Chamonix

Chamonix is a famous resort in French Alps at the foot of Mont Blanc.

Access 

Chamonix is connected to the valley by a highway and a small railway line. It is also connected to Courmayeur in Italy by road via the tunnel under the Mont-Blanc, and Martigny in Switzerland by road and rail.

In the winter there are TGV lines that go directly to St. Gervais-les-Bains, where you can switch to a small local train to ride up into Chamonix. There is also a TGV that leaves directly from Charles-de-Gaulle airport to Lyon, and you can transfer to St. Gervais-les-bains from there.

The Chamonix valley can be considered everything between Sallanches and the Swiss border, or the towns of: Servoz, Les Houches, Chamonix, Les Praz, Argentiere, and Vallorcine.

If you plan to fly to Geneva and hire a car, the route to Chamonix is relatively straight-forward, covering a distance of 88 km. Chamonix is located 80 km southeast of Geneva, Switzerland, and driving time is about one hour via the Autoroute Blanche (A40) motorway. Chamonix is 226 km from Lyon and 612 km from Paris.

Geneva is the most convenient and accessible airport for tourists travelling to Chamonix. Alpybus run a timetabled daily service to Chamonix from Geneva Airport throughout the summer and winter seasons.

There is a regular airport transfer service direct to your accommodation operated by Chamexpress from the airport to Chamonix, Argentiere & Les Houches. The price is 25€ per person each way.

 

 

Sightseeing

•  Mer de Glace (Ice Sea), one of the biggest glaciers in continental Europe, accessible by the Montenvers rack railway. From the Montenvers Station one has great views on the glacier but also on the north Face of the Grand Jorasses, one of the three most famous North faces in the European Alps.
• Aiguille du Midi cable car, one of the highest cable cars in the world, apart from a few in South America. In fact the Aiguille Du Midi starts at 1035 m and finishes at a staggering 3810 m! From the bottom to the top, it has the greatest vertical range in the world. Take warm clothes. as the temperature is alway cold even in mid-summer.

• Brevent cable car, on the other side of the valley, provides the best views of the Mont-Blanc massif. A round trip adult pedestrian (not skier) ticket is about 18 Euros.

• In Les Houches you can take the Bellevue cable car (Telepherique de Bellevue) for another view of the Chamonix valley, with Mont Blanc to one side and the Brevent to the other. A short walk will allow you to see the other side of the mountain towards St. Gervais, Sallanches and the glacier de Bionnassay. In August 2005, a round-trip pedestrian adult ticket was 12.10 Euros.
• Musée des cristaux, (crystals museum), a very nice museum, exhibiting an impressive collection of crystals, mostly from Chamonix, but also from the rest of the Alps and worldwide. Created and maintained through a paternership between the city council and the local Mineralogical club , it is both very aesthetic and scientific, displaying pedagogical posters. You will find it just behind the Maison de la Montagne and the church.

• Compagnie des Guides (mountain guides), 190 place de l’Église, 74400 Chamonix Mont Blanc,                                        tel. 04 50 53 00 88

Skiing

• Vallée blanche (White Valley), glacier skiing. Needs a full day from the Aiguille du Midi cable car. The easiest route can be skiied by someone who is confident on red runs, although a guide is recommended.
• The Brevent and la Flegere are the easiest ski areas to get to from the center of town. You can walk to the ski lift at le Brevent, or take a shuttle from a number of different drop of points. Skiing for all levels, but mostly mid- to extreme ski.
• Les Houches is the best family resort, and often has the best low-altitude conditions. It is the only ski area with slopes below the treeline, so it is a good place to go when there is a lot of fog.
• Le Tour is at the far end of the valley, towards Martigny. It has many easier slopes for beginners, but also some out-of-bounds skiing if you are willing to hike up with your skis. It is also a good place to go if you don’t like being cold, because most slopes are in the sun (although it can still be very windy).
• The Grand Montets has the most extreme and highest altitude slopes, and can be accessed from the town of Argentiere.

 

Hiking

Take the telepherique to the top of a nearby peak. Hike down, it’s easy! Or try hikes between two telepheriques, for example:

• between the Brevent and la Flegere
• between the Mer de Glace and the Plan de l’Aiguille

Get a fantastic view on both the Mont-Blanc/Aiguilles de Chamonix range, and the ribbon of the Fiz limestone range:

• Take the Brevent telepherique, then walk down the crest to the Bel-Lachat mountain hut, then walk down to the Rocher des Gaillands or (if slightly more courageous) to the Aiguillette des Houches and down, or
• Walk up the steep lane from the Gaillands to Plan-Lachat, then Bel-Lachat, then on, up along the crest to the Brevent (about six hours and rather hot in summer: start early, but it is really worth the effort).

Several great glacier hikes exist. Even if you can’t get right up to the glaciers and touch them, you can still get close enough to get some amazing views.

• Glacier des Bossons – depart either from Les Bossons (at the base of the ski jump) by foot or by chair lift, or drive up to the entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel for a shorter, flatter hike.
• Glacier d’Argentiere – depart from the town of Montroc, near the ski resort “Le Tour”.
• Glacier de Trient – depart from the top of the Col de la Forclaz, in Switzerland (before descending to Martigny). One hour, flat.
• Glacier de Bionnassay- depart from the top of the Bellevue cable car.

The first three could feasibly be done in one day if you are up early and have a car, but Bionnassay will require a half-day.

 

Shopping 

• The town its self has a lovely collect on sporting, alpine and local shops.

 

Restaurants 

It’s France. The food is all good, though it can be quite expensive in the touristy places. Open a can of Ravioli from the supermarket and eat it with your freshly purchased Swiss Army Knife. If you’ve been hiking all day, it’ll be the best meal you’ve ever had.

Other regional specialties (Quand meme!)

• Fondue
• Pierrade or Pierre chaude – a hot piece of slate on which you cook your own slices of meat at the table.
• Raclette – like fondue, this is a multi-person event that involves more melted cheese, potatos and cold cuts.
• Croute savoyarde – a toasted piece of bread soaked in white wine and then baked with melted che
  ese and possibly mushrooms or tomatos.
• Tartiflette – potatos and bacon smothered with melted roblochon cheese.
• Toasted goat’s cheese salad with nuts.

• Poco Loco, Rue du Docteur Paccard. Serves absolutely enormous and very tasty burgers (amongst other things) for around 7 Euros. Open every day from 11AM-2AM.

If you find you’ve had a bit more cheese that you would really like, there’s a very nice Japanese restaurant, Satsuki.

For trendy, ‘nouveau French’, try these restaurants:

• Munchie, Rue des Moulins.
• Le Delice, Les Houches.

• le Basilic, in Les Houches. For authentic French food (but not typical Savoyard).

 

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Nightlife 

Drinking in Chamonix compared to other ski resorts is not very expensive. Expect to pay around 4.50 euros in most places for a beer. There are many happy hours during the late afternoon. The Microbrasserie de Chamonix (MBC) has different kinds of microbrews, in an American/Canadian ambiance (serves onion rings and hot wings, for example). Otherwise, most places serve standard pilsners, such as Heineken or 1664. Just ask for ‘un demi pression’ for tap beer, or a ‘demi panache’ for a mix of half beer, half Sprite, a refreshing alternative with less alcohol. A pint is called a “serieux” or for better value, order a “pitcher”.

 

Lodging

See the listing of the Hotels in Chamonix 

Chamonix and its surroundings are stuffed with hotels, lodges and campings, ranging from basic and cheap to very luxe and expensive :

• Mont Blanc Lodge  Charming catered chalet. Sleeps 12, centre of Chamonix town but hidden in a quiet spot next to the park. sauna, Free WIFI

• The Skier’s Lodge Comfortable catered chalet. Sleeps 20, hot-tub, sauna, swimming pool.

• Maison Jaune – High-end chalet with ski in/ski out, hot tub, sleeps 10.

• Chalet La Foret – Traditional chalet in Les Praz,, which sleeps 10 on a self-catering basis. It’s just a short walk from the Flegere Lift.

• Chalet in the Mountains– fully equipped, self catered chalets, each sleeping up to 8 people or rent two together and its ideal for larger groups.

• Chalet Schuss  – Luxury ski in/ski out chalet with hot tub & sauna, sleeps 10.

• The Farmhouse  – Luxury catered ski chalet with sauna and hot tub, sleeps 16.

• Chamonix Apartment – Annexe De l’Universe is a beautiful one bedroom apartment in the heart of Chamonix Mont Blanc

• JKchamonix self-catering apartments in Chamonix center.

• Chamonix Apartment Rental  – A spacious one bedroom apartment that sleeps up to 4 people right in the heart of Chamonix Mont-Blanc

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