5

This pdf file indicates which bus I should take from Vallorbe to Metabief.

However, as I am not able to read French, can someone kindly help to read the file and pinpoint me to which bus should I take at Vallorbe in order to reach Metabief?

Thanks.

Improve this question
1

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
13

Métabief is a village in France. Vallorbe is across the border in Switzerland. Vallorbe is not the primary way to reach Métabief: that would be Frasne, in France, even though it's farther from Métabief. The bus schedule you've found gives you a few more options between Frasne and Métabief than between Vallorbe and Métabief.

Some useful translations for this schedule:

  • “Lun à Ven” = Monday to Friday
  • “Sam” = Saturdays
  • “Dim” = Sundays
  • “et fêtes” = and public holidays
  • “sauf” = except
  • “circule” = runs, “ne circule pas” = does not run
  • “Horaire en rouge : circule uniquement en période scolaire” = schedule in red: runs only during school periods.
  • “Horaire en vert : circule uniquement en période de vacances scolaires” = schedule in green: runs only during school holidays (Métabief is in Burgundy, so it's in the académie de Dijon which is in zone A).
  • CAR = bus
  • TER = local train
  • TGV = high-speed train
  • “ville” or “village” in a stop name = in the town center
  • “gare” or “SNCF” = train station (SNCF = French railways; CFF = SBB = Swiss railways)

Métabief is a ski resort. During peak ski season (French winter school holidays), a shuttle bus runs between Frasne and some ski resorts. The rest of the year, there are only a few buses a day.

In a comment, you mention that you're arriving in Geneva on a Sunday. Your best option by public transport would be to take a train to Frasne and then that bus you found. The train trip to Frasne takes a little under 2 hours with a local train to Lausanne and then a TGV to Frasne. Note that you must book in advance on the TGV.

However the connections aren't good: the buses are scheduled to connect to trains from Paris, not from Lausanne. Chances are that the place where you're staying can pick you up, if not in Geneva, then at least in Vallorbe which is served by Swiss local trains (every hour on Sundays). If you can't get a pick-up in Vallorbe, you can get a taxi. It's a small town, so I recommend that you book in advance (maybe from the airport in case your flight is delayed; Swiss trains are very reliable). The local taxi company estimates the fare at 44 CHF, and according to this site they accept cards (in Europe, that means Visa and Mastercard).

Improve this answer
13
  • 'There are a few buses a day'. Do you refer to buses between Frasne and Metabief or Vallorbe and Metabief?
    – Idonknow
    Mar 30, 2019 at 10:56
  • I just realize that in my pdf file, some are empty. What do those empty spaces mean?
    – Idonknow
    Mar 30, 2019 at 11:02
  • @Idonknow: There are some times in each column of the timetable you show -- but some columns show train connections between Frasne and Paris or Pontarlier, which don't come anywhere near Metabief or Vallorbe.
    – hmakholm left over Monica
    Mar 30, 2019 at 11:08
  • 1
    @Idonknow You mean empty spaces on a line with a stop? That just means that the bus/train doesn't stop there.
    – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
    Mar 30, 2019 at 11:09
  • 1
    @Idonknow Right, that just means that the bus doesn't stop there. That bus calls at Vaux‐et‐Chantegrue at 6:15 then Labergement‐Sainte‐Marie at 6:23, then at Saint-Antoine at 6:31, etc. It doesn't go through Les Granges-Sainte-Marie, Malbuisson or for that matter Métabief.
    – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
    Mar 30, 2019 at 11:16
3

The right bus appears to be 33802, leaving Vallorbe at 5:53 AM and arriving in Métabief at 6:16 AM. (The second page lists buses going in that direction.)

Remember that that bus only operates Monday through Friday ("Lun à Ven", short for "Lundi à Vendedi"), during school term time ("uniquement en période scolaire").

Improve this answer
7
  • Thanks. What do you mean by 'second page lists buses going in that direction'? By 'that direction', do you mean from Vallorbe to Metabief?
    – Idonknow
    Mar 30, 2019 at 7:11
  • By the way, I will reach Vallorbe on 16 June (Sunday) around 11am. So I cannot take the bus in the pdf to Metabief? If this is the case, what are the ways to travel from Vallorbe to Metabief?
    – Idonknow
    Mar 30, 2019 at 7:13
  • @Idonknow Yes, that is what I mean. As far as finding another way to get there, you should ask a new question for that.
    – gparyani
    Mar 30, 2019 at 7:22
  • 3
    Somehow I doubt that 33802 will be the route number displayed by the bus. It appears rather to be a departure number not for public consumption and possibly even invented by the railways because their timetable-printing system expects everything that moves to have its own number.
    – hmakholm left over Monica
    Mar 30, 2019 at 11:04
  • 1
    @HenningMakholm 33802 is a service number assigned by SNCF. Indeed, it isn't a route number: it's the number for a specific run of that route at a specific time of the day. And indeed it won't be displayed on the bus.
    – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
    Mar 30, 2019 at 11:14
1

Unless you have a very specific reason to only take the bus you can also get from Vallorbe to Métabief by taking the train (TGV) to Frasne first and then change to a bus there.

enter image description here

Improve this answer
15
  • Any difference between taking bus and train at Vallorbe? Because it seems that if I take bus at Vallorbe, I will reach Metabief in one go. But if I take train at Vallorbe, then I need to change to bus later.
    – Idonknow
    Mar 30, 2019 at 10:18
  • Do you mean that since I will be taking train at Geneva Airport, it is better to alight at Frasne and then by bus to Metabief?
    – Idonknow
    Mar 30, 2019 at 10:18
  • @Idonknow The timetable you've posted doesn't list any convenient bus connections. You could get to Métabief by bus, but only with changing buses inbetween. And it will take you the whole day.
    – nohillside
    Mar 30, 2019 at 10:24
  • 1
    @Idonknow: David is suggesting taking a taxi from Vallorbe to Metabief rather than waiting for the twice-a-day-on-weekdays bus.
    – hmakholm left over Monica
    Mar 30, 2019 at 11:02
  • 1
    @Idonknow: I meant "twice a day on weekdays", but when I read closer I see I should have said "once a day on weekdays", because the afternoon bus doesn't stop at Métabief. There are zero buses a day on weekends.
    – hmakholm left over Monica
    Mar 30, 2019 at 11:10

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .