Day trip to Chamonix from Montreux in January
A traveler is planning a rail trip for late January, considering a day trip from Montreux to Chamonix. They want to know if it’s realistic to travel, enjoy lunch, visit the Aiguille, and return to Montreux for their next trip to Luzern the following day, depending on the weather.
- If the weather is good, don’t hesitate to make the trip.
- Aim to leave Montreux as early as possible to maximize clear views, ideally by the first train after 8:00.
- Check for train schedules as the journey to Chamonix is shorter after December 15; you may need to change at Martigny and Vallorcine.
- Consider the Swiss Travel Pass for convenient travel and ticket purchases.
- Make sure to have your lunch after the cable car ride to avoid missing clear views of the Aiguille.
AI-generated summary-
We are planning a rail trip for late January. I was wondering if it is realistic or advisable to travel to Chamonix as a day trip from Montreux. I know it is possible logistically via Martigny and then the Mt Blanc Express to Chamonix – about 2.5 hours each way. Once in Chamonix we would have lunch and take the cable car to the Aiguille I think. Then back to Montreux to take the train to Luzern via Interlaken the following day. We would only do this if the weather appeared to be good on the day of. Thanks for your thoughts!
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Hello wh242
Welcome to MySwissAlps
Provided the weather is good, I would not hesitate. I would make this trip. A long time ago, (early February 1976!) I did something very similar to your planned trip. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Checking the Swiss electronic timetable (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/public-transport/timetable/), I see that on the new timetable starting on December 15 the journey to Chamonix will take only two hours and ten minutes. The return journey will take two hours twenty. I suspect you already know that you change at Martigny and Vallorcine. (After December 14 there are three trains an hour Montreux to Martigny; the service on from Martigny changing at Vallorcine is hourly.)
I am sure that the CFF/SBB booking office at Montreux will be able to sell you the necessary tickets. If you are travelling around Switzerland using a Swiss Travel Pass, (in effect what I was doing in 1976) they will be able to sell tickets Le Chatelard Frontiere to and from Chamonix.
(Not the question you were asking, but if you are using the ‘Golden Pass Express'(https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/goldenpass/) to get to Interlaken, reserve a seat, whatever ‘class’ you are travelling. These trains get VERY busy.)
Very best wishes
Roger
Hi wh,
I have also done a day trip to Chamonix from Montreux on the Mont-Blanc Express, and can highly recommend it. The scenery is superb, and in my view the train trip on the Mont-Blanc Express would be worth it even if the Aiguille du Midi were in the clouds.
>>> Once in Chamonix we would have lunch and take the cable car to the Aiguille I think.
If it were me, I would not delay going up to the Aiguille du Midi if it is clear when you arrive in Chamonix. It is not uncommon for clouds to roll in as the day progresses, and a delay to eat lunch might mean you miss out on clear views.
You can keep an eye on the webcam here:
https://en.chamonix.com/webcams/summit-of-the-aiguille-du-midi-3-842-m
Sunrise will be around 8:00 in late January, so I would aim to be underway from Montreux on the first available train after that at the latest, i.e. 8:36. Or even the 7:36 if you could manage it. It will be dark leaving Montreux, but light by the time you get to Martigny to connect with the Mont-Blanc Express, where the best scenery starts: sit on the left.
I hope you get a clear day for your trip!
Alpenrose
Hi wh242,
I had planned on going to visit Aiguille du Midi this past October, but when I was researching it, many of the reviews had said to go as early in the morning as possible, (also mentioned by Aplenrose555). Many of which said the clouds can move in as early as between 1100 and 1200. As the logistics turned out, due to a friend of mine meeting me there during my trip, and having to rearrange some plans, it didn’t work out. I would have had to take a train ride from Zurich of approx 5-6 hours and, again, with prior hotel reserves already made, it just wasn’t in the cards. Instead, I spent that day as my 3rd day in Lugano with the two nights already booked there. As reading the above posts, It sounds like it can be done from Montreux. Do start out as early as you can as recommended by Roger and Alpenrose. If at all possible, it may behoove you to spend a night in Chamonix if you can squeeze it into the plans. There are several hotels right around the valley station, but again, they’re probably filled at this point due to all the winter activities there. I hope you have a great trip.
Regards,
Danielsan.
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