Chamonix in March

its better to just take a van shuttle from the airport, its only like an hour away. ill be moving there myself in january, so fucking stoked

There is no train, only a coach. Its 30 bucks I think, leaves from the airport and the train station.

www.altibus.com

Snow in March is pretty questionable no matter where you are in the Alps - Chamonix's reliable in that there's always snow on the Grands Montets, being as high as it is and north facing. There are resorts that are more snow-sure, like Val Thorens, but for easy access Chamonix wins hands-down. As long as you like bumps - even if it hasn't snowed in a while there will still be plenty of skiing to do, but the Grands Montets two weeks after a snowfall is like one big long bump run... :)

We're putting a ski guide up for Chamonix bit by bit here:

http://www.chamonix-valley.com/skiing/

Have fun!

What the hell are you talking about March is one of the best months in the alps for snow. I made 5 exits in March last season and it went like this:

1st week: several days of snow storm, powder everywhere, stuck to treeruns, and then a sunny day
2nd week: snow storm in Avoriaz (France) with fresh powder even under 1000m, then sunny
3rd week: sunny and no fresh snow at Silvretta Nova (Austria)
4th week: Orage Freeski Open in Laax (Switzerland), a bit slushy
5th week: 50 cm of freshies overnight in Laax (Switzerland), sunny, some sick lines!!

Val Thorens is a terrible reference for powder.

I've been living here in Chamonix for 5 years, and moving around the Alps a lot in winter. Maybe you don't remember the year before last, when a lot of lower down ski resorts had to close in late March because there was no snow?

As for Val Thorens being a 'terrible reference for powder', where in the question did anyone mention powder? Val Thorens is the highest resort in Europe, and is hence more reliable for snow than pretty much anywhere else. Doesn't matter what resort you're in, if you want powder, you just have to know where / how to look.

Have a look on http://www.chamonix-valley.com. I know what I'm talking about.

No its not. Many other French resorts (including Chamonix) have much better snow records than Val Thorens. Altitude is not the only factor determining snow cover. Far from it. Stop spreading bullshit. Or have you forgotten this season, where people were skiing ice and rocks in Val Thorens throughout January and February. It's a terrible reference.

And last year in March I was riding freshies on the 27th and then again a week later. Flukes aside, the European season peaks in February and March. You're an idiot if you call March 'questionable'.