Getting There — The best way to approach Évian-les-Bains by train from the French Alps is to the gateway city of Annecy via Annemasse. (Many trains from other parts of France and Switzerland require transfers to the railway junction of Bellegarde.) The one-way fare from Annecy is 19.40€. For train information and schedules, visit www.sncf-connect.com
or call tel. 36-35.
Popular ferries (CGN) leave Geneva from quai du Mont-Blanc, at the foot of the rue des Alpes, or from Le Jardin Anglais. From May 28 to September 21, one ferry a day departs Geneva at 9am, arriving in Évian at 11:45am. The return trip leaves Évian at 5:50pm daily and reaches Geneva at 8:45pm. A first-class, one-way ticket costs 76€, a second-class ticket 45€. For ferry information and schedules, visit www.cgn.ch or call tel. +41-900-929-929 (calling to Switzerland).
If you’re driving from Geneva (trip time: 50 min.), take N5 east along the southern rim of the lake. From Paris, take A6 south. Before Mâcon, you’ll see signs pointing to the turnoff for Thonon-Évian. From Thonon, N5 leads to Évian. Trip time is about 5.5 hr., which can vary depending on traffic.
Note that Évian can be a starting point for the 741km (459-mile) drive to Nice along the Route des Grandes Alpes. One of Europe’s great drives, it links Lake Geneva with the Riviera, crossing 35 passes along the way. Leaping from valley to valley, it’s open from end to end only in summer (many passes are closed in winter).
You can make the drive in two days, but why hurry? The charm of this journey involves stopping at scenic highlights along the way, including Chamonix, Megève, and Val d’Isère. The most dramatic pass is the Galibier Pass (Col du Galibier), at 2,645m (8,676 ft.), which marks the dividing line between the northern and southern parts of the French Alps.
En route to Nice, you’ll pass to such towns as St-Veran (1,959m/6,426 ft.), the highest community in Europe; Entrevaux, once a fortress town marking the border between Upper Provence and the Alps; and Touet-sur-Var, a village filled with tall, narrow houses constructed directly against the towering rocky slope.
Visitor Information — The Office de Tourisme is on place d’Allinges (www.eviantourism.com; tel. 04-50-75-04-26).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
