Hi Everybody. I'm visiting Genena by 31-Aug and I'm very interested in seeing the Alpes. I was thinking of taking a day trip to Chamonix - Mont Blanc. Is this a good choice for mountain scenary especially that I've never seen snow before? How's the weather like at that place by 1-Sept?

Should still IME of being there about then be fine and yes there should always be snow on upper top of Mt Blanc and in Chamonix you can walk to the tip of a glacier as well.

Great time - crowds swell in August but thin out a lot as soon as last weekend in August is over and everyone goes back to work or school.

Chamonix has everything the best of the Swiss Alp resorts do at a far cheaper price!

Best is to take direct buses from Geneva to Chamonix.

To me the absolute highlight of Chamonix is the thrilling aerial gondola over the sea of ice to Pte Heilbronner in Italy - the cable ways goes for miles over a sea of ice far below and you may well see snow at the upper stations I believe but not sure. For a detailed account of what I consider to be one of the world's greatest thrill rides - for a full description click on this line and head to page 26 -
http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/si...s/rg011210.pdf.

Hi PalenQ. Thanks for your reply. It's very useful and it helped me decide about that trip. Does the trip mentioned in the following link include the aerial gondola you mentioned? I'm a bit confused so i hope you would help me.
http://www.keytours.ch/en/geneva/exc...ont-blanc.html

Aiguille du Midi + Mer de Glace CHF 226.- 210.- 181>

this would seem to be the same at least the cable way up to Aiguille du Midi - a large gondola but not sure over the Mer de Glace - a vast glacier from Mt Blanc to Pt Heilbrunner in Italy and back.

Wow did not know Key Tours was still around - knew them when they just got there start in my home town area years ago.

Hi PalenQ.

I'm also thinking of taking a cruise "Along the Rhone", do you think this is an interesting cruise? It's a 3 hours cruise and i'm only spending 3 days in Geneva and don't want to waste any time. what do you think?
http://www.swissboat.com/en/cruise_rhone.php

I have never taken that cruise but it looks interesting and IMO there is not all that much of interest to see and do in Geneva proper - so excursions like this are great IMO - there is also a boat cruise around Lake Geneva near Geneva that passes the seaside mansions of the rich and famous and places like Red Cross HQs, etc.

From Geneva I would strongly recommend a day trip to Gruyeres, not far by train and IMO one of Europe's neatest old walled cities - also can visit a cheese factory making famous Gruyeres cheese.

> .. not sure over the Mer de Glace - a vast glacier from Mt Blanc to Pt Heilbrunner in Italy and back.

Correction, that's the Vallée Blanche ( White Valley). Mer de Glace ( Sea of Ice) is another thing, a glacier, in the same Chamonix area but another location that you get by Montenvers train.

Thanks a lot PalenQ and Kappa1 for your replies.

Dear PalenQ,
You are right. I'm taking another cruise in Lake Geneva, but i'm confused which one to choose of the following 2 cruises. Can you please advsie your recommendation?
http://www.swissboat.com/en/cruise_mermaid.php

http://www.cgn.ch/eng/croisieres_tou...ves_genevoises

Thanks.

Wella - the seem to cover about the same ground or water in this case - I could not recommend one over the other - the first one's map shows all the seaside manions, etc that I was referring to and I suppose the other one passes by them as well but it could be a longer trip out into the lake?

sorry I cannot be of much help on choosing but think that you cannot go wrong.

Aiguille du Midi + Mer de Glace CHF 226.- 210.- 181> - keeping kappa's correction in mind it seems this tour may only take the large gondolas up to the Aiguille du Midi and not go over Vallee Blanche or white valley that is very similar but not the same as the Mer de Glace or sea of ice - but it sounds it may do both the cableway to Aiguille and the train to Montveners and the Mer de Glace.

Hi PalenQ. Thanks for all the useful information you have provided me.

Do you have any ideas where to spend the evenings? Can you recommend a nice restaurant with a show or may be a night club?

thanks again.

Been in Chamonix in September. Yes, plenty of snow on tthe top of Aguille du Midi. Wear sweaters.

Hi Kenav. thanks for the sweaters tip. I'm coming from Egypt with very hot weather here and not used to cold weather at all. Was the tempreture below 10C when you were there?

> Was the tempreture below 10C when you were there?

Really it can be anywhere from about 10 to -20 centigrade. On a clear and sunny day with no wind, you might even feel warmer than 10 with a direct sun. In such weather I have been there in bermuda shorts in summer. Howeven even sunny, wind makes all the difference. And it can of course be cloudy/snowy (you are up at 3842m) and windy, then it can easily get less than 0, that's even in summer.

Just wear a jacket and sweater underneath, gloves perhaps. IF it's too warm you can always remove the jacket, etc. But you can't get warmer if you've not got the clothing to get warmer with! The town itself is not cold like that. Just up on the mountains.

I was there one September and it was rather warm in chamonix itself - in a deep valley but of course up near the seas of ice areas it is always freezing or so.