Past Trip: June 2012, French Alps, Chocolate and Cheese

 June 13 - 22, 2012 Chamonix, Montreux and Geneva

Highlights: 

• Chocolate
• Mountains
• Alpine Flowers
• Trains
  

Sights:

Chamonix: June 14 - 17

Aiguille du Midi at 3842 meters

Cable car to Bellevue at 1800 meters

Montenvers Mer de Glace and the Glacier Grotto and Glacier museum

Cable car to down to 400 steps down to the glacier grotto, a tunnel bored into the glacier every year. You can see the previous year's tunnels downstream.

Cable car to Brevent at 2525 meters

Montreux: June 17 - 20

 Chateau Chillion

Extensive small domestic castle on the lake, not far from Montreux.

 Took a day trip from Montreux to Broc and Gruyeres.

Broc

Masion Caillers Chocolate Factory

 Very good chocolate tour

Gruyeres

Gruyeres Cheese Factory, la Maison du Gruyeres, the robot in the aisle turns the cheese wheels daily.

Castle Gruyeres - Located at the top end of the town of Gruyeres, has great views is well furnished and has nice formal gardens.

I would have preferred to stay in the medieval walled town of Gruyeres than Montreux.

Vevey 

The next city over from Montreux. Spent most of the day there.

Alimentarium, a food and nutrition museum with many hands on exhibits geared towards children.

Funicular to top of Mt. Pelerin

 

Geneva: June 20 - 22

Maison Tavel, city's oldest private residence.

St. Peters Cathedral

plus view from tower

Boat Trip

Food:

Le Atmosphere, Chamonix Overlooking the river Arve

Chalet du Plan de Aiguille, short walk down from the middle gondola station had lunch.

Le Caliche, Chamonix

L'Impossible, Chamonix

Fondue lunch in Greuyers

Cafe Pacific lunch

Mai Thai, Montreux

La Caravane Passe, Geneva, Lebanese

Les Armunes, Old Town Geneva

Hotels:

Hotel Le Faucigny, In Chamonix, located near the Tourist information center, was central to all.

Bon-Port, Montreux, out of the way and just OK.

Hotel Bristol, Geneva. Half a block from the Pont du Mont-Blanc, walk-able to the train station.

Travel Info:

EWR to Geneva

EWR - LHR, left late arrived 6:40AM

LHR - Geneva arrived Geneva 11AM, waited awhile for shared van pickup, arrived Chamonix 1PM.

Geneva to EWR

Geneva - LHR, left hotel at noon.

LHR - EWR, flight cancelled at 6:15pm, Night at Hilton Hotel near airport

LHR - JFK 9:30 AM, taxi home from JFK

Trip Expenses:

Plane fares $627(M) + $1253(J&K) =     $1880

Airport transport to Chamonix (~1hr)     $131

Taxi JFK - Home $67                              $85

Rail Transport

Chamonix and Lake Geneva pass           $614

Hotels $616 + $810 + $1152                   $2578

Meals                                                       $827

Cash out:                                                 $1082

200E + 300chf +200chf + 300chf

 Total                                                        $7,838