Chamonix - 6 days - is Les Houches worth the extra?

A snowHead

Hi. Would appreciate a steer!

Skiing in Chamonix from Thursday 8th. Six days. Family of four.

The participants...
- Mum: experienced skier. Technically very good especially in off piste. Needs to fly home one day early.
- Dad: experienced skier. Not as good technically but fares better in icier conditions than Mum.
- 9yo: this will be his 3rd trip and he has his 1st Etoile. Took him down a red on his final day last year and he did great. Complete confidence on blues. Likes going fast.
- 7yo: 3rd trip, has 1st Etoile. More graceful skier (like his Mum) and doesn't have the need for speed. Less natural fearlessness than older brother - not an age thing just his nature.

Kids will be in some sort of lessons (whether school or Private) for at least three days and we will work with the ski school to try to get them their 2nd Etoile.

Mum and Dad cover ground quickly together, preferably via reds as opposed to blacks unless extremely short for time to make a lift. We have a friend in Chamonix, also an experienced skier, who will join us for at least three ski days.

The MBU pass seems awesome value for the family but when looking at it more closely I can't see us giving up a bunch of time on the snow to travel to Italy or Switzerland. We won't have access to a car, so any transfers would be by bus.

Is having access to Les Houches worth it over the six days (5 for Mum)? For the family it's a difference of €267 euro.

Thanks so much. I can't wait to get there.

A snowHead

Les Houches is a lovely place, yes its a bit longer to get to and back from on the bus, but if you are going to Cham you should go there for at least 1 of your days.
Whether you get the full pass or just pay for the day there is obviously up to you...

Personally, for me the answer is yes

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I haven't been there in over ten years so I 'm a rather out of date. Les Houches is nice and it's well served from two sides, tree lined and good for a couple of family days but as adults you'd ski it in a day.
I have the feeling you can ski St Gervais on a Les Houches pass. It's a bit further around the valley but the busses run there and if that resort can be included somehow it would be well worth it. I'd personally choose St Gervais over Les Houches.

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@dingbat, you don’t much fancy the travel to Courmayeur or Verbier, so I can’t see you chomping at the bit to bus or train it to St Gervais and the like.

Check out the latest weather forecast for your arrival https://chamonix-meteo.com/

If, as seems likely, the weather is poor for your first few days, you may be very glad of the more sheltered skiing at Les Houches. Its lack of vastness may be made up for by the fact that in the wild weather every run will feel like the first time!

Depending on how the weather works out, don’t completely write off Courmayeur. If it is sunny there and not here, the first bus there and last back will leave enough skiing to all be knackered. And better fed than any hill in France

In conclusion, I would stump up for the Unlimited pass.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I agree that a day skiing in Courmayeur would be worth it, and the bus service is really convenient.
Do you still get access to Aiguille de Midi as well with MBU? That’s good for an excursion when finishing early.

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After all it is free · Last edited by After all it is free on Mon 5-01-26 20:11; edited 1 time in total

Yes, the boundary between the two communes is actually on the Les Houches side of Col de Voza so the majority of the Les Houches pistes are actually on St Gervais land and are badged accordingly. However although that was agreed historically, there is little collaboration between the communes these days, requests for a combined pass have fallen on deaf ears (though to be fair that would mostly be beneficial to those in St Gervais village who have access to both areas).

For @dingbat, the Evasion Mont Blanc area included in the MBU pass is not going to be ideal, the bus from Chamonix Sud only arrives in St G at 0945. There is a more regular bus service to Les Houches. With two members of the party who are blue run skiers just beginning to progress to red, Les Houches is certainly an attractive possibility since they will presumably up to then have been based in La Tour. Probably more cost effective to buy a 5-day Chamonix pass and then a local Les Houches pass the last day.

@CathS, yesss, it's not immediately obvious is it!! Cheeky gits.

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Thanks folks. Our apartment seems to be near the Aiguille de Midi so Les Houches might actually be more convenient then Le Tour. You’d think I’d have looked at this more closely before now but I never knew that the various areas in Chamonix were not interconnected. My other half on the other hand, who decided we were going to Chamonix, has just today remembered that “we spent time on buses there alright, now I think of it” Laughing

One of our friends over there wants to just pay by the day depending on where we want to go but based on the dynamic pricing system that seems proper madness.

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@dingbat, I think I am right in saying the Aiguille du Midi base is pretty close to the Chamonix Sud bus station where you can get buses to most places (free with a ski pass, or using the pass provided with your accommodation). Which means Les Houches and La Tour are equally accessible.

@under a new name will confirm (or not) I am sure.

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@dingbat, near the AdM covers quite a lot of ground … any better precision?

@dingbat, Given the forecast for the week from 8th Jan, Les Houches would be a better option than Le Tour, where most of the runs are on an open mountainside. There is little to give any definition in snowy weather.

You know it makes sense.

@j b: we’re 8mins walk from Chamonix Sud.

Thanks guys for the input @under a new name, @CathS

I’m kind of thinking I should just get the full MBU and be done with it simply so we have the option of going to Les Houches more than once.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@CathS, quite. We've binned days at le Tour 'cos we couldn't see Jack. Mind you, on a powder day if you can see your hands, it's pretty nice.

@dingbat, given the current forecast that's probably not a bad plan.

A snowHead

@under a new name, so last night was interesting.

Argued my case but was told I should just book the Chamonix pass.

So I went online to get it then decided sod it I’m sticking to my guns - I’ll get the MBU for us and won’t tell anyone.

And when I hit purchase the price has gone up mahhhooooooosively. It was two minutes past midnight. That dynamic pricing is Crying or Very sad

Relatively speaking the Chamonix pass was less painful.

But bloody hell.

Now just need to forget about it and enjoy flying out tomorrow!!

Help!!

Chamonix - 6 days - is Les Houches worth the extra?

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