# Two nights in Chamonix from Geneva: the Aiguille du Midi, a night beside the Mer de Glace and the climb to Lac Blanc

Flight to Geneva and an hour and a quarter by road: the Aiguille du Midi, a night in the 1880 refuge above the Mer de Glace, Lac Blanc on foot and galettes in the centre.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/auvergne-rhone-alpes/chamonix/itineraries/two-nights-from-geneva-lac-blanc · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Dónde: Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

Chamonix is done well in two nights if you plan the trip sensibly: on Saturday, the valley's two great ascents; on Sunday, the prettiest hike on the opposite side. What sets this getaway apart is Saturday night. Instead of going down to the village, you stay up, at the Refuge du Montenvers, the 1880 stone hotel beside the Mer de Glace. When the last train goes down, the glacier and the needles are yours.

## How do you get there from Spain?

By plane to Geneva, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante, Bilbao, Palma and other Spanish cities. From the airport to Chamonix it is about 75 minutes by the A40: by hire car or on one of the shuttles booked online. If you hire a car, in Chamonix you leave it parked all weekend; for going up to the refuge, the free car parks at Biollay and Planards are next to the train station.

## Where to sleep?

AccommodationAreaFor whom

Hameau Albert 1erIn the village, near the Montenvers trainA special trip: five stars, spa and chalets

Refuge du MontenversAt 1,913 m, beside the Mer de GlaceThe night in the mountains, half board

HI Chamonix hostelLes Pèlerins, south of the villageTo spend little, with a bus at the door

## And in bad weather?

If Saturday dawns with the summit covered, swap the order: go up to the refuge in the morning, eat up there and leave the Aiguille du Midi for Sunday, instead of Lac Blanc. The Mer de Glace can be enjoyed with high cloud too; the Aiguille cannot.

## With children

The Aiguille du Midi does not admit children under 3 and the company advises against it until 5. The Refuge du Montenvers has a five-bed family room and Tribu rooms for seven and ten, but children take a bed like an adult. Lac Blanc is steep: with small children, swap it for the Brévent, which goes up by cabin from the village.

## El plan

### Friday · 19:30 · Arrival and dinner at the Maison Carrier
Leave your suitcase at the hotel and dine at the Savoyard farmhouse of the Hameau Albert 1er: fondue, farçon and the tart trolley. Open Wednesday to Sunday; book.

### Saturday · 08:00 · Aiguille du Midi cable car
The first cabin, with a reservation and boarding number. Three or four hours between the ascent, the terraces and the descent.

### Saturday · 12:30 · Montenvers train with your luggage
Collect your luggage and ride the red train up to Montenvers. Voyage Mer de Glace ticket, with the gondola and the cave.

### Saturday · 13:00 · Lunch at the Restaurant du Montenvers
Diot with polenta or croûte au Beaufort facing the glacier.

### Saturday · 15:00 · Ice cave and Glaciorium
Go down by gondola and the stairs to the cave. On the way back, the Glaciorium.

### Saturday · 16:00 · Night at the Refuge du Montenvers
Check-in at 16:00. Walk along the edge of the glacier when the trains leave and dine at the refuge.

### Sunday · 08:30 · First train down and Lac Blanc
Go down to Chamonix and head to Les Praz, to the Flégère gondola. Three hours return to Lac Blanc, with an optional loop via the Chéserys.

### Sunday · 14:00 · Galettes at the Breizh Café
In the centre, open all day: raclette galette and crêpe flambéed with Chartreuse.

### Sunday · 16:00 · Brévent or return
If you have energy and time left, go up the Brévent to see Mont Blanc head on. If not, road to Geneva.

## Un consejo más

Bring a small rucksack for the refuge night and leave the large suitcase in the car: carrying it on the train and through the station is awkward.

## Cuándo no ir

November and the first half of December: the Montenvers train, the Aiguille du Midi and the Brévent are being serviced, and the Hameau Albert 1er closes until 4 December.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does the getaway cost?
Excluding flights, with the refuge on half board, one night in a mid-range hotel, lifts and meals, from about €450 per person.

### Do you need a car?
Not in the valley. To get there from Geneva, a hire car or shuttle.

### What is the best time?
July to September, when the Lac Blanc path is free of snow.

### Can it be done in winter?
Yes, without Lac Blanc: swap it for guided snowshoeing or the Brévent.