To Train or To Fly? ~ Chamonix
 

Myself and a friend are heading to Chamonix from Cahors in France in mid-late July this year. We want to leave Cahors in the morning sometime, and be in Chamonix later that day, whenever. Obviously, we'll train to Toulouse from Cahors, but then what would you suggest for the cheapest option?

Would it be cheaper to train from Toulouse to Chamonix, probably via Lyon I suppose?

Or else catch a cheapo EasyJet flight (c. €60) to Geneva and train or get a bus-transfer from the airport? Or a cheapo EasyJet flight to Lyon (or AF has flights for $65 with better times) and then train or bus-transfer again?

Obviously the best thing to do would be a helicopter transfer, :D but that really would be too much for budgeting students!

The train would be complicated: at least 2 transfers. The first at Narbonne/Perpignan and the second at Lyon and maybe a third at Bellegarde. The trip will certainly be over 8 hours with one or two possibilities.

LYS: not that many trains from the airport TGV station. More opportunities from Gare de Lyon-Part Dieu. So, you have to take the tram to go inside the city.

GVA: I would say, it is the best option with a shuttle to Chamonix @ 6pm for 30€/pers (single trip, 50€ return).

But, to catch the plane, you have to tranfer to the airport!
Not an easy trip!

From Cahors to St-Gervais (near Chamonix), you would need at least two train changes: one in Toulouse and one in Lyon and would take at a minimum 10 hours or so. Prices will vary considerably but prices should start in the region of €75/80 each way.

Thanks folks. Yes I was expecting it would be an all-dayer of travel!

I was thinking of getting a French railpass, 3 days in 1 month, as I would need to train from Brussels to Toulouse earlier that month (let's say, starting from Paris really) and then this on top of getting to either CDG, BRU or AMS or someplace for a flight to Newcastle, UK.

Would this be a good idea, or would it be cheaper just to do each leg separately, whether flying one or training another?