How to Get to Les Gets and Morzine Without a Hire Car

There’s a certain type of traveller – and I suspect many Alan Rogers readers fall into this category – who prefers to have a plan rather than wing it. You’ve done your research, you know roughly where you’re going, and you’d rather not hand over a deposit on a hire car at 11pm after a delayed flight when you’re already exhausted and your children are asking increasingly pointed questions about when they’ll get to the mountains.

The good news is that Les Gets and Morzine, two of the most appealing resorts in the French Alps, are genuinely accessible without a car. In fact, for many travellers – particularly those coming from the UK – going car-free is not just possible but arguably the more sensible option. Here’s a complete guide to how to make it work.

Why Les Gets and Morzine?

Before we get into the logistics, it’s worth briefly explaining why these two resorts are worth the effort. Les Gets and Morzine sit side by side in the Haute-Savoie region of France, connected by piste and lift so that in practice they operate as a single ski area. Together they form part of the Portes du Soleil – one of the largest linked ski areas in the world, spanning the French-Swiss border and covering more than 600km of marked pistes across twelve resorts.

What makes them particularly appealing to a certain kind of traveller is the character of the villages themselves. Both are proper Alpine villages – not purpose-built ski stations – with real communities, traditional architecture, and a pace of life that doesn’t revolve entirely around après-ski. Morzine is the larger of the two, with more in the way of restaurants, bars, and amenities. Les Gets is quieter and more village-like, with a beautiful church at its centre and a slightly more family-oriented atmosphere.

They’re also exceptionally well set up for families. Ski schools are excellent, the nursery slopes are among the best in France, and the resort infrastructure – including indoor activities, swimming pools, and walking routes – means there’s plenty to do on rest days or for non-skiing members of the group.

Getting There: The Main Options

Option 1: Private Airport Transfer

For most families and groups, a pre-booked private transfer is the most straightforward way to get from the airport to the resort. You arrive, your driver is waiting, your luggage and ski equipment go in the vehicle, and roughly 90 minutes later you’re at your accommodation.

Geneva Airport is the standard choice for both Morzine and Les Gets — it’s well-served by UK airlines year-round and sits at a convenient distance from both resorts (typically 80–100 minutes depending on road conditions and your exact destination in resort). Lyon-Saint Exupéry is a viable alternative, particularly if you’re coming from a regional UK airport and Geneva flights are limited or expensive, though the journey time is longer at around two to two and a half hours.

A specialist transfer service like Alps2Alps covers both resorts from Geneva and the other major regional airports. Booking in advance means you’ve got a confirmed price, a confirmed vehicle size, and none of the uncertainty of trying to find transport on arrival. For families with young children, where a car seat is a genuine requirement rather than a nice-to-have, this kind of pre-arrangement matters.

Cost-wise, private transfers compare more favourably with hire cars than many people expect once you factor in fuel, motorway tolls (which add up on the mountain approach routes), parking fees in resort, and the mental overhead of driving an unfamiliar vehicle on mountain roads in winter conditions. For groups of four or more, the per-person cost often works out very similar to a hire car, with considerably less stress.

Option 2: Shared Shuttle

Several operators run shared shuttle services from Geneva Airport to the Portes du Soleil resorts. These are cheaper per person than a private transfer, particularly for solo travellers or couples, but involve waiting for a full vehicle and potentially stopping at multiple resorts before yours — which can add an hour or more to the journey time.

For families with a lot of kit, or travellers with inflexible check-in times, shared shuttles can be a bit stressful. That said, they’re a perfectly good option for those on tighter budgets or travelling light, and booking in advance is just as important as with a private transfer.

Option 3: Train and Bus Combination

It is possible to reach Morzine by public transport from Geneva, and it’s a route that works reasonably well if you’re travelling light and not bringing ski equipment. The broad outline is: train from Geneva to Cluses or Thonon-les-Bains, then a connecting bus service up to Morzine. The total journey time is typically between two and three hours depending on connections, and services are more frequent on Saturdays (the main changeover day for ski hire).

The complication, of course, is ski kit. Managing boots, skis or a snowboard bag, and a suitcase on a mountain bus in the middle of ski season is not for everyone. If you’re renting equipment in resort rather than bringing your own, and travelling as a couple or solo, this route becomes considerably more practical. If you’re travelling with children and all the associated kit, you’ll probably find the private transfer worth every penny.

For Les Gets specifically, the public transport situation is similar, with bus connections from Cluses or Taninges. It’s worth checking current timetables at the time of booking as services can vary by season.

Option 4: Eurostar and Train

For the adventurous, or those who simply prefer not to fly, the overland route is genuinely viable. Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris, then TGV from Paris to Cluses, followed by a bus or taxi to resort. On paper, door-to-door from London it’s roughly comparable in total time to flying once you account for airport check-in and transfer, and it’s undeniably a more pleasant experience than a busy airport in peak ski season.

Seat61.com is the go-to resource for planning this kind of journey in detail. Booking the Paris–Cluses TGV well in advance makes it significantly cheaper. The final leg from Cluses to Morzine or Les Gets is best handled by pre-booked taxi or transfer rather than relying on buses with heavy luggage.

Getting Around Once You’re There

One of the practical advantages of both Morzine and Les Gets for car-free travellers is that neither requires a car once you’re in resort.

Les Gets is compact enough to walk everywhere – the village is small and the ski lifts are within easy walking distance of most accommodation. In Morzine, a free resort bus runs between the main lift stations and the different parts of the village throughout the day and into the evening, so you can move between areas without needing a car.

The lift connection between the two resorts means you can ski from Les Gets to Morzine (or vice versa) and return the same way – though it’s worth being aware of closing times, particularly if you’re exploring further into the wider Portes du Soleil. The Avoriaz telecabine from Morzine is the gateway to the main ski area and runs on a reliable schedule.

For any off-mountain excursions – a trip to Thonon-les-Bains for a change of scene, or an evening out in a neighbouring village – local taxis are available and reasonably priced for shorter journeys. The resort tourist offices can provide current taxi contact details.

Practical Planning: A Quick Reference

Option	Journey Time	Best For	Ski Kit?
Private transfer	90–120 mins from GVA	Families, groups, ease	No problem
Shared shuttle	2–3 hrs (with stops)	Solo, couples, budget	Manageable
Train + bus	2–3 hrs from GVA	Travelling light	Difficult
Eurostar + TGV	~7 hrs from London	Rail enthusiasts, no-fly	Plan carefully

Tips for Travelling Car-Free with Ski Equipment

• Book your rental equipment in resort rather than bringing your own skis or snowboard — it makes every transfer significantly easier and the quality of rental kit at both Morzine and Les Gets is good.
• If you do want to bring your own kit, check your airline’s sports equipment policy well in advance. Most charge a fee and have size restrictions. Hard ski bags are much harder to manage on public transport than soft bags.
• Pack your ski boots in your main holdall if possible rather than in a separate boot bag — one fewer item to track through airports and bus stations.
• Confirm your transfer vehicle size when booking if you have a group. A people carrier that fits six passengers comfortably may not fit six passengers plus six sets of ski equipment. A minibus or van upgrade is often available and worth the small additional cost.
• Book your transfer for a realistic arrival time. Allow for passport control, baggage reclaim (ski bags often come off last), and the walk to the arrivals hall. Being optimistic about this on your booking and then missing your driver creates unnecessary stress.

A Note on Winter Driving Conditions

One reason the car-free option is worth taking seriously – beyond the practical logistics – is the mountain road conditions in winter. The approach to both Morzine and Les Gets involves sections of mountain road that can be challenging in ice or snow, particularly if you’re not accustomed to driving in those conditions. France requires winter tyres or snow chains on mountain roads in winter, and hire car companies don’t always make this process straightforward.

Professional transfer drivers make this journey multiple times a day throughout the season. They know the roads, they have appropriate vehicles, and they’re not going to be caught out by a sudden snowfall in the way that someone in an unfamiliar hire car might be. For families in particular, this is worth weighing in the overall calculation.

Where to Stay

Both resorts have a good range of accommodation to suit different group sizes and budgets. In Les Gets, chalets and apartments are the dominant option, with the village layout meaning almost everywhere is within easy walking distance of the slopes. In Morzine, there’s more variety – including hotels, which suits those who’d rather not self-cater after a day on the mountain.

Both resorts have campsites that operate in winter, though options are more limited than in summer. If you’re considering this route, check opening dates carefully and ensure the site has the facilities you need in winter conditions – not all do. The Alan Rogers guides are a useful starting point for this research.

Final Thoughts

Getting to Morzine or Les Gets without a hire car is not just possible – for many people, it’s the better option. The logistics are straightforward once you’ve planned them, the resorts themselves work perfectly well without a car, and you arrive at your destination having not had to navigate mountain roads in the dark.

The key, as with most travel planning, is sorting it out before you go rather than hoping it’ll work itself out on the day. Book your transfer to Morzine Portes du Soleil or Les Gets alongside your accommodation, confirm your equipment rental, and you’re set.

The mountains will do the rest.