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Chamonix (Mont Blanc) in December
Mixed month: December is at the start of the recommended season (June – September (summer), December – April (ski season)). Against it: Aiguille du Midi Closed for Maintenance; Alpine Winter: Snow, Chains and Closed Trails.
The season runs to the end of April, 4 months away. Alpine Winter: Snow, Chains and Closed Trails: usually over after March.
3 days in Chamonix (Mont Blanc) in December · from ₹80,461 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
The weather in December
What the season does to Chamonix (Mont Blanc) this month.
Worth knowing
Alpine Winter: Snow, Chains and Closed Trails
Winter tyres or snow chains are compulsory in Haute-Savoie from 1 November to 31 March, and hire cars from Geneva need them fitted. Summer hikes (Lac Blanc, the Grand Balcons) are under snow and avalanche-prone; the high cable cars stop in strong wind. Pack for -10 °C at altitude.
Before you book December
Closures, crowds and rules at Chamonix (Mont Blanc) this month.
Worth knowing
Aiguille du Midi Closed for Maintenance
The Aiguille du Midi cable car is closed from 2 November to 18 December 2026 for its annual maintenance; many other lifts open only with the ski season in mid-December. The Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace usually keeps running; check before you go.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 3 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹80,461 for two
- Room a night₹11,720
- Food a day, each₹3,874
- Main sight entry, each₹8,840
Mid-range
₹1,37,059 for two
- Room a night₹21,300
- Food a day, each₹8,940
- Main sight entry, each₹8,840
Luxury
₹2,76,682 for two
- Room a night₹47,930
- Food a day, each₹20,860
- Main sight entry, each₹8,840
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for France yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Nice (NCE), 248 km away
Flights from India: from 3 cities, one way from ₹36,000
Fly into Paris (CDG), 471 km away
Then: Flight · 5h (Fly to Geneva (Air France / easyJet) + transfer coach)
Flights from India: from 9 cities, one way from ₹32,000
Routes compared
Entry rules
Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹9,590
- Apply for a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa on france-visas.gouv.fr, up to six months and at least 15 days before you fly; 4-8 weeks ahead is safest in summer and December.
- Book an appointment at a VFS Global France centre in India and go in person to give fingerprints and a photo (not needed again for 59 months). Pay the €90 visa fee (€45 for children aged 6-11, free under 6) plus VFS's service charge.
- Allow about 15 days for a decision, up to 45 in peak season. Track it online; VFS returns the passport.
- If you have used two Schengen visas lawfully in the last three years, ask for a multiple-entry visa: under the EU's cascade for Indian nationals you can get two years, then five.
- Did you study in France for at least a semester, with a master's degree or higher? Ask for France's five-year alumni short-stay visa.
- At the first Schengen border, register your fingerprints and photo in the Entry/Exit System (EES). Stay no more than 90 days in any 180 across all Schengen countries.
Carry: Passport valid at least three months beyond the day you leave the Schengen area, issued within the last ten years, with two blank pages; France-Visas application form (printed) and two recent passport photos; Return flight booking and hotel bookings (or an invitation) for the whole stay; Travel medical insurance covering at least €30,000, valid in all Schengen countries; Bank statements for the last three to six months, and recent income-tax returns; Employer's leave letter or proof of business; for students, a letter from the school; A short covering letter with your day-by-day itinerary; For children: birth certificate and both parents' consent if not travelling with both.
One Schengen visa covers France and 28 other countries, but a multi-country trip should apply through the country where you spend the most nights. Book the VFS appointment early: slots for June-August and December go weeks ahead. The ETIAS travel authorisation does not apply to visa holders.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in France in December
Instead in season this month.
- Colmar · good month
- Lyon · good month
- Strasbourg · good month
Nearby in French Alps:
Want this as a real plan?
Chamonix (Mont Blanc) in December, day by day, priced for your group.