# Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

Cable cars that rise to 3,842 m, a rack railway to the Mer de Glace and balcony trails facing Mont Blanc. Allow three to five nights.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/auvergne-rhone-alpes/chamonix · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## What do I do in Chamonix?

Chamonix is a mountain village in a narrow valley, with the Mont Blanc massif on one side and the Aiguilles Rouges range on the other. What you come to do is up above, and to get up there are cable cars, gondolas and a rack railway. The village, at 1,035 m, serves as a base: pedestrian streets, the River Arve running grey from the glaciers and mountain shops on every corner.

The essentials fit into three days. One for the Aiguille du Midi, the cable car that rises from the village to 3,842 m, into the high mountains. Another for the Montenvers train and the Mer de Glace. And another for walking the balconies of the Aiguilles Rouges, on the other side of the valley, from where you see Mont Blanc head-on. With five nights you add a stage of the Tour du Mont Blanc or a rest day when the weather doesn't cooperate, which happens in the mountains.

## What is the ascent of the Aiguille du Midi like?

The cable car leaves from the south of the village and climbs in two sections to the summit terraces, at 3,842 m, facing the north face of Mont Blanc. There is the Step into the Void, a glass box glazed on five sides hanging over more than a thousand metres of empty space. The return trip to the summit costs from €60.20 to €83 per adult depending on the date, and you need to book: besides the ticket you need a boarding number, which you request free of charge on the website. Go first thing, when the sky is usually clearer.

At that altitude the air has much less oxygen. The company does not admit children under 3, advises against the ascent for under-5s and asks older people and anyone with heart problems or a heavy cold to seek medical advice. Bring winter clothing even in August: it can be below freezing at the top.

## Is the Mer de Glace worth it?

Yes, although the glacier is no longer what it was. A little red rack train climbs in about 20 minutes from Chamonix to Montenvers station, at 1,913 m, with views over the tongue of ice and the Aiguille du Dru. At the top there is a mountain hut, the Glaciorium, a room devoted to the glacier and climate change, and a gondola that goes down towards the ice. From it there are some 170 steps left to the ice cave, at 1,760 m, which is carved out anew every year. The combined ticket for train, gondola and cave costs €51.30. On the way down, signs mark how far the glacier reached in different years: it is the most striking part.

## Where do you walk?

On the Aiguilles Rouges side. The Brévent cable car, which leaves from the village itself, rises to a balcony facing Mont Blanc at over 2,500 m, and from the intermediate stations on this side start the balcony trails and the climb to Lac Blanc, the best-known excursion in the valley. Check beforehand which lifts are running that day on the tourist office website: timetables change with the season and there are works and closures.

The Tour du Mont Blanc goes right round the massif on foot, about 170 km through France, Italy and Switzerland, and many start it here or at Les Houches. If you don't have ten days, you can do one or two stages and come back by bus or train.

## How do I get there and how do I get around?

The most practical way from Spain is to fly to Geneva, which has direct flights from several Spanish cities, and continue by road a little over an hour; there are airport shuttles that can be booked online. By car from the La Jonquera border it is about 750 km on toll motorway, via Lyon.

## Where do I sleep and where do I eat?

There is everything for sleeping. The Hameau Albert 1er is the Carrier family's five-star, with a spa and chalets, five minutes from the centre. The Refuge du Montenvers, from 1880, lets you sleep at 1,913 m beside the Mer de Glace, half board. And the HI hostel at Les Pèlerins is the cheap option, with the bus at the door.

For eating, buckwheat galettes all day at the Breizh Café, Savoyard cooking at the farm of the Maison Carrier and diots facing the glacier at the Restaurant du Montenvers. In winter, if you don't ski, head out with snowshoes and a guide from the Compagnie des Guides.

## How do I get around?

Within the valley you don't need a car. If you sleep in Chamonix, your accommodation gives you the Carte d'hôte, with which you travel free on the SNCF train between Servoz and Vallorcine, which runs the length of the valley, and you get a discount on bus passes. The Mont-Blanc Express train continues to Saint-Gervais on one side and to Switzerland on the other.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Tour du Mont Blanc, Alps
- Cerca: Gran Paradiso (a 51.5 km · Italy), Annecy (a 57.0 km), Lavaux (a 64.0 km · Switzerland), Zermatt (a 68.8 km · Switzerland)

## Qué hacer
- **Aiguille du Midi cable car** (4 h · From age 5; under-3s not admitted · Desde 60.2 € per adult, round trip): What it is
The Aiguille du Midi cable car climbs from the south of the town, at 1,035 m, to the summit terraces at 3,842 m. It does so in two stages, changing cabins at the Plan de l'Aiguille, halfway up. At the top you face the north face of Mont Blanc, with the glaciers at your feet and, on clear days, the Swiss and Italian Alps on the horizon. It is the excursion that justifies the trip to Chamonix, and the one to book on the first clear day.
On the summit there are several terraces linked by walkways and an indoor lift. The best known is the Step into the Void (Pas dans le Vide), a glass box with glass on five sides hanging over more than a thousand metres of drop; you reach it by lift, also with reduced mobility. There is also a glazed tube along the ridge and the start of the Vallée Blanche, the snow ridge that mountaineers descend: that one is not for you unless you go with a guide and equipment.
Price, hours and booking
The round trip to the summit costs €60.20 to €83 per adult depending on the date; €51.20 to €70.60 for children aged 5 to 14 and over-65s; and €186.70 to €257.40 for the family ticket. If you only want to go up to the Plan de l'Aiguille, to walk the north balcony, it is €24.50 round trip.
Booking is compulsory: besides the ticket you need a boarding number, which you request free on the website, even if you have a multi-day pass. In winter 2026-2027 the first cabin leaves at 8:10, and at 7:30 at weekends and bank holiday weekends from March to May; cabins leave every 10, 15 or 30 minutes depending on the crowds. After the autumn maintenance, the cable car reopens on 19 December 2026. Hours may change with the weather and the service.
Altitude and health
You climb almost 2,800 m in a few minutes and the air up there has far less oxygen. The company does not admit children under 3, advises against the trip for under-5s and asks older people to follow their doctor's advice. It is not recommended with a heavy cold or heart problems. If you feel dizzy or get a headache, come down. Animals are not allowed and drones are banned.
Getting there
The station is at 100 place de l'Aiguille du Midi, ten minutes' walk from the centre. If you are staying in the valley, the SNCF train and the bus bring you close; by car there are paid car parks in the south of the town.
- **Montenvers train, Mer de Glace and ice cave** (3 h 30 · Everyone; the cave is not wheelchair accessible · Desde 51.3 € per adult): What it is
The Montenvers train is a small red rack railway that leaves Chamonix, next to the SNCF station, and climbs in about 20 minutes to Montenvers station, at 1,913 m. It has run since 1908, in summer and in winter. At the top you have the Mer de Glace in front of you, the massif's great tongue of ice, wedged between the Dru needles and the Grandes Jorasses. It is the other essential excursion in the valley, and the one that copes best with a day of high cloud.
From the arrival station, a gondola goes down towards the ice. At the bottom a few flights of metal stairs remain to reach the ice cave, at 1,760 m, a tunnel dug anew every year inside the glacier. Along the way, signs mark how far the ice reached in different years: it is the most striking part of the visit, because you see with your own eyes how far the glacier has dropped. At the top there is also the Glaciorium, a hall devoted to glaciers and climate change, and the old Refuge du Montenvers hotel, with a restaurant and bar.
Price and season
The Voyage Mer de Glace ticket, which combines the train, the gondola and the cave, costs €51.30 for adults, €43.60 for children aged 5 to 14 and over-65s, and €159 for the family ticket. If you only want the train round trip, to eat at the top or to walk, it is €32.10.
The train closes from 2 November to 4 December 2026 for maintenance, and the gondola and cave reopen on 19 December. In winter the last ascent is at 16:00. Check the website before you go: the hours depend on the season and the weather.
With children and with a dog
It is the easiest excursion in the valley to do with children: they enjoy the train and there is no altitude problem. The cave has stairs and is not accessible by wheelchair or with a pushchair; bring a baby carrier. The Glaciorium can be visited with help. Dogs may enter the cave on a lead, with care on the metal staircase.
Getting there
The train station is at 35 place de la Mer de Glace, behind the SNCF station. If you arrive by car, the free Biollay and Planards car parks are close by.
- **Hike to Lac Blanc from La Flégère** (3 h · 7 km · Regular walkers; steep gradient · Free; the cable car is paid separately): What it is
Lac Blanc is the best-known walk in the valley, and with good reason: a mountain lake at 2,352 m in which, when the water is still, the whole Mont Blanc massif is reflected. It sits on the Aiguilles Rouges side, facing Mont Blanc, inside a nature reserve. This is no stroll: it is a short but steep mountain route over rock and steps, which the tourist office rates as difficult because of the gradient.
You set off from Les Praz de Chamonix, north of the town, where the Flégère cable car is. The cable car saves you about 800 m of climbing and drops you at 1,877 m, at the start of the trail.
The route
It is about 7 km round trip with 500 m of ascent, up and back down. The tourist office estimates 1 h 45 to the lake and about 3 hours in all. The path climbs the slopes of La Flégère with the massif always at your back; the last ramps are the hardest.
On the way back you can come down by the Chéserys chalets and lakes, a variant the tourist office itself recommends, prettier and a little longer, which ends at the same Flégère station.
Reserve rules
The path runs through the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserve, which has strict rules: dogs are not allowed in and swimming is banned in Lac Blanc and in the Chéserys lakes by order of the prefecture, to protect the water. Stay on the path.
When to go
In summer. The tourist office warns that, with snow, the path is not safe at that altitude until late June, and its opening always depends on snow and weather. In July and August, set off early: it is the busiest walk in the valley. Before you go, check on the tourist office website that the Flégère cable car is running that day: the lifts change their hours with the season.
- **Brévent cable car** (2 h 30 · From age 2; under-5s free · Desde 43 € per adult, round trip): What it is
The Brévent is the summit opposite. While the Aiguille du Midi puts you inside the Mont Blanc massif, the Brévent sets it in front of you, whole, from the Bossons glaciers to the Chamonix needles. You go up from the town itself in two stages: a gondola to Planpraz, at 2,000 m, and a cable car to the summit of the Brévent, at 2,525 m. In winter it is also a ski area.
It is a good alternative to the Aiguille du Midi for anyone who does not want so much altitude, for going with small children, or for a day when the Mont Blanc summit is hidden but the valley is visible. And it is the starting point of several balcony paths on the Aiguilles Rouges side: from Planpraz the Balcon Sud leads on foot to La Flégère, facing the massif.
Price and hours
According to the tourist office, the round-trip pedestrian ticket costs €43 for adults and €36.60 for children aged 5 to 14; the family ticket is €133.40. One way is €31 and €26.40. Children under 5 go up free, and the minimum age is 2. It is included in the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc multi-day passes.
In winter 2026-2027 it is open every day from 12 December to 5 February, 8:50 to 16:45; from 6 February to 11 April, 8:50 to 17:15; and from 12 to 18 April, 9:00 to 16:15. It is closed from 2 November to 11 December 2026. It runs if the weather allows. The round trip takes an hour and a half, to which you add your time at the top.
Getting there
The departure point is at 29 rue Henriette d'Angeville, high up in the town, ten minutes' walk from the church along streets that climb. If you arrive by car, leave it in a car park in the town and walk up.
- **Guided snowshoeing in the Chamonix valley** (3 h 30 · From age 12 in a group; regular walkers · Desde 56 € per person): What it is
A half day walking on snowshoes along the valley floor and slopes, with a mid-mountain escort from the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix. It is the quietest way to see the valley in winter if you do not ski: snowy forests, summer pastures under the snow and the Mont Blanc massif above. The guide chooses the route according to the snow that day.
Each outing has its own theme and place, which change with the day of the week. In the morning, at 8:45, the programme visits the Samoteux peat bogs on Mondays and Thursdays, the Chenavier chalet on Tuesdays and Saturdays, the vallon de Bérard on Wednesdays and Sundays and the Charousse alpage on Fridays. In the afternoon, at 13:30, there are outings on winter wildlife, animal tracks, snow crystals and avalanches or the evolution of the glaciers, and on Sundays a gentle first outing for anyone who has never worn snowshoes. There is also an evening outing with headtorches on Fridays at 18:00.
Price and what is included
In a group it costs €56 per person at the 2027 rate, with groups of 4 to 8 people per guide; the outing is confirmed with a minimum of four. It includes the guide, the snowshoes and poles and the transfer to the starting point. It does not include boots, food or lifts if they are needed. Privately, for your own group, it costs €205 for one to four people, €225 for five to six and €250 for seven to eight.
Level and age
Allow 3 to 4 hours in total, with 2 to 2.5 hours of actual walking and at least 150 m of ascent. It is for people who walk regularly; no snowshoeing experience is needed. In a group, the minimum age is 12, accompanied by a parent.
How to book
Online, in the activity calendar, or by phone at the office. You meet at the Chamonix office, in the Maison de la montagne, 190 place de l'église. They ask for liability insurance covering the activity, with rescue and repatriation.
In summer, the same company runs half-day walking outings on similar themes, from €44, which also appear on this page.

## Dónde comer
- **Breizh Café Chamonix** (Restaurant, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, €€). Qué pedir: the raclette galette or the reblochon Breizh Roll, and for dessert the chocolate crêpe flambéed with Chartreuse.
- **Maison Carrier** (Restaurant, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, €€€). Qué pedir: the house boudin, the Savoyard fondue and, for dessert, the Vré, the homemade tart trolley.
- **Restaurant du Montenvers** (Restaurant, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, €€€). Qué pedir: the Savoy diot with polenta or the croûte with Beaufort and mushrooms; for dessert, the bilberry tart.

## Consejos

### Check the weather before booking the Aiguille
In cloud you can't see anything and the ticket is expensive. Book for the first clear day and leave the other plans for the grey days.

### Go up early
The first cabins have less of a wait and more visibility, before the afternoon clouds form.

### Ask for the Carte d'hôte when you arrive
Your accommodation gives it to you and with it the valley train is free.

### Bring layers
In the village it is hot in July and at 3,842 m it can freeze. Hat, gloves and sunglasses.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does it cost to go up the Aiguille du Midi?
From €60.20 to €83 return to the summit, depending on the date. You must book and request a boarding number.

### Can children go up the Aiguille du Midi?
Not under 3, and the company advises against it up to 5 because of the altitude.

### How many days do I need in Chamonix?
Three for the Aiguille du Midi, Montenvers and a walk. Five if you want to walk more or the weather fails.

### Do I need a car in the valley?
No. With the Carte d'hôte the train between Servoz and Vallorcine is free and there are buses throughout the valley.

### How do I get there from Spain?
By plane to Geneva and from there a little over an hour by road, or by car via Lyon, about 750 km from La Jonquera.

### Can you walk on the glacier at the Mer de Glace?
You go into a cave carved in the ice, after going down by gondola and some 170 steps. Outside the cave, the glacier is high-mountain terrain.