Chamonix buses run all year round, 7 days per week, with a reduced timetable operating during the quiet interseason periods of spring and fall. They run from approximately 7:00am to 7:30pm with the main lines operating every half hour.

From the Chamonix Sud bus station just outside Chamonix’s center you can get to the Bossons chairlift, to the Tour du Mont Blanc sign in Les Houches, Courmayeur, and all around the valley.

The main bus terminal is in Chamonix Sud, in front of the bowling alley on Avenue de Courmayeur. Most buses also stop behind the tourist office on Allée Recteur Payot and opposite the Galerie Alpina on Avenue du Mont Blanc. All of the towns and villages between Les Houches and Vallorcine have at least one bus stop where you can connect to the rest of the valley. There is also a smaller shuttle bus called Le Mulet that offers a free hop-on-hop-off service within Chamonix town.

Night buses run from 8:30pm to midnight, from Argentiere to Les Houches at around €2 per journey. There are four per night and they can be pre-booked if you are planning a night out.

The various resorts and villages which make up the Chamonix Valley are all linked by a number of different train lines running the length of the valley from Les Houches to Vallorcine, stopping at all the ski areas along the way. The buses are free to anyone bearing a lift pass, carte d'hote, gens du pays card or residence secondaire card - which covers pretty much everyone in the valley. The trains are more a more comfortable way to travel than the bus, which can be crowded during the ski season.

Trains run once an hour in each direction and are quicker than the bus but the train stations are not always as conveniently located for the ski areas as the bus stops are. We recommend taking the train if you are going to Vallorcine, as the station and the ski lift are right next to each other, however, for all other ski areas we recommend taking the bus.

During the summer you can take your bikes on the train; there is a maximum limit of 5 bikes per train (which is often down to the conductor's discretion) and you must use the carriages marked with the bike symbol on the door.

For a nice day trip, you can take the train beyond the Chamonix valley to Martigny in Switzerland or to Saint-Gervais but you will have to pay the entirety of the fare as the free transport is only valid between Servoz and Vallorcine.

By far the easiest way (but not the cheapest) to get around the Chamonix valley is in one of the Chamonix Taxis. Using a “Chamonix Taxi” or minibus allows you to get picked up directly from your accommodation and dropped off as close as possible to the ski lift. Even if you have a car in the valley its often better to leave your car where it is and avoid trying to find a parking space at the ski lift station, it also means you can have a drink before the return journey! Most taxis are equipped with some type of ski carrying equipment and you can normally get straight into the vehicle with your ski boots.

Taxis can usually be found outside the main train station in Chamonix but booking in advance is advisable as they are not plentiful and often go home once the last train has gone at about 8:00pm. It is also worth requesting a price in advance, as they can be expensive. If you are planning a night out in the valley and want to organize transport, some of the airport transfer companies offer a minibus service.

Chamonix town is compact with a number of pedestrianized streets, so walking around is easy. It is worth buying some ice-grippers for your boots if you're here in winter – these can be bought online or from most of the ski shops in town. Walking between the different villages of the valley is really only an option in summer and during daylight hours when you can take the scenic route and walk along one of the many hiking trails, as many of the connecting roads do not have pavements and are poorly lit. In winter this can be extra hazardous due to the snowdrifts at the sides of the roads that leave even less space for pedestrians and cars to pass each other safely.

The main Chamonix ski areas - Les Houches, Brevent, Flegere, Le Tour and Les Grandes Montets - are all separate and linked by the bus system. The only two that are connected are Brevent and Flegere, meaning that you can take the cable car up to Flegere from the village of Les Praz and ski across to take the gondola down from Brevent to Chamonix center.