Chamonix Beta

• What is Chamonix near ?
• How to here / getting around
• Hotels and lodging
• Shop opening times / good addresses
• Restaurants
• Useful telephone numbers
• Mountain huts
• Ski passes
• Links to lift companies
• Other Activities

Chamonix is the gateway to the Alps. The location could not be better,
Chamonix is located in the very heart of the Alps. All the major alpine
climbing/skiing centers are less than 3 hours drive. Easy access and
modern highways right into the town itself make getting to Chamonix
simple.

Perfectly centered, you are just :
1 hour from the Geneva International airport
15 minutes from Courmayeur, Italy
1 hour from Verbier, Switzerland
2 hours from Zermatt, Switzerland
2.5 hours from La Grave, France

This means you are always able to take advantage of the best possible
conditions for skiing and or climbing should the weather not cooperate,
a short drive will get you to better weather and conditions.

Getting here :
Nothing could be easier than getting to Chamonix.
The Geneva International Airport is a simple 1 hour drive along a great
highway. No hassles - no fuss.

Public transportation is easy, simply catch one of the big yellow/blue/white
SAT buses just outside of customs which will bring you directly into the
center of Chamonix. Cost for a one way ticket is 33 Euros.
Scheduled departures from the international sector of the Geneva Airport
are as follows, winter 2000/2001 schedule:
Daily 8.30 / 11.15 / 16.00 / 19.10
The bus arrives approx. 2 hours later in Chamonix.

Other options inlcude the follow shuttle services:

• www.chamexpress.com
• www.a-t-s.net
• www.mountaindropoffs.com
• www.chamonixshuttles.com
• Rental cars (Europcar seems to offer the best deals, but also check
  into renting a car before you leave home - it is probably less
  expensive !) There are also taxis, and rail service depending upon your time schedules and or budgets...

Getting around :
Once in Chamonix, the local bus service is quite good and covers the entire
valley, making one end just 30 minutes from the other. This is also free during the winter when you buy a ski pass. Additionally there is a train running the entire length of the valley that gets you almost anywhere as well.

Hotels and lodging :
There are literally dozens of places to stay in and around the Chamonix
valley. From simple guest houses to posh 4 star hotels, and everything in
between. If you need a recommendation or help with accommodations, I
would be pleased to help you. All the hotels can be found here>>>
Some places that I recommend are :

• ****Le Morgane 33(0)4 50 53 57 15
• ***Le Labrador 33(0)4 50 55 90 09
• ***Le Prieure 33(0)4 50 53 20 72
• ***l'Alpina 33(0)4 50 53 47 77
• ***La Savoyarde 33(0)4 50 53 00 77
• **l'Eden 33(0)4 50 53 18 43
• ** Hotel de l'Arve 33(0)4 50 53 02 31
• ** Les Cretes Blanches 33(0)4 50 53 05 62

Shop opening times :
Most of the shops in town are open everyday of the week including Sunday
(which is unusual in Europe). Hours are generally from 9-12 and close for
lunch and re-open again from 2-7 p.m. The banks and post office will have
more classical hours 9-12 and 2-5 p.m.

Restaurants :
Chamonix boasts over 100 restaurants and one of the highlights of your trip
here will certainly be the food. None of the burgers and fast food typically
found at ski resorts. Though one can find Mexican and light fare, I highly
recommend sampling some of the traditional local cuisine, raclette, fondue,
tartiflette and the like...some good addresses are :

• Munchies 04 50 53 45 41
  Excellent exotic food from Swedish hosts. My favorite for a night out - should
  not be missed - rue du Moulin, town center.
• La Cantina 04 50 53 64 20
  Good, homemade Mexican food – just off rue Vallot on the side street
  Rhododendrons, town center.
• Bistrot des Sports 04 50 53 00 46
  Good, inexpensive local fare in a local atmosphere – rue Vallot, town center.
• Le Monchu 04 50 53 04 80
  One of my favorites for authentic local cuisine, try the traditional raclette
  or fondue, you will not be disappointed. Be sure to reserve on weekends.
  Right next to the Casino, town center.
• La Spiga d’Oro 04 50 53 06 49
  Excellent authentic Italian food – a must stop for a ‘real" meal. Just off the
  rue Paccard, 5 minutes walk from the town center.
• La Caleche 04 50 55 94 68
  Very good traditional fare in an authentic atmosphere. Rue Paccard, town
  center.
• MBC Micro Brasserie de Chamonix 04 50 53 61 59
  This happening apres-ski place not only hand makes their (great) beer but also serves up some decent food as well. 5 min walk past town.
  

Telephone numbers :
Some important numbers to know are : (from the states dial 011 then 33,
dial the 0 when calling from within France and drop the country code 33)

• OFFICE DE TOURISME DE CHAMONIX
  85, place du triangle de l'amitié
  74401 Chamonix Mont-Blanc cedex
  Tél. +33 (0)4 50 53 00 24
  Fax +33 (0)4 50 53 58 90
• High Mountain Office for info on conditions, routes, etc. 33(0)4 5053
  2208
• SAT bus line 33(0)4 5053 0115
• SNCF rail information 33(0)8 3635 3535
• Roads and highway conditions 33(0)4 5053 0551
• Europcar car rental 33(0)4 5053 6340

Mountain Huts :
(for a list of the huts and their tel. #'s, click here...)

Ski Passes:
There are now a few different types of ski passes serving the Chamonix valley and each one has it's own advantages. I think that for most of my programs getting the MONT BLANC UNLIMITED SKI PASS is the way to go. It offers skiing in the entire valley of Chamonix but also these key components:

• every lift in the Chamonix valley (Aig du Midi AND Grands Montets included)
• Courmyeur lifts
• Monte Bianco lifts
• Verbier - 4 Valleeslifts (for 6 days or more)
• use of the Montevers train
• discounted tunnel passes

Cost is:
1 day: 50 euros
5 day: 226 euros
6 day: 250 euros
7 day: 280 euros

If this isn't the bargain of the century I don't know what is!!!

Lift companies:
Chamonix Valley
Les Houches
Courmayeur
Monte Bianco
Verbier
Zermatt
Gressoney/Alagna

Other Activities:
Swimming Pool
Skating rink
Climbing wall