Nelson

I have a day and a half alone in Chamonix before joining a group for a Tour du Mont Blanc. Planning to just explore town during that time. I'm actually staying in a hotel in Les Houches. What's the best way to travel between the two? Taxi, shuttle bus?

I'll visit the Alpine Museum, which will be of interest to me. The Espace Tairraz Crystal Museum also sounds good. Beyond that just explore some art or photo galleries and a bookstore or two. Are there any antiquarian bookstores in town?

Looking for casual dining. I enjoy craft beers and have found two possible options: Micro Brasserie de Chamonix and a place called Beer O'clock. Looks like they are on opposite ends of the town. Are these good choices?

Sadly, I don't speak French if that matters. Thoughts on this plan, or any other must see suggestions are welcome. The group will go up Aiguille du Midi upon return to Chamonix, so I can skip that for now.

Thanks!

maitaitom

Are you going to ride the Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi Chamonix-Mont-Blanc? On my bucket list.

Whathello

Spent 3 days in Chamonix but working.
We went to the aiguille du midi. Lovely.
We had some beers in the town. Nice.
I remember going into a pub with colleagues and none of the staff could speak French. You may like it it infuriated me.
Went to the casino - waste of time ugly one.
Some went for a climb activity. They loved it. Some were inexperienced some knew the trade.
In any case it is spectacularly beautiful.
Ah. We went to a glacier. Very nice.

Nelson

Tom, the plan is to ride l'Aiguille du Midi when we return to Chamonix at the end of the tour. But if the weather is stellar I could decide to head up on my own.

Whathello, it's possible the pub you mention is Micro Brasserie de Chamonix, owned by Canadians I think. They have an English version of the menu online, so that could be the place. Most likely I'll wander between the two pubs I found.

My wife speaks French (spent part of her childhood there) so I've never had real reason to learn. I'll try to pick up a few polite phrases but fear my small brain will switch into "foreign language mode" and I'll start spitting out words in Spanish.

No interest in a casino, thanks.

PalenQ

Les Houches is about 15 minutes away by the narrow-gauge train line that runs all along the valley Chamonix lies in - trains leave usually hourly with an occasional 2 hour gap - just buy tickets at station - from machines if unmanned.

Yes the Aiguille-de-Midi ride is fantastic - when you sail over a sea of ice and the small cable cars stop en route often to let people on or off at either end -leaving you eerily dangling high above the ice - what a relief when the cars move again!

Not for Nervous Nellies

Not much to explore in Chamonix itself for one of Europe's most scenic train rides ride the Martigny-Chamonix narrow-gauge like from Les Houches or Chamonix to Martigny, Switzerland - about 90 minutes and be awed by the stunning scenery - can get off before Martigny and trek to the famous Emosson Dam and be in a truly awesome Alpine setting with views for miles around, including over Switzerland lying far below.

https://www.chamonix.net/english/lei...ng/emosson-dam

Nelson

Thanks much PalenQ. You guys have now got me convinced that if the weather is good I'll take advantage and do the Aiguille du Midi trip.

Looks like the base station is just a few blocks from the Alpine Museum, so I'll hit that and then head over to the Aiguille. I should be there by mid-late afternoon and can catch some evening light.

Or I could go up the morning before I meet the group. Either way, it's back on the list. I've noted the Martigny train as well.

Thanks!

PalenQ

The Chamonix-Aiguille-du-Mdi train station - same line as to Les Houches - is right at the first lift up to Aiguille-du-Midi, a large gondola where you transfer to the small cabins to Pte Heilbrenner in Italy - place to turn around and head back for most. Note that the cable fare is dauntingly steep too.

Nelson

I did get a bit hypoxic when I saw the cable fare, but I guess that's good training for the ride!

PalenQ

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/10/w...e.html?mcubz=0

Don't let this add to your hypoxicness.

Nelson

Hmmm...

<i>"“The cable cars work pretty well,” he said. “But every now and again, this can happen.”</i>

I'll carry a warm jacket.

The weather looks to be taking a turn for the worse when I'll be in town. But there are enough options now to keep me busy. Thanks much!

hetismij2

I spent last night at a campsite in Chamonix.
We were up early to take the cable car. Not early enough however. By the time we got there there was a long queue for tickets. We eventually got ours for car 40 which left over an hour later at 11.25. The only comfort was the size of the queue which was even longer.
We got our cable car to the first stage and were crammed in like sardines. On the second stage I couldn't have fallen down even if I wanted to. The queue for step into the void was huge. The fight for selfies with Mt Blanc was something to see.
Was it worth €60 pp? No, not in my opinion. We didn't pay the extra for the further car across the glacier to Italy.
The weather was superb, but the whole experience less so.
Even at 8am there was a queue apparently, and a crowd at the top after two cars.

The campsite on the other hand was delightful and we enjoyed watching the glacier turn red as the sunset whilst enjoying BBQ from the visiting food truck.

Nelson

<i>> The fight for selfies with Mt Blanc was something to see.</i>

I can't wait!

Well, thanks for that report hetismij. It surprised me, I thought crowds might be not so bad by now. If there is a long queue when I show up then that would be a show-stopper. Fortunately I can make an on the spot decision to go or not.

In any case, looking forward to being there and I'll be hiking through the mountains for the next week.

Nelson

To report back, this morning at 9:30 the queue was short and the sky seemed to be clearing, so I sprung for the 60 Eu and went up l'Aguille du Midi.

It was really fantastic, perhaps the most spectacular mountain setting I've ever been in that didn't require a huge expenditure of energy.

It was cold, -4 C, and windy, but I had wind gear and could take shelter indoors or on the lee side. The crowds were thin, I could always find a place by a rail wherever I chose. Still, I did need to ensure that I didn't intrude into someone's selfie moment, so I can imagine what that would be like at peak times.

Being packed into the cable car was the least fun, but I had a front row window on the way down from the top, which was a long "wow" moment!

Thanks again for suggesting that outstanding outing.

The Alpine Museum was also an excellent Chamonix stop for me. Tres bon!

hetismij2

I think it was especially busy the day I went as it was the only clear day for a few days, with rain the days before, and the day after.
As a solo you could also get up earlier than pairs did. We were in the queue with a young woman who was setting off on the tour the next day, and she was put on a much earlier gondola than us. We saw her again at the top and she had been there an hour already.
I am sure on a less crowded day it is an amazing experience, but for me it was misery and not worth the money. The crowds in the gondolas reminded me too much of the lifts in the Gateway Arch in St Louis. Way too claustrophobic for me.

I hope you have good weather for your tour and it proves to be as spiritually uplifting as many say it is.

We are now in the Spanish Pyrenees, enjoying glorious weather and watching the vultures.

PalenQ

Nelson- sounds like a sweet time - thanks for reporting back.

Nelson doesn't have time but for others who want similar awesome views of glaciers this is a train not a mobbed cable car that goes to the Mer de Glace or Sea of Ice - right from Chamonix:

http://www.chamonix.com/montenvers-m...ace,81,en.html

Nelson

To report back once more, it turns out I did take the Montenvers train to Mer de Glace, and can highly second PalenQ's recommendation.

Originally our last day of the TMB was to go from Argentiere to Chamonix via the Grand Balcon Sud. But several conditions made that impractical, so our guide had a stellar alternative: take a taxi to the Montenvers train station, go up to the Mer de Glace, then hike the Grand Balcon Nord to the Aiguille du Midi mid station. This was a spectacular hike that passes directly under the Chamonix Aiguilles. From there we went up the rest of the way to the Aiguille du Midi, a repeat for me.

http://www.chamonix.com/grand-balcon...-67698,en.html

Highly recommended for those who enjoy a mountainous walk.
You can get a single ticket that covers both the train and the Aiguille du Midi.

Our TMB trip was fantastic, in spite (or because?) of some truly inclement weather.
I'll have a gallery of photos in a week or so if anyone is interested.

PalenQ

I'll have a gallery of photos in a week or so if anyone is interested.>

PLEASE!

Did not know of that fabulous hike between the two! How rugged was that 'mountain walk'? For those feared of heights dicey?

Nelson

<i>> How rugged was that 'mountain walk'? For those feared of heights dicey?</i>

First the stats: it's about 4 miles (6.4 km) and in the direction we went climbs about 1700 ft (620 m) and descends 1100 ft (330 m).

There are two sections to the climb, first a steep section from the Hotel Montenvers up to Le Signal. Then a gradual descent to the Torrents de Grepon and Blaitière. Finally a mostly gradual ascent back up to the Plan de l'Aiguille station.

The path is rocky in places but in my mind of no particular difficulty. It is never along a cliff, so should present no problems to those of feared of heights. Hard for me to be completely objective, I do this stuff all the time, but no one in our group had any issues. It is well marked and easy to follow.

We spent five+ hours on the walk, but that including a long stop at Le Signal for a group photo with Les Drus in the background, and an even longer stop for a picnic lunch near the Torrent de Blaitière.

Bottom line: if that distance and ascent doesn't put you off then it should be no problem.

Unfortunately I forgot to turn my GPS on that day, but here is someone else's link that should hopefully work:
https://www.gaiagps.com/public/LdLnq...reetsHD,natgeo

I'll post a link to my photo gallery sometime next week. Thanks again for your help.

Nelson

P.S. For the moment I changed my profile photo to one of yours truly on probably the narrowest part of that trail.

You can see if that looks dicey.

maxman

So I have to chime in and tell my story of going to Chamonix. I was visiting a friend in Switzerland, and it was my last full day, so I decided to book a bus tour from Geneva to Chamonix with a cable car ride up to Mont Blanc. The day I left Geneva, it was pouring rain ( by the way, it was late May, Memorial Day in US). When we get to Chamonix, we got into the cable car (still raining) and started up the mountain, by the time we reached the top it was a raging blizzard. Got out of the cable car, and could not see 2 inches in front of me. I am in a windbreaker and sneakers. I did not know where to walk , because I could not see a thing. Somehow, made into a lodge up there and sat there with other tourists drinking hot chocolate and chatting. (I dont speak French by the way). So a little later on some guy comes in starts yelling that everyone needs to get back on the cable car to go down the mountain. So EVERYONE piles into this cable car ( and I am chlostrophobic) and packed like sardines. Started SLOWLY going down the mountain, still in this raging blizzard, car is swinging back and forth, I am stuffed next to people like sardines, the Chinese tourists are laughing and taking pictures and squeezing their way through the crowd, the guys running the cable car are yelling back and forth in French, have no idea what they were saying, but I knew it wasnt good. Finally after an eternity we get down the mountain, I get out of the car and kissed the ground. One hell of adventure, and I NEVER SAW ONE BIT of Mont Blanc. Oh well, fond memories!!!!