Weekday or Saturday? What your transfer day does to the price
Most chalets and apartments in the French Alps change over on a Saturday. So on winter Saturdays almost every transfer vehicle in the region is booked, the valley roads are at their busiest, and prices go up – ours included.
The short version: if you can arrive between Monday and Friday, you pay the lowest price of the week and spend less time in traffic. Published prices from one large operator, checked on 21 September 2026, put a Saturday private transfer from Geneva to the Tarentaise about 57% above the same trip on a weekday.
Our weekday prices from Geneva Airport
| Resort | Drive | Private vehicle, up to 8 | Per person, group of 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Val Thorens | 2h 30 | from €237 (≈ £204) | £34 |
| Courchevel | 2h 15 | from €219 (≈ £189) | £31.50 |
| Méribel | 2h 10 | from €215 (≈ £185) | £31 |
| Tignes | 2h 20 | from €256 (≈ £220) | £37 |
| Val d’Isère | 2h 30 | from €263 (≈ £226) | £38 |
| Les Arcs | 2h 15 | from €234 (≈ £201) | £33.50 |
| La Plagne | 2h 10 | from €230 (≈ £198) | £33 |
| Chamonix | 1h 15 | from €153 (≈ £132) | £22 |
| Morzine | 1h 31 | from €150 (≈ £129) | £21.50 |
Prices are weekday from-prices per vehicle (up to 8 passengers), read from our route pages on 21 September 2026. Saturdays and peak dates are priced higher; your exact price is calculated when you book. Pound figures are approximate (ECB rate of 18 September 2026). Journey times are for normal road conditions.
Why Saturdays cost more
- Demand. One changeover day means a week of arrivals and departures lands on the same few hours.
- Traffic. During the February school holidays, France’s road-traffic service regularly rates Saturdays in the Alps at its highest congestion levels. The motorway is rarely the problem; the last climb from the valley to the resort is.
- One trip instead of two. On a quiet weekday a vehicle can often do two runs. On a peak Saturday the same vehicle may manage one.
How to plan a weekday arrival
- Check flights first. Midweek flights to Geneva are frequently cheaper than Saturday ones, so the saving can be double.
- Ask for a Sunday or midweek changeover. Many chalets and most hotels and apartments offer them, especially outside the school holidays.
- Take a short break. Wednesday to Sunday, or Sunday to Thursday, avoids both Saturdays.
- Fly the evening before. A Friday-night arrival and a night in the valley puts you on the first lift on Saturday while everyone else is on the road.
If it has to be Saturday
We run Saturdays all season. Book as early as you can – those dates fill first – and choose a morning flight if you have the choice, because the roads are clearer before midday. Your price is fixed when you book and does not change if traffic makes the journey longer.
See the live price for your date: all transfers from Geneva Airport, or compare airports in our airport guide.
Season-opening offer: 10% off any transfer with code PEAK10 when you book by 15 October 2026.