The town of Chamonix offers plenty of shopping, relaxing or people watching. Chamonix reminds me of Whistler, British Columbia. It has the feel of being a high mountain village when in actuality it sits only approximately 3400 feet above sea level. Many local tourist shops sell stunning photographs of the surrounding mountains. These photographs are often only a few euros and are good presents for friends and family. However purchasing frames … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France – Hotels & Lodging
There are several nice places to stay in Chamonix. I was in Chamonix in the middle of July and had no problem finding a hotel at the last minute. All the locals I spoke with agree that July and August are the busiest months for the summer season. The following hotels and hostels are listed as basic references for where to stay in Chamonix, covering a wide range of budgets. If you have stayed at a hotel in Chamonix not listed on this page, … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France – Restaurants
There are many excellent restaurants in Chamonix serving a variety of cuisine (not only French food); food tends to be somewhat pricey. During our visit we ate at restaurants serving Chinese, Indian, and Greek food. A few restaurant to consider dining at during your stay in Chamonix are the following: Le Fer a Cheval is located at 118 Rue Whymper, and is known for its fondue. Prices range from 12 to 16 euros. PHONE NUMBER 04 50 53 13 … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France – More Information
Tourist Office in Chamonix is located on the Place du Triangle just opposite the Place de L'Eglise and St. Michael's Church. This office is open daily from 8:30am until 12:30pm and then again from 2pm to 7pm. During July and August there are extended hours. They stay open from 8:30am until 7:30pm. Worth visiting to talk to staff about current weather conditions, conditions of the trails and pickup provided maps and other printed materials about … [Read more...]
Europe
This article differs from a number of other travel articles on Dave's Travel Corner in that it is not written about a specific place, location, or destination. It is written from personal experience based upon numerous trips to Europe and is intended to give the independent traveler to Europe additional information about a diversity of activities or experiences across the continent. The initial countries we visited before writing this article … [Read more...]
Europe – Phones
SIM Cards Roaming charges on cell phones abroad can be exorbitant if using a home network. One may find a very high cell phone bill after a trip - even just for sending and receiving SMS text messages. Even if you visit a website for just a brief period your provider often charges you the maximum megabyte usage which can be very pricey. Be sure to disable "data roaming" on your phone. The way to avoid these roaming charges is to unlock your … [Read more...]
Europe – Transportation
Finding one's way around a foreign city in the time of pre-Internet was a challenging situation at best taking significant time to avoid getting lost (which invariably happened anyway). One had printed maps that one had to determine their location on before being able to route a course to a desired destination. Not always easy without a digital blue dot to guide you. And road signs were often missing further causing complications. Later some … [Read more...]
Europe – The Locals
I think that whatever country you are traveling in you will meet the bad apples as well as the good oranges. On my first journey through Europe I met some very helpful people who went out of their way to give me advice, show me certain areas, or give me help. Then I met some overly stressed people who all they had to say was "stick it between your teeth". I could definitely tell a general difference in personality between different cultures … [Read more...]
Europe – Money
The Euro was introduced on January 1, 2002. 14 billion Euro banknotes and 55 billion coins were initially introduced to more than 300 million people in 12 countries of the European Union. 12 countries who initially converted were: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands Spain and Portugal, & Monaco. For a list of the Euro conversion rates (for the participating countries old … [Read more...]
Vancouver, Canada – Attractions
Bloedel Conservatory is located on a hill overlooking the entire city of Vancouver. The observatory is surrounded by lush gardens. This is a great spot to bring the family for a picnic lunch. The observatory contains a diverse garden of tropical plants and birds. During the dead of the winter months this can be an enjoyable outing to escape the frigid temperatures. For example, one can come up here and dream they are in Costa Rica or some other … [Read more...]
