Col de Balme refuge (2190m), Massif du Mont-Blanc
Privately run, traditional refuge offering half board accommodation
Based in a cottage that is actually just over the border in Switzerland.
Having been built in 1877, the accommodation is pretty basic.
The refuge is open from mid-June until mid-September.
The restaurant is open for non-guests to purchase drinks, snacks and lunches.
There are outdoor tables on a grassy plateau overlooking the Trient valley, a popular lunch stop for hikers and mountain bikers.
Accommodation is on a half-board basis only, including evening meal, bed and breakfast. Duvet and bedding are provided but they ask yo bring a liner to go under the duvet.
Showers are not included in the price but are available for a small extra charge, although as they are heated by solar power they can't guarantee it will be hot.
Please enquire directly with the refuge for this season's prices and its opening and closing dates.
Directions
You can access the refuge using the Charamillon gondola from the bottom of the Le Tour resort, followed by the Les Autannes chair lift. Buses run regularly to Le Tour from the centre of Chamonix. Please see bus timetables here.
