Tramway du Mont-Blanc, Les Houches

The Tramway du Mont Blanc runs from the bottom of the valley in Le Fayet all the way up to the Nid d'Aigle at 2380 metres, above Les Houches.

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 2380m at its final stop. You'll have the pleasure of being in one of the retro tram carriages named 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. 

History
1904 : The construction of the site begins
1907 : On the 25th July, the first section up to Col de Voza was inaugurated
1911 : Second part up to Bellevue
1912 : The line reaches the Nid d’Aigle (“Eagle’s Nest”)
1913 : First visitors to the top by train
1923 : Opening of the line in winter up to Bellevue (1800m)
1956 : The steam engines are replaced with electric ones
1997 - 2000 : the three engines are renovated, one each year

Take a look at the timetables for summer & winter.