"You've been to the Swiss Alps, why do you want to go to the French Alps?" you may be wondering. Here is why. Even though the Swiss Alps are a bit more well-known, with their iconic Matterhorn mountain, the French Alps are a totally different beast with their own beauty, incomparable to any other mountain range. To tell you the truth, I actually preferred Chamonix and the French Alps more because of their jagged peaks and diverse landscape. That said, I still think both parts of the Alps are worth checking out.
When talking about the French Alps, Mont Blanc may come to mind. Unfortunately, I did not summit Mont Blanc due to the lack of ice climbing experience and gear, but I did the next best thing. I hiked the Grand Balcon and Lac Blanc trails, which gave me a view of the beautiful mountain range from the other side, with Mont Blanc looming over from afar throughout the trail. I have to say, it was quite a surreal experience to be able to witness such magnificent nature with my own eyes.
Quick Info
| 🌤️ Best time: | July-August |
| 🚘 Get around: | Hiking |
| 🕓 Time to spend: | 8 - 10 hours |
| 🚶♂️ Difficulty: | Moderate |
In order to create one full-day epic trail, we are going to combine 2 trails: the Grand Balcon and Lac Blanc trails, both of which allow you to see the Alps from a very unique perspective. The Grand Balcon trail is a half-day trail that offers an unobstructed view of the Mont Blanc mountain range all the way. The Lac Blanc trail, which is adjacent to the Grand Balcon, is another great walk you can do on the same day. This trail will reward you with a panoramic reflection of the mountain range on a lake. Really, the photos don't do justice to this place.
Note: In order to have the best experience, it is essential that you do this during late September when the cable cars are closed for the year. Why? You will have the whole lake and mountain range to yourself, which I heard could be very crowded during high season.
- Alpenrose Chamonix (Budget)
- Hotel Richemond (Mid-Range) 👍 Top Pick
- Grand Hôtel des Alpes (High-End)
- Paragliding Tandem Flight over the Alps in Chamonix (1 hour 15 minutes)
- Chamonix, Tandem paragliding in Planpraz (1 hour)
- Mythical Aiguille du Midi - Half Day (3 hours)
One downside is that you will have to walk up and down yourself, which may add at least 5 hours to the trail. But if you know me, I very much prefer walking up than taking the cable cars anyway because you get the chance to see more wild animals.
Start your hike as early as 8 AM, no later than that; otherwise, you might miss the last train, as I did. I had to walk back on the side of a mountainous road in pitch darkness for 2 hours. That is something you don't want to do after a 10-hour hike.
Walk towards the tourist information, go past it, and head west up the hill to where the cable car station to PlanPraz is. From there, you should see a sign directing you to the walking trail to PlanPraz. Follow the trail up the mountain.
It's a 3-hour continuous ascent along the side of a mountain. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to spot many wild animals, such as the Chamois or a big group of mountain goats.
Our first stop is PlanPraz, where we can rest for a bit and enjoy our breakfast/lunch. From here, the trail will be a piece of cake compared to the ascent we just did.
Some of the paths we have to take along the Grand Balcon may also be covered in snow during this time of year, so be cautious.
As you walk towards La Flegere refuge, our second stop, don't forget to look back at the towering Mont Blanc and its siblings. Beautiful, isn't it?
As you make your way forward, you will have the entire mountain range on your right all the way to the second stop. Look at the photo above. This is why I love the French Alps more. The peaks around this part of the Alps are magnificent!
You should reach La Flegere refuge in about 2 hours. From here, the trail to Lac Blanc might get a little tricky, so look for the yellow directional sign and follow the direction to Lac Blanc.
Basically, what I did was walk up to the big house on top of a hill, and from there, I was able to spot a restaurant nearby with a trail behind it. I walked down the hill and up again to the restaurant, and as expected, through the restaurant, the hiking trail to Lac Blanc was accessible.
I thought the trail could not get any better than this, but I was so wrong. Lac Blanc is located in the mountains, with an elevation of 2352m above sea level. The trail consisted of many stairs zigzagging up the side of the mountain. It looked almost as if I were walking up to heaven.
After about an hour and a half, you should be at an intersection where, on your left, it will take you to Lac Blanc and, on your right, to Argentiere. Go left and follow the trail up the mountain until you reach the lake.
My jaw dropped to the ground as I approached the lake. Oh, it was so beautiful. When you are up there, spare some time to just sit and watch the panoramic reflection of the mountain range showing itself when the wind is calm.
If all my calculations are correct (don't take my word for it), you should have an hour up there before you have to descend. I spent a little bit too much time here, which may be the reason why I missed the last train.
From the lake, you will have to walk back down the same way until you reach the intersection again. This time, follow your way down to Argentière.
If you think all of this is adventurous, wait until you see the path down. As mentioned earlier, in order to get down from Lac Blanc, you will have to go through several sections of metal ladders where you have to hang off the cliff to go down the ladder. I still remember my legs shaking uncontrollably when I got down!
If you come down the right way, you should see Aiguillette d'Argentiere, a very iconic pair of twin spires that protrude out of Mother Earth. You cannot miss it.
From there, it should take you no more than an hour to arrive at our final destination, Argentière. From here, you can either take a bus or a train back to Chamonix, which ends this one full-day epic hike.
Bonus: Aiguille du Midi
If you have some time to spare, I would highly recommend going up the cable car to the top of Aiguille du Midi the next day. The view from up there is truly worth the price (60+ Euros, both ways). From the top-most outlook point, you will be able to see the entire trail we did the day before, and you will be amazed at what your body could do!
More Chamonix Activities
If you are looking for more activities to do here, be sure to check out some of the available tours and day trips:
- Paragliding Tandem Flight over the Alps in Chamonix (1 hour 15 minutes)
- Chamonix, Tandem paragliding in Planpraz (1 hour)
- Mythical Aiguille du Midi - Half Day (3 hours)
Where to Stay in Chamonix?
What to Pack for the French Alps?
Since we are not ascending Mont Blanc, the required gear is not too complicated. However, the weather does get cold in the morning and at night, especially during autumn. The weather can change really fast here. One minute, you could be seeing a clear sky, and another minute, your range of sight could be reduced to zero due to fog.
- Hiking Shoes with good grip: During autumn, there is a chance that you might have to walk on a snow-covered trail, so hiking shoes are essential. Also, the way down from Lac Blanc will require you to climb down a very slippery metal ladder along the cliff side of a mountain. It's very dangerous! These Timberland Shoes are my go-to hiking boots in most situations.
- Weather-proof Clothing: It is always better to be over-prepared than the other way around. The wind is strong and it might carry heavy rain with it. Here are the jackets I recommend you get for the trip: fleece jacket and the beautiful orange Columbia outer-shell jacket.
- A Hiking Map: You can get a hiking map and the train/bus schedule from the Tourist Info. You will need the bus/train schedule because you will have to make your way back from Argentiere to Chamonix at the end somehow. If you don't want to walk back for 2 hours along the road in complete darkness as I did, calculate the hours carefully. You can also download our maps from the links under The Trail below.
- Food and water supply: It's going to be a full-day hike from 8 AM to around 6 PM, so prepare your food for at least three meals. Also, make sure you bring enough water. There were not many stops where you could fill up your water along the trail. Even if they do have stops, they are probably closed during autumn. I always carry my 2-liter hydration pack, which I recommend so you don't have to stop to stay hydrated.
- A Daypack: You will need a daypack to carry all your gear with you when you are out and about. During this trip, I use the classic Herschel Supply's Little America Backpack to carry everything with me. It is lightweight with good capacity and stylish as hell.
How to get to Chamonix?
The best way to get here is to fly directly into Lyon and take a train or a bus from there. I would recommend you browse through Skyscanner or Expedia to find all the cheap flights from where you live to France and compare them so that you can find the one that best fits your itinerary.
Chamonix is the closest town to the trail, and there are many ways to get from anywhere in France/Switzerland to here. I came with an SNCF train from Lyon, which is the most convenient but not the most economical option.
If you are coming from the Geneva Airport, you can rent a transfer service from Alpybus that will take you directly to Chamonix. You also can never go wrong with Flixbus as they are cheap, reliable, and run widely throughout Europe.
For the cheapest option with a little bit of luck, you can try the carpool service called Blablacar.com, which allows you to carpool with people who are going the same way for a small fee. I have never done it myself, but I have heard great stories from the locals.
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:
Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
Further Reading for France
I hope you found this guide helpful in your trip planning. If you want to read more about France, I have written a few more travel guides, all listed here:
- Looking for a complete travel guide to France? Check out my 2 Weeks in France.
- Are you traveling to France as part of a bigger Europe trip? Be sure to check out my 3-month itinerary for Europe from Portugal all the way to Sweden.
- Packing for a trip to visit a region as big as Europe is extremely daunting. Here's a packing guide to help you: What to Pack for Europe - The Essential Packing List.
- Want to visit Europe in winter? Better prepare for the cold. Here's a winter packing guide to help you: What to Pack for Europe in Winter - The Essential Packing List.
- Paris is one of the most popular destinations in Europe and one of the most overcrowded cities as well, but it doesn't have to be. Here are the 10 Hipster Things to Do in Paris.
- Bordeaux is a city known for its wine, laid-back vibe, and beautiful architecture. Here's a 8 Best Things to Do in Bordeaux.
- Avignon, the city of antiquity, is hard to miss when you are planning a trip to France. Here’s a complete guide on 8 Best Things to Do in Avignon.
- Not convinced by my words? Here are 125 photos that will inspire you to visit Europe.
- You can also watch my France travel video here: "Dear France" travel video.
- To see all articles about France, visit the France Travel Guide page.
- Looking for a place to go after France? How about Spain, Germany, or Switzerland? Visit our Spain travel guide page, Germany travel guide page, and Switzerland travel guide page for more.
- Traveling in Europe can be cheap, really cheap. These are the 12 Cheap European Countries to Visit.
- Looking for more travel guides for Europe? You can find more on my Europe Travel Guide page.
- Or, if you want something more specific to the region, visit our Western Europe Travel Guide page.
- For more of my travel guides like this, visit my Destinations page.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
22 Comments
Amazing!
Thank you for the comment! :)
Pete Rojwongsuriya Your wellcome. Is it possible to do it alone, iI mean, not necessarily paying a guide or with a group? Thank you.
João Leite Yes. :) I did them all alone in one day. As long as you prepare enough food and study the trail carefully, it shouldn't be a problem :)
This is just what I was looking for! Do you know if there's a cable car station(?) at the end/near of Lac Blanc trail? I am thinking I want to take the cable down instead of walking down.
Thank you Allison! The hike is totally worth it :) I believe in order to come back down to Chamonix via cable car, you will have to make your way back to La Flegere and go down from there. Be aware that the cable car station maybe close earlier than when you finish the hike so calculate your time carefully. I'm not sure the operating hours of the cable cars (because it depends on the season) but it switzerland side of the Alps, it closed at 4:30 PM and I had to walk (run) 3 hours down in order to make it before it got too dark. I hope this helps!
PlanPraz*
Thank you, Maxwell! The names are fixed :)
How did you take such great photos while by yourself? So beautiful! Also I'm very scared to do those ladders down, are they reasonably safe?
Thank you, Stephanie! :)
Haha, I get that question a lot. I simply carry a tripod around and when there is no one around, I just set the camera up on a tripod and use a timer and run :D They are pretty safe if you have solid shoes and it is not pouring outside. :) Just go slowly and you should be fine :)