Comparison · Chamonix vs Innsbruck · France / Austria
Chamonix vs Innsbruck
Two great trips, different strengths. Here is how they compare on the things that decide it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ximonic , Simo Räsänen, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Choose Chamonix for Mont Blanc and Aiguille du Midi; choose Innsbruck for Golden Roof, Nordkette cable cars, lower day-to-day costs and a short break. Innsbruck is generally less expensive, and the two are about 377 km apart.
Key facts
- Distance apart
- 377 km
- Less expensive
- Innsbruck
- Best time for Chamonix
- January, March and July–September
- Best time for Innsbruck
- June–September and December–January
Side by side
| Chamonix | Innsbruck | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | France | Austria |
| Known for | Mont Blanc, Aiguille du Midi and Mer de Glace | Golden Roof, Nordkette cable cars and Bergisel ski jump |
| Best time to visit | January, March and July–September | June–September and December–January |
| Ideal stay | 5 days | 3 days |
| Mid-range budget per day | $200–$380 | $170–$300 |
| Cost level | Expensive | Moderately priced |
| Warmest month | July, 23°C (73°F) | July, 26°C (79°F) |
| Coldest month | January, 3°C (37°F) | January, 3°C (37°F) |
| Free sights in our guide | 5 | 6 |
| Day trips in our guide | 6 | 7 |
| Beaches | — | — |
| Airports | GVA, LYS | INN, MUC |
Which one is right for you?
Choose Chamonix for…
Mont Blanc and Aiguille du Midi. Chamonix-Mont-Blanc sits at about 1,035 metres in a narrow valley beneath Mont Blanc, at 4,800-odd metres the highest summit in Western Europe. Cable cars and a rack railway lift visitors from the town centre to high-mountain viewpoints such as the Aiguille…
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Choose Innsbruck for…
Golden Roof, Nordkette cable cars, lower day-to-day costs and a short break. Innsbruck, capital of the Austrian Tyrol, packs a late-medieval old town around the Golden Roof, Habsburg palaces and Baroque churches into a valley floor beneath the Nordkette range. A funicular and two cable cars climb from the city centre to Hafelekar at…
Top sights compared
| # | Chamonix | Innsbruck |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aiguille du Midi | Golden Roof |
| 2 | Montenvers railway and Mer de Glace | Hofburg Innsbruck |
| 3 | Panoramic Mont-Blanc gondola | Hofkirche |
| 4 | Le Brévent | Tyrolean Folk Art Museum |
| 5 | Lac Blanc | Nordkette cable cars |
Food compared
| Chamonix | Innsbruck |
|---|---|
| Fondue savoyarde | Tiroler Gröstl |
| Tartiflette | Kaspressknödel |
| Raclette | Speckknödel |
| Croziflette | Tiroler Speck |
Which is cheaper?
Innsbruck is usually the less expensive of the two: a mid-range day costs about $170–$300 per person there, against $200–$380 in Chamonix (AMZBooking estimates, excluding flights). Innsbruck on a budget.
Can you visit both?
Yes. Chamonix and Innsbruck are about 377 km apart, so they combine well in one trip: allow 5 days in Chamonix and 3 in Innsbruck.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Chamonix or Innsbruck cheaper?
Innsbruck is usually less expensive: about $170–$300 a day mid-range against $200–$380 (estimates).
+Is Chamonix or Innsbruck better for a first trip?
Pick Chamonix for Mont Blanc and Aiguille du Midi, or Innsbruck for Golden Roof, Nordkette cable cars, lower day-to-day costs and a short break.
+How far is Chamonix from Innsbruck?
About 377 km in a straight line.