Chamonix has been one of the world’s favourite places for winter holidays since long before skiing was invented, and it’s a fantastic place to go and enjoy the snow.
A real French mountain town rather than a resort, Chamonix has everything that goes with France – wonderful food and wine of course, culture and heritage, boutiques and chocolatiers, spas and pools, scenic roads and railways….
See our guide: Seven days in Chamonix for non-skiers for more suggestions.
Above all, though, it’s the landscape that’s drawn people here for hundreds of years: the stunning setting with Mont Blanc towering above the jagged peaks and glittering glaciers which gouge down through the pines almost to the valley floor. Savour its charms at a more relaxed pace…
Aiguille du Midi cable car
The highest cable car in Europe, The Aiguille Du Midi is a heart-stopping ride to the pinnacle, 3842 metres above sea level. Once at the top, you’re in another world of ice and snow. The views over the Alps are indescribably beautiful and you can often see the tiny dots of climbers, really bringing home the scale.
There’s a cafe and shop, or you can have lunch at the restaurant. It’s possible to cross to Italy from the top, on the atmospheric and gorgeous Hellbronner lift, and have lunch or coffee on the Italian side – beautiful view, stunning new cable car station and surprisingly good food. More about the Midi with tips and photos here.
Montenvers Railway and Ice Cave
The charming old cog railway on Montenvers winds up from a separate station just next to the main train station in Chamonix. You can see it sometimes from the balcony as it passes high above the chalet). At the top, there’s an amazing panorama of the Mer De Glace glacier, a cafe, restaurant and shop.
It’s a lovely spot for lunch, and you can either walk or get the lift down to the ice cave carved out of the glacier.
Mont-Blanc Tramway
Another lovely old rack railway, the Mont Blanc Tramway – built in 1913 – starts at Le Fayet and makes a stop at St Gervais. In winter, after winding up through woods and villages,it stops at Bellevue. You can enjoy the views at the restaurant, or by walking or snowshoeing on the plateau surrounding
the area.
Other cable cars
All the lifts have a ticket for non-skiers, so you can come up to the snow for lunch in spectacular surroundings.
Chamonix and around: Spas
If you’d like to spend some time at a spa, we have a lovely new one in Chamonix – reasonably priced and with great facilities. More about the spa (and other local ones) here.
More about the spa (and other local ones) here.
Winter paragliding in Chamonix
Paragliding is one of the most fun things to do in the valley – swoop over the glaciers in safely with qualified tandem pilots. Exhilarating and beautiful, accessible to almost everyone, it’s one of my favourite things that the valley has to offer – an unforgettable adventure high above the pistes.
All photos copyright and used by kind courtesy of Sean Potts at Fly Chamonix – a friendly Anglo-French company focused purely on parapenting (as it’s known here) and offering everything from tandem flights for a first taster to full courses. They also have a very useful FAQ here which covers most info you might need.
Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing is beautiful, tranquil, and lets you enjoy the spectacular views of the mountains in peace. More about snowshoeing here.
Cross Country Skiing
A fun way for anyone to enjoy the snowy woods and trails. Just behind the chalet, you’ll see the trail beside the river. We are next to an almost completely flat loop of trails, which anyone can enjoy, connecting to a wider network in the valley for more the experienced. Cross Country skiing info here.
Winter Walks
With some chains on your shoes if needed, (chaînes à chaussures are widely available in the sports shops) you can walk the network of groomed paths though the valley. If conditions are safe, walk up to mountain huts such as Le Chapeau for fondue and Vin Chaud. Winter walk photos and ideas
Helicopter rides
Highly recommended – a breathtaking ride around the peaks with the longest trip going around the summit of Mont Blanc with Pascal, one of Europe’s finest helicopter pilots. The heliport is next to the excellent Cremerie du Glacier restaurant, signposted from the turn-off to Les Grands Montets just before Argentiere. Full details on their site:
http://www.chamonix-helico.fr/
Chamonix Leisure Centre
Swimming in a huge pool complete with giant waterslide, sauna and steam rooms, gym, ice rink, indoor climbing and tennis are among the facilities available at the Chamonix Centre Sportif
Shopping in and near Chamonix
Chamonix has a huge variety of shops – from upmarket boutiques like Chanel to some of the best choice of climbing and skiing equipment around in Snell Sports. As you’d expect, it’s a good place to shop for clothes – the big snow and surf brands like Quiksilver, Reef and Billabong all have shops here. Zero G has a particularly good clothing range and stocks brands like Analog and Nikita along with the bikes and boards. There are also chocolatiers, bookshops, galleries, local crafts, delicatessens and gift shops from the fun and cheesy to the exclusive and beautiful.
Shops open from 9am to 12 noon and then from around 2pm until 7 pm. Almost nothing opens 12-2, so you may as well settle in for a good lunch! Shops are open until around 7 so an evening apero can round off a shopping trip nicely.
Food shopping
There are several supermarkets in town, but if you intend to cook at the chalet a lot, it may well be worth while stocking up at the Carrefour at Sallanches, which is excellent and cheaper, especially for wine. You’ll also find a branch of Satoriz opposite Carrefour, a French wholefood store which has a good range of organic, vegetarian and vegan food.
There is also a wholefood shop in Rue des Moulins which has a good selection of veggie food including tofu.
During the season, you can find a seafood stall near the clock in the town centre where you can buy oysters and platters of Fruits de Mer.
Husky sledging is available very close to the chalet – Evolution 2 who organise this can also organise snowmobile trips to mountain restaurants, hot air balloon rides and much more
Day trips
The walled city of Annecy is very picturesque in winter – it’s an hour or so to drive, or the Chamonix Tourist Office arranges weekly coach trips – check the site for times. Geneva is also just an hour away by car or bus, and the elegant lakeside towns of Montreux, Vevey and Lausanne are also close by.
You can also visit the lovely medieval village of Yvoire or the cosmopolitan and beautiful town of Evian on the banks of Lake Geneva
An hour’s drive through the Mont Blanc Tunnel is Italy. Have a day in the cheerful traditional town of Courmayeur- great Italian food and friendly bars.
For a cultural day out, there are several excellent galleries in Martigny (take the train directly from Les Praz towards Switzerland) including the Fondation Gianada. Martigny is also the home of the wonderfully eccentric St. Bernard Dog Museum. Also in this area is the lovely old hilltop town of Sion – a delightful place to spend a day, with picturesque streets some very good restaurants.
An unusual trip is to Plateau d’Assy, a pretty mountain village that has an incredible church decorated by some of the greatest modern artists – Notre Dame de Toute Grace incorporates work by Matisse, Chagalle and Braque amongst others.
Here’s a suggested seven day itinerary to enjoy Chamonix without skis!
Seven days in Chamonix for non-skiers
Day 1: Getting your bearings
Day 2: Savoyarde Gastronomy
Day 3: Snow Safari
Day 4: Spa day and fabulousness
Day 5: Slow track to culture
Day 6: Explore the Alps
Day 7: Mont Blanc