1 Week in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Wanted to share some helpful tidbits from our first ever trip skiing/snowboarding in Europe. More specifically, the iconic French Alps!
We had such a magical, storybook time and hope this helps future visitors plan their trip to this special valley in the mountains.
Getting There
We flew from Philadelphia to Geneva, Switzerland. We then rented a car from the airport and drove a little over an hour to get to our hotel in Chamonix City Centre.
Transportation
Although we only really needed a car to get to/from Geneva, it still made economical sense for us to rent it for the full week we were there. Luckily, we ended up finding one of the only free parking lots in Chamonix (it’s very hard to park there otherwise). We stopped by the lot nightly to scrape off any snow buildup, though we wish we asked the rental car company for a scraper so that we didn’t have to use our hands!
Lodging
We really wanted to stay in the City Centre, so we booked a room at Hôtel Vallée Blanche. Although it has great reviews on Expedia, we didn’t love our experience there. The amenities were very limited, and the bed was not comfortable. After a full day on the mountain, what we really wanted more than anything was a nice bed to plop into and get a good night’s rest.
However, I will say the location of the hotel was perfect. It was walking distance to all the best places in town and situated right along the river. But, if we could do it again, I’d recommend staying at La Folie Douce. They have a great après ski scene and is also centrally located.
Spa
For one of the days, we got the “Relax under the stars” pass at QC Terme (66 euro pp) which gave us 2 hours in the evening to explore their sauna, steam room, reflexology, and heated pools of varying temperatures. Their spa even had a pool that went from indoors to outdoors. It was incredible!
Another day, we ended up just getting a simple hour pass at the Hotel Le Morgane (20 euro pp) which had a single heated pool, sauna, and steam room. No frills, but still enjoyable!
Skiing and Snowboarding
Chamonix is great for skiers and snowboarders alike. We ended up spending one day in each of these areas:
- Grands Montets
- Brévent-Flégère
- Les Houches
- Le Tour
Brévent-Flégère are interconnected via cable car, and you can ski between both of these areas easily. At Brévent, you can also take a specific cable car to Le Panoramic where you can have food, drinks, and an absolutely stunning view of Mont-Blanc.
Chamonix has a free bus system to take you to any of these areas. Download the app for trail maps and bus routes.
You can buy lift passes online, either for a single area or an unlimited pass for access to all the mountains within Chamonix Mont-Blanc. I ended up just getting day passes at the ticket counter on the mountain, depending on how the visibility and snow conditions were that day. I was pleasantly surprised by how affordable the day passes were compared to the States, typically within the 25–75 euro range per day. Even cheaper if you buy passes for multiple days (either consecutive or non-consecutive)!
Food
Breakfast
- Rose DuPont — whimsical pink cafe! Breakfast was mediocre, so we would recommend instead going there for drinks and sitting upstairs.
- D+ Cafe — crepes galore! Ask the owners for a sneak peek of the special room downstairs, and try their unique chestnut flavored crepe.
Lunch / Fast Food
- Arctic Cafe and Juices
- Cool Cat Cafe
- Poco Loco Burger — we went here so many times for their smash burger, that they knew us by name! The inside seating area is limited, but the decor is fun and eclectic.
Dinner
- Chez Josephine — 10/10 for French fine dining. Don’t skip on the oysters and escargot!
- Casa Valerio (Italian)
Nightlife
- La Folie Douce — mentioned it before, but definitely go. There’s always some interesting music or performance going on in the evenings!
- Les Caves
