From Geneva
Chamonix and the Aiguille du Midi
Two thousand eight hundred metres of vertical, and nobody to ask about parking.
Loop
180 km
Driving time only
2 h 55
Suggested hire
8 h
From
800 CHF
Chamonix is ninety kilometres from Geneva Airport, and it is the most requested outing in the Arve valley. The Aiguille du Midi cable car climbs from 1,035 to 3,842 metres in about twenty minutes: 2,807 metres of vertical, a world record for a cable car.
The full loop runs 180 kilometres and a little under three hours of driving out of the eight hours of hire. The rest of the time is spent up there, or in the village.
We drive and we wait. We do not sell cable-car tickets and we have no link with the operator: the chauffeur drops you at the valley station and collects you where you come back down.
The itinerary
L'autoroute Blanche
Ninety kilometres from Geneva Airport on the A40. The Arve valley narrows steadily and the massif appears at the end, which makes the approach part of the show.
Chamonix, le centre
The chauffeur drops as close as possible to the cable-car station and collects from the same spot. Parking in the centre is the real problem of the day, and it is the one you do not have.
L'Aiguille du Midi
The cable car climbs from 1,035 to 3,842 metres in about twenty minutes, in two sections with a stop at the Plan de l'Aiguille at 2,317 metres. That is 2,807 metres of vertical, a world record for a cable car.
Le temps qu'il faut vraiment
Going up, time at the top and coming down easily fill half the day, more if there is a queue at the bottom. The chauffeur stays below: he does not go up with you, so nothing is ticking while you are up there.
Retour, ou passage en Italie
The return follows the same valley. If your programme allows it, the Mont Blanc tunnel puts Courmayeur some twenty kilometres from Chamonix: we have a dedicated itinerary for that.
km included : 200 km
The kilometres below are measured from the airport. Starting from a hotel in town, or from another town, changes the loop and therefore the count: the quote is adjusted to your actual pickup point.
Parking is the real subject
Chamonix in high season means thirty minutes looking for a space and ten minutes walking afterwards. With a chauffeur, the car sets you down at the cable-car station and comes back for you. That is half the value of the day, and it is rarely what gets advertised.
The cable car can close
In strong wind or poor visibility the line stops, sometimes only the upper section. We check conditions on the morning: if the ride is not worth the trip, we tell you before setting off rather than letting you find out at the bottom.
What is included and what is not
The rate covers the vehicle, the chauffeur and 200 kilometres across the eight hours. The loop runs 180, so no supplement. Cable-car tickets, the Montenvers train and meals are settled on site.
Crossing the border
Chamonix is some twenty kilometres from Courmayeur through the Mont Blanc tunnel. France and Italy are both in the Schengen Area, so no systematic check, but keep valid ID within reach.
Frequently asked questions
From 800 CHF in an E-Class for eight hours of hire, 1120 CHF in an S-Class and 1040 CHF in a V-Class. The 200 included kilometres cover the 180 km loop. Cable-car tickets are not in that rate.
To 3,842 metres, from Chamonix at 1,035 metres, in about twenty minutes and two sections, with a stop at the Plan de l'Aiguille at 2,317 metres. The 2,807 metres of vertical make it a world record for a cable car.
Half the day at minimum, including the ride up, time at the top and the ride down, more if there is a queue at the valley station. That is why we suggest eight hours rather than four.
It closes in strong wind or poor visibility, sometimes only for the upper section. We check conditions on the morning and tell you before departure. The valley has other options, including the Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace.
No, he stays in the valley with the vehicle and your belongings. You find him at the valley station when you come down, with no fixed time: the hire covers the day, not a slot.
Yes, the Mont Blanc tunnel puts Courmayeur some twenty kilometres from Chamonix. We have a dedicated itinerary for it. Mind the time: adding Italy to the Aiguille du Midi in one day means rushing both.
The cable car runs most of the year but closes for maintenance and in bad weather. Summer gives the longest days and the best visibility; winter gives snow and shorter queues midweek.