St. Gervais Les Bains

Debbie , you will have no problem making the transfer at St. Gervais (unless , of course you are humping a lot of large luggage ) . The station is small and its only a quick cross to the next track . If you want to get there early , there is a place right opposite the station for coffee and food . You will be coming off the Mont Blanc express and your second train is a TER (regional ) train to Bellegarde - sur -Valserine where you take the TGV to Gare de Lyon . I'm taking the same train in October . There may be track work ongoing on the route of the Mont Blanc express between the Swiss border and St. Gervais . If so there will be a replacement bus from Chamonix to St. Gervais ,but it is coordinated for the rail connection so not to worry. Have a great time , it's really beautiful there !!

Thanks for the info Steven. It's helpful since we've never been to the region. We are driving from Provence to Chamonix on Sept. 20 and turning in the rental car in Chamonix; staying at Hotel de L'Arve. (Hopefully the roads are good on this route for novice drivers in Europe.) We will look around the town that aftn & eve. The next day I guess up to Monte Blanc (a little hesitant of the tram & hts, not sure yet). The next morning out on the train I referred to. Since you seem so knowledgeable, which way would you do it? Breakfast before we left Chamonix & quick train transfer, or, earlier train & eat across from station? Any other info you have to share would also be appreciated. Thx! Deb I thought I saw a reply to this in my inbox & then it vanished! Sorry to bother you, but if you sent a reply, I would like to read it!!

"a little hesitant of the tram & hts, not sure yet" Hi Debbie, I just wanted to try to reassure you... I was very scared to take the cable car (or whatever it's called) the first time we went to Chamonix, but it was fine. It's big, doesn't swing, felt solid and secure and usually full of people so I just never looked down - only up and it wasn't scary (for me) at all. I've done it many times since then in Chamonix and in the Swiss Alps and have never had a problem. Can't say I enjoy it but going up to Mt. Blanc, aka Aiguille du Midi, is so worth it if you can manage it.

Debbie , I would have breakfast in Chamonix and just make the six minute transfer , but I don't think it matters one way or the other . If you are staying at hotel de ' l'Arve , just leave yourself adequate time to walk over to the Gare in Chamonix , a few extra minutes since you will have your luggage .The drive from Provence to Chamonix is a piece of cake ( make sure you have adequate Euro coins for the tolls , I always have fifty or so Euro in one and two euro coins in a small change purse for such occasions ( laundry , coffee , tolls ,etc . , very handy ! ) The roads are great ,they look like they were just built ( nothing like the ribbons of potholes we have here ) . While you are in Chamonix ,ride the train to Montenvers and the Mer De Glace glacier. the train goes from behind the main Chamonix station up to the glacier and it's breathtaking !! If you have the temperament for it , you can also take the telepherique ( cablecar ) to the Aiguille du Midi which is also spectacular . Also wander around Chamonix , it's a lot of fun . For a great meal ,if they are open , go to Le Bivouac at 266 rue Docteur Paccard , Chris will serve you a lovely meal and he's a charming young man . Also for the first time in my life , I used a GPS on this trip pre loaded with European maps and since we logged 2,000 miles during five weeks in France , I found it well worth the cost of the purchase .

In the interest of full disclosure , I'm with Susan about the cable car . We took the train up to the Mer de Glace ,but didn't do the Aiguille du Midi on that trip . However , this past fall We did ride several cablecars while in Switzerland and some of those did a bit of swinging , but it didn't bother me . So with that under my belt I can't wait to tackle the Aiguille du Midi . Susan is right , it's not bad and you don't want to miss it !!

This has been a good thread for me. I really want to visit Chamonix, but can't get my head wrapped around getting there. We will be in Lyon and I am curious is it possible to do a day trip either by train or car. How much does weather determine the gondola trip and what alternatives are there for going up into the mountains if there is bad weather. If we go, it will be the week of October 20th. Thanks in advance for any tips.