Chamonix Monte-Blanc, France 2015 🇫🇷 – Michael and Pam's Travels

Travelled: 399 kilometres from Reggio Emilia, Italy to Chamonix Mont-Blanc, France
Visited: Chamonix Mont-Blanc
Stayed: Unofficial parking spot for campers, no services but handy to the village. N45.92831, E6.87673

Italy

Up early, it’s another day of driving on the tollways. We roll from the A1 to the A5 without paying a toll then again to the A6, nearing the frontier we eventually pay €34 for our 300 kilometres on the autostradas. Our goal for today is Chaminox Mont-Blanc but first the tunnels of the French Alps there are several about 3 klm in length before the famous Mont-Blanc tunnel at 11.5 klm. The Mont-Blanc tunnel comes with a toll fee of €58 ! Our total cost for the autostrada and tunnel today is €102, with fuel almost €200. Not happy Pam.

Driving the Valley de' Aosta and it dramatic scenery. — Driving the Valley de’ Aosta and it dramatic scenery.

France

Longest tunnel we have driven on, most firefighter are familiar with this tunnel and it's tragic story. — Longest tunnel we have driven on, most firefighters are familiar with this tunnel and it’s tragic story.

We exit the tunnel to find the weather cold and wet, the fog or cloud call for a reduction in speed and we make our way more carefully than many other motorists. We drive into Chamonix and find a parking spot after a long drive about. Seemingly every possible spot requires payment, we find a couple of other motorhomes and park alongside. Chamonix Mont-Blanc is a ski village in winter but remains a popular tourist destination in summer for those transiting the tunnel and the gondola to Midi de Aiguille at 3,000 metres. This was the reason for our trip via Mont Blanc. We find the tourist information and get the bad news the gondola is closed due to the poor weather. The forcast is not good for tomorrow either, but we decide to stay the night and hope for an improvement.

Note the glazier extends almost into the village.

Pam enjoys wearing some of those cloths that have been hiding in the bottom of the Hymer for 10 weeks.

The next morning seems little better and we return to the information centre to find the gondola is running but visibility on top of the mountain is still poor. The gondola ride is €57 return pp, so it will have to wait for next time. So we use some free wifi and do a little shopping before packing up the Hymer and hitting the road again.

Michael and Pam

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