Geneva to Annecy: bus, train, car, journey times and prices
Thirty-four kilometres, a border and a motorway that clogs up: between Geneva and Annecy, the advertised time is never the real time. Direct bus, line 272 to the airport, Léman Express, car, prices and door-to-door journey times, and how to do Annecy as a day trip from Geneva.
On the map, Annecy is Geneva's neighbour: about 34 kilometres centre to centre, 37 from the airport. In reality, there is a border, a motorway that clogs at rush hour, and bus timetables that change by operator and season.
This comparison gives, for each mode, the advertised time on board and the realistic door-to-door time, the prices observed in 2026, and the traps: the last bus, the airport costing more than the centre, and the T72 line that nobody seems sure about any more.
Which way should you travel between Geneva and Annecy?
Photo: Anthony Levrot, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| Mode | Advertised time | Realistic door to door | 2026 price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct bus, centre to centre | 50 to 56 minutes | 1 hr 15 min to 2 hr 15 min | €5 to €10 in advance, €10 to €25 on the day |
| Bus to Geneva Airport | 50 to 75 minutes | 1 hr 15 min to 2 hr | about €17 on average |
| Train | 1 hr 28 min at best | 1 hr 45 min to 2 hr 45 min | from €20.06 |
| Car | 40 to 55 minutes off-peak | 1 to 2 hours on weekdays at rush hour | fuel, tolls and parking |
Our verdict: the direct bus offers the best balance of time and price, provided you book early. The car wins outside rush hour, and loses the rest of the time. The train only makes sense if you start and finish at a station.
The bus: the simplest solution
One comparison site lists around 21 daily departures between Geneva and Annecy, run notably by BlaBlaCar Bus and regional or cross-border coach companies. The journey on board takes 50 to 56 minutes; with getting to the bus station, waiting and the final walk, allow more like 1 hr 15 min to 2 hr 15 min.
The price gap is the real issue. Booked early, the ticket costs €5 to €10; bought on the day, €10 to €25. Comparison sites show an average of around €11 to €13, which guarantees nothing: the €5 seats go first.
A comparison site may also bundle several operators under the same interface: check the operator's name, the exact departure point in Geneva and the luggage policy before paying.
Line 272 to the airport: for morning flights
Line 272 links Annecy to Geneva Airport. Its autumn 2025 timetable, published by the tpg, shows departures from Annecy-Gare routière from 4:30am, arriving at the airport around 5:40am. This is the line for early flights.
The last departure is less clear. The same timetable shows departures until 7:15pm, while a comparison site shows a last Annecy to airport departure at 3:10pm in 2026. The two sources probably describe different operators or calendars: check the day's timetable, and do not count on an evening bus without having seen it.
A pricing curiosity: getting to the airport costs more than getting to the centre, around €17 on average and €20 to €23 on the day, against €5 to €10 for the centre booked in advance. Demand and the type of service make the difference.
And the T72 line? The name is widely searched, but our sources do not establish its route, operator or status in 2026. We present it neither as running nor as discontinued.
An early-morning flight from Geneva? Rather than the 4:30am bus, sleeping near the airport the night before removes the risk of a jam at the border. Hotels in the area often have a shuttle.
See hotels near the airport →Partner link: booking through this link supports the site at no extra cost to you.The train: possible, rarely the fastest
Photo: Florian Pépellin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The link exists: the Léman Express connects Geneva to Annecy on its L2 line, starting from Coppet. Rail Europe advertises a journey of 1 hr 28 min at best, from €20.06, while a comparison site shows an average total journey of about 2 hr 16 min. The gap probably comes from the difference between time on board and full journey time.
The train avoids driving and jams, but it is slower than the direct bus and does not serve the airport: you have to add the change at Cornavin, 15 to 40 minutes more. The Franco-Swiss fare zone also makes the ticket harder to read, as explained in our page on Geneva public transport.
The car: fast off-peak, unpredictable otherwise
Off-peak, the drive between central Annecy and central Geneva takes 40 to 55 minutes. On weekday mornings and evenings, allow 1 to 2 hours; on a busy weekend, a snowy day or a fair week, 2 to 3 hours. One comparison site shows €61 for fuel and tolls, without saying what the figure includes.
The real cost is at the other end: parking in central Geneva is expensive and hard to find. Arriving via the Bardonnex customs post, you pass right by the Bachet-Praille P+R, where the day pass at 24 CHF for two includes the tram. It is all in Geneva's park and ride sites and parking in Geneva.
The border does not involve systematic checks, but a spot check can delay the car as well as the bus. Carry ID. Swiss motorways require the vignette at 40 CHF; the route via Bardonnex to the P+R may not need it depending on the itinerary, to be checked.
How do you get from Geneva Airport to Annecy?
By direct bus, without going through the centre. After landing, allow 30 to 75 minutes to disembark and collect your bags, the time to reach the stop, then 50 to 90 minutes on the bus: 1 hr 30 min to 3 hr in total to Annecy, for €5 to €25 depending on how far ahead you book.
Watch out for late arrivals: the last direct coaches may leave well before the last flights. If you land in the evening, book the bus before you travel or plan a night in Geneva. How the airport works and its French sector are explained in from Geneva Airport to the city centre.
Doing Annecy as a day trip from Geneva
Photo: Daniel Jolivet, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It is the most requested excursion from Geneva, and it works very well in a day. Allow 4 to 6 hours there for the old town, the canals and the lakeside; with 1 hr 30 min to 2 hr 15 min door to door each way, the day is full but manageable.
Leave early on a booked bus, come back before the evening peak, and avoid summer Saturdays, when traffic, parking and the crowds on Annecy's quays eat up a good part of the day. The lake's beaches and viewpoints require extra travel.
There is no boat between the two cities: Annecy is on its own lake, separate from Lake Geneva. To sail from Geneva, see boats on Lake Geneva instead, towards Nyon or Yvoire.
Extending with a night in Annecy means seeing the old town in the evening, once the day-trippers have left, and the lake early in the morning. The bus station is a few minutes from the centre.
See hotels in Annecy →Partner link: booking through this link supports the site at no extra cost to you.And the other way, coming from Annecy to Geneva?
The same options, with one tip: if you are coming for the day, aim for central Geneva by bus rather than the airport, which is cheaper and closer to what you are coming to see. The harbour, the Old Town and the free museums fit into one day, as shown in things to do in Geneva.
By car, leave it at the Bachet-Praille P+R and finish by tram. For a stay of several days, where to stay in Geneva compares the districts, and our weekend itinerary suggests the programme.
What does Watches and Wonders change on this route?
During the fair, from 5 to 11 April 2027, cheap bus seats go faster, last-minute prices to the airport rise, and the Annecy to Geneva road can turn a one-hour journey into two and a half hours. Geneva car parks fill up earlier.
Staying in Annecy for the fair is a reasonable fallback if Geneva is full, with a bus booked every morning. The other solutions are compared in where to stay during Watches and Wonders.
Information that is not published
- An official table of last-minute prices: the amounts come from comparison sites.
- The last departure of line 272 for each season.
- The exact status of the T72 line in 2026.
- The list of operators that have stopped serving the route.
- An average waiting time at the border.
For other ways of arriving in Geneva, by train, by plane or by car from France, see how to get to Geneva. And for another mountain outing from the city, the Salève is half an hour away.
A base in Geneva for day trips to Annecy, the Salève or Chamonix: near Cornavin station and the bus station, you can head off in every direction without a car.
See hotels near the station →Partner link: booking through this link supports the site at no extra cost to you.Sources
Sources: tpg (line 272 timetable, autumn 2025), Omio and Busbud (Geneva, Annecy and airport buses, 2026), Rail Europe (Annecy to Geneva train, 2026), Léman Express (lines L1 to L7), Geneva Airport (regional coaches), Fondation des Parkings (P+R).
Bus and train prices come from booking platforms and vary by date. Research carried out on 22 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Geneva to Annecy?
How much is the bus from Geneva to Annecy?
When is the first line 272 bus from Annecy to Geneva Airport?
Is there a direct train between Geneva and Annecy?
Can you do Annecy as a day trip from Geneva?
Sandrine Maret
Sandrine spent six years on the front desk of a hotel near Cornavin station, answering the same questions every day about the tram, fare zones and the border. She writes the pages she would have liked to hand to her guests. She checks every price with the operator, never in a guidebook.
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