Lists of refuges with opening and closing dates and other Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France Hotel/Accommodation Reviews

It is becoming a real problem with certain routes such as climbing Mont Blanc and the Tour du Mont Blanc that huts are over-crowded. This is most often caused by people who do not call ahead to make reservations or even hear the hut is full, but turn up anyhow unannounced. This is rude and also a bit dangerous in high season as you risk sleeping on a table or even being denied a place altogether and being told to walk on if another hut is nearby.

However, if you call ahead and book your space then you will have a guaranteed place up to a certain time of day. If you are going to be late enough to miss dinner time or will miss your reservation entirely due to a calculation error about how fast you would travel, call the hut so they can either take on more people or save your place.

Store their numbers in your phone before you start the walk (some areas won't have reception but many areas of the walk do). A page with all the hut telephone numbers for the Chamonix mountain region is maintained by the Office of Haute Montagne in Chamonix and is here : http://www.ohm-chamonix.com/fiche.php?id=62&ling=En . They also list some of the nearby Swiss and Italian huts that connect to the Mont Blanc massif and for many of the popular hiking tours and mountaineering locations. You can find the opening and closing dates as well as the phone numbers to call for reservations.

If you are reserving for climbing Mont Blanc you will need to reserve your summer place several months ahead of time. The other way to do it is more risky but you can always call on the night before or the morning of your departure for the hut, even if they were previously booked up and see if there were any cancellations that you can take. Some tour operators make a habit of reserving blocks of spaces in the hopes that they will have a group coming in that week, but if there are no bookings they will cancel their reservations. If you are vegetarian mention it at the time of booking. Some huts ask that you remind them of this when you arrive. Don't expect amazing vegetarian food by the way ...

Huts vary in quality of food and bedding however the same general 'rules' apply to all mountain huts. If you are a first time hut goer, the 'unique qualities' shows what to expect. Note that the higher the altitude or more remote the hut, the more basic it will be. More popular huts may be better stocked but will be more crowded as well. The closer to a town often means more creature comforts.

Unique Qualities: 1. No boots or ice axes in the hut - you will find sandals in the hut entrance and put your boots on a shelf.

2. Most huts have some type of drying area for wet gear near the wood stove which is often in the dining area. Some have outdoor lines as well.

3. Blankets and pillows are provided but bring your own sleeping bag liner for hygienic reasons as the sheets are not changed daily ... silk is lightest weight and does not hold smell.

4. Dinner time is generally one serving for all at a fixed time. If you will arrive after this time, often if you call ahead you can arrange for the kitchen to save you a meal. The kitchen is closed after dessert is served and the staff will be off to bed!

5. Breakfasts are usually light European style - coffee or tea with some bread and jam, possibly yogurt or muesli if you are in Switzerland. If this is not enough, you may want to bring protein bars.

6. Often you can purchase candy bars, bottled water, beer or wine in the huts. Some but not all can make you a pack lunch, so if this is important to you call ahead to ask.

7. Most huts do not have showers and have a cold water area to wash up and brush teeth. Some have inside toilets and some have toilets outdoors. If this is important to you, call to inquire and plan your walk accordingly.

8. At huts you can choose to buy dinner, bed and breakfast (demi-pension), only a bed if you have your own food (you will need to cook it outside) or just a meal (if you have your own tent and will sleep outside). If you sleep outside be certain to NOT contaminate the hut's outside sourced water supply with your urine or poo ... use their toilet facilities !

9. If you are light sleeper ear plugs are recommended.

10. Do not turn on the group room lights after dark as others might already be asleep in the room. Bring and use a small headlamp.

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Theme: Other
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Phone: various
Address: Alps of France, Italy and Switzerland
Directions: Exact hut locations are found on the detailed maps for each part of the Alps area. Huts as well as small hamlets etc. are all marked on these detailed maps. Do not leave for a hut unless you are absolutely certain of the trail to take to access it.
Website: http://www.ohm-chamonix.com/fiche.php?id=62&ling=En

Many of the Immobiliers (estate agents) in town offer self-catered apartments which can be rented by the week or by the month. The internet also offers many private parties who rent their apartments (many are residents of the UK who maintain a vacation apartment in Chamonix and let it out during the times they are not in town). For a week especially in off-season you should be able to find accomodations for around $250 US per week. In winter season this is more difficult to find, so book early if you want to try this for skiing and expect to pay much more ($800 or more per week).
We rented an apartment for 2 weeks when we first arrived here and it was great.

Unique Qualities: These can be cheaper than hotels and more interesting to stay in. You have more privacy and can save some money by having meals at home, having a refridgerator to store those hiking snacks and drinks etc..

Some individuals leave helpful guide books and magaizines in their apartments, which is a good bonus.

A couple of 'gotchas' to watch out for:
Be sure to check if linens are provided in the price (normally they are not). If arriving late or on a Sunday in low season, bring essentails (including toilet paper) that you will need if shops are shut.

Ask for the location of the apartment (area of town) before agreeing to rent. I suggest you avoid the 'Cham Sud' neighborhood at all costs. It is ugly as sin (1960s block style high-rise flats). Most of the apartments in this area are run-down, tiny (starting at 18m square!!) and lacking good views and are built around central courtyards of cement (with their accompanying echos of noise). It is close to the Aiguille du Midi lift station, so that is the only nice thing I can say about the area - in general it lacks charm of any sort.

The center of town is safe and close to all necessities, but will be pricier. Also if the bedrooms have street views, expect to be woken up at 1am by drunken revellers getting out of bars in high season.

Les Pecles, Les Bossons, Les Praz, Les Tines and Les Bois areas are all very nice and quiet neighborhoods in Chamonix. Argentiere, Le Tour, Montroc, Le Planet and Vallorcine are all towns further up the valley (higher altitude) with their own smaller village scene and charm. Bus service connects them to Chamonix (free service in high season). Les Houches is the next town down the valley and there is bus and train service to Chamonix, though the train station is not at all central to the town..

Private parties:
www.AlpsAdventures.com

www.holiday-rentals.co.uk

And many others!! (use Google search)

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Theme: Other
Comparison: less expensive than average

Address: Various
Directions: Some local agencies:
Agence Geralp Location - 33 450 53 40 96
Lamy Immobilier - 33 450 55 33 00
www.lamy-sa.fr
Peak Immobilier - 33 450 55 84 14 agencechamonix@peak-immobilier.com
Website: http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk

Independent hostel. Has a great bar with TV and chess games, for evening socializing. Rooms are comfortable, showers all work and there is a communal kitchen downstairs. You'll meet lots of fellow travellers (but unfortunately few French people) staying here.

Unique Qualities: This gite is very much 'in town' rather than being outside of town, so puts you close to the buses, or shopping or bars for the evening. Easy walk to the local climbing crag (Les Gaillands) and the hostel has a small climbing wall in the back garden.

My husband and I met in the kitchen of this Gite and still stay in touch with 2 other people I met in my weeklong stay there (one year ago).

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Theme: Hostel
Comparison: least expensive

Phone: 33 450 53 15 43
Address: 365 Ave Ravanel le Rouge
Directions: Directions to the Gite are listed clearly (with map) on their web site
Website: http://www.gitevagabond.com

The hotel is right in town very close to everything, and on the river - some friends of mine stayed here last year and really liked it. The staff were very friendly and nice to them, and the next time they came to town they stayed there a 2nd time. It's also reasonably priced (54-104?/night depending on room size).

Plus the hotel has a very interesting and long history in Chamonix (shown on their web site).

They also let you put up to 2 extra people in some of the rooms for 12.50€ per person so you can economize that way.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: +33 (0)4 50 53 02 31
Address: 60 Impasse Des Anemones, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc null
Directions: Go along Rue Joseph Vallot from town center - cross the next intersection and look for the small street marked 'Impasse des Anemones' on the right.
Website: http://www.hotelarve-chamonix.com/