Luo The Orient Express returns: the train will once again cross Europe with more glamor than ever
France The jewels of Brittany: route through one of the most beautiful bays in the world
Chamonix, France. At the foot of Montblanc
, where mountaineering was born, a dream place for mountaineers.
What does a boy or a girl paint?
Much.
The little town of just 8,000 inhabitants seems too steep for minors, but it is not at all.
The little ones can enjoy
numerous proposals, from an amusement park to a glacier, from going up to the skies by cable car to playing in a children's bowling alley
.
The Montblanc Ultra Trail (UTMB), the best mountain race in the world, also takes place here, where boys and girls can experience what it means to run under the roof of Europe.
To do?
That would be precisely the number one activity if you travel with children to the UTMB (end of August): the UTMB minis.
Before the start of the long races (OCC, CCC and UTMB), on the Champs du Savoy, very close to the gym where the bibs are handed out, the organization organizes a children's party.
Free races for everyone, from the age of three, just for fun.
There is no competition here, only fun.
In a huge meadow -where paragliders usually land- various circuits are marked out and run.
For the older ones, an orientation test is even organized.
The children, in the UTMB race.
There are also other options for boys and girls to burn off energy.
The closest to the village: the Domaine des Planards, the amusement park.
A 15-minute walk from the center there is
an alpine roller coaster to go down with a sled, slides to throw you on a carpet, a small pirate ship, trampolines, a mini-moto circuit
... There are not infinite possibilities, it is not the Warner or Port Aventura, but it is well worth an afternoon or even two.
The price?
It depends on how many times you want to jump down the alpine roller coaster, quite an experience.
More if you look to the left.
While the adult and child ascend the roller coaster together -or the child alone, depending on their age-, the rack railway to Mer de Glace begins its journey.
Very close to the Domaine des Planards is the station of this train that ascends to almost 2,000 meters and allows, after taking a gondola lift and completing a walk,
to visit the inside of the glacier, walk through an ice cave.
For small children - the climb is not recommended for children under one year of age - the climb is already worth it, but the adventure is multiplied if they are able to finish the walk and touch the ice.
The rack railway and the cable car cost 35.50 euros for adults and 30.20 for children over five years of age, minors do not pay.
There is a family ski pass that costs 110.10 euros.
En route through the French Alps.
It's not cheap, but it's the prices in the area.
Cable cars from Chamonix are similarly priced, but still well worth it.
From the center of town there are two, each one more spectacular
.
The first ascends to the Aiguille du Midi, part of Montblanc, at an altitude of 3,700 meters, and the second to the other side of Chamonix, to Brevent, at 2,500 meters.
With children, the second is probably more recommended because the Aiguille du Midi is not recommended for children under 5 years of age -due to altitude sickness- and because from Brevent it is easier to organize short excursions.
The area allows for countless hiking trails, for all levels, starting from various points, always with Chamonix as the start or finish.
You can walk down from the Mer de Glace itself, for example, and so on, a thousand adventures
.
For less mountaineers, south of Chamonix you can also take a walk around the Lac des Gaillands, where there is a picnic area.
On the opposite side of the town is the sports area, the epicenter of the UTMB week
, where there are swimming pools ideal for children, an ice rink where they can try skating -or even watch a game of the local hockey team-, soccer fields, basketball courts and one of the most beautiful athletics tracks in the world.
How to get?
Despite the orography of the place, communication between Spain and Chamonix is not very complicated.
The quickest option is to fly to Geneva and from there take one of the many buses -you have to book in advance- that in an hour and a half will leave you at the Chamonix-Sud station.
The cheapest option if you are traveling as a family is to come by motorhome or van
and enjoy the many possibilities that France offers to these travelers along the way.
In the center of town, in fact, there is a caravan park, the Grépon car park, ideal for its location, but not for its price or its services.
Where to sleep?
A better option would be the Mer de Glace campsite, north of Chamonix, or if traveling by plane, one of the many hotels.
They are not cheap, especially the week of the UTMB, but there are plenty of options.
The most suitable for families is
Plan B
-during the UTMB week, 200 euros for a double room, 450 euros for an apartment- which offers a games room for children, highchairs of all sizes in the restaurant, cots and children's bathtubs in the rooms and even a bowling alley for children.
Open to everyone -four euros per player and game-, its two lanes can be excellent entertainment if it rains or if you want a break after so much walking.
Bowling is one of the leisure options.
Where to eat?
Again many possibilities and high prices.
In the Place du Triangle de l'Amitié, the center of Chamonix, there are many restaurants aimed at tourists, with very long menus, although
to order a fondue, a crepe or an omelette, it is less common on Avenue de l'Aiguille du Midi
, where typical establishments like La Tablée are crowded.
The quality of some food restaurants from other countries, such as the Indian Annapurna, is surprising.
Near it, on Avenue Ravanel le Rouge, where the UTMB leaves for the mountains, the terraces with the most nightlife in the town are concentrated.
You can follow
El Mundo Viajes
on
,
and
Conforms to The Trust Project criteria
Know more
Tourism
France
Europe