The Bellevue cable car
A facing view of the Mont Blanc massif, summer and winter.
Tiia Monto โ CC BY-SA 3.0 ยท Florival fr โ CC BY-SA 3.0 ยท Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France โ CC BY 2.0 ยท Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France โ CC BY 2.0
**Chamonix** if you want life, restaurants, shops and proximity to the Aiguille du Midi โ and pay for it in crowds and higher prices. **Les Houches** if you are with family, on a budget, or want quiet: cheaper and calmer, with gentler slopes for children, and the rest of the valley 15 minutes away by a bus that is free with the guest card. For a short first visit: Chamonix. For a week with children: Les Houches.
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Les Houches is a village at the western entrance to the Chamonix valley, eight kilometres from town โ and it is the valley's **family-friendly, quieter face**: less crowded, cheaper to stay in and gentler in terrain, with forest and meadow instead of bare rock. Its ski area is the mildest in the whole valley: broad runs among trees suited to beginners and families, unlike Chamonix's steep and demanding slopes. The **Bellevue cable car** rises from it summer and winter, giving a facing view of the Mont Blanc massif. In summer it is the western gateway to the walking trails and an interchange with the **Mont Blanc Tramway**, and it has a small alpine animal park (Merlet is nearby) and the huge Christ the King statue above the village. For anyone wanting a cheaper, quieter base than Chamonix with the same access: Les Houches is the answer.
A facing view of the Mont Blanc massif, summer and winter.
Broad skiing among trees, away from Chamonix's rock.
A huge monument above the village, seen from the valley.
74310 Les Houches, Haute-Savoie