The Montenvers rack railway is one of the classic mountain train rides in the Alps. It departs from a dedicated station beside Chamonix's main train station and climbs steeply through pine forest to the Montenvers platform at 1,913 metres, with the Mer de Glace glacier spread out below. The journey takes about 20 minutes each way.
At the top you will find a historic hotel — the Hôtel du Montenvers, dating to 1880 and recently renovated — with a broad terrace for watching the glacier. The station also houses a small Crystal Museum displaying alpine minerals found in the massif, and the gondola descend to the glacier itself leaves from here. The train runs year-round, weather permitting, and is particularly beautiful in early autumn when the larches turn gold.