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Ski France

Chamonix Resort Reviews

Ski France

Chamonix Resort Reviews

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Visitor reviews for Chamonix Ski Resort

Chamonix Ratings

Overall: 4.0. Based on 44 votes and 86 reviews. Vote

Access: 4.5

(1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Chamonix.

Public Transport: 4.1

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Chamonix, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Scenery: 4.7

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Accommodation: 4.6

(1) No places to stay in/near Chamonix, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Cheap Rooms: 3.9

(1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.

Luxury Hotels: 4.6

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Chamonix.

Ski in/Ski out: 3.2

(1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.

Childcare: 3.9

(1) There are no child care facilities at Chamonix, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowsure: 4.0

(1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Chamonix is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Snowmaking: 3.3

(1) Chamonix relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.

Snow Grooming: 3.8

(1) There are no snow groomers at Chamonix, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Chamonix are groomed daily.

Shelter: 3.3

(1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Chamonix is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 3.9

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Chamonix, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.

Regional rating: 4.0

(1) Chamonix usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.

Lift Staff: 3.8

(1) The staff at Chamonix are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Chamonix are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 3.2

(1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.

Ski Schools: 4.3

(1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.

Hire and Repairs: 4.7

(1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.

Variety of pistes: 4.5

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Chamonix has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Beginners: 3.1

(1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.

Intermediates: 4.0

(1) No intermediate terrain at Chamonix, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 4.7

(1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.

Snow Park: 3.3

(1) Not even a kicker at Chamonix, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.

Off-piste: 4.8

(1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.

Cross-country: 3.7

(1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Chamonix, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 3.0

(1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Chamonix has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.

Mountain Dining: 3.4

(1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.

Eating: 4.5

(1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.

Apres-Ski: 4.4

(1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.

Other Sports: 4.6

(1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.

Entertainment: 4.5

(1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.

Winter Walks: 4.2

(1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.

Ski Pass Value: 3.6

(1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.

Value (National): 3.6

(1) Overall, Chamonix is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.

Value (Global): 3.7

(1) Overall, Chamonix is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

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January 05, 2005
from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Chamonix was so good last February (did the VB run!) that I am going back this February with wife and daughters (12 and 14). Will drive this time though as its a lot cheaper and opens up a lot more terrain (as if you'd need it though!) Nice thing about Cham is the variety....from high mountain to forest, and slopes N/S/E/W you can usually find a sunny spot out of the wind. My brother is heading back there the week after me for his 4th year in a row and he's never had bad conditions! If the apre-ski was cheaper it would be perfect.....
November 26, 2004
from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Chamonix, is a very interesting resort. Set at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the alps, it offers an endless amount of high altitude off piste skiing, and exploring. Although the lifts aren't at your doorstep, in Chamonix, the ski areas are known for their distinct variety. Each ski area, has their own unique character. Les Grands Montets, in Argentiere, allows endless exploring at a high altitude, with long pistes and off piste skiing. More suited for boarders, in Chamonix you will never get bored. Although not the largest ski areas in the world, the main word here is quantity not quality. Not extremely appealing for beginners, and an easy change of the weather at high altitudes, this resort, although extremely rewarding, is to be taken seriously..
October 26, 2004
from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Having lived in Chamonix for nearly five years I can say with my hand on my heart that I would never go there again. It one saving grace are a few wonderful people who call this arse-crack in the alps their home. The one thing I wish for is that Mont Blanc would become detatched and slide into the valley. Perhaps this would improve the 'resorts' piste systems and would certainly improve the view...
August 24, 2004
from Ski South Africa South Africa
Chamonix and Argentiere are so extreme its sick. Not at all a boarder's resort, but I would reccommend everyone go at least once, if for nothing else but to humble yourself. Aside from the endless Scandanavians and British tourists, the resort is impressive and definatley a place that must be visited before death sets in. Skiers should live here, boarders should taste and move on.
January 13, 2004
from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Chamonix is a Mecca for skiers, but it can be inconvenient, some (but not all) of the lifts are old, and you really need a car especially if it's busy. So why do people rate it so highly? The reason is the big mountain, high altitude skiing, especially on Les Grand Montets. Intermediates will find it difficult but rewarding, and the more advanced will love it. Some of the piste marker signs say things like 'caution very steep, very narrow, very difficult' and 'only for very good skiers' or even 'you must be in excellent physical condition' and they mean it. In addition there is some lovely family skiing at Le Tour at the sunny end of the valley. All in all there is more sking at many other resorts, but there really is massive variety at Chamonix, and people find it endlessly interesting to ski there. In the evening there are some good and lively bars in the centre, and some decent restaurants, but it's not the place for the stylish apres ski party hound. I went with my kids once, and although OK, it's not a place I'd recommend for families.
August 13, 2003
from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
With the Mont Blanc massif on it's front door, Chamonix has so much terrain to explore. It is a Mecca for high altitude touring, off-piste skiing and a real 'mountain' experience. The six main ski areas are stretched out along the valley and getting to them can be a chore - the buses are good, but it's the kind of resort where having a car to get around really helps. In other ski resorts where you can ski from your door, you might get more ski miles in per day, but Chamonix has it's own appeal: quality, not quantity.