hostels in chamonix

[movementpad88]

Does anyone have any suggestions of hostels in Chamonix? I am heading out in January and am looking to get it booked soon, so far i have seen the "chalet ski station" hostel it seems well thought of by people who have stayed there. However there is no ski locker provided or ski room also there is no locker provided in general where i could securely leave my gear, ipod-avi beacon etc.
so does anyone have any suggestions for cheap hostel accomodation or similar, which is more secure. Many thanks in advance
Movementpad

[funcarver]

you can also search here http://www.hostelbookers.com,
there are the 3 cheap or best Hostel on cham..

[Liveezy]

I only sleep with my skis when staying in such places. Who's to say some mug with access to the Ski locker doesn't want my new skis?

[semw]

Les Randonneurs in Argentiere is good.

[tele.savalas]

I recommend the Belvedere in L'Argentiere. 5 minute walk to the base of Les Grands Montets.

[Mulletizer]

I recommend the Belvedere in L'Argentiere. 5 minute walk to the base of Les Grands Montets.

I've heard the same.

[BGSTi_403]

I have stayed in the Belvedere - pretty decent and you get a good crowd of skiers and climbers. I am pretty sure they do not have locker - there is a ski room in the basement where everybody leaves their gear (the owner actually gets furious if you try to bring in any boots, skis or poles inside). Couple of things:

1. May want to bring your own sleeping bag - you get charged extra for sheets / blanket

2. Absolutely perfect location relative to the LGM cable car - however, there is no public transportation between Argentiere and Chamonix after 9pm or so and there isn't that much to do in Argentiere - there are a couple of good bars, but that's about it...

3. There is a communal kitchen you can use if you want to cook - I think you may have to pay a bit extra for that

[FFsup]

In cham i know of 2 places:

- "Vagabond" just outside of town: http://www.gitevagabond.com/

- "???" located just below Le Brevent lift

[GPendleton]

Dec 29 - Jan 3 - Recommendation for hostel in Chamonix that would be good to meet seasonaires? I contacted Belvedere and they seem like a pretty good operation but I'm looking for something that will allow me to meet others there for the season and people to party with on New Years Eve and to look for permanent housing. I am arriving to spend a season and think Chamonix Sud would be the best neighborhood for what I'm looking for but what is good there? I want to ensure that all my new gear is 100% safe as I will have a couple bags full of crap to last me a few months there too. Would Argentiere fit this? I am worried about being far from city center for nights but would be excited about the proximity to GM. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

[grrrr]

One other thing about the belvedere - the showers only seemed to come in one flavor when I was there - frickin' freezin'. Oh, and one more thing...when I was there they booked three guys into one room with 2 beds. Complaints fell on deaf ears, they seemed to think it was perfectly acceptable to share a bed with a stranger.

Other than that it was cool...but I will probably look elsewhere next time.

[GPendleton]

Cold showers in the Alps? I guess you have to do what you have to do, right? I'd like something different if that's the case. Also, def not acceptable to share a bed with a male stranger in my book - unless it's a hut on top of the mountain or something.

[MadPatSki]

I stayed at Le Chamoniard Volant in March 2003.

This was a cool place back then and good. Just googled it and looks like it might be for sale.

http://www.chamoniard.com/index.php

[Johnny Casino]

Hotel du Louvre

They started renos this spring and I just noticed on their website that it's gone from 1 star to 2. Prices will probably go up but it was one of the best deals going. Located in central Chamonix and walking distance from everything.

Hotel Faucigny

Right around the corner from the Hotel du Louvre. A little swankier but now maybe on par with the Louvre after renos. Both have a secure ski room and Guy, the owner of the Faucigny is happy to store stuff in a secure area for an extended period even if you're not staying at the hotel.

The star rating isn't the same as here. 1 and 2 star accomm is super nice over there. Something else to keep in mind is the hostels that come up with web searches are ghetto. The popular one in Les Houches is a dump and a bus ride outside of Chamonix. Even though the bus is free in the valley it's nice to be close to the action. Both the Louvre and Faucigny are in the best possible location.

[Johnny Casino]

Dec 29 - Jan 3 - Recommendation for hostel in Chamonix that would be good to meet seasonaires? I contacted Belvedere and they seem like a pretty good operation but I'm looking for something that will allow me to meet others there for the season and people to party with on New Years Eve and to look for permanent housing. I am arriving to spend a season and think Chamonix Sud would be the best neighborhood for what I'm looking for but what is good there? I want to ensure that all my new gear is 100% safe as I will have a couple bags full of crap to last me a few months there too. Would Argentiere fit this? I am worried about being far from city center for nights but would be excited about the proximity to GM. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

Check this for a longer term option...

http://www.chamstudio.com/

Le Chailloud and Le Lachenal are both very central, walking distance to everything.

[GPendleton]

All the non-hostels listed are pricey - like 60 euros a day vs 16 in Argentiere. Does anyone else have experience with Vagabond in Cham? Is it Chamonix Sud? It looks close to Aiguille du Midi lift.

[Johnny Casino]

Check this for a longer term option...

http://www.chamstudio.com/

Le Chailloud and Le Lachenal are both very central, walking distance to everything.

Find 3 people to share with... 14 euros a night.

[babybear]

I stayed at the Belvedere for a long time and it is good altho as mentioned Argentiere is not as 'happening' of a place at Cham (which I thought was good for me to focus on skiing not on the insanely epic party scene in Cham) I think Grand Montets is the best area and the belvedere is like right there.
In Cham I have also stayed at les Cretes Blanche which is right in town and next to the supermarche, buses, the ctr of town etc. I can't remember how expensive it was but I remember thinking it was pretty cheap. And we were REALLY loud and rowdy when we were there for almost a week and nobody ever said anything to us.

[GPendleton]

I stayed at the Belvedere for a long time and it is good altho as mentioned Argentiere is not as 'happening' of a place at Cham (which I thought was good for me to focus on skiing not on the insanely epic party scene in Cham) I think Grand Montets is the best area and the belvedere is like right there.
In Cham I have also stayed at les Cretes Blanche which is right in town and next to the supermarche, buses, the ctr of town etc. I can't remember how expensive it was but I remember thinking it was pretty cheap. And we were REALLY loud and rowdy when we were there for almost a week and nobody ever said anything to us.

Did you feel all of your stuff was safe being left at the Belvedere? Being close to the Grands Montets would be nice, especially if there is a more permanent place in Chamonix Sud for the rest of the trip.

[mogul5480]

I generally used to stay at Le Belvedere when I was over there for a quick weekend, but to the points above, if you're looking for any kind of nightlife you're much better off in Chamonix proper than in Argentiere (the light-rail is very convenient during the ski day if you want to ski at Les Grands everyday - less so at night).

If you want a VERY authentic French experience (make damn sure you're ok w/ how frankly bizarre the scene is, however - very culturally different from what we're used to here in the states), you can stay with the UCPA (http://holidays.ucpa.com/default.aspx). They sell you this whole package deal, which as an American, I can assure you that you will use <60% of. Nonetheless, it's EXTREMELY inexpensive. Back when I lived over there, I used to stay for a week and get lift, lodging, meals, rentals, sidecountry guide (yes, really) for $350. That was back when the USD was worth 50% more against the Euro than it is today, but still, CHEAP.

That was 10 yrs ago, but I would imagine it's still a good time.

[GPendleton]

Anyones ideas on the Vagabond? Looks like the belvedere is best but the whole lack of locker thing is an issue maybe.

Easy to hitchhick on New Years back to Argentiere?

What's this hostel by Brevant?

[Blizzard7763]

Bumping a dead thread for beta...

I fly into Geneva on February 28th, and stay there for a night. Then I'll hop on a bus to Chamonix, and have 3 nights booked at Gite Le Chamoniard Volante. I fly out March 15th. I'd rather keep my options open for where I spend the night, but I'm worried that hostels will sell out. Is it important to book them in advance, or will I be able to find a place when I get there?

Also, are there hostels in Courmayeur? Google and TGR searching makes it seem like they aren't good at the interwebz on the Italian side.

[alvion]

Gite la Vagabond is decent, although a little rowdy. A bit more of a party hostel than the others.

The other two major ones I know of in Cham are the Chamoniard Volant and Gite la Montagne. I've stayed at the Chamoniard the most. It's a 10 minute walk from town, but it's nice and cheap, big kitchen, and the dude who runs it is nice (his wife is a bitch though).

Gite la Montagne is probably my favorite. It's the most beautiful, quietest, and usually only has pretty serious climbers/skiers. It's about a 20 minute walk out of town, but it's right next to the groomed cross country ski trails so we would often just strap our sticks on and skate to the bus stop. We could also usually thumb a ride pretty easy to get into town, but a 20 minute walk isn't bad anyway. The old couple who own it don't speak a word of english, so if you don't speak french it could be tough.

Chamoniard Volant: http://www.chamoniard.com/infos_GB.php
Gite Refuge la Montagne: http://www.chamonix.com/chalet-refug...100242,fr.html

If you're there for the skiing and climbing, I'd recommend one of those two. If you want to ge shit faced with some 22 year olds, head to the Vagabond. No matter which you choose, you'll probably have a pretty damn good time, I've stayed in all three and I'm usually just happy to be in Cham.