Planning your stay
Where to stay for UTMB: which part of the Chamonix valley, and when to book
During UTMB week, the right base is one you can get back to without a car, even at night: seven areas of the Chamonix valley compared, and when to book.
The guide
What we know about the valley and about fourteen people under one roof, written from Les Bois.
Discovering Chamonix
Things to do in Chamonix for non-skiers: the day off the slopes with a group
Not skiing in Chamonix is no fallback: the valley's two biggest sights need no skis at all. What gets complicated is doing them fourteen at a time.
Discovering Chamonix
Chamonix ski areas explained: which one to ski, and when
Four ski areas share the valley and only two are joined by a lift. Which one to head for, depending on where you stay and who is in the group.
Planning your stay
Which Chamonix lift pass to buy, and why not the same one for everyone
A Chamonix lift pass is bought per person, not per group. Coverage, official rates and how to choose between Le Pass and the Mont Blanc Unlimited.
Discovering Chamonix
Skiing Chamonix when nobody skis at the same level
Chamonix ski areas are not lift-linked, so a mixed-ability group never skis together all day. What you plan instead is the moment everyone meets.
Discovering Chamonix
Is Chamonix good for beginners? Where you learn, and how far you get
Chamonix teaches beginners on separate areas with their own lift pass, kept apart from its four ski areas. Where to put a beginner, and how far they can get.
The chalet and its services
Sleeps 14 rarely means 14 adults: choosing a chalet for a large group
The listing tells you how many beds. It rarely tells you how many adults. Two counts to do yourself before you pay a deposit on a chalet for 12 to 14.
Planning your stay
Planning a ski trip with a large group: the organiser's guide
Three decisions taken early, a dozen bookings in the right order, and a valley whose ski areas don't link up: the guide for whoever ends up organising.
The chalet and its services
Chalet with a hot tub in Chamonix: what to check before you book
Private tub, shared spa access or a day pass in the valley: three very different things sold under the same word, and what a spa really gives a group of 14.
The chalet and its services
Catered vs self-catered chalets in Chamonix: which one for a group of 14
In Chamonix most large chalets are let as whole houses with no resident staff, and the cooking is bought one evening at a time. What that means for a group of 14.
Planning your stay
How much does a luxury chalet in Chamonix cost?
A luxury chalet in Chamonix costs €8,000 to €45,000 a week. What makes the difference is not the chalet itself, it is the week you choose, and it moves the rate fourfold.
Discovering Chamonix
Where to stay in Chamonix: which area for a group chalet
Chamonix is not a linked ski area: its four ski domains do not connect, so the village you sleep in decides your week. The valley mapped, village by village.
The chalet and its services
Booking a chalet direct with the owner, or through a tour operator
Booking direct changes neither the chalet nor the people looking after you, only who answers the phone, what you can negotiate, and how much you arrange yourself.