Chamonix, France, ski, snowboard, Nashville

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2024-25 Trips:

Our trip is now complete! Check out the Photo Gallery to see how much fun we had and make plans to join us next season!

Chamonix - Lyon Trip Report

40 of your fellow ski clubbers enjoyed a week of skiing in the spectacular French Alps, in the town of Chamonix. Everyone arrived on their own in Geneva and we took a group bus to Chamonix, about a 1 hour 15 min ride. We stayed in the amazing La Folie Douce hotel where we had a huge breakfast buffet each morning, and in the evening a multi-course gourmet dinner complete with wine. There was a floor show each evening: first there was an aerialist performing in the multi story lobby, then a group of singers and dancers would entertain us while we ate; they walked back and forth and performed music of various genres.

On Monday most of the group went up to the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) via cogwheel train. We boarded the little red train and it chugged up the mountain to an overlook of the glacier. From there we boarded gondolas to descend into the valley then down a long set of steps to the glacier itself. We could walk through the glacier; they have carved tunnels throughout. Some of us had lunch up there and it was a spectacular sunny day. In the late afternoon we had our welcome reception on the spacious outdoor deck which is known as “party central” for Chamonix. We were treated with local wines, beers, cheeses and cold cuts, the hotel put out a huge spread for us! Many of our skiers signed up with ski guides that night, as a local guide company came to our welcome reception.

On Tuesday we had the option to ski or take a sightseeing tour, half the group went sightseeing to a local town of Annecy. This town is called the “Venice of the Alps” as it’s located on the spring-fed alpine Lake Annecy and a river and multiple canals drain the lake. The town surrounding the river is from medieval times and was quite charming. We had a guide in the morning then free time in the afternoon to explore. I’m sure that the other half of the group who went skiing had an equally good time!

On Wednesday most people skied, but a handful of us opted to take a tour of CERN, the European Center for Nuclear Research , located outside Geneva. This is the location of the world’s largest particle physics laboratory , home to the Large Hadron Collider, and the birthplace of the World Wide Web. The skiing was great all week and most people did what they came to do: they skied!! We had several different locations to choose from, depending on the weather and snow conditions. Some days it was a bit cloudy and foggy, and on other days there was a spectacular view of the beautiful Alps. Many people chose to use a ski guide to get them to the best spots on any given day, and to help them navigate around the crowds.

On Friday afternoon we had a wine &; cheese tasting at a local wine shop. We tried wines from the Savoie area (this region of France in the Alps) and local cheeses. Delicious! On Saturday a few of us went snowshoeing with guides at a local hill, it was hard but rewarding! Afterwards we stopped for a refreshing drink at a nearby restaurant. All too soon the ski portion of the trip came to an end, and half of the group left Chamonix for home, the other half continued on to Lyon for a 3-day extension.

In Lyon we stayed at a beautiful old hotel that was centrally located. We had a full day tour of Lyon on Monday and a half-day tour on Tuesday. Lyon is the third-largest city in France and is known as the gastronomic capitol of France. In olden times, it was a leader in the silk industry. For our full-day tour we visited the area of the silk weavers, wandered through hidden passageways in the old town and visited a small shop where the art of hand printing silks is still alive. We broke for lunch on our own and found some charming small restaurants to sample local cuisine. After lunch we went on the hill overlooking the town and toured a large cathedral and saw the ruins of ancient Roman amphitheater. On Tuesday we visited the local food hall to discover the products for which the capital of gastronomy is renowned. Our guide described the various products we saw for sale including meats, salamis, cheeses, and confections. We had a tasting of local foods, cheeses, and wines before ending our tour and spending the afternoon on our own. All too soon it was time to pack our bags for good and head home, savoring memories of a wonderful time in the French Alps with ski club friends!

Please join the Nashville Ski Club as we return to Europe, this time to the charming alpine village of Chamonix, France. We will be traveling round trip from Nashville to Geneva, Switzerland, and travel by bus to Chamonix, just an hour away.

Our base for the week will be Hotel La Folie Douce. This hotel is centrally located and has two beds per room. Breakfast and dinner is included in your hotel stay. The hotel has a heated outdoor pool, sauna and a steam room.

Chamonix is situated in the French Alps, just a few miles from the border with Switzerland and Italy and is a favorite place for skiers and sightseers. The Chamonix valley is a ski resort that extends into many villages and is comprised of 492 slopes: 61 green, 156 blue, 209 red and 66 black slopes. You can travel between the different ski areas using a train or bus, the cost is included in your Chamonix ski pass. There is terrain for everyone, from beginners to off-piste powder hounds. You can even ski the legendary Valée Blanche, a high altitude glacier run, with your guide. Chamonix is currently using the IKON pass. The skiable area extends from our town in France into Switzerland and Italy, and has 150 km of pistes and 15,000 acres of off-piste skiing. With an altitude of 1035-3842 meters it has an excellent snow record. While the percentage of beginner and intermediate slopes is lower (due to so many off-piste options), Chamonix has more beginner and intermediate slopes than most American resorts.

For the non-skiers, we will be planning several day excursions which might include trips to Geneva, the United Nations, CERN, Annecy, Aosta Italy, and others. You can also stay in Chamonix and enjoy various activities such as ice skating, sledding, snowshoeing, ice climbing and various cultural activities. All breakfasts and dinners are included in your package price.

We are offering an optional extension to Lyon, France, after the ski week. In Lyon we will stay at a local hotel with two beds per room and breakfast is included. We have a full-day and half-day tours planned which include a city tour and a foodie tour with tastings. More details in the description below.

➡ Update 9 May: due to extremely expensive group fares, this trip is now land-only. Please contact the trip leaders for information about making your own air reservations.

Dates: Saturday, March 8 - Sunday, March 16, 2025 for Chamonix, Lyon extension Sunday, March 16 - Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Lodging: Hotel La Folie Douce

Land only: Lodging and ground transportation - $2136

Lift tickets: $450 (5-day ticket estimate) - The IKON Base and IKON Base Plus passes each offer 5 days at Chamonix; the full IKON Pass offers 7 days.

Extension package: private transfer from Chamonix to Lyon with escort, 3 nights in a hotel, daily breakfast, private foodie tour including tastings, private transfer to Lyon airport, all taxes and fees, more details below: $879

Trip Leaders: Chamonix@nashvilleskiclub.com - Sara Tamas Shamblin (615.838.3360) - Tom Gormley (615.585.1824)

at the foot of Mont-Blanc
six restaurants on site
daily breakfast and dinner included
heated pool
Feel Good Club Sport & Spa open daily 10 AM - 8 PM

Optional Three-Night Extension to Lyon Includes:

Private transfer from the hotel in Chamonix to the hotel in Lyon
Three nights at the Mercure Lyon Perrache
Breakfast all three mornings
Guided tour of silk workshops and the hidden passages once used to transport them
Guided tour of Old Lyon
Foodie tour including tasting traditional machon at Les Halles
Private transfer from the hotel to the airport

Total cost: $879

Here are some videos to help you get excited about skiing the Chamonix-Mont Blanc Valley!