Cheap lodging in Chamonix

[funkendrenchman]

Besides hostels, where is the cheapest (liveable) place to get a room in Chamonix? What kind of prices are considered cheap?

What are the pros and cons of hostels? Would you recommend them? Which one?

[Artie Fufkin]

I am not a Cham expert, but I made a brief visit and stayed at a place called the Hotel El Paso. I think it was about 40euro for two people. I would consider it a budget style accomodation, we had a shared bath in a hallway. Though I think some rooms their own baths. There is a mexican restaurant in the building called the Santa Fe.

[Superstar Punani]

There's a dirtbag hostel at the base of Brevant, literally next to the telepherique base for 10 euro a night. Splat and I stayed there in April 2002.

Sleeps about 6-8 dirtbags to a room

[SherpaStyle]

The Vagabond is the cheap hostel in town. It's 10 or 15 euros/night. It's dirty, noisy, and crammed full of people. 4-8 per room. It's your typical euro-hostel. It's a good place to meet people and there is a cheap bar right downstairs, so it has its pros. Call ahead because they are usually pretty crowded.

If you want your own room check out Le Stade or Louvre for a cleaner, quieter environment at 30-40 euros/night. There are quite a few relatively cheap hotels in town. I'm sure Tom will chime in on this one.

Have fun! Wish I could be going back this season

[funkendrenchman]

What do you do with your luggage when you go out? Is it locked in a room? What are the chances of something being stolen?

[SherpaStyle]

Theft is always a concern in hostels... I kept all my important things with me (passport, money, etc.) Other than that the only items of value I had were my skis and my backpack. I brought a bike lock and locked my pack to something and I lost one of my skis the second day I was in Cham, so that wasn't really an issue...they do have a ski storage room, but anyone who is staying there has access to it. You might want to get a cable lock if you are really concerned about it. Oh yeh, dont leave your skis/poles lying around unattended. People steal. Even old beat up poles on the top of Flegere. I'm still bitter about that

[splat]

There's free camping at the top of the Aiguille du Midi.
Just joking, but that's what you have to do to get your Masters in being an Interplanetary Bohemian Dirtbag.
There's usually some room at Gary Bigham's up the road for dirtbag prices. But the Brevent hostel is close and was secure for me and Punani. ( there's a key to the room if everyone locks it) Plus, I think we hammered it with maggot stickers.

[drdirt]

If you are going to be there for a while, its worth checking out Argentiere up the road where it is significantly cheaper to stay. There are some dives there that cost about 15-20 US a night, maybe a bit more since the dollar has tanked. Its easy to get back and forth to Cham hitching or bus. It's also closer to the Grand Montets.

[splat]

Your lift tickets double as a bus pass.

[Superstar Punani]

Originally posted by splat
Your lift tickets double as a bus pass.

Or you just find any old used ticket and wear it around your neck. Just flash the side without the date at the bus driver.

At Les Grand Montets once you get past the base lifts (cable car and the chair) nobody checks tickets. You can save yourself 35 Euro by hiking up to the midstation

[Ted Stryker]

hotel voyager is vallorcine is a cool place.
about 75 meters from the train station.

[funkendrenchman]

Wow this sucks... I can't find one single available hotel on any website search. Any suggestions?

[Superstar Punani]

Originally posted by funkendrenchman
Wow this sucks... I can't find one single available hotel on any website search. Any suggestions?

You pick up a hot chick or cougar at Le Garage in Cham Sud and go back to her pad!

http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...al_49-chix.jpg

http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...al_48-chix.jpg

http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...al_51-chix.jpg

[funkendrenchman]

I knew you were gonna say that.

[splat]

Originally posted by funkendrenchman
Wow this sucks... I can't find one single available hotel on any website search. Any suggestions?

Brevent hostel. It stinks, but it works just fine and is within any budget. Just get there and ask where it is. You've gotten all the info you'll need in this thread already, funken. Not knowing everything is part of the adventure.

[Mountain Junkie]

Originally posted by funkendrenchman
Wow this sucks... I can't find one single available hotel on any website search. Any suggestions?

You're going to have to shoot some e-mails and make some phone calls. chamonix.com has a list of hostels under dormitories. Weekends seem problematic, weekdays you should be fine. We are staying one night at La Montane then the rest of the week at La Gita (something along those lines). Cheap and (hopefully) dry.

Or, buy a ticket and build a snow cave...

[splat]

And throw down for carte neige first thing. Buy a year. It's good for rescue and some med bills back home.

[Mountain Junkie]

Originally posted by splat
And throw down for carte neige first thing. Buy a year. It's good for rescue and some med bills back home.

Yeah, I was going to look into that. Does that cover just skiing, or any sort of mountaineering "incident"? Also, does it cover medical bills in France/Europe?

[funkendrenchman]

Originally posted by Mountain Junkie
Yeah, I was going to look into that. Does that cover just skiing, or any sort of mountaineering "incident"? Also, does it cover medical bills in France/Europe?

Where can you get it? Splat, do you have the number for Le Brevent? I can't find it listed.

[splat]

Get carte neige at the Office of Tourism in town. funken - just get there, then go down the list of places listed here. If you arrive in the day, it'll all work out. If at night, and the hostel is full, hit Le Stade or any of the others. If you need someone to help you out with a phone call or directions (over the cup of coffee you buy), ask Agnes (ann-yes) or Coco or a brit named Chris at the El Dorado Cafe for directions. They're cool. It's small in town. Anyone will know where any of these places are.

[flingle]

Have a look at www.chamonix.net for a list of hotels and hostels.

The one at the Brevent is called something like the Ski Station.
There are a few cheapish hotels in Cham as well, check out the Hotel Chamonix and the Hotel Bon Coin, both well located.

In Argentiere there is the Belvedere, legendary bunkhouse of the Scottish Avalanche Patrol. There is also a hotel called Les Randonneurs which is cheap.

HTH

Phil

[ulty_guy]

funken- i had the same problem. i'd been planning to hit cham for 18-23 of march, but wasn't sure i could go until late. i've been skunked on quite a few different avenues and just gave up and am going to zinal instead. maybe check on staying outside of town, somewhere else in the valley (argentiere, etc). good luck.

[Ripzalot]

Originally posted by ulty_guy
funken- i had the same problem. i'd been planning to hit cham for 18-23 of march, but wasn't sure i could go until late. i've been skunked on quite a few different avenues and just gave up and am going to zinal instead. maybe check on staying outside of town, somewhere else in the valley (argentiere, etc). good luck.

fyi on zinal - have you got a first hand report from there? that area hasn't been getting the snow. it's pretty much the middle of the low spot on the map.

http://www.slf.ch/avalanche/hsr-dec.html

[ulty_guy]

should be ok from what i've heard, and they're getting a big dump this weekend. i can also hit up crans-montana from there pretty easily. to be honest, as crazy and as stressful as my life has been lately, this one is going to be as much a vacaction as a ski trip for me.

[funkendrenchman]

I booked Hotel L'Arvre for Fri-Sun, but I''m willing to cancel if I can find something cheaper. There are only two hotels with rooms available. As for the rest of the week, we'll be hosteling it.