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Geneva to Saint Gervais Transfer

In just an hour, your Mountain Drop-offs shuttle transfer will whisk you from the airport at Geneva to St Gervais. Thanks to our air conditioned, long-wheel based transfer vehicles, your journey to St Gervais will be comfortable and quick – right to your door!

And when we talk about St Gervais, we should actually say Saint Gervais-Les-Bains-Le Fayet, to give this bustling little mountain market town it’s full name. Stretching from Le Fayet on the bottom of the valley floor, right up to the summit of Mont Joly at 2525m, Saint Gervais offers a pleasant mix of holiday resort and is a ‘proper’ town in its own right.

Guide section

Saint Gervais Destination Guide

St Gervais at the summit of Mont Blanc

It might surprise you when you we say that, strictly speaking, Mont Blanc (well, the summit) is in Saint Gervais, not Chamonix!

What’s more, it’s moving. Mont Blanc was always thought to be 4807m, until geometricians in 2007 measured it at 4810m (this is great stuff for dinner parties and pub quizzes isn’t it?!).

The vast majority of alpinists who attempt Mont Blanc setting off from the Nid d’Aigle high above Les Houches are technically doing so from Saint Gervais. This route is called the ‘Voie Royale’ (the classic route) and involves a long, hard slog via the Tête Rousse and Gouter refuges to attain that famous summit – and hundreds attempt it every summer.

Varied skiing from St Gervais

St Gervais varied ski terrain for all abilities
Pic: NicholasVos@Unsplash

If all that sounds far too strenuous, there is plenty to keep all the family occupied in both winter and summer in St Gervais. If you’re in St Gervais to ski, you will love the range of pistes on offer.

The main uplift and ski pass office is at the St Gervais-Bettex bubble lift, where there is a free car park and regular navettes through town to take you there. You can also access the slopes from the St Nicolas de Veroce area and halfway up the slopes at Bettex itself.

Once you’re up there, the Saint Gervais pistes are linked directly to the pistes of Megeve, so there’s plenty to explore, all with plenty of viewpoints to take in the breathtaking vistas of the Mont Blanc.

There’s a good choice of mountain restaurants, from rustic to self-service and there’s even La Folie Douce. Once again, Megève might claim it, but this famous apres-ski bar and restaurant actually sits in St Gervais, at Mont Joux, so you can party on the pistes too.

A new lift from Le Fayet!

The big news in St Gervais for 2024 is that construction on the new ski lift from Le Fayet has begun! The high-speed bubble will whisk you up to the main bubble lift in the centre of St Gervais, which takes you to the snow front at Le Bettex.

Year-round activities in St Gervais 

In summer it’s all about the great outdoors and mountain sports in St Gervais. If you’re a road biker, there are some fabulous routes that traverse St Gervais. Mountain bikers are well looked after too, with a good selection of trails with easy access via lifts.

The lifts also carry hikers and walkers up and down the mountains, where you can visit farms and buy the tastiest cheeses and other fresh goodies direct from the producers on your summertime walks and hikes.

A ‘proper’ year-round market town

St Gervais in summer
Pic:MilesPeacock@Unsplash

St Gervais’s town centre is a true delight at any time of year. With the centre bypassed by a road bridge, it is a great place to sit outside an have a coffee, take a meander around the weekly market (held on Thursdays all year round) and generally just take in everyday life in bustling little Saint Gervais.

There’s everything you need for your holiday in Saint Gervais from banks and bakeries, to supermarkets, ski hire shops and the Tourist Information Office for help and advice.

There are just enough eateries to satiate your appetite, without it becoming a rowdy après-ski resort. With many grand hotels having been built at the turn of the 18th century, lots have been turned into rather lovely restaurants and bars.

Activities section

Things to do around Saint Gervais

Discover all that St Gervais has to offer year round

Mountain Drop-offs runs transfers from Geneva Airport to Saint Gervais all year round, so whether you’re a summer sun or winter snow person, we can take you there. Here’s our reminder of activities on offer in and around the town and resort of St Gervais:

Tramway Mont Blanc from Fayet & St Gervais
All aboard the Tramway Mont Blanc, for a voyage to the peaks on France’s highest rack and pinion railway. Trains set off from next to the main train station in Le Fayet and go via St Gervais and various hidden mountain hamlets on the way.

You arrive at Col de la Voza in the middle of the Les Houches ski area. In summer the train carries on to Nid d’Aigle at 2372m (the starting point for the ‘classic’ Mont Blanc ascension route), whilst in winter the terminus is sunny Bellevue at 1800m. A must-do.

St Gervais les Bains thermal spa
Pic:HayleyPhelps@Unsplash

St Gervais-les-Bains Thermal Spa
Relax and revitalise in Les Bains du Mont Blanc in the tranquil setting of the Parc Thermal in Le Fayet, situated at the bottom of the hill below St Gervais. Make the most of the thermal waters (naturally heated to 39 degrees) all year round and discover the 1000m2 thermal spa.

A three hour entry ticket gives you plenty of time to enjoy the relaxation rooms, the bubble therapies and the outdoor pool. You can indulge in massage and beauty therapies too.

One, two, three…Bungee!
Go bungee jumping! Saint Gervais is very proud of the road bridge that opened in 2012. Sitting 90m above the Bonnet gorge allows traffic to by-pass the town centre. Now some bright spark has decided it’d be fun to bungee jump off it.

We can’t think of anything worse, but the Bungee Mont Blanc is incredibly popular and open to all adrenaline freaks from 13 years of age. Get ready to cry ‘Un..deux..trois..BUNGEE!’ as you plummet off the bridge over the very deep gorge…

St Gervais Road biking
Pic: Albi@Unsplash

St Gervais on two wheels
Summer in Saint Gervais is a chance to explore the area by bike instead of skis. Whether off road with the fabulous “La Wizz” flow trail from the top of Le Bettex cable car, or on road with the infamous climb to the summit of le Bettex, (feature of many a Tour de France), there’s a route perfect for every rider irrespective of their experience.

Swimming Pool & St Gervais Sports Centre
The Saint Gervais commune has invested a lot of money in the sports centre. It boasts top class tennis courts and a swimming centre, meaning you can play a few sets of tennis and then plunge into the pools afterwards.

As well as the 17x10m outdoor pool, there’s a 25m long indoor pool and a 43m2 leisure pool (with a kiddie area too), plus a relaxing a sauna and hamman. It’s situated on the road out of St Gervais towards Les Contamines.

Tree Top Adventures
Fly through the trees at the tree top adventure park in the middle of the Parc Thermal in Le Fayet (the town below St Gervais). It’ll have kids (and adults) squealing with delight and/or fear as you zip along on the high wires, clamber along rope bridges and generally have a whale of a time halfway up a tree. There are trails of varying difficulty, so adventurers as young as four can give it a go.

Events section

Upcoming Events around Saint Gervais

In winter many of the events of St Gervais revolve around mountain sports. If you’re visiting in the summer, you’ll be treated to lots of traditional parades and fairs that proudly show off St Gervais’s agricultural heritage. In both seasons there are cultural and artistic events too. Check back here for regular St Gervais event updates.

Mont Blanc Comedy Festival in St Gervais

Mont Blanc humour 2023Time to have a giggle in St Gervais with the 40th edition of the Mont Blanc d’Humour festival. A full programme of acts will be on stage at the town’s Montjoie Theatre to make you laugh. Stand-up, comedy acts and craziness awaits. And it’s not just a show, a panel of expert judges (which usually includes big-name French actors) will vote for the best acts of the week.

All events are ticketed, so head to the official Mont Blanc Humour website for the names of the acts and for buying tickets online. pic StGervaisMontBlancd’Humour FB

 

Ice Garden with Charlotte the Marmot

Saint Gervais ice skating for kidsBetween 10:00 and midday, head over to the St Gervais indoor ice rink for fun out on the ice with Charlotte the Marmot, the pandas and the penguins on a special coned out course. Ideal for little ones and big ones to have fun and give ice skating a go. It’s on every day during the main school holidays and costs from 3,70€ for kids and skate hire is available for 3,10€. You never know, you might be a slick as Torvill and Dean!
Dates for 2024:
10 Feb – 10 March
6 April – 28 April

Welcome Evening St Gervais

St Gervais welcome drink vin chaudEvery Sunday evening, the St Gervais tourist office offers a welcome vin chaud with live music and animations for visitors. It’s a great way to be introduced to the town, especially if you’ve just arrived for your hols. It’s all free (and yes, that includes that mulled wine drink for grown ups !) and it happens from 18:00.
Dates for 2024:
10 Feb – 9 March
6 April – 4 May

That’s our introduction to St Gervais for you

Remember, all this and a whole lot more is just an hour away on your transfer bus from Geneva Airport to St Gervais.

If you’re looking for family-friendly fun, decent ski schools, reasonable ski pass and ski hire prices, a good variety of pistes and a nice town to chill out in at night, St Gervais is a top choice. And yes, you’ve got those Mont Blanc views too!

Book your transfer here