sites at Mont Blonc (1 Viewer)

Welsh girl

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We are in Annecy France and want to go to Mont Blonc but can't find any sites open or any Aires, does anyone know of anywhere open this time of year?
It would be a pity to miss it as we are so close to it, Tez wants to look at the train there that goes up the mountain and possibly have a ride on it, he's mad about trains.
Still people skiing there, we can see them from or van windows, Annecy is a lovely place very Swiss looking.
 
Feb 16, 2013
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There is an aire on the road to the tunnel and there is a large aire type thing right at the entrance to the tunnel , sure you could park up there, never saw anything saying you couldn't , don't know if this helps but we were there last year mostly on France passion sites
 
Apr 27, 2008
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There is an aire at Chamonix. Its just a car park really, but there are toilets and its right at the base of the cable car. OK for a one night stop.

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hilldweller

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Great campsite in Chamonix just across the road from the hospital. A few minutes walk into town and the Aiguille cable car.
 
Oct 1, 2013
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Great campsite in Chamonix just across the road from the hospital. A few minutes walk into town and the Aiguille cable car.
We'll be using that this year as really wanna head up that cable car to Aiguille du Midi that you recommended.

And I'm scared of heights :roflmto:
 

DuxDeluxe

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As per Brian on this - short walk into town/funicular railway and the cable car. The last few hundred metres of the cable car ride is as near as dammit vertical. And it is a long way down......

Try and do the cable car bit earlier in the morning for two reasons - 1) hordes of tourists a bit later in the day and 2) it does tend to cloud up later on on some days.

Instead of doing the funicular railway there is a path up to the Mer de Glace going past the luge d'ete (if it is still there) a good stiff walk which will take you a couple of hours or so (unless you don't stop and admire the view) and then get the funicular back down again. I did that a few times getting strength back in my leg after a rather big skiing accident

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Oct 1, 2013
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As per Brian on this - short walk into town/funicular railway and the cable car. The last few hundred metres of the cable car ride is as near as dammit vertical. And it is a long way down......
I don't like heights. Is it bad ?

Try and do the cable car bit earlier in the morning for two reasons - 1) hordes of tourists a bit later in the day and 2) it does tend to cloud up later on on some days.
Great advice :Smile:

Instead of doing the funicular railway there is a path up to the Mer de Glace going past the luge d'ete (if it is still there) a good stiff walk which will take you a couple of hours or so
Sod off :roflmto:
 

DuxDeluxe

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I don't like heights. Is it bad ?

No, it is terrifying!


Seriously, I am more scared of heights than most people (it comes from being so close the the ground.....) and didn't have a problem with it. Just did the whole tourist bit with eyes screwed tightly shut. Come to think of it, could have saved some money and not gone.

Been up there a few times when I lived in Geneva, as most visitors wanted to see it. Well worth it on a clear day.

Awesome biking roads - Thonon to Morzine. St Cergue to Nyon..........
 
Feb 24, 2013
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Sorry to OP for stealing the thread, can' t help with camp sites, but really suggest you go to Chamonix and find a site then get up the Aguile de Midi, and the Brevent on the other side, plus the train to the glacier

None of them are cheap though

I have just read about a new glass platform they have installed on the Aguile platform, new since we went last, not for me

As said the last part is vertical as near as dammit, defies physics to me how a pulley can grip the cable

First time up, proper terrified to be honest, but wanted to see the view from the top, accessed via an open mesh stair case going round the outside of the building, stairs like you get in a factory, so holes in the bit where your feet go and nothing in front of them. Now I was scared for real

Got to top to see my other daughter there, hadn't seen her go ahead of us, turns out you don't have to go one the outside stairs:Doh:

When up there a maintenance man came out to move some snow off the top platform, big snow shovel, moved snow to the edge, then only opened up the bloody side and swept it out, no harness no anything straight down about 2000m I reckon :Eeek:

I have been up again though since so cant be too bad :whatthe:, one of our group didn't make it past the half way stop, you have to get out and change there, he stayed and waited for us to come back, contemplated walking down

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DuxDeluxe

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I laughed at the above - completely in tune with it. Yorick, believe me it is worth it......... Not cheap, though. Chamonix is a nice place in the summer, but never liked it in the winter - better to ski at Megeve.............. :winky:
 

Soozywoozy

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We are booked in here in the summer based at St Gervais les Bains with tram up to Mont Blanc
all the reviews look fantastic including a great video on their website and I have great customer service so far with all my communications

Broken Link Removed

clue is in the name!

any tips for annecy in exchange? We are booked in a campsite there before St Gervais but would be great to hear any other titbits/good restaurants etc
 
Oct 1, 2013
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We're setting off tmrw and will be heading here.

We'll be travelling up from Gap, then towards Dijon and onto Calais home.

Is there anything we should see on those routes ? We don't mind a short detour


Merci

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Gorse Hill

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Been climbing on mont blanc, when using the cable car remember you will be at altitude once up there and might struggle with the lack of oxygen so take things slowly when you get to the top
Well worth it as the views of the 3 mountains tacul,maudit & Mont Blanc are to die for and one you will never forget, take your camera
 

ojibway

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Last edited:
Oct 1, 2013
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Great campsite in Chamonix just across the road from the hospital. A few minutes walk into town and the Aiguille cable car.
We stayed there, cheers.

Amazing views looking up at Mont Blanc and Aiguille di midi

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DBK

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The best view of Mont Blanc is from Switzerland. We worked in Nyon way back and had the most spectacular view every day of Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc!
There is a nice little campsite in Rolle - http://www.campingrolle.ch/indexE.html
Another nearby in France is at Divonne -http://www.camping-le-fleutron.com/en/
Photo - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jolas...rvg-c7zPe3-bN4C98-5vZm37-cLXDDS-dTCFJw-5V2Qm4
You ate well in Switzerland by the look of it - your Flickr photos are all edible - apart form the one of Mont Blanc and I suppose the children are off limits too!
 
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We were in Chamonix in early June. The Aire at the Grepon car park for the Aiguille du Midi was expensive - can't remember how much but the book says 12.50 Euros for 24 hours (or less for shorter time - you pay at a machine before you leave). There is water but the loo emptying was full, or so we were told! (no, we didn't check!). Also the loos were closed (and it didn't look like they'd ever be open again!)- tho' in office hours there are loos at the ski lift office, 400m or so away. BUT it's a great place to be if you don't like early starts but want to get the first lift up (8.45??). Everywhere else we went in the alps was pretty much closed in early June but Chamonix was quite busy - tho the Aire was only ever 1/2 full (including cars and MHs - there are 100 or so spaces).

There were queues for the lift at 8.30am so God knows what it's like in peak season! I think you can book?? The return trip to the top was £90 for us both but worth every penny (cent?). It is VERY steep and the descent does swing a bit going past the pylons. However - if you get in the middle of the cable car there will be so many other people crammed in that you won't be able to see anything so may be OK! We have done lots of skiing so are quite chilled about cable cars but if you don't like heights, maybe save your money- or just go half way - still amazing views from there. Good advice to go early - weather tended to be clear first thing and cloud over during day. There were big queues at the top for the "step into the void" - perspex box thing that does have to be done and it was FREEZING. In Chamonix it was hot but at the top it was way below freezing (strangely they don't have a visible thermometer which would have been interesting) so lots of layers, gloves, furry hats all needed. If you want to do the "step into void" without queuing for hours, get the first lift up and go straight to the queue, rather than faffing around oohing and aahing at the view like we did!! There's also a very interesting display up there and the views are just staggering. We could have spent hours up there but had 2 dogs in a heating up motorhome back at the Aire so were a bit limited. (no dogs allowed in that cable car). The middle station is also great (in the snow when we were there) - if we hadn't had to get back for the dogs we would have spent the whole day up there.

We stayed for a couple of nights at Les Deux Glaciers campsite just west of Chamonix (ACSI) (see my photo this month in Practical Motorhome - am I allowed to say that on this forum??!!). Good location, clean facilities. Also the Aire at Le Tour (Argentiere) is fine and free - very sloping so you'll need ramps, loos at the ski lift office were open 24/7 and OK. (No water or loo emptying). That's close to the helicopter place that does flights over Mont Blanc (it had to be done - despite the price - and was awesome!).

Loved Chamonix - will return!
 

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