Signed up for "The Best of Switzerland" tour. It ends in Bern. Rather than backtrack to Zurich, we are thinking of taking a train to Geneva. Stay two days there. One day would be a day trip to Chamonix. Do we need a "tour" or a guide to get the best out the Chamonix day trip?
Geneva will be the last stop this year. Home from there. Any comments or suggestions?
John,
I'm not sure there would be any advantage in having a guide for touring Chamonix. The city is very walkable, and you can get all the information on the main sights there from the guidebook. If you're planning a trip to the Aguille du Midi, it will be a bit expensive but well worth the cost (IMO). If you have any issues with altitude, you'll need to consider that as the top of the facility is at about 12K feet.
One of the quickest ways to get from Geneva to Chamonix would be to use one of the local mini van transfer services, as that would be much faster and easier than by train. I would highly recommend Chamonix Valley Transfers (there are others).
There are several buses from Chamonix to different popular destination in Italia or Swiss. You could find the programm on http://chamonix.montblancbus.com/en/summer-excursions
I can't remeber how long it takes but I believe it's just about an hour ride. Cost is 55 Euros round trip and the guide is excellent!
Hi John, we visited Chamonix as part of the RS Eastern France tour in May 2015. We had a free day there and just loved it! Our guide suggested that we get up early and take the first gondola to the Aiguille du Midi. He also suggested that we purchase a day pass for a few dollars more that included some additional sites. The Aiguille du Midi was a spectacular, amazing experience, with terrific views. At the summit be sure to see the "step into the void" skywalk.
After that we walked back to the station and took the train (included in the pass) to Montenvers where there is an ice cave carved out of a glacier. Amazing! Lots of steps but totally worth it!
Chamonix is a small town and I don't think you need a guided tour (as I mentioned, this was our "un-guided" day). Check out the info in the RS book and get a map from your hotel. If you're looking for a restaurant recommendation, we had a wonderful dinner at La Calache - fondue and raclette.
Hope you have a great time!
