Villas in Chamonix

About Chamonix

Chamonix is a Haute-Savoie commune of around 8,700 people, with its valley floor close to 1,000 m and Mont Blanc just to the south. It hosted the first Winter Olympics in 1924. Three separate ski areas, Grands Montets, Brévent-Flégère and Balme, run along the valley from Le Tour down to Les Houches. Grands Montets has the highest and most extreme slopes, while Les Houches is the only area with runs below the treeline. The homes are gathered in and around Chamonix rather than strung across the valley, so most are a bus or short drive from a lift. Chambre Neuf stays open until 2am, though the largest nightclub can be empty out of season. Cable cars can be shut by weather at any time of year.

Is Chamonix right for you?

Best for

Skiers, walkers and climbers who want a real mountain town

Not for you if

You want ski-in, ski-out, because the ski areas are spread along the valley and linked by bus.

Near Chamonix

• Aiguille du Midi

  A cable car rises to over 3,800 m, and the top stays cold even in midsummer; reserve ahead at peak times.

• Mer de Glace

  Reached by the 5.1 km Montenvers cog railway, which opened in 1909 and runs from spring to autumn depending on conditions.

• Courmayeur

  The Italian resort on the far side of the 11.6 km Mont Blanc tunnel, which opened in 1965.

• Les Houches

  The lower end of the valley's ski terrain, the only area with slopes below the treeline and the usual choice for families.

• Martigny

  A Swiss town linked to Vallorcine by the Mont Blanc Express, a metre-gauge rail service.

Getting to Chamonix

Geneva is the usual airport, 88 km away and about an hour by road on the A40. Shuttles such as Chamexpress run from the airport all year. In winter, TGV trains run to Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (Le Fayet), where a local train continues to Chamonix. Once there, buses and trains between Servoz and Vallorcine are free with the guest card.

When to go to Chamonix

Winter is ski season, and lift-pass holders ride the valley buses free. The Mont Blanc pass also covers Courmayeur. In summer the Tour du Mont Blanc takes about ten days, and the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc runs every August, so rooms are in demand then. The Mer de Glace railway runs from spring to autumn, and the Aiguille du Midi is cold in any month.

Chamonix villa holidays: questions answered

Nearby towns to Chamonix

• Tignes (242)
• Les Menuires (120)
• Le Corbier (118)
• Val Thorens (104)
• Saint Gervais (98)
• All of Savoie - Haute Savoie