Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Travel Forum

Hi,
I've been staying in Lyon for a little while and I'm getting restless to try out some new places. Before I head south I was reading about some amazing trips to Chamonix and around the gondolas and I was wondering if anyone could offer some perspective/travel tips? I don't have a car so I know it would be a bit of a trek... Worth it?

Thanks for the help!

Michael
laptoptravels.blogspot.com

We are a family of 6 and will be staying in Les Houches during August. We want to spend most of our time doing day hikes in the Chamonix valley.We will be flying to and from Geneva. We don't know whether we will need a car to begin and end hiking routes and whether we will want a car to travel in the Chamonix area. we do not want to add unecessary expenses but do want to hike a lot and maximise our stay in the area. Please advise. thank you.

On July 14th I will be in Chamonix. Will there be celebrations? What should I expect?

We will be in Chamonix next June. As it is low season do many places close ? Also will the wildflowers still be out? we are interested in nice walks, scenery etc - not skiing

can anyone recommend anyplace i can rent a bike in chamonix? something front or full suspension / not too shabby!!!

My son is running the Marathon du Mont Blanc on 29th June. We have heard the Brevant lift is closing until December 2008 is this correct. As the finish is on Planpraz and the runners at the finish and spectators would need to use the lift to get to and from Pranplaz will it still be open for the Marathon. Any information would help. Thank you.

I would like to hike from Chamonix to courmayeur, which direction is better, the swiss or the italian one.
I am planing first to learn the aria at june, and at july to arange group and to take them to mont blanc.


Thanks,

Zohar Sax

Is it possible to do a 3 or 4 day circular walk, either camping or staying in cheap hostel type accomodation in the Monte Blanc area without a guide? This would be in June/July

Hi
We are visiting Chamonix beginning of April.
This is our first snowboarding trip!
Apart from a few lessons at Xscape I am a complete (very nervous)beginner!
My boyfriend on the other hand cannot wait to be let loose on the slopes!
Can anybody offer any advice? Best slopes, bars, restaurants etc...
x

What are the trekking conditions like at the end April - beginning of May? My partner and I would like to do the Tour Mont Blanc (as per Cicerone) around this time, but we have never done any hiking/trekking in the Alps.

I have 4 days to spare after visiting Chamonix (no car) and want to see as much as possible of the Cinque Terra without spending an arm and a leg! Can I get there by train and / bus and which is the quickest route? Can I fly back to Paris from where I end up after 4 days?

Hi,

I am planning to fly to Geneva in June this year, spend a week in Chamonix and then travel on to Florence for a week, than fly back to the UK.

Can anyone shed any light on the best way to get from Chamonix to Florence. Assume its train but cant find any info.

Thanks in advance

What is the fastest way of getting from Paris to Chamonix by train?
Is it via Lyon or Geneva or some other way?
Roughly how long does it take?
Any advice appreciated!
thanks, Karen

We are heading to chamonix in may and the next stop on our trip will be venice.

It seems that the best/fastest way of getting to venice at this time of year will be to take a train from aosta. Is this correct?

I have also heard that the train from chamonix via martigny and brig is a very nice rail journey. However, it appears that this will take much more time and possibly money. Is it worth it?

how long does it take to get from chamonix to aosta by bus?
approximately how much will it cost?
and do we need to book seats on this bus service in advance?

any advice appreciated!

thanks,
Kaz

My husband and I will be visiting Chamonix in the next 3 weeks and are going to be taking our first ski lessons. We are looking for a ski school or instuctor. We were thinking of doing a private lesson for a few days but are really unsure. If any one could point us in the right direction that would be great.
Thanks
Leigh in Texas.

My son & I are hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc for his 16th birthday. Our 10 day hike ends on a Thur. in Chamonix (we stay there that night) and we fly out of Geneva 6am on Sun. What to do after breakfast Fri until Sat night? Had decided on side trip to see Chateau de Chillon but now realize that it will be the last 2 days of Montreux Jazz Fest (July 18 & 19). The castle looks so cool but am afraid the place will be a zoo and turn into a major hassle. Am really torn though since its doubtful we'll ever have another chance to see it. Any other suggestions? Anywhere that's not hard to get to between Chamonix and Geneva...Think my son would really enjoy a good medevial site. Assume we will have had enough hiking and certainly aren't shoppers. He's never been to Europe (we're from New York). Thanks so much!

Hi Everybody,
I am planning a journey to Chamonix in mid december (17 Dec) but I am really
worried about the snow depth. Can I make snowboarding in mid december this year or do you recommend another date? I will really appreciate your reply. I am planning to rent a car from the Geneva Airport (We are three friends). Is the road to Chamonix safe in that time of the year?

Hi Everyone,

We are a group of 6 who would like to book a 3 bedroom apartment in Chamonix. I'm having a little trouble finding accommodation due to change over dates.. (and not sure where to start)...

We've seen lots of great and cheap chalet deals however a few of us are flying in and out on different dates so the cheap deals won't work for us...

Basically we would like:

1. To check in on the 19th Dec & check out on the 2nd Jan.
2. We won't have access to a car and need accommodation in the town centre and within walking distance to the slopes
3. A 3 bedroom apartment with preferably 2 bathrooms
4. We probably want something mid-range and not too pricey

Can anyone recommend an apartment or somewhere to stay? Or even websites with apartment listings? There are lots out them however many have a Sat - Sat changeover date. Or does anyone have a chalet or apartment they rent out?

Thanks for all your help!

Mary

We stumbled on a site for the Mont Blanc Lodge http://www.montblanclodge.com/the-chalet. In it's activity list it mentions a resaurant that they take you to by ski doo. After a traditional dinne, you sledge back down. It says they are keeping the name a secret because it would be impossible for them to get their guests reservations if they told everyone. We are traveling to Chamonix in January 2008 with a group. We have no control over where we stay as the trip is booked as a package. If anyone has infomration on the restauratnt that offers this we would LOVE to go while we're there.
Thanks for your help.
Mary

Hi all,
I am desperately seeking a gift that my friend found and loved when we were on holiday in Chamonix at Christmas. It was too big to go in her suitcase, but her birthday is fast approaching and I have been frantically trying to get in touch with shops over there, with little luck! It's obviously Christmas themed, so it might not be in the shops right now, but maybe someone could point me in the right direction? It's a kind of wall plaque made out of distressed wood, a circle shape, with a Christmas ice-skating scene painted on the front, the words "Le Patinage" or "Le Patinoire" in large letters. She's an ice-skater and it would be a perfect gift... if I could find it! Please help!
Thanks everyone,
Jen

Hi ,
How long does it take to chamonix from paris? And what are the things to see there? Is a whole day enough to enjoy the beauty of the place??
Thank you
A Ray

Are the ski instructors fluent in English? This will be my first time trying to ski and it would be helpful for me to be instructed in English considering that I don't know much French.

Is it worthwhile to spend time from Chamonix to Aosta / Martigny?
How do I get to those countries? How much time should i spent?

How will be the weather in chamonix in early june ? We are planning to go for a day-trip there and hence wondering how much warm clothes we should carry.....

Thanks.......

I am headed to Chamonix Mont-Blanc in a few days to do some hiking and mountain trail running. The trails that I am interested in - Le Lac Blanc, Le Balcon Nord, Le Balcon Sud - seem to accessible only from the lifts (Flegere, etc). These lifts dont seem to be open yet according to the schedule posted on http://www.chamonix.com/page.php?page=88&r=lifts_real_time&ling=en. Some of these hikes are accessible by the Montenvers train, but I was wondering if I will really be able to do some of the alpine hikes given that the lifts are closed. Any suggestions or alternatives for high altitude hikes would be really appreciated.

what is cost of train ride from chamonix to merc de glace and back for one adult ? is it discounted if one takes combined trip for aiguille du midi and merc de glace ?

what is the cost of one adult trip on cable car to mont blanc and back to chamonix on aiguille du midi ?

Hi all.. I would really appreciate if anyone can help me out. I will be traveling in France and Italy with a group of friends. The 4 of us are thinking of going through this route: First arrive in Paris, and from there getting a train to Chamonix-Milan-Venice-Florence-Rome (or do you have another suggestion for the itinerary?). I have done all the search I can think of, and looked up in scnf, train from Chamonix to Milan takes about 8hr, and looking for any ideas to shorten the journey (at reasonable price) as we do not want to spend our time in Europe on train :)

How long would it be from Chamonix to Milan by car? I have tried to look at the SAVDA url, but I only understand English. Tried to search if we can make taxi arrangement (none of us have international driving license) to Milan, but not succeeded. Oh, FYI, we cannot take any Swiss route as we would need visa in Swiss. Pls help...

Another thing, we will be in Chamonix in end of May. Do we have to make reservation for the Aguille de Midi ride?

Thank's sooo much in advance!! (even before posting this question, VT has helped me a lot for my traveling needs!)

Can anyone please advise a cheap way for a family of four to get from the airport in Grenoble to Les Houches or Chamonix?
Regards

I am just wondering if it is worthwhile to visit Chamonix in May. We are going to be in Paris until the 16th and from there we are deciding whether or not to go on to Chamonix. As I understand, it is the low season there at this time. I know that some restaurants/hotels are often closed or have abbreviated hours as a result. I was just wondering if anyone has any opinions on this. Worthwhile? What is the weather like. I have always wanted to ascend Aiguille du Midi and don't really know if I will get back there sometime soon.