Gare du Montenvers Mer de Glace — Attraction in Bonneville

A visit to Montenvers - Mer de Glace is one of the highlights of every Chamonix visit. I came here as a child aged 9 with my parents, and now, as a 57 year-old, I am still in awe at the site and the views. You can reach Montenvers in various ways. First of all, there's the little railway that conveniently takes you up the 900m from central Chamonix to the Montenvers station, from where you can test your legs on a variety of hiking routes up, or down, or just visit the little alpine flower garden, and take the new gondola down to Mer de Glace to see the ice cave. Alternatively, you can hike up, see the sights, and then either hike down again or give your tired legs a train ride down. Finally, some hikers will take the chance to take the Aiguille du Midi lift to the 1st station, then hike across the Grand Balcon du Nord to Montenvers and take the train down, or vv. Whichever approach you take, there will be great views, a selection of small bites and drinks in the cafeteria, or a more solid lunch in the Hotel Montenvers.

Nowadays, when I visit Montenvers, it is to use the gondola to Mer de Glace and take the Alpinists exit unto the glacier there. A good number of glacier hikes can be done from there within a few hours, or you can aim for one of the 5 huts that are accessible within 4 to 5 hours from Montenvers. Only attempt this when you have the alpine experience and the equipment and gear to do so, or take a certified high-mountain guide.

The new glacier access is much improved compared to the old ladders, or the old access via the staircase. If I had the criticise one thing: the first gondola to the glacier is rather late, especially compared to the first gondola up to Aiguille du Midi which starts almost 3 hours earlier. Especially for Alpinists wanting to just spend a day on the glacier, the window between first and last gondola is...

You will have to walk 530 steps up from the museum down to the train station to Chamonix! It is definitely a Mythical place in a Mythical town but I think walking up from the down and taking those stairs are not worth a few minutes of visit. However, I have never seen such a glass museum in the mountains before, and I really admire that you will see other small glaciers/ rocks and realize that ice is frozen beneath the rocks and it is melting.

We took a train from Chamonix and the ticket is around €38 and the train will take you to a terrace from where you will get a close view of the mountain. You will then catch a cable car down the valley and then from there you will walk down 530 steps to the glass museum. It is a good adventurous hike and fun to see. They are renovating this place and I think making an elevator or a cable car to go further down. It is unfortunate that this place may not be there in the future as due to global warming all the ice might melt...

The Mer de Glace train ride from Chamonix to Montenvers is absolutely magical. The red cogwheel train climbs through stunning alpine scenery, offering breathtaking views all the way up. It feels like something straight out of a postcard!

At the top, the views of the Mer de Glace glacier are incredible and photos don’t do it justice. The highlight for me was definitely the ice cave. It’s a short cable car ride and a bit of a hike down (with quite a few stairs), but totally worth the effort. Walking through the glowing blue ice tunnel, carved deep into the glacier, is a surreal experience. You even get to see ice sculptures and learn a bit about the glacier's history.

The facilities at the top are also great, with a museum, café, and plenty of photo spots. Just be sure to wear proper shoes and bring a jacket, even in spring or summer, it’s chilly near the glacier.

Highly recommended for anyone visiting Chamonix. A must-do for nature lovers and...