The village centre is easy on foot. For ski lifts, trailheads, and neighbouring villages such as Morillon and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, use local buses or shuttles when they are running.
A car is useful in summer if you want to combine Samoëns with high trailheads, the Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval, and lakes around the wider Giffre valley. Parking is easier outside peak winter school holidays.