google Flights, Fare Finder easyJet, Fare Finder for buses.
  • Total for the easyJet option on our selected dates, from Luton to Geneva, 9th Feb- 13th Feb: £20 bus to airport, round-trip, £139 flights, round-trip including luggage, in total £159.

Cheap flights from London to Geneva: SWISS

  • Low-cost airline: SWISS. Their website does not offer a fare finder. Best approach is to start with Google Flights to identify their cheapest options and then go to their website and input the dates you found. Naturally the cheapest flight option might not fit perfectly with your schedule, but it's a good starting point. Fine tune the dates on the SWISS website by using the date chart that appears after you make a search.
swiss airline flight price chart by date
Manually adjust for your perfect trip
  • SWISS operates their flights to Geneva from Gatwick Airport. Fastest way to Gatwick is the Gatwick Express. Anytime Return tickets usually go for £40.80. Even though the train airport transfer is more expensive than a bus trip, it certainly comes with the added benefit of comfort and is also much faster. The Gatwick Express takes only around 30 minutes from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport.
  • SWISS offers 4 options for flight fares: Economy Light, Economy Classic, Economy Green and Economy Flex
swiss airline 4 flight fare options
Our recommendation: Select the one that makes the most sense to you based on your luggage and flexibility needs
  • Important note: the carry-on bag included in SWISS Economy Light is bigger than the one offered by easyJet with their lowest fare option.

    easyJet Travel Light bag dimensions: 45 x 36 x 20

    SWISS Economy bag dimensions: 55 x 40 x 23 cm, 8 kg max.
  • Total for the SWISS option on our selected dates, from Gatwick to Geneva, 9th Feb - 13th Feb: £40 train to airport, round-trip, £130 flights, round-trip including luggage, in total £170.
swiss total flight cost for a round trip
£130 per round trip including a 23kg checked bag

3. Transfer Fares: Geneva Airport to Chamonix

Fastest and Cheapest way to Chamonix?

A bus journey takes 75 minutes from Geneva Airport to Central Chamonix, operating everyday on an hourly basis (except 25th December) and prices for a one-way ticket start at £11 (usually £21.5 for most hours).

There is also a train transfer option but bear in mind that the journey from Geneva Airport to Chamonix by train takes more than 3 hours, so the fastest option is by car/bus.

Where to book

  • EasyBus is the most convenient booking option as it shows prices from all the operating bus companies
  • Or you can go directly to the transfer companies websites for more transfer options like private transfer, shared door-to-door transfer, or just to cross check prices from easybus, here are the links directly to AlpineFleet, Alpy Transfers, SwissTours
  • When booking a transfer please be aware of each bus drop off location, it can either be Chamonix Centre, Chamonix Sud Bus Station, or more stops offered by AlpineFleet: Chamonix Les Tines Excelsior, Chamonix Hotel & Spa, Chamonix Rue Joseph Vallot, Chamonix Les Lanchers Hotel, Chamonix Argentiere Grands, Montets, Chamonix Helioptic Hotel & Spa, Chamonix D1506 Odalys Isatis
  • For our trip simulation from February 9th to 13th, a bus from Geneva Airport to Chamonix costs £11.20, and from Chamonix Sud Bus Station to Geneva Airport, it costs £16.70. The round-trip total comes to £27.90 when booked via SwissTours on easyBus.
chamonix central bus station map
From Google Maps to Real Life

4. Best Value Accommodation in Chamonix

There is no one size fits all when it comes to accommodation

Traveling on a tight budget or with a generous one, your priorities might differ from those of your neighbours, and articles like this serve only as a guide to provide realistic cost expectations.

Do you want to stay in an upscale hotel with good reviews? You can easily do so with £150-£200 per night for a double room with gorgeous mountain views. You want a private luxury chalet? £800 per night would be a good budget to have. At the lower end, a studio fitted with a double bed and a small kitchenette, benefiting from mountain views of course, goes for around £80 per night.

What are your priorities?

  • Proximity to the ski lifts?
  • Luxury amenities? Rooftop panoramic restaurant, Indoor swimming pool, SPA center, etc.
  • Breakfast included?
  • Unobstructed mountain views from your room?
  • Proximity to public transport
  • Private room or hostel?
  • In the heart of Chamonix or slightly outside the center
  • Property with lots of solid reviews?

For our theoretical trip, we will choose a cozy studio in the Chamonix city center, with mountain views, 8.2 rating on Booking out of 250 reviews, for £120/night. For reference purposes we are planning this trip 2 weeks ahead, for 4 nights 9th-13th February 2025. The total for accommodation comes to £480, for a double room, given our experimental trip is 2 weeks from now we can confidently say that you can easily find cheap, quality accommodation options in Chamonix.

5. Food in Chamonix

With a bit of online menu checking before dinner, you can enjoy yourself even on a budget

According to Numbeo, the daily minimum amount of money for food per person is around £10 in Chamonix, France. That is a bit optimistic, don't you think? But consider a £30 daily budget, for a frugal, sometimes cook your own meals situation.

The price for a dinner for 2 in a mid-range restaurant is around £50.

Let's say you have a £75 daily budget per person for this trip. The total for 4 days comes to £300.

6. Skiing in Chamonix

How much is a ski pass in Chamonix?

We recommend visiting the official website Domains de Chamonix for all the info. A 3-day ski pass, called "Pass Chamonix Le Pass" costs between 130 to 194 euros.

For our trip's dates that is 182.6 euros for 3 days, booked 2 weeks ahead. We strongly advise you to book your pass well in advance, a couple of months ahead is a safe bet. This can save you up to 50 euros.

Grand total for a budget trip to Chamonix

2 persons booked 2 weeks in advance for 9th to 13th February 2025

From your doorstep to the slopes of Mont Blanc and back, the total cost comes to £1818, all-inclusive. Adding a 25% safety net brings your conservative budget trip to £2272. This price reflects a last-minute booking, so booking further in advance could lower the overall cost.

Top off your amazing vacation with a Time Capsule Postcard

Now that you have your vacation costs to Chamonix down to the T, it's time for a souvenir from your holiday!

Time Capsule Postcards with FuturePosts

Get your time capsule started and preserve your memories with the only souvenir you'll ever need. Enjoy!