My wife and I plan to visit Chamonix, France in September. We will be arriving by bus from Milan, Italy. We are looking for recommendations for rooms or hotels in Chamonix. Also, is it possible to use public transportation to get to hiking destinations, such as Grand Balcon Norte, Argentiere Glacier, and Lac Blanc? Thanks for any assistance.
Posted by
Chicago
975 posts
When you plan to go in September is of some importance, as the summer season will
be starting to wind down, and some of the lifts may begin to shut to prepare for maintenance
prior to the winter ski season.
There is a good bus network that will take you all over the valley. With the Mont Blanc
pass (which you will need to ride any of the trams/gondolas/Aiguille du Midi), you can
ride the buses and trains for free.
Posted by
Upstate NY, USA
993 posts
I'm headed there in Sept too, for a couple of nights - you need to check out https://www.montblancnaturalresort.com/fr for loads of info on their sites, incl Aguille du Midi, and more importantly, closure dates of lifts/trains, etc.
Also the main tourist info is chamonix.com (i have emailed them and they promptly respond).
Apparently there's a huge event that ends 31 August - Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, so Sept seems to be busier than normal. I booked accommodations months ago.
Posted by
Moncton NB
1296 posts
We stayed at Hotel la Vallee Blanche and really enjoyed it (https://www.vallee-blanche.com/en/).
It is on the Mont Blanc / Aiguille du Midi / cable car side of the river, short walk to the bridge across the river to the main square. Quiet. Great view of Mont Blanc. The coolest part is it is right on the river, and I mean RIGHT ON THE RIVER. The alpine river rushed less than a metre from our ground floor window. Quite an exciting experience.
Posted by
Atlanta
5465 posts
We were very pleased with the Hôtel de l’Arve and would definitely stay there again. LaCaleche was one of the places we ate and the food was excellent.
Posted by
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
2918 posts
We stayed at Appart' Hotel Le Genepy, and were very happy wih it.
Posted by
102 posts
fyi - yes, the UTMB race is HUGE, and all accommodation will be full during it, but it ends Aug 31 and the town empties out on Sept 1. By Sept 2, Chamonix feels like a ghost town compared to the last week of August.
For a hotel, I'm a fan of Les Balcons du Savoy, just slightly out of the center hence quieter during the run-up to the UTMB which is crazy. But you may not need to worry about noise in September.