The last stop on our 10-day August road trip in France was to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, more commonly known as Chamonix. It is a renowned resort town in the French Alps, nestled where France, Switzerland, and Italy meet. Chamonix was also the site of the first Winter Olympics held in 1924. I wasn’t sure what to expect while visiting Chamonix, but after our short stay of two nights and taking in the beautiful scenery and charming town, I can’t wait to one day return.
Staying at Hôtel Mont-Blanc
Possibly the biggest splurge of this trip was booking a room at the pet friendly and luxurious Hôtel Mont-Blanc.
We had a room on the fifth (of five) floors that looked out to the quiet side of town and towards one of the gorgeous mountains in the area. As you’ll see in the room tour video, we had a couch, a spacious shower room with a tub and two sinks.
Related: First stop on our trip – Aix-en-Provence
After our first night out, we returned to find the room set for turndown service with both human treats for us and a little bag of dog biscuits for Koval!
Two great amenities of the hotel were its spa, which Nik utilized, and the heated outdoor pool which we both took a dip into. It was hard to notice the chill in the air with such a stunning backdrop.
Town of Chamonix
Chamonix is a pretty small town and very walkable. Shops and restaurants everywhere, especially in the center of town near our hotel.
No matter the direction you walked, there was always a stunning backdrop of mountains.
Once most of the fog and haze cleared, we got some really great pictures.
Related: Second stop on our trip – Lyon
In addition to the mountain itself, one the most photographed landmarks in Chamonix is the Statue of Balmat and Saussure. The statue depicts Jacques Balmat and Horace-Bénédict de Saussure. Balmat guided the way to the mountain and led the ascent twice. Saussure is the scientist who proposed the climb. It is a tribute to those who dared to explore the majestic heights of Mont Blanc.
Apparently the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley is an iconic destination for paragliders and we were lucky enough to see some in action. The picture below won’t do it justice, but paragliders were everywhere.
Mountain Excursion
One of the top attractions in Chamonix is taking the cable car to Le Brévent. On our one full day that we had open for an outing like that, it was quite overcast and the hotel advised us we might not see much from the top. The hotel arranged for a complimentary ride and as we drove away, the driver was pretty insistent we might not see much and instead recommended going to Le Tour at the far end of the Chamonix Valley.
The ride to the very top started with an enclosed gondola that went halfway up where we then switched to an open air ski lift with feet dangling and everything. My first time riding a lift like that!
Once at the top there’s a directory showing a few different hiking paths which could take you in any number of directions. We opted for the easiest route that was basically right in front of us. Though it was a little foggy and windy, we set out on the path ahead and thoroughly enjoyed some amazing views of Mont Blanc and surrounding mountaintops.
This mountain also had some wider paths perfect for those into mountain biking. We saw a bunch of people making their way around, including this group of kids.
Dining Out in Chamonix
Nik and I tried to look up a few places to eat in case we needed reservations, but then once we started walking around we decided to wing it. No pun intended as you’ll soon see.
Dinner at Synge & Co.
Synge & Co. was a restaurant that Nik found while looking places up on Google Maps. It was a 10 minute walk to Synge & Co. in “Chamonix Sud” and the walk led us to a whole different part of town which was nice to experience.
It’s hard to describe the location of the restaurant, but it was almost in a square surrounded by apartment buildings that had a very ski town lodge vibe. Synge & Co wasn’t too busy but the staff was friendly and the meal ended up being one of our favorites of the whole road trip. Their buffalo wings got rave reviews online and our review agrees. They were outstanding.
I had their roast chicken as my entree and Nik enjoyed their Guinness pie. He still talks about it now, several months later. If you ever find yourself in Chamonix, have a meal at Synge & Co.
Following our dinner we walked practically next door to The Beckett & Wilde, an Irish pub, where we enjoyed a few pints. The bar was spacious and appeared pretty new. It also had no shortage of Peaky Blinders pictures on the wall.
Big Mountain Brewing
Another spot we really enjoyed was Big Mountain Brewing and their Basecamp Bar in Chamonix.
What started as two guys making home-brew grew into a rather large production, which you can read about here. After expanding their brewing capacity, they opened Basecamp in late 2024/early 2025 and it currently boasts 20 beers on tap.
We snagged a hightop table and enjoyed one of their artisan pizzas.
Other Spots Around Town
In no particular order, we did check out a few other bars and restaurants in Chamonix.
Bar’d Up – total dive spot with picnic tables outside. I could see hanging there after a day of skiing.
Cool Cats – across from Bar’d Up. We were looking for a light snack and their menu of hot dogs hit the spot. Though, we opted for the rather simple hotdog with ketchup which Nik and I shared.
Discopic – a short walk from the above two places, Discopic is a dive bar with a retro vibe. They had a very nice cocktail list.
The Jungle – was a meh spot. Stayed for a drink each. Their online profile shows it as much more of a restaurant but we didn’t see any food. Though we were there on the early side.
Epsylon – billed as a cocktail and tapas place, we only had drinks. It was a very cool, chic space that we probably would’ve enjoyed if we stayed longer or went a bit later in the night.
Stories Craft Beer and Tacos – Can confirm the tacos were pretty good and the beers too. The beer selection was a mix of Big Mountain Brewing drafts and a few other beers from the States. Their one strike was that the service was pretty slow and not very personable.
The Pub – a British-style pub that was both very lively inside and out. Plenty of TVs for your sports action as well. Highly recommend a drink there.
That’s a wrap on our 10-day road trip! We thoroughly enjoyed the whole adventure and certainly enjoyed visiting Chamonix. Though I’m not a skier, I would love to visit during peak winter time. I bet it’s a fun vibe all around town.