Nathalie Perroud
Nathalie spent six years on the front desk of a hotel near Chamonix station, answering the same questions every day about shuttles, the Montenvers train and parking. She writes the pages she would have liked to hand to her guests. She checks every price with the operator, never in a guidebook.
Where is Chamonix? Location, nearest airports and distances from Geneva
Chamonix is in France, in the Haute-Savoie Alps, squeezed between Switzerland and Italy at the foot of Mont Blanc. Where…
Geneva airport transfers to Chamonix: shared or private, who to book and what it costs
Shared seat or private car from Geneva airport to Chamonix: operator prices, the break-even point for a group, where dri…
Chamonix without a car: getting there by train and around the valley by bus
Chamonix is one of the easiest Alpine resorts to enjoy without a car, as long as you stay near a station or a stop. Gett…
How much does a trip to Chamonix cost? Lift passes, accommodation, meals and tips
In Chamonix, the lift pass is the most predictable cost and accommodation the most variable. Realistic budgets for one p…
Après-ski and bars in Chamonix: where to have a drink, atmospheres and opening hours
Chamonix has two après-skis: the end-of-day terraces, and the pubs and bars that take over in town. Addresses by atmosph…
The Mont-Blanc Multipass in Chamonix: what the pass includes, its prices and when it pays off
Two products carry the Mont Blanc name and are often confused: the Multipass, the summer excursion pass, and the Mont-Bl…
Luxury hotels in Chamonix: five-star hotels, prestige chalets and fine dining
Chamonix has three identified five-star hotels, a fourth reopening, and a range of prestige chalets. The addresses and t…
Renting a chalet or apartment in Chamonix: areas, prices and traps
A rental in Chamonix is judged on its address, not its photo. The areas and what they mean, the starting prices publishe…
Hotels with a spa in Chamonix: pools, saunas and where to unwind after the mountains
After a day of skiing or hiking, the hotel spa matters as much as the room. Addresses with a pool and sauna in Chamonix …
Cheap places to stay in Chamonix: hostels, campsites, mountain huts and valley villages
In Chamonix, the first way to save is not the cheapest hotel, it is the type of bed and the village. Dormitories, campsi…
Aiguille du Midi webcams and weather in Chamonix: reading the conditions before going up
A sunny webcam does not tell you whether the cable car is running, and the Chamonix forecast says nothing about the wind…
The Mont Blanc Tunnel from Chamonix: toll, closures, works and the drive to Italy
Eleven kilometres under the massif separate Chamonix from Courmayeur, but the crossing depends on a toll, a closure cale…
Where to eat in Chamonix? Restaurants by budget, Savoyard specialities and bookings
Chamonix has dozens of restaurants, and most serve the same three cheese dishes. Real budgets by type of restaurant, wha…
When is the best time to visit Chamonix? Snow, hiking, crowds and prices, month by month
The best month depends on what you are coming to do, and the cheapest is often the one when everything is closed. Chamon…
How to get to Chamonix? Train, car or plane, from the UK, Paris, Lyon, Geneva or Milan
Chamonix has neither a TGV station nor an airport: you arrive via Saint-Gervais and the Mont-Blanc Express, via Geneva o…
Geneva to Chamonix: shuttle, bus, train, car, real prices and journey times
Geneva airport is about 88 kilometres from Chamonix, and the brochures' "1 hr 15" often becomes three hours. Shuttle, bu…
Hotels in Chamonix: choosing by budget, by type and by lift
A "from" price in October says nothing about the price of a Saturday in February. Chamonix hotels by category, what the …
Chamonix lifts: opening dates, hours and closures 2026-2027
Every lift in the valley has its own calendar, and the resort's date tells you nothing about your gondola's. Openings, h…
Aiguille du Midi tickets in Chamonix: 2026 prices, time slots, booking and tips
The "from €60.20" price is not what an adult pays on an August day. The 2026 public fares, booking a time slot, the wint…
Practical services in Chamonix: pharmacies, emergencies, left luggage, shopping and the tourist office
There is no SNCF left luggage at Chamonix station, and the number that matters in the mountains is 112. Pharmacies and d…
Where to stay in Chamonix? The guide by area and by village in the valley
In Chamonix, the right question is not "which hotel" but "which lift". The eight areas where people sleep in the valley,…
Map of Chamonix: the centre, the lifts, the villages and real distances
Chamonix is not a resort with a single cable car, it is a valley of separate ski areas. The interactive map of the centr…
Getting around Chamonix: buses, the Mont-Blanc Express train, ski shuttles and bikes
A valid lift pass makes the bus free, the guest card does not. The Chamonix Mobilité network, the Mont-Blanc Express tra…
Parking in Chamonix: the Grépon car park, lift car parks and free spaces
The Grépon park and ride at the entrance to Chamonix is the only car park the town details in full. Here are the others,…
Montenvers restaurant: lunch facing the Mer de Glace
At the top of the Montenvers train, at 1,913 metres, the restaurants of the Refuge du Montenvers look out over the Mer d…
Le 3842: lunch at the summit of the Aiguille du Midi
At 3,842 metres, the restaurant at the summit of the Aiguille du Midi serves a short seasonal menu facing the Vallée Bla…
L'Adret: La Flégère's winter restaurant, facing Les Drus
At the top of La Flégère gondola, a restaurant open every winter, facing Les Drus and the massif. Closed in summer: wort…
Refuge de la Flégère: Savoyard food at 1,877 metres
At La Flégère, a mountain hut serving lunch in winter and half board in summer, on the Tour du Mont Blanc. A stunning vi…
Le Panoramic: lunch at the summit of Le Brévent
At the summit of Le Brévent, the highest restaurant in the ski area faces Mont Blanc. More than 1,400 Google reviews at …
La Bergerie de Planpraz: wood fire and terrace at 2,000 metres
At the top of the Planpraz gondola, a wooden chalet at 2,000 metres: wood-fired meat, Savoyard specialities and a south-…
Breizh Café Chamonix: buckwheat galettes facing the peaks
On rue Paccard, the Chamonix branch of the Breton house Breizh Café: buckwheat galettes, crêpes and ciders. The best Goo…
Le Fer à Cheval: the family brasserie with original fondues
On place du Poilu, a family brasserie in a burnt-wood chalet: tomato or champagne fondue, morels and homemade desserts. …
Le Comptoir des Alpes: local cooking near the Aiguille du Midi
On avenue de l'Aiguille du Midi, the former Comptoir Nordique serves inventive cooking based on local produce, fish and …
La Crèmerie du Glacier: cheese croûtes below the Argentière glacier
At the end of chemin de la Glacière, a 1926 cabin that became the place for cheese croûtes and farçon. A family institut…
La Cabane des Praz: the Finnish-style chalet on the golf course
On route du Golf, in Les Praz, a large Finnish-style chalet with terraces facing the massif. Fish, grilled meat, regiona…
Le Matafan: the restaurant of the Hôtel Mont-Blanc
On allée du Majestic, the restaurant of the five-star Hôtel Mont-Blanc, in the heart of the centre. A hotel restaurant o…
Munchie: world food for sharing, since 1997
On rue des Moulins, one of the oldest restaurants in Chamonix still run by the same family: Asian-inspired sharing plate…
Le Cap Horn: surf and turf, sushi and party nights
On rue des Moulins, French and Japanese cooking by Fredrik Darenius, a sushi bar, a cellar of 450 wines and a club atmos…
La Calèche: the historic Savoyard restaurant on rue Paccard
In the heart of the pedestrian streets, a room full of antiques and every Savoyard speciality. The most reviewed restaur…
Atmosphère: the veranda above the Arve, on place Balmat
A flower-lined staircase on place Balmat leads to a veranda hanging over the Arve, facing the needles. Traditional cooki…
La Maison Carrier: country cooking in an old-time farmhouse
On route du Bouchet, the Hameau Albert 1er's traditional restaurant recreates an Alpine farmhouse in old wood. Slow-cook…
Table Albert 1er: the Michelin-starred table of the Hameau Albert 1er
On route du Bouchet, the Hameau Albert 1er's fine dining restaurant, with one Michelin star according to the house. Two …
Chamonix Lodge: the hostel with a sauna and hot tub in the garden
On chemin de la Chna, in Les Pèlerins, a modern hostel: dormitories of four beds at most, double rooms with bathrooms, f…
HI Chamonix youth hostel: the Les Pèlerins chalet facing the glacier
In Les Pèlerins d'en Haut, at the foot of the Bossons glacier and facing the Aiguille du Midi, the HI hostel offers dorm…
RockyPop Chamonix: the quirky, affordable hotel in Les Houches
On avenue des Alpages, in Les Houches, a hotel, restaurant and bar with a pop spirit, with nearly 2,900 Google reviews a…
Chalet Hôtel du Bois: the big family pool in Les Houches
On avenue des Alpages, in Les Houches, a 43-room three-star with a large heated pool, sauna, garden and a homemade resta…
Auberge du Bois Prin: eleven rooms facing Mont Blanc
In Les Moussoux, on the sunny side of the valley, an eleven-room luxury inn, every room with a view of Mont Blanc and a …
Hôtel La Couronne: the oldest hotel still open in the valley
In Argentière, a hotel built around 1863-1865, fully renovated and extended: 69 rooms, a spa and a restaurant, on the To…
Les Grands Montets Hôtel & Spa: at the foot of the Argentière ski area
On chemin des Arberons, in Argentière, the best-rated four-star in our listings: indoor pool, sauna, steam room, outdoor…
Hôtel Labrador: the three-star chalet on the Les Praz golf course
On route du Golf, a south-facing chalet opposite Mont Blanc, in the heart of the Chamonix golf course, 250 metres from L…
Hôtel Les Lanchers: the village hotel in Les Praz, 200 m from La Flégère
In the heart of Les Praz, a sunny hotel with a bistro and bar, about 200 metres from La Flégère cable car. The lowest pr…
Hôtel Aiguille du Midi: the family hotel with a pool in Les Bossons
On chemin Napoléon, in Les Bossons, a family-run three-star Logis with a pool, a homemade restaurant and a view of the g…
Pointe Isabelle: the three-star with a bar and bistro near the station
On avenue Michel-Croz, 72 rooms, a bar-bistro open every day, a sauna and a gym, between the station and place Balmat. T…
Le Faucigny: the Scandinavian boutique hotel on place de l'Église
An old house renovated in a Scandinavian style, with a spa, in the heart of the centre. The cheapest charming three-star…
Auberge du Manoir: the three-star chalet with a spa and Nordic bath
On route du Bouchet, a family chalet hotel facing the Aiguille du Midi, with a spa, family rooms and a Nordic bath under…
Les Aiglons: the four-star with a pool in Chamonix Sud
On avenue de Courmayeur, on the Arve, Les Aiglons has a large outdoor pool, rooms of 20 to 40 m² and ski rental on site.…
Lykke Hôtel & Spa: the former Mercure in the centre, now a slow hotel
On rue des Allobroges, near the station, the former Mercure Chamonix Centre has taken the name Lykke, Danish for happine…
Hôtel de l'Arve: the three-star on the riverbank
On impasse des Anémones, a 37-room three-star with a garden on the Arve, a lounge with a fireplace, a sauna, a climbing …
Alpina Eclectic Hotel: the four-star tower above the centre
On avenue du Mont-Blanc, the Alpina's big tower has 128 rooms and 10 suites, a spa and views over the whole massif. The …
La Folie Douce Hotels Chamonix: the party hotel with three restaurants
On allée Recteur Payot, the most reviewed hotel in Chamonix on Google: entertainment, three restaurants, a pool and a de…
Le Prieuré: the four-star chalet with balconies facing Mont Blanc
On allée Recteur Payot, a large four-star chalet with south-facing rooms, a spa, a bar with a fireplace and ski rental. …
Heliopic Hotel & Spa: the four-star opposite the Aiguille du Midi
On route Blanche, facing the Aiguille du Midi cable car, the Heliopic focuses on wellness: a Nuxe spa, sauna, swimming p…
Le Morgane: the renovated hotel opposite the Aiguille du Midi
On avenue de l'Aiguille du Midi, Le Morgane reopens after a makeover by a Barcelona studio and says it is aiming for a f…
Grand Hôtel des Alpes: the intimate five-star on rue Paccard
In the heart of the pedestrian streets, a historic house with 32 rooms in pale wood panelling, and a spa. The smallest f…
Hôtel Mont-Blanc: the historic five-star in central Chamonix
On allée du Majestic, right in the centre, the Hôtel Mont-Blanc combines a spa, a heated outdoor pool and the Le Matafan…
Hameau Albert 1er: Chamonix's five-star Relais & Châteaux
On route du Bouchet, a one-hectare park, chalets in old wood, a starred restaurant and a spa with an indoor-outdoor pool…
Tête-à-Thé: the tea room in Argentière
On route du Village, in Argentière, a tea room serving vegetarian food at lunchtime and pastries in the afternoon. Villa…
La Moraine: heated terrace, Savoyard food and winter gigs
On avenue Ravanel-le-Rouge, a Savoyard restaurant with a heated terrace and regular live music in winter. Open Wednesday…
Bistrot des Sports: Chamonix's historic café, since 1924
On rue Joseph-Vallot, the BDS has welcomed mountaineers and visitors for nearly a century: a lively bar, bistro food, Sa…
Bar du Moulin: the late-night bar on rue des Moulins
On rue des Moulins, the Bar du Moulin and its neighbour the Discopic make a night-out duo, side by side. Open every day …
Elevation 1904: the bar and brasserie opposite the station
On avenue Michel-Croz, opposite the station, a bar and brasserie open onto the street, packed at après-ski time. More th…
Chambre Neuf: the après-ski bar on avenue Michel-Croz
Opposite the station, on the ground floor of a hotel, Chambre Neuf is one of the best-known après-ski bars in Chamonix. …
MBC: Chamonix's first microbrewery, Canadian style
On route du Bouchet, the Micro Brasserie de Chamonix has brewed with glacier water since 2002, serves burgers and poutin…
Basecamp Bar: twenty craft beers and a south-facing beer garden
On avenue Ravanel-le-Rouge, the Big Mountain Brewing Company's bar pours 20 beers on tap, with a south-facing terrace an…