EVIAN LES BAINS FAQ`S
The town of Evian is located on the south shore of Lake Geneva, backed by the foothills of the pre-Chablais Alps, north of the department of Haute-Savoie. Neighboring Switzerland is 8 miles from the lake (Lausanne daily flights in 35 minutes) and 45 km from Geneva.
How do I get to Evian les Bains?
Evian is accessible via car, ferry from Lausanne, Switzerland, or through SNCF trains from Geneva. TGV trains from Paris run on the weekends.
Evian has a small train station, or you can take a 35-minute ferry ride from Lausanne. The ferry terminal is at the Place de Port in Evian-les-Bains and very central.
Geneva to Evian les Bains: Surprisingly, it’s not that easy to get to Evian-les-Bains from Geneva by train, as transportation on the south French side of Lake Geneva is not as developed as on the Swiss side.
Conceivably you could get from Geneva to Evian les Bains via Bellegarde. If you don’t have too much luggage, it might be easier to go from Geneva to Lausanne and take the ferry from there. You can also hire private shuttles from the Geneva airport.
For the ferry schedule from Lausanne to Evian les Bains visit the CGN website. Ferries go nearly every hour during the day.
By car from Geneva, Evian-les-Bains is about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Paris to Evian: From Paris Gare de Lyon to Evian-les-Bains by train takes between 4 and 5 hours but you’ll need to change in Lyon part Dieu or Bellgarde or both.
You can easily connect to Evian-les-Bain via Paris or directly to Geneva with from the airport, arriving in Evian-les-Bains by train in just over one hour aboard the Leman Express.
TGV trains arrive from Paris’ Gare de Lyon and offer a scenic route of snow-topped mountain peaks and rushing river valleys full of quaint and picturesque French Alpine villages. Arriving in Bellecour, you can hop aboard the commuter train and arrive in Evian-les-Bains historic downtown station.
Air France and sister airline KLM offer several flights for internationally with connections to LYS.
Since the discovery of the purity and healing qualities of its mineral water more than two centuries ago, Évian-les-Bains, France, has been a go-to destination for rejuvenation and relaxation for Europe's elite.
It is a spa town that has preserved beautiful buildings with old-world late 19th-century and early 20th-century charm, including the former Thermal Baths, Buvette Cachat pavilion, Casino, former luxury hotels and Villa Lumière where the town hall is located. This town is also a very pleasant water sports and seaside resort on Lake Geneva with its harbor, beach and flower-decorated shores.
Evian water is naturally filtered through glacial sand during its 15-year journey from high in the Northern Alps. The spring water is rich in minerals such as calcium and magnesium and said to have a smooth buttery taste.
It’s also healthy to bathe in Evian water. The first baths were built in 1824 and Evian-les-Bains rose to the heights of prominence as a spa town, attracting a global elite including King Edward VII, the Aga Kahn and Marcel Proust.
-The artistic exhibitions of the Palais Lumière.
-The Evian carnival the 3rd weekend of February.
-The Piano Marathon in April.
-In May, Printemps de la Grange: Piano Festival.
-The Whitsun weekend: Festileman (stands and concerts outdoors on the quays).
-Les Rencontres Musicales (classical music festival): the first half of July).
-Fireworks on Lake Geneva on July 14 and August 15.
-Amundi Evian Championship, world "Major" women's golf tournament: in July.
-Summer Scenes (various concerts outdoors, with free access) at the end of July and August.
-Les Estivales theatrales, performances of boulevard comedies: in August.
-European Heritage Days.
-Les Recompensas (gastronomic fair of local products and competitions): in October.
-Évian Tatooshow: in October.
-The Fabulous Village or the legend of the Flottins: Evian presents each year in December an original village "the Fabulous Village", made up of huts and sculptures made from driftwood drifting on the lake and neighboring rivers. This village comes alive every evening for 3 weeks with the tales and jokes of the "flottins", imaginary characters who haunt the lake.
The currency used in France is the euro, US dollars are not accepted. You can get euros in different banks opened from Monday to Saturday and automatic cash points opened 24 hours a day.
We recommend that you exchange a small amount of cash prior to your trip, enough for a cab ride or basic spending on arrival. It is also useful to remind your bank and credit card company that you will be travelling to make sure your cards will work while in France. We recommend you record all your credit card numbers, as well as the phone numbers to call if your cards are lost or stolen.
Under the euro system, there are seven notes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros. Notes are the same for all countries. There are eight coins: 1 and 2 euros, plus 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents.
Evian les Bains, like elsewhere in France, a service charge is usually included in the bill. If you are particularly pleased with the service, you may certainly leave a few extra euros on the table. But this additional tip is neither expected nor necessary.
For more information about tipping visit: Tipping in France
French is the official language spoken in Evian les Bains. Although it is always courteous to learn some basic phrases in the local language while travelling, English is spoken and you shouldn't have a problem getting around without speaking French. We suggest you get a good English-French guidebook or app and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and numbers 1-10.
What is the best time to visit?Winter, spring, summer or fall, overall, the climate of Rhône-Alpes is in one word ‘variable.’ Évian-les-Bains summers are warm, winters frigid and wet, partly cloudy year-round. For the year, the temperature typically varies from 31°F to 79°F and is rarely below 22°F or above 89°F. Visit Évian-les-Bains for warm-weather activities from mid-June to mid-September.
What should I do if I need medical assistance or need to go to the hospital?Emergency dial 112.