A Day in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Town

We were quite happy to spend a bad weather day in the town of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.

We had a horrible 2nd day of skiing where Dutchman and I lost each other at the top of the mountain (2,270 meters above sea level) and I was clinging on to my life, somewhat, on a steep slope with no visibility and only howling winds and snow swirling all over me.

All I can say is, “Never again!”. Never ever again I am going up high in the mountains when the weather is bad. It’s best to stay within the tree line range.

So we decided to take it slow the next day, staying longer in bed and having a lazy brunch whilst watching French TV. Then we took the train, the Mont Blanc Express to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc town.

The resort we stayed (Dormio Resort Les Portes du Mont-Blanc) gave us free train tickets for a week to Chamonix. It is approximately (less than) half an hour ride from Vallorcine which is not bad at all. The scenery along the way was stunning.

Train ride views:

I made a short video of the train ride but the file extension (MTS) is not supported by Blogger so I cannot upload the video.

Arriving in the town of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. The train station is quite pretty, setting us in the mood for our little day trip.

The town sits at the foot of Mont Blanc in the French part very near to the border of Switzerland which shares the very same valley. The village we stayed in called Vallorcine is literally situated next to the border of Switzerland. We had to pass through Switzerland to get to our ski resort.

I managed to take many photos of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc town.

We spent the first hour walking around and familiarising ourselves with the town. It is not big so half an hour into the exploration we got tempted into some window shopping. The Dutchman was looking for a new snowboard but did not find what he wanted. I didn’t have anything in mind to shop but managed to find long wool socks that I can use for sleeping.

I do not do well with window shopping really as I tend to get bored and impatient unless, of course, I am shopping in a gourmet store selecting salamis and cheeses.

This is a colourful airbag. You need one fitted if you are a skier or snowboarder going on off-piste trips. They are a must as avalanches can happen without warning.

The most popular attraction in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is the Aiguille du Midi, the highest cable car in France. It goes up to the summit 3,842 meters above sea level. Our ski passes did not have access to this cable car but if we want, we can just add an extra EUR 20 I think to get a return.

There are many viewing points when you reach the top. There is a restaurant up there as well. There are no trimmed slopes to ski but only off-piste terrain on the Vallee Blanche. You need to be on the intermediate-expert level to be able to ski down.

There is also another popular attraction which is seeing the Montenvers and Mer de Glace on a little red tram.

I have noticed that many people visiting Chamonix-Mont-Blanc did not come here for skiing or snowboarding, but to just visit the town and experience what Chamonix is. You can easily spot them in their Instagram-styled winter fashion clothing and sporting the requisite selfies from time to time.

I realised that Chamonix is actually a very famous place, being the first ski resort to hold the Winter Olympics back in 1924. So the town has got a name. But it is also famous now for the Aiguille du Midi and the Vallee Blanche. But for some reason, I was not eager to experience the Aiguille du Midi. I thought that if I was here 5 years ago, I would have jumped on that cable car without a doubt. Somehow, I do not think it’s a bucket list thing. Well, I do not have any bucket lists anyway, but you know what I mean.

It was time for a break and we spotted this trendy cafe serving delicious chocola chaud (hot chocolate milk drink) slathered with a generous dollop of whipped cream on top. Just what we needed!

Then back to more window shopping. Admittedly, I managed to buy some more dried sausages to bring home to the Netherlands.

We also bought some of the local treats called Bugnes. These are sold in most bakeries in town. It’s like a cross between doughnut and pretzel. I love it.

We checked out the slopes in town. Most people taking lessons meet here with their ski instructors. It is also a good place to practice a bit if it’s your first time trying on the sport.

A massive Christmas tree with lights!

Then it was time to have dinner. We wanted to catch the train an hour before their last service, so we decided to eat early. Finding a restaurant is a bit difficult because there are so many choices!

We settled eventually at Cafe La Potiniere. It wasn’t that busy yet but there were already early birds like us.

I was craving some local good old French Alpes cuisine, Fondue.

A tip from me when eating cheesy meals is to drink a lot of water. I ordered a big bottle. The cheese can be very salty and it can wake you up in the middle of the night dashing to the fridge. It happened to us!

The night was very young when we left Chamonix to go back to Vallorcine. People were just going out in search of a restaurant to eat at or a bar to hang out. I am sure it will become more lively as it goes into the night.

It also started to snow which made the atmosphere quite magical. The outdoor winter lights were a delight too! The snow and the lights were a lovely combination for a perfect Chamonix setting.

It was very nice to have visited Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. The place is pretty with many stores. There are a lot of diversions aside from the regular winter sports programming. The evenings are lively. Too lively perhaps compared to the usual ski resorts and villages we normally stayed at. It was very touristy though, but it was nice for a change.