Servoz (and Chamonix)

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Servoz is a charming little village in the depths of the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. We had been hoping when we booked the trip a few months back that it would be a nice snowy winters getaway but due to the mild winter that Europe has had , there was little snow on the ground in Servoz. The lovely views of the snow capped mountains did help to alleviate our disappointment slightly. Tip: Get your phrase book at the ready or sharpen up your French before you travel!

Transportation

After doing some extensive research (Google) I decided to book EasyBus as our transport from Geneva airport to Chamonix (where we would then transfer to Servoz by train). I had read mixed reviews on EasyBus but I have no complaints about our experience. Our tickets cost around €45 between us for two trips, our flight was due to land at 9.05am and I didn't want to risk booking the 9.30am bus incase we missed it. EasyBus have a policy that means you can travel on a bus 60 mins either side of your selected time, unfortunately for us we were in time for the 9.30 bus but there were no spaces available so we had to wait until our booked one at 10.30am. We arrived at Chamonix Bus Stationat 11.45am, bang on time!

We then went for a little walk around Chamonix before catching the 12.16pm train from Aiguille du Midi station to Servoz. There were no ticket machines at the station but an on board inspector sold us tickets which were €4 euros each for a one way journey. The journey to Servoz station is about 30 mins but the scenery is so picturesque you don't even notice the time! The trains are the Mont Blanc Express and your hotel will be able to give you a ticket that entitles you to free travel between Servoz and Chamonix, typically run every hour between Servoz and Chamonix.

Train tip: if you are travelling straight from the airport into Geneva you can pick up a free train ticket from baggage reclaim which is valid for 80 minutes after collection.

Accomodation

We stayed for two nights in the Auberge Les Gorges De La Diosaz in Servoz. I had tried to find accomodation in Chamonix but even booking a few months in advance it was slim pickings and some of the hotels were astonishingly expensive so we went for the more rustic option of Servoz!

The hotel was around 15 minute walk from the station and pretty easy to find, we checked in around 1pm and were taken to our room which had a stunning view of the mountains from the balcony.

Things to do

I had seen that there were a number of walking routes near the hotel but they didn't have any maps of the area so we had to use our noses and luckily the routes were all very well signposted! We decided to go for the "Trois Guille" route, around a 2.5 hour walk and a 250m height difference (which definitely felt like more!). Much hillier than expected and we also went round the route in the opposite direction than planned but it was a great walk through the forest/mountain area, we only saw three other people and it was nice to be somewhere so remote and away from technology (except my trusty SLR camera!). The water in the lakes was crystal clear and a beautiful blue colour which contrasted against the orange and green of the forest. We arrived back to the hotel at around 4pm for a much needed shower and nap!

TripAdvisor and Google and informed me that whilst staying in the Chamonix area, a visit to Aiguille Du Midi was a must do. There are a couple of other options for "altitude sightseeing" but this one really stood out, especially as at 3842m it is the closest you can get to Mont Blanc without hiking or climbing and is the highest mountain peak served by a cable car! The name means Needle of the Day and when viewed from in front of the church it indicates that it is noon when the sun passes over it's summit. We got to the cable car station at 10am to find a long queue for both the ticket and boarding queue so decided to split up, it almost took an hour to buy tickets so I would recommend going the day before hand or first thing! I had been sceptical about the cost of the tickets (€58.50 each for a return trip) but the amount of people in the queue reassured me that it would be worth it!

The journey is in two parts, the first which takes you to Plan de l'Aiguille (2,317m) - a particularly hairy ride for those who are afraid of heights! The journey to the summit only takes 20 minutes and once you go outside you are hit by the freezing cold weather (it was -10 when we went up!). The views are truly stunning and we had a beautiful sunny day and could see for miles!

Another attraction which I wanted to do at the Aigulle du Midi (boyfriend not so keen...) was the Step into the Void. This is a glass room with a glass floor that is set out over the edge of the mountain at an altitude of 3842m and claims to be the highest attraction in Europe. In my opinion it's a must do, not many people you know will be able to say they've stepped into a glass floor over a mountain!

Food

After considering whether to eat at the hotel restaurant (by google translating the menu) we made the decision to head to La Sauvegounne restaurant which was just around the corner. En route we saw that a small shop was open so headed in to buy (very cheap) supplies and gifts for our families!

When we arrived at the restaurant at 6pm most of the lights were dimmed (the French are very efficient at saving their energy!) and it seemed that the family who owned the restaurant were having their dinner at the back - tip Don't arrive at a restaurant much before 6.30pm in Servoz as they all tend to be shut!

We took our first opportunity to have a fondue and decided to have it to share as a starter (we like to be different!), the portion size however was rather large and I found myself in a cheese coma from eating so much! We picked the steak and ravioli for our mains, both of which were delicious, the service was excellent and I would highly recommend visiting if you are in Servoz!

For our first morning in Servoz we had the continental breakfast at the hotel which we had pre booked before hand (€13 each). We had pastries, ham and cheese, a bread basket, satsuma's, cottage cheese and a choice of tea and coffee! It felt rather expensive but the portion size was big and kept us going all morning!

After our visit to Aiguille Du Midi we stopped off at Pie for a tea and tart which was delicous! It is a small cafe on the main street in Chamonix, felt very local and the staff were very friendly.

Our final dinner in Servoz (Les Houches) was at Auberge De L'Arve , another small local restaurant where we couldn't have a table until 6.30pm (we were locked out of our room!). They spoke quite little English but we managed to get by and ordered a duck dish and a Mont Blanc burger. Both were tasty and came with a delicious portion of chips, we also had meringue and chocolate tart for dessert!

An early start on our final morning before we headed to Geneva lead us in search of somewhere selling hot chocolate or tea, we asked in one shop and were directed to Cote Macaron which was reasonably priced and came with an unexpected free macaron which was DELICIOUS!



Overall thoughts

It was great to be out in such a remote area , the locals were friendly but I wish I had brushed up on my French beforehand! The food was all delicious with generous portions and not as expensive as I had imagined it to be! The views were stunning but it would have been nicer had there been a tad more snow! The Aigulle Du Midi is a must do, maybe next time we head back we will have be venturing out on the slopes as we didn't have the chance during such a short visit!

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