France

Chamonix lies in one of the most spectacular valleys of the French Alps. Reminiscent of the Himalayas, the area is dominated by deeply crevassed glaciers and the cloud-diademed peak of Mont Blanc. The Aiguille du Midi, a solitary spire of rock near Mont Blanc's summit, has postcard-perfect views.

Before the 20th century

The recorded history of the Chamonix area goes back to the 11th century, when it was granted to an Italian monastery which by the 13th century had built a priory there. The town became an important commercial centre for the area's agricultural industries. Tourism, in the modern sense of the word, began changing the local economy in the mid-18th century, when the European elites began to popularise the idea of travelling for secular purposes of pleasure, rather than for religious motives. A sign that tourism was becoming more popular was the inauguration in the early 19th century of a guild of tourist guides.

Modern history

By the beginning of the 20th century, the government had begun to weigh in on the administration of the tourism industry. By this time the economy had become quite dependent on both summer tourism and the newer winter tourism. Reflecting this, in 1916 the commune changed its name from Chamonix to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc to reinforce public recognition of the area with Europe's highest peak. Chamonix hosted the inaugural Winter Olympics in 1924, and thus established itself as one of Europe's highest-profile winter resorts. In 1965, the Mont Blanc tunnel opened up traffic to Italy, thus improving accessibility.

Recent history

By the end of the century Chamonix, a town with a resident population of less than 10,000, had enough beds for about 60,000, and visitor numbers averaged about five million annually.

The Mont Blanc tunnel was closed in March 1999 following a devastating fire, which started when a goods lorry carrying flour and margarine burst into flames and quickly spread to nearby vehicles. The blaze burned for over two days and killed 39 people. A massive investigation was launched after the fire had been extinguished. The tunnel's safety systems and emergency procedures were completely overhauled, and after three years of exhaustive repairs, it finally reopened to cars and other vehicles in 2002.

Top Accommodation

Top Restaurants

Chamonix can experience a wide range of weather conditions seasonally and from day to day. Lying in the path of the oceanic westerly airstreams, Chamonix has a moist climate with heavy winter snowfalls and appreciable summer rain.

A weather phenomenon particular to the mountains, the temperature inversion, occurs from autumn until early winter. Stable air produces colder temperatures in the valleys than at higher altitudes. A thick layer of fog often builds which visitors often mistake for overcast conditions. Higher up though, the sun may be bathing the mountains in glistening autumn light.

With the extra heat of summer a huge amount of moisture is released into the air over the Alps, from melting snow. Strong convective air flows and general instability introduced by any nearby low pressure systems will result in the development of large thunderstorms. In these conditions fine, cloudless mornings deteriorate into heavy rain by the afternoon or evening.

Average weather

• Temperature
• Rainfall

Transport

Getting around

Bus transport is handled by Chamonix Bus (tel: 04 50 53 05 55; place du Triangle de l'Amitié; 07:00- 19:00 winter, 08:00-12:00; 14:00-19:00 Jun-Aug).

Bus stops are marked by black-on-yellow roadside signs. From mid-December to mid-May there are numerous lines to the ski lifts. During the rest of the year there are only two lines, both leaving from place de l'Église and passing by the Chamonix Sud stop. One line goes south to Les Houches; the other goes north via Argentière to Col des Montets. Buses stop running between 18:00 and 19:00, depending on the season. In winter, buses are free for holders of ski passes.

There's a taxi stand (tel: 04 50 53 13 94) outside the train station. Tariffs are posted inside the station. Minibuses for two to eight people are available from Chamonix Transfer (tel: 06 07 67 88 85; www.chamonix-transfer.com in French).

Parking in town can be tricky. Car parks (some free) are scattered along Route du Bouchet, around Rue des Allobroges and in Chamonix Sud, but in season they're likely to be full. Another option is to park outside town and connect by bus or train: contact Chamonix Parc-Auto (tel: 04 50 53 65 71).

Between June and September, Le Grand Bi rents bikes (tel: 04 53 14 16; 240 av du Bois du Bouchet; 3-/10-speed mountain bike hire per day; Tue-Sat 09:00-12:30; 14:30-19:00).

Getting there and away

The bus station is in the train station building. The office of SAT Autocar (tel: 04 50 53 01 15; www.satobus-alps.com - in French; Mon-Fri 06:45-10:30, 13:25-16:45; Sat & Sun winter 06:45-11:00, 13:25-16:45) is near the train station entrance. Buses operate to Geneva bus station (1.5-2hr), Annecy (3hr) and Geneva airport (2.25hr). Services to Italy, through the Mont Blanc tunnel, include Courmayeur and Aoste.

If you're coming to Chamonix from Italy, you'll arrive via the Mont Blanc Tunnel (for the use of which there's a hefty fee), which enters town in the southern suburb of Les Pélerins. From France, the N205 travels to Les Houches and Les Bossons before arriving in Chamonix.

Chamonix-Mont Blanc train station (tel: 04 50 53 12 98; ticket counter 06:00-20:00) is at the end of av Michel Croz. It has a left-luggage counter. Major destinations include Paris' Gare de Lyon (6-7hr, five daily), Lyon (4.5hr via Annecy), Annecy (2.5hr), Geneva (4hr via Annecy or Chambéry), and Grenoble (5hr via Annecy). There's an overnight train to Paris (10hr) year-round. The narrow-gauge train line from St- Gervais-le Fayet (23km/14.2mi west of Chamonix) to Martigny, Switzerland (42km/26.1mi north of Chamonix), stops at 11 towns in the valley including Argentière. There are between nine and 12 return trips a day. From St-Gervais-le Fayet, there are trains to all parts of France.