Glacier 3000 from Geneva by train, car or day trip

The route runs along Lake Geneva to Aigle, then up the valley on the small train to Les Diablerets, about 50 minutes, and finishes with PostBus 180 to the stop Col-du-Pillon, Glacier 3000, about 13 to 15 minutes. That makes two changes, at Aigle and Les Diablerets, and about 2 hours 30 minutes from Geneva station to the cable car.

From 1 November to 30 April the bus from Les Diablerets to Col du Pillon is free if you already hold a Glacier 3000 ticket, so buying yours online before you set off also covers the last leg.

In winter the last cable car up leaves at 16:00 and the bus down to Les Diablerets runs until 17:09. On the sample January timetable, the 17:09 bus connects at Les Diablerets and Aigle to reach Geneva at 19:55, so that is the one to plan around.

In summer the lifts run later, with the last ascent at 16:20 and the last descent at 16:50, but the last bus to Les Diablerets is still 17:09.

From Geneva Cornavin it is about 133 km and 103 minutes to Col du Pillon in free-flowing traffic, by the motorway to Aigle and then up through Les Diablerets. Winter mountain roads will be slower, so allow extra time from November.

There are large paid car parks at Col du Pillon, next to the cable car, and at Reusch. Parking is a flat rate paid when you arrive.

Landing in Geneva, you can be at the cable car the same day. On the sample January 2027 timetable, the 08:55 train from Geneva Airport reaches Col du Pillon at 11:35, 2 hours 40 minutes later. By car it is about 133 km and 114 minutes from the airport.

On a later flight, spend the night in Les Diablerets, 5 to 7 minutes by car from Col du Pillon, and go up first thing the next morning.

If you would rather not change trains, coach and private trips from Geneva handle the transport. The long High Level Experience day takes 10 to 11 hours from the bus station with a stop in Montreux, and lists the cable car as an option; a 10-hour version has the cable car and Peak Walk included. The Riviera trip, 6 to 10 hours, adds free time in Montreux with the cable car as an extra, and a separate tour centres on the summer Alpine Coaster and the Glacier Walk.

For private days, one Geneva trip includes the Fun Park and is priced for up to 4 people; another, of about 10 hours with a driver-guide, leaves the cable car and meals for you to pay on the day.

Take the 07:05 train and you reach Col du Pillon at 09:35. Cable cars leave every 20 minutes and the ride to Scex Rouge (2,971 m) takes about 15 minutes, with one change at the Cabane mid-station.

Start with the Peak Walk, the 107 m suspension bridge between two summits, which opens at 09:15. Then ride the Ice Express chairlift down to the glacier for the Glacier Walk, about an hour each way, before lunch at Le 3 (self-service, 09:00 to 16:00) or Restaurant Botta (table service, 11:30 to 15:30, Wednesday to Sunday). Head down in time for the 17:09 bus and you are back in Geneva at 19:55.

Montreux lies on the lakeside line between Aigle and Geneva, so you can break the journey there for dinner by the water.

Château de Chillon, the castle on a rock in the lake, is a short ride from Montreux on bus 201 to Veytaux. It closes at 17:00 from November to February and at 19:00 from April to September, with last entry an hour before closing, so pair it with a morning on the mountain or keep it for another day. Entry in 2027 is CHF 18 for adults and free with the Swiss Travel Pass.