the St Bernard Dogs Museum is fun if you like dogs. The museum also contains an excellent historical overview of the region. The Fondation Pierre Gianadda exhibition centre, just across the road from the museum, is renowned among art lovers.
The thermal baths in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (www.thermes-saint-gervais.com) are not far away. Offering all sorts of cures and treatments, they provide a very relaxing way to spend a day during a mountain holiday.
And, finally, if it’s pouring with rain on the French side of Mont Blanc, it’s just possible it will be sunny on the Italian side. A bus service runs from Chamonix to Courmayeur, through the Mont Blanc Tunnel.
When to go
Hiking in the rain generally loses its appeal eventually
This partly depends on the activities you’re intending to do, but everything in this guide requires at least semi-summer conditions – in other words, the winter snow should have melted off most slopes. July and August are high season in Chamonix and at that time everything is open – hotels, cafés, huts and lifts. The latter are important for some walks and for certain types of mountain biking. However, June and September are also lovely months in the Alps, but be aware that if you’re depending on lifts or want to have the full choice of life in town, then this is not the time to come. On the other hand, for those who like peace and quiet the busy season from mid-July to mid-August is probably to be avoided.
As for the weather, this can be anything, anytime. The mountains create their own weather system so it’s impossible to say that one month will be better than another. There are a few pointers, though:
If the weather becomes hot, it’s likely that storms will build up during the day. In this case it’s important to get going early in the morning so as to be finished before any storm activity. This is especially important if you’re going into the high mountains, on ridges, or on via ferratas or any cabled way.
Bad weather, if it comes, usually doesn’t last very long. It’s far more likely to be really bad for a day or so then clear up than to be moderately rainy for a whole week.
Rain in the valley is more than likely to fall as snow above 3000m or sometimes lower.
If it’s pouring with rain in Chamonix, it might well be bright and sunny on the Italian side of the massif, in Courmayeur.
Finally, these are the Alps – they are snowy at the top and green lower down. There is a reason for this beauty: it rains sometimes. Otherwise it would be desert.
Getting there and getting around
Chamonix is only an hour from Geneva airport, which is served by many airlines including some ‘low-cost’ ones. Various companies offer competitively priced transfers from the airport to Chamonix itself, but beware, some may require a full bus to guarantee the price.
Arrival by train is fairly simple. The Eurostar runs from the UK to Paris, where the TGV service will beam you to Saint-Gervais–Le Fayet in just a few hours. From there the train to Chamonix runs hourly.
The Mont Blanc Express makes it easy to get about
Chamonix is well served by public transport. The Mont Blanc Express train runs from Saint-Gervais–Le Fayet to Martigny every hour. This train can take bikes – five bikes per train is the official limit. The Chamonix Bus runs up and down the valley, as far as the Col des Montets in the summer. There is also a dedicated Chamonix Bus for bikes, with four services a day between Chamonix–Col des Montets and Chamonix–Le Tour.
If you’re using Chamonix accommodation then you can get a Carte d’Hôte card on arrival. This allows free travel on the train between Servoz and Vallorcine and on the Chamonix Bus.
Accommodation
There is a host of possibilities in and around Chamonix of all standards, from hotels (ranging from basic to luxurious) to gîtes to self-catering apartments to huts to campsites. But beware, many hotels are closed after the winter until mid-June, and during the French holidays (July and August) many hotels will be full, especially during the period 14 July–15 August. Reservation in advance at whatever type accommodation during this time is highly recommended.
Hotels
These range from five-star luxury to no-star basic. Chamonix itself has many hotels covering the full range, while the smaller places in the valley generally offer a more limited choice. Chamonix Tourist Office (www.chamonix.com) offers a reservation service and will also search for rooms available for a particular date.
Gîtes
There are two types of gîte: a regular gîte is a house available for rent for self-catering accommodation – these will often be big enough for several families; the other version is the gîte d’étape which offers basic accommodation in rooms or dormitories, with dinner and breakfast. These can be very good value and an excellent way to sample local food and culture.
Campsites
There are several sites in Chamonix itself and along the valley. Camping is generally not allowed outside of campsites.
Huts or refuges
The Cabane du Trient (photo: Nigel Jones)
It can be very pleasant to spend a night or two in a mountain hut when exploring the area. These vary greatly in the facilities they offer, from quite luxurious with showers and rooms to the most basic with just a dormitory and dining room. There are always toilets in or near the huts and usually in summer there is running cold water, but in high huts this can freeze overnight, meaning there is no water in the morning. Water in the huts is not always potable so you may need to buy bottled water.
Most huts are open from mid to late June to mid-September and there will be a guardian in residence. The guardian will cook the evening meal and breakfast, and many huts also offer picnic lunches too. They serve drinks, both soft and alcoholic. In some huts you can prepare your own food but this isn’t common in the huts described in this guide.
All huts described here have bedding and usually hut slippers are available, although this is not always the case.
Hut etiquette
You should always reserve at a hut before going, even if it’s just a phone call the night before. And it goes without saying that if you can’t get there for some reason you should call to cancel. If you have special dietary requirements then you should tell the guardian when you make your reservation. Equally, if you prefer to be in a room (if they exist) you should ask for that beforehand. There are no single-sex dormitories in European huts.
You should also ask about payment – some huts take credit cards but more often than not you pay in cash.
On arrival at a hut for the night you should greet the guardian and tell them who you are. At most huts you’re expected to remove your boots before going into the living area. The hut guardian will tell you what the procedures are for things like eating and rooms. Each hut
