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I'm visiting Chamonix this winter and I'd like to go to the top of Mont Blanc.

Is it even possible to get to the top or how far can you go?

I know there is a cable car and a train to Mont Blanc but does it go to the top and which one is better?

I know there is also the Step into the Void but is it in the same place or different?

Do you have to buy tickets in advance?

I know it is a lot of questions but I would appreciate if somebody that knows and already done it provide some clarification and tips.

I was trying to do some research about it but I can't really find clear answers.

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    Are you an experienced mountaineer? If not, forget it. If so, you will need to hire a guide. That said, it may not be possible in winter anyway. The cable car goes pretty high, and you should probably just settle for the views from there. Commented Dec 14, 2017 at 8:17
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    Please refer to the help center and try to reduce your questions - ideally ask them in separate posts, or it's likely to get put on hold :/
    – Mark Mayo
    Commented Dec 14, 2017 at 10:17

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The cable car you have in mind is the Aiguille du Midi cable car. It goes all the way to the summit… of the Aiguille du Midi, not to the Mont Blanc itself. It's very close to the mont Blanc and you can take another cable car over the Mer de Glace to the Pointe Heilbronner, in Italy, to get more views of the massif. That's also where the “Step into the void” attraction is located. The cable car operates year-round but it frequently stops depending on weather conditions (especially the wind).

Going to the mont Blanc itself is a completely different matter. It's not deemed particularly difficult as far as mountaineering goes but you cannot go there by cable car or treat it as a casual hike. You need special equipment, experience moving over ice or in exposed areas and, realistically, a guide. It takes at least two days, with a night in a mountain hut. At 4000m, physical effort is also much harder and relatively small distances can become a challenge.

Do not even think of attempting it if you have no experience of mountaineering. It's also more common to climb it in the summer, as winter weather and short days make everything more difficult and dangerous (it's not impossible: people do it and people have died doing it).

The train (“Tramway du mont-Blanc”) is not exactly at the same location as the cable car and does not go all that high, although it can be a nice excursion too. It's a common starting point for a climb of the Mont Blanc itself but everything I wrote before applies.

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    Quick correction, the gondala from Agiule du Midi to Pointe Heilbronner only runs in the summer. Source: chamonet.com/sights/panoramic-gondola-aiguille-du-midi-688985 Only the Agiule du Midi runs year round.
    – skifans
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 11:39
  • @skifans Thanks for the precision. To be 100% honest I didn't know and I didn't check but rereading my answer, I see that I actually did not write that it was open either so there is nothing to correct.
    – Relaxed
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 22:16
  • @relaxexd no problem, I'm not really sure why I felt the need to comment as re-reading that is correct. I think your statement about them being "year round" slightly confused me. I'll leave the previous comment as clarification incase anyone else misses the point slightly.
    – skifans
    Commented Dec 20, 2017 at 0:30

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