Sights in Chamonix — 3 of Our Favourites

The journey to the top is in three stages, the bottom leg of which is the most impressive - the funicular takes you up the hillside above Châtelard on a track that reaches 87 degrees incline (that's the steepest you'll ever get on a train!) On the way the track divides and you pass another cabin on the way down. 

Once you're at the top you join the little panoramic train that snakes around towards the dam on a narrow gauge track, leaving you wondering how on earth they built it so high on the mountain side, and from the end of the train you jump on a much smaller red funicular cabin to the top of the dam. 

The views of Mont Blanc are spectacular, and the journey takes just under an hour to complete. To get there, take the Mont Blanc Express train to Châtelard - direction Martigny (timetables can be found here). In July and August the first funicular up is at 08:30 and they run every 30 minutes. You're recommended to get there at least 15 minutes before departure. 

There is a café at the top of the Dam for anyone needing refreshments.

The rack and pinion train stops four times before getting to the end of the line at the Nid d'Aigle (eagle's nest) viewpoint, from where you get a fabulous view of the Bionnassay glacier, the beginning of one of the mountaineering routes up Mont Blanc.

The journey up from St Gervais - Le Fayet takes around an hour and a quarter and allows you to climb from 580m up to 2,380m at its final stop. You'll have the pleasure of being in one of the carriages named Marguerite, Anne, Marie or Jeanne, after the daughters of the owner of the site.

There are a number of lovely hikes in the area and mountain bikes are permitted on the tram subject to space. During the winter, the train stops at Bellevue and provides access to the Les Houches ski area.

Take a look at the timetables.

The Mer de Glace (which translates to "Sea of Ice" in English) is 7km long and has a surface area in the region of 42km². 

It extends from an altitude of 3,900m at the point where the Leschaux, Le Tacul and the Talèfre glaciers converge, down to 1,400m, just below the Terminal Neige Refuge. The width of the glacier varies between 700m and 1,950m and the depth of the ice averages around 200m, dropping down to around 80m near the ice cave.

It's an impressive place to visit in either summer or winter, and should definitely be on your 'to do' list on a visit to Chamonix.