Editing Chamonix (section)

==Transportation==

===Roads===
The town of Chamonix is served by French ''[[Route nationale (France)|Route Nationale]]'' 205 ([[Route nationale 205|RN 205]]), nicknamed the ''Route blanche'',<ref>Le Comité de préservation du village des Houches – [http://cpvh.ifrance.com/pdf/r%E9sum%E9dossierpollution.pdf Dossier publié le 12/05/2004]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (PDF)</ref> or "white route", due to its snowiness. This is an extension of French ''[[Autoroutes of France|autoroute]]'' 40 ([[A40 autoroute|A40]]), similarly nicknamed the ''autoroute blanche'', which ends at Le Fayet, a village in the commune of [[Saint-Gervais-les-Bains]].<ref>Site de l'association de défense des usagers de l'A40 et de l'A41 – [http://adua40.free.fr/presse.html Revue de presse]</ref> The 11.6-km [[Mont Blanc Tunnel]], which opened in 1965, links Chamonix to [[Courmayeur]] in Italy.<ref>{{cite web | title=Chamonix Valley Website | url=http://www.atmb.net/spip.php?page=atmb&content=tunnel&id_rubrique=21&lang=en | access-date=2010-02-10 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081114170633/http://www.atmb.net/spip.php?page=atmb&content=tunnel&id_rubrique=21&lang=en | archive-date=2008-11-14 }}</ref> Chamonix is linked to Switzerland by what used to be RN 506a. In 2006, it was converted to a ''{{ill|Route Départementale|fr}}'' 1506, with a part of it integrated into RN 205.
The nearest airport to Chamonix is Geneva Cointrin International and it is {{convert|88|km|0|abbr=off}} away.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

===Rail===
[[File:Gare de Chamonix - Mont-Blanc.JPG|thumb|Front and façade of the ''Chamonix - Mont-Blanc'' railway station.]]
Chamonix is served by the [[Metre gauge|metre-gauge]] [[Saint-Gervais–Vallorcine railway|St Gervais-Vallorcine Line]], operated by [[SNCF]]. The line from Saint Gervais (on the [[Standard gauge|standard-gauge]] rail network) to Chamonix opened in 1901; it was extended to [[Vallorcine]] in 1908. The line holds the record for the steepest gradient on any standard ([[Rail adhesion|adhesion]]) railway. There are 10 stations on this line within the commune of Chamonix: [[Montroc-le-Planet station|Montroc-le-Planet]], [[Argentière station|Argentière]], [[La Joux station|La Joux]], [[Les Tines station|Les Tines]], [[Les Praz-de-Chamonix station|Les Praz-de-Chamonix]], [[Chamonix-Mont-Blanc station|Chamonix-Mont-Blanc]], [[Chamonix-Aiguille-du-Midi station|Chamonix-Aiguille-du-Midi]], [[Les Moussoux station|Les Moussoux]], [[Les Pélerins station|Les Pélerins]] and [[Les Bossons station|Les Bossons]].

From [[Vallorcine]], the rail route continues over the border into Switzerland, meeting the [[Swiss Federal Railways|SBB]] network at [[Martigny]]. This latter section, a metre-gauge [[cog railway]], is operated by [[Transports de Martigny et Régions SA]]. The train service from [[Vallorcine]] to [[Martigny]] is known as the [[Mont Blanc Express]]. Timetables on the St Gervais-Vallorcine and Vallorcine-Martigny sections are synchronized.<ref name="tmr-mbtt">{{cite web | title=Mont Blanc Express timetables for 2010 | url=http://cms.tmrsa.ch/fileadmin/TMRS/upload/pdf/Mont-Blanc_Express_2010_D_finitif.pdf | access-date=2010-02-10 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707003747/http://cms.tmrsa.ch/fileadmin/TMRS/upload/pdf/Mont-Blanc_Express_2010_D_finitif.pdf | archive-date=2011-07-07 | url-status=dead }} [in French]</ref>

The 5.1-km [[Chemin de fer du Montenvers|Montenvers Railway]] is a [[Rack railway|cog railway]] that provides access to the tourist site of Montenvers. Opened in 1909, its rail station was built next to SNCF's [[Chamonix-Mont-Blanc station|Chamonix station]] on the St Gervais-Vallorcine Line. In fact the two stations are directly linked.<ref>Site de Christophe Jacquet spécialisé sur [http://train.mt.blanc.free.fr/infrastructure/gares/ les trains du Mont-Blanc]</ref> Montenvers provides further tourist access to middle and high mountain areas.<ref>{{cite web|title=Montenvers Mer De Glace|url=http://www.compagniedumontblanc.co.uk/en/site-overview/montenvers-mer-de-glace|website=Compagnie du Montblanc|access-date=30 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402123133/http://www.compagniedumontblanc.co.uk/en/site-overview/montenvers-mer-de-glace|archive-date=2 April 2016}}</ref>

===Cable cars===
Chamonix has one of the highest cable cars in the world, which links the town to the summit of the Aiguille du Midi at 3842&nbsp;m.<ref name="siteaiguillemidi">Site de l'Aiguille du Midi – [http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/pages/excursions_aiguille_telepherique_2.html Histoire du téléphérique] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090724164435/http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/pages/excursions_aiguille_telepherique_2.html |date=July 24, 2009 }}</ref> It is based on an older system built in 1920, rebuilt in the first half of the 1950s over five summer seasons,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=SeEDAAAAMBAJ&dq=Popular+Mechanics+Science+installing+linoleum&pg=PA81 Cable Way to the Top of the Alps.] ''Popular Mechanics'', April 1956, pp. 81-84.</ref> fully modernized in 1979, and upgraded again in 2008. On the other side of the valley, another cable car links Chamonix to the viewpoint of Planpraz. A second line links Planpraz to the summit of Le Brévent at 2525 meters.<ref name="cmb-brevmap">{{cite web |title=Map of the Brévent-Flégère area |url=http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/plan_breventflegere_ete.php |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527195523/http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/plan_breventflegere_ete.php |archive-date=2010-05-27 |access-date=2010-02-10}}</ref><ref name="cmb-timetables">{{cite web | title=Summer timetables for Chamonix gondolas and funicular railways | url=http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/pages/horaires_ete_glisse_gb.html#breventflegere | access-date=2010-02-10 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211121016/http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/pages/horaires_ete_glisse_gb.html#breventflegere | archive-date=2010-02-11 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Many other cable cars exist in the valley, and are heavily used by skiers and residents. The Plan Joran chairlift at the base of Les Grands Montets is due to be replaced by a 10-person gondola for the Winter 2014/15 season.<ref>New for Winter 2014/15 - http://www.skicollection.co.uk/Ski/Chamonix.htm</ref>