Italy Travel
I would like to know the best way to travel from Chamonix France to Rome, via the Matterhorn region on the Italian side?
mark
everett, wa usa 10/30/12
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Train. Use the bahn.de for schedules.
Chamonix is on the French side of the Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) not the Matterhorn ("Cervino" in Italian).
Also with what means of transport?.
By air, you can fly to Rome from Geneva, which is the closest major airport to Chamonix.
By car there is a highway from Chamonix that goes under the Mont Blanc into Val d'Aosta. From there you proceed on the autostrada (A5 I think) through Alessandria and Genoa. I'm sure you'll need at least 8 hours to get there (more if you drive in winter weather conditions).
By train takes forever. I'd take the SAT MontBlanc bus from Chamonix to Turin and then the train, probably faster. Still a very long journey. Longer than driving for sure.
Flying is probably the cheapest and faster option using Easy Jet (a low cost airline with a hub in Geneva) from Geneva to Rome Fiumicino. Chamonix has bus links to Geneva airport that will get you to the airport in less than 2 hours. You can fly from Geneva to Rome in just over one hour.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Actually, during the summer months, you can travel from Chamonix to Italy via a series of gondolas. First, you go up to Aiguille du Midi from Chamonix. From there, you transfer to a second gondola that goes to Pointe Helbronner. (From Aiguille du Midi, you can see a very small Matterhorn in the far distance). I think that Pointe Helbronner is the Italian border station. From Pointe Helbronner, you drop down to Valle d'Aosta in Italy. From Valle d'Aosta, you can get to Milan and then on to Rome. Better pack light if you go this way.
There is also a van service that goes from Chamonix to the Geneva airport. From Geneva, you can take the train to Rome. If you want more info and links, send me a PM and I'll get the info to you.