Independent Mont Blanc and Chamonix Half-Day Trip from Geneva

Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate for the cable car to Mont Blanc so we were taken to Brevent to ride the cable cars to view the glacier from there. The problem was that the local guide barely explained the situation and then gave vague instructions for getting up the mountain to another cable car, how to get to the train and a different meeting place to leave. We never saw her again all day. If you knew the area the places she pointed to on the map would be clear but we actually got lost. This is an independent tour, which is fine, but clearer information is needed up front about where to meet, going to the tour office (not the bus station), and better explanation of itinerary changes. That being said, the views were spectacular!

Although the trip says that my return for the bus ride back to Geneva is at 6:15, what it does not say is that if you take the 6:15 bus, you have to come back to a different bus stop (not the one you started from at Chamonix) all by yourself and fend for yourself during the entire ride back, since Neil would be gone at 5. Hence, in essence, if you don't want to get lost, you might as well come back by the 5:05 bus, which leaves very little time to explore the otherwise picturesque town of Chamonix. The guide, Neil, was never inclusive. He wasn't available during the forward journey and during the return journey, just catered to 2 people who were in the front row. He never made an effort to connect to people outside the region, and wasn't helpful for someone like me visiting the region for the first time to figure out the place. If anything, the locals at Chamonix were more helpful than Neil. Although they mention that they will make you travel in "a group of just 15 people for less waiting and more interaction", what actually happens is that you are crammed into the front of a public bus, with the rest of the bus filled with other people, and if you can't grab the front 2 seats, you'll not be able to hear anything that Neil says amidst the cackle of other people behind you in the bus. All told, I don't realize what they took all the money for. If you buy the tickets individually, it will be much cheaper, and the value added by KeyTours is zero anyway.

This was a great trip and Neil was a really helpful guide. The bus drivers were also very friendly too. I loved the cable car experience and have never seen a view like it.

Paid for this tour in advance. Turned out to be a bad weather day for Mont Blanc. Windy, light snow and poor visibility. Decided to pay an extra 20 Swiss Francs for the mountain train after arriving at the tour office. Unlike the cable car up to the summit, the train was cancelled because of the weather. No refund.

There’s not a lot of information given before the trip, like make sure you have warm clothes for the top of Mont Blanc, comfortable shoes because there’s a million stairs to get down to the glacier and back up. The little train ride is spectacular! Will be your best day ever!

The village is wonderful and a mountains are breathtaking. The cable cars were fun, too. The half day (10:30am-18:00pm!) trip was perfect, I am happy we participated in this tour.

The trip up to Aiguille du Midi was not quite as we expected. You're crammed into the cable cars like sardines the same, if not worse, as being on the London underground. Not comfortable. You can't relax and enjoy the views. And if you're not keen on confined spaces you won't like it - you simply have no space to move. But the views at the top are - of course - fantastic. Having read the previous reviews we were looking forward to meeting the local host Neil. That was a bit disappointing too. He was both patronising, impatient and quite rude. I'd be amazed if any of the overseas visitors could follow anything he was saying - he didn't seem to take their needs into consideration. We're just glad we didn't book the guided tour as more than 10 minutes of being spoken to like that would have tipped me over the edge. One tip: the last train ride back is at 4.30, so make sure you leave time for that. I'd recommend leaving about 2 hours for the cable car trip.