A ski week in Chamonix: the plan, area by area
Chamonix is not a ski-in, ski-out linked resort: it is a valley of separate ski areas. The plan for a week, one area a day plus a buffer day, real transfers, which area to keep for wind or fog, the lift pass, rental and the budget, with what to drop first.
A ski week in Chamonix is not planned like a week in a linked resort. Brévent-Flégère, the Grands Montets, Balme and Les Houches are separated by the valley: you change area by bus or train, never on skis.
The right plan comes down to three rules: one area a day, a buffer day for the weather, and the most demanding area kept for the clearest day. Four winters at the ticket office taught me that the weeks that go wrong are the ones fixed before arriving.
Each number on the map is a day of the plan, placed on the area's lift base.
How should you split six days of skiing in Chamonix?
| Day | Area | Why that day |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brévent-Flégère | a walk from the centre, ideal to find your ski legs |
| 2 | Grands Montets | alpine terrain, keep it for a clear, calm day |
| 3 | Balme-Vallorcine | gentler terrain, the choice for groups of mixed levels |
| 4 | Les Houches | tree-lined runs, the poor-visibility or recovery day |
| 5 | buffer day | Grands Montets, Brévent or Balme depending on wind and snow |
| 6 | Courmayeur or back in Chamonix | Courmayeur only with the Mont-Blanc Unlimited and settled weather |
The order changes every morning: swap days 2 and 4 if the wind is blowing up high. The areas are presented one by one in our guide to skiing in Chamonix.
How long does a day take on each area?
Photo: arnepetter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| Area | Useful skiing | Door to door from the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Brévent-Flégère | 5 hr to 6 hr 30 | 7 hr to 8 hr 30 |
| Grands Montets | 5 hr to 6 hr 30 | 8 hr to 9 hr |
| Balme-Vallorcine | 5 hr to 6 hr 30 | 7 hr 30 to 9 hr |
| Les Houches | 5 hr to 6 hr | 7 hr to 8 hr |
| Courmayeur | 4 hr to 5 hr 30 | 10 hr to 12 hr |
A day therefore takes 7 hr to 9 hr door to door, rental and breaks included. For the Grands Montets, leave the centre around 8am to be at the foot of the Plan Joran gondola when it opens, and allow thirty to sixty minutes to get back.
Switching between the Brévent and La Flégère in the middle of the day easily costs half an hour to an hour. Stay on one side, and keep the other for another day.
How do you get from one area to another without a car?
Chamonix Mobilité ski buses serve the bottom of the slopes free of charge with a valid lift pass, and the Mont-Blanc Express train links Les Houches, Chamonix, Les Praz, Argentière and Vallorcine. Free does not mean seated: at opening time, let a full bus go rather than squeeze in with your skis.
| Trip from the centre | Realistic time |
|---|---|
| Les Praz, La Flégère gondola | 10 to 20 min by bus |
| Argentière, Grands Montets | 20 to 35 min |
| Le Tour, Balme | 30 to 45 min |
| Les Houches | 15 to 30 min |
| Courmayeur, through the tunnel | 45 to 75 min |
Check the time of the last return before taking one last lift, especially from Le Tour. Lines and fares are in getting around Chamonix.
Which area should you choose for the day's weather?
| Conditions | Go for | Put off |
|---|---|---|
| Strong wind up high | Les Houches, Vallorcine forest | Brévent, top of Balme |
| Fog or falling snow | Les Houches, Vallorcine | Grands Montets, open summits |
| Fresh snow and clear sky | Grands Montets, Brévent | nothing, depending on avalanche risk |
| Little snow on the valley floor | high sectors, Grands Montets | lower Les Houches |
| Risk of lift closures | the area closest to your accommodation | Courmayeur |
Check lift openings and the bulletin on the morning itself, not the evening before: the wind closes the summits within hours. Season dates are in lift opening dates.
Which lift pass should you buy for six days?
For a week in Chamonix, the six-day Chamonix Le Pass is enough: it covers Brévent-Flégère, the Grands Montets and Balme. It costs €373 per adult from 19 December to 9 April, and €290.40 at the "Spring skiing" rate from 10 April 2027.
The Mont-Blanc Unlimited adds Les Houches, Courmayeur and other areas around the massif, at €75 to €104 a day depending on the period. It only pays off if you really go to Courmayeur or Les Houches on several days; otherwise, a single day at Les Houches, at €60, works out cheaper.
Booked with your accommodation, a pass of two to nine days gets a 20% discount. The full comparison is in our lift pass guide.
What does rental cost, and do you need lessons?
A six-day adult package, skis, poles and boots, costs €82 to €156 depending on the range. Book it online and collect it the day before your first day, so you do not lose the first morning at the counter.
To progress, ESF Chamonix offers adult group lessons over five or six mornings from €304. Lessons do not include the lift pass, and groups only run with at least four people signed up: see our ESF page and ski rental.
To avoid carrying your skis every morning, rent near the ski bus stop by your accommodation if you change area every day, or at the foot of the area you will ski most. Many rental shops store equipment overnight, and the hotel ski room keeps your boots warm.
What budget for a ski week for two?
| Item, two adults, high season | Range |
|---|---|
| Six-day Chamonix Le Pass | €746 |
| Rental, two six-day packages | €164 to €312 |
| Meals, seven days | €560 to €980 |
| Local transport | €0 to €40, ski buses included with the pass |
| Total, excluding accommodation and travel | €1,500 to €2,100 |
Add accommodation, by far the biggest item, and any lessons. In April, the spring pass cuts the bill by about €165 for two, and a family pays €900.20 for six days at the family rate. The breakdown is in what budget for Chamonix.
The week of 10 to 17 April 2027, the last before the general closure: spring lift pass, snow still good up high and most of the holidays over. For a week centred on the Grands Montets and Balme, Argentière saves the morning transfers.
See places to stay for the end of the season →See places to stay in Argentière in April →Partner links: booking through them supports the site at no extra cost to you.Which village should you choose for a ski week?
Central Chamonix remains the most flexible base: the Brévent on foot, ski buses to every area, restaurants and après-ski in the evening. It is the right choice for a group that wants to change area every day.
Argentière puts the Grands Montets and Balme a few minutes away, with the latest snow in the valley: ideal for a week of good skiers. Les Houches offers an easy area at the foot of your accommodation and bigger apartments, the family choice. The areas are compared in where to stay in Chamonix.
What should you plan for arrival and departure days?
On the Saturday you arrive, do not ski: collect your booked equipment, buy or pick up your passes, find the nearest ski bus stop. A first day won this way is worth more than half a day on the slopes after four hours on the road.
On departure day, return the equipment the evening before if the shop allows it, and leave your bags at the station's left luggage for one last morning. From Geneva, leave before 2pm on Saturday to avoid the end-of-holiday traffic jams, see our Geneva-Chamonix page.
How do you avoid the crowds during the week?
Be at the lifts when they open, ski through lunch and eat early or late: queues build between 9:30am and 11:30am, and mountain restaurants overflow at noon. On holiday Saturdays, avoid the Brévent, the closest to the centre.
The week of 10 to 17 April, after most of the holidays, combines spring snow and quieter slopes: see skiing in Chamonix in April. Meals on the slopes are in our mountain restaurants.
What insurance and safety equipment should you plan for?
Over six days, ski insurance saves you a rescue bill or a lost lift pass: the ESF lists E-Gloo insurance at €3.50 a day and the adult Carte Neige at €106 for the season. For a week, the daily option is often enough; for two stays in the winter, the Carte Neige becomes worthwhile.
If you leave the pistes, even just at the edge, rent the avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe pack, at €20 at Sanglard Sports, and go with a guide or an instructor. Guided off-piste is covered in our Vallée Blanche guide, and the insurance points to check in practical services.
What should you drop when the week gets too full?
- The furthest excursion, Verbier or a day outside the valley: five to eight hours of driving there and back.
- Courmayeur, if your stay is shorter than seven nights or the weather is uncertain.
- Switching sides during the day between the Brévent and La Flégère.
- A second day at the Grands Montets, if the level or the snow is not right for it.
Six days on a lift pass never make six full days of skiing: arrival, rental, fatigue and late buses eat up hours. A rest day, with an activity without skiing or the Aiguille du Midi in clear weather, makes the end of the week better.
What should you do on the rest day?
Montenvers is the outing that fits winter best: three to five hours door to door, and it replaces skiing on the day the wind closes the summits. The Aiguille du Midi needs a perfectly clear sky and the same half day.
To recover, the Richard-Bozon sports centre pool or a hotel spa is enough: see hotels with a spa. In the evening, après-ski bars are on our après-ski page.
A day without skiing, with a guide: snowshoeing, a glacier discovery or the Vallée Blanche for the most experienced, our partner's Chamonix page gathers guided outings with reviews and cancellation terms.
See activities in Chamonix →Partner link: booking through it supports the site at no extra cost to you.Sources
Sources: Compagnie du Mont-Blanc and Mont-Blanc Natural Resort (2026-2027 Chamonix Le Pass and Mont-Blanc Unlimited price lists, "Spring skiing" rate), Les Houches-Saint-Gervais ski area (2026-2027 prices), ESF Chamonix (2026-2027 group lessons), Chamonix.net and Skiset (rental packages), Chamonix Mobilité (ski buses), consulted from 26 to 28 October 2026.
Times are door-to-door planning times. Budgets add up published fares and meal ranges: they are working budgets.
Frequently asked questions
How should you plan a ski week in Chamonix?
Which lift pass for six days of skiing in Chamonix?
Are the Chamonix ski areas linked on skis?
How much does a ski week in Chamonix cost for two?
Which area should you ski in Chamonix when it is windy?
Clémence Bossonnet
Clémence grew up in Les Houches and worked four winters at the ticket office of a lift in the valley. She knows which passes sell for too much on a Saturday, and which runs close first when the snow gives way in April. She only gives a lift time if it is on that day's board.
