This is my ultimate guide to Chamonix for first-time visitors and solo travelers! I’m currently snowboarding around France and thought I would write this blog post for anyone who is thinking about doing the same thing as I am. Chamonix is an amazing town and I was so glad that I got to start my trip off here. If you are looking to the future, I would DEFINITELY recommend coming during Christmas time. The place was seriously magical.

 

How to Get To and From Chamonix

How to Get To Chamonix

The easiest way to get to Chamonix if you are visiting from abroad is to first and foremost, fly into Geneva Airport (GVA). The flight I took was on Air France from Los Angeles (LAX) to Paris (CDG) and then transferred to another plane to Geneva (GVA). Also, not sure what gate our plane taxied into but for some reason when we exited the plane, we had a choice to go to the Swiss side or the French side. If this happens to you, all the ski buses are on the Swiss side. When my friend flew in, he didn’t have this choice and got off on the Swiss side automatically.

Once out of Geneva Airport, you will then take a bus straight to Chamonix. There are MANY bus companies like Ben’s Bus, Alpytransfer, FlixBus, etc. that you can choose from. The one I personally took was Swiss Tours mostly because it was the cheapest. It was only 9.95 CHF which is $11 USD! I can’t believe it was that cheap and the bus was so nice.

If you are worried about getting motion sickness on this bus ride, I don’t think you have to worry. I always get motion sickness and I was hating myself for not taking a Dramamine before I got on the bus, but luckily, I didn’t even need it. It was a super easy ride.

Getting Around Chamonix

The Swiss Tours bus stops at Chamonix Sud bus station. From there, you will have to take a local bus to your next destination. I tried looking for taxis and couldn’t find any so, yes, I had to haul all my luggage onto the local bus. Luckily, my bus driver was super nice and will helped me make sure I was going the right way. The bus ticket costs 1.50 euros. The ticket counter at Chamonix Sud is only open until 6:30 pm but there’s a kiosk right next to it if it’s closed. You can also buy the ticket online here.

There’s also the SKI buses which operate during the winter and are free if you show your ski pass. This is what I primarily took to the lifts and I actually didn’t need to show my pass once. You can find all the bus schedules here.

How to Depart Chamonix

I bought a round trip bus ticket with Swiss Tours. Just FYI, the bus got there 30 minutes early so I was able to sit in the warm bus instead of being outside in the cold. Also, you probably want to get there kind of early because the bus got completely full and people were turned away. Not sure if those people had tickets already or were trying to get on. We also left 7 mins early since our bus was full. Just FYI, Chamonix Sud bus station does NOT have an inside place for you to wait so make sure to keep that in mind to not get there too early because you’ll be waiting outside in the cold.

 

What Area Should You Stay in Chamonix?

Since this was my first time in Chamonix, I did a lot of research on what area to stay in especially being a solo traveler. I was trying to look for an accommodation that was close to the gondola so I could easily walk to and from if I needed.

I found this place about 10 minutes walking from the Pran Plaz gondola and surprisingly reasonable for the time of year I went. I went over Christmas and it cost me 444 euros ($470 USD) for 4 nights. The space was pretty small and the listing says it can accommodate two people but to be honest, the two people would have to be a couple. In my opinion, it was perfect for one person if you’re really here to snowboard/ski.

If you are looking for a good area to stay I would suggest staying anywhere around the area I shaded in below. My bus stop was the Mummery bus stop and it was great. There was a bus that could take me to Chamonix Sud Bus Station and a SKI bus that could take me to the Pran Plaz gondola (SKI14). The Mummery bus stop was also just outside the main shopping area so you do get all the hustle and bustle, but still very close to all the action.

 

 

Skiing/Snowboarding Chamonix

Level of Difficulty of the Slope (USA vs. France)

The first thing you might notice once you hit the slopes is that there’s a different rating system in France. Below is a quick chart of each runs equivalent.

USA	France
Green	Green
Blue	Blue
Black	Red
Double Black	Black

The Mountains of Chamonix

Chamonix is made up of five mountains: Grands Montets, L’Aiguille du Midi, Le Brévent and La Flégère (lift linked) and Le Tour. Here’s also a good map of the whole area. The mountains are not linked except for Le Brévent and La Flégère. Le Brévent is the closest mountain to the town of Chamonix.

In hindsight, 4 nights is Chamonix was not enough time to explore the mountain. First of all, I only had a possible 3 days of snowboarding and one of those days, I ended up getting sick which I was so mad about! I literally got the flu shot and a COVID booster before I left the States so I wouldn’t have to deal with this and OF COURSE, I get sick on DAY 1! Okay, enough of me ranting…

Since I only got to board 2 days, I didn’t get to explore all of Chamonix as much as I wanted to. I pretty much stayed near the Brévent/Flégère side since that’s what was easiest mountain for me to get to. As an intermediate snowboarder, this was plenty for my two days of snowboarding.

Chamonix Lift Tickets

Chamonix is conveniently a part of the Ikon Pass and is the main reason I chose to come here. On the Ikon Base Pass, you get 5 days here and no blackout dates which worked out since I was visiting over Christmas. If you have the Ikon Pass (full), you get 7 days here.

For people that don’t have the Ikon Pass and are looking to buy window tickets, Chamonix does dynamic pricing so the cost will be based on what day it is. For a single one-day lift ticket, it can range from 50,60€ to 71€. 

 

Where to Eat in Chamonix

To be honest, the town is so cute that anywhere you go, it’s going to be a good time. If you want to hone in on food choices though and want to eat something regional, look for restaurants that are known for “savoyard” fare. I’m was taught recently by my Parisian friends that this is what the region is know for. Just a warning though, it is HEAVY and probably best if you just went skiing/snowboarding the whole day.

Since I am on a massive budget, I didn’t go out and eat a lot and pretty much cooked most of my meals at home. But the two places I did go to, I can vouch for were really good.

Le Monchu

I was lucky enough to meet up with some Parisian friends who were nearby visiting Megève so they suggested we grab lunch in Chamonix since it was a short drive for them. We tried to make a last-minute reservation at Le Monchu but since it was the holidays, they were fully booked online. So, I decided to get there early and see if I could try to make a reservation in person. I got there around 12:00 pm asking if I can make a reservation for 12:30 pm and they said they could accommodate!

My friend recommended that I get the tartiflette which was this amazing plate of potatoes swimming in this delicious cheese with bacon and a crispy crust on top. It was to die for but definitely something that should be eaten after a long day of skiing or snowboarding.

 

Chalet 4810

If you are looking for a good coffee and maybe some pastries, definitely stop by Chalet 4810. The coffee was amazing! I also got a Croix de Savoie pastry with cream which was recommended by my waitress. It was pretty good but I wish it came out warm. If you get the same pastry, just make sure you ask them to heat it up for you.

Supermarkets

There are small supermarkets sprinkled around town. A quick Google Map search will show you where most of them are. The ones I went to is SPAR which was a smaller market and then Super U which was a bigger supermarket and had more choices in terms of produce.

 

General FAQs

Do You Need Euros?

This is up to you. I didn’t need cash the whole time I was there. I even bought my 1.50 euro bus ticket online. So, I say you can get by comfortably without having to pull out cash. 

Is English Spoken Widely?

Yes, since it a pretty big tourist spot, almost everyone speaks English. 

Was is Safe Traveling There By Yourself?

Yes! Definitely felt safe and even felt welcomed which was nice. If you’re on the fence about going to Chamonix by yourself, I think it’s one of the easiest solo-friendly places you can travel to if you’re into skiing/snowboarding. 

I want you to know that you can totally do it! I did this all by myself with 4 pieces of baggage. Of course, I was doing everything on a budget so my choices were not the most convenient but it still was a success. My biggest tip for you is to have your accommodations near a bus stop so you have easy access to and from Chamonix Sud Station and the ski lifts. My bus stop was right outside my building and it made it so much easier to move my luggage.

 

Ikon Pass Holders

For my Ikon Pass holders, you do NOT need to go to the ticket counter or train station to get your Chamonix lift tickets anymore. I know in previous years, they required you to do that, but now, all you have to do is scan your Ikon season pass like you would at any other resort. 

 

Conclusion

Chamonix was such a pleasant surprise! From the ease of getting to the town from the airport to how gorgeous the town is at night. If you are looking for an easy ski vacation in France, I think it would be pretty hard to beat this. It’s super easy to get to from the airport and the town has a lot of places for you to eat and shop at. Absolutely don’t hesitate!