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I love Chamonix in summer. It’s the perfect place to base yourself for a long weekend of Alpine hiking and it’s become a place that I want to go back to as often as possible to explore further. Chamonix can be an expensive place through the winter months when the ski season is in full swing, but it’s surprisingly cheap in the summer when the demand for accommodations drops off.
There are dozens of hotels, apartments, lodges and chalets to choose from, ranging from the cheap and cheerful right up to 5-star luxury. On my last visit, I found a perfect apartment on Booking and it’s now the first place I’ll try to book every time I go back to Chamonix.
Perfectly located just outside the centre of town, packed full of character and with epic views up to the Mont Blanc Massif, Chalet Suisse – The Library, is everything that I want for an escape to the mountains.
The apartment has two bedrooms, one with a double bed and the other with two singles. The bedrooms are a bit on the small side, but not so much so that they feel cramped. The open-plan living, dining and kitchen area is exceptional, though, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’d wandered off the streets of Chamonix and into an IKEA showroom – in the best possible way, of course. But with the added bonus of that showroom opening out onto a balcony with stunning views of the mountains.
The kitchen is spacious and well-equipped and the dining room is plenty big enough to sit around for an evening meal and a few post-hike beers. The restaurants in Chamonix can be on the expensive side, so if you’re on a budget, as I was on my last visit, having an apartment like this where you’re happy to cook and spend the evening can save you a fortune. However, if you are happy to splash out and treat yourself, Chalet Suisse is well placed for Chamonix’s many bars and restaurants. There’s even a bakery just a few doors down for your morning coffee and croissant.
It’s this central location that makes the apartment perfect for exploring the town and surrounding mountains. Although there is an allocated parking space with the apartment should you decide to hire a car, there’s really no need as everything is within easy walking distance.
The real reason for a weekend break in Chamonix is to get up into the mountains – for hiking and climbing in the summer and skiing and snowboarding in the winter. Chalet Suisse is perfectly positioned for access to the mountains and is just a few minutes walk of both the Planpraz and Aiguille du Midi cable cars.
I’ll be going back to Chamonix again and again over the coming years, I can only hope that this place is available when I plan my trips.
