Chamonix

Chamonix is a famous resort in the French Alps at the foot of Mont Blanc. Also it is credited with hosting the "I"First Winter Olympic games in 1924. Chamonix is connected to the valley by a highway and a small railway line. It is also connected to Courmayeur in Italy by road via the tunnel under the Mont-Blanc, and Martigny in Switzerland by road and rail.

In the winter there are TGV lines that go directly to St. Gervais-les-Bains (Le Fayet), where you can switch to a small local train to ride up into Chamonix. There is also a TGV that leaves directly from Charles-de-Gaulle airport to Lyon, and you can transfer to St. Gervais-les-Bains (Le Fayet) from there. Via St. Gervais, sleeper trains to Paris are also easily accessible. The Chamonix valley can be considered everything between Servoz and the Swiss border, or the towns of: Servoz, Les Houches, Chamonix, Les Praz, Argentiere, and Vallorcine.

If you plan to fly to Geneva and hire a car, the route to Chamonix is relatively straight-forward, covering a distance of 88 km. Chamonix is located 80 km southeast of Geneva, Switzerland, and driving time is about one hour via the Autoroute Blanche (A40) motorway. Chamonix is 226 km from Lyon and 612 km from Paris. Geneva is the most convenient and accessible airport for tourists traveling to Chamonix. Chamexpress.com run a timetabled daily service with departures every 45 minutes to Chamonix from Geneva Airport throughout the winter and summer seasons at 25€ per person.

The town of Chamonix is serviced by French route nationale 205 (RN 205), nicknamed the Route blanche[4], or "white route", due to its snowiness. This is an extension of French autoroute 40 (A40), similarly nicknamed the autoroute blanche, which ends at Le Fayet, a village in the commune of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains[5]. The 7-mile Mont Blanc Tunnel originates here, linking Chamonix to Courmayeur in Italy[6]. Chamonix is linked to Switzerland by what used to be RN 506a. In 2006, it was converted to route départementale 1506, with a part of it integrated into RN 205.

Drinking in Chamonix is relatively expensive. Expect to pay around €6 in most places for a beer, though most places will sell pitchers for less. There are many happy hours during the late afternoon. The Microbrasserie de Chamonix (MBC) has different kinds of microbrews, in an American/Canadian ambiance (serves onion rings and hot wings, for example). Otherwise, most places serve standard pilsners, such as Heineken or 1664. Just ask for 'un demi pression' for tap beer, or a 'demi panache' for a mix of half beer, half Sprite, a refreshing alternative with less alcohol. A pint is called a "serieux" or for better value, order a "pitcher".