As you read this, it’s September and we’re not riding the cable car up to L’Aiguille du Midi – a breathtaking 3,842m above Chamonix. Nor are we walking the Petit Balcon Sud or relaxing on our hotel’s terrace, sipping crisp Apremont and gazing up at mighty Mont Blanc.

Sadly, we’re not tucking into mouth-watering lake-fresh Féra, traditional Farcement Savoyard, or ubiquitous – but always delicious – Reblochon and Comté-based fondue either.

Exploring the renowned Chamonix Valley

Instead, as with so many 2020 travel plans, we’re reflecting on what might have been before our hotel didn’t reopen after its Covid-19 closure. Instead, with plans for Haute-Savoie dashed, we are looking forward to visiting the Chamonix Valley another time. A shame! It was a great package too, one of those ‘how do they do it?’ specials designed to fill Chamonix hotels between the summer and winter high seasons.

Until our hotel’s announcement, talk of second spikes and lightning 14-day quarantines, we’d been getting increasingly excited about the amazing flight and hotel package, complete with free local travel passes.

With Geneva transfers and a foray over the nearby border, I might even have got my annual Swiss fix as well! Alas, the travel gods had different ideas.

Mountain railways, sublime hiking and museums

If you’ve visited Chamonix, nestling beneath Western Europe’s highest peak, you’ll understand our disappointment. Of course, there’s that gravity-defying ride up to L’Aiguille du Midi (the ‘Needle of the Mid-day’), the Montenvers rack railway to the Mer de Glace, and the quaint Tramway du Mont-Blanc to the Bionnassay Glacier.

Wherever you travel near Chamonix, stunning mountain panoramas are inescapable. On foot, instead of by train or cableway, the valley also offers hundreds of kilometres of well-maintained high- and low-level hiking trails for all experience levels. Nature lovers will be in their element everywhere, including Parc Merlet’s mountain nature and wildlife reserve.

Back in town, look forward to a good selection of interesting museums and galleries too. And of course, whether for hearty mountain breakfasts, restorative lunches amid the peaks, or cosy suppers back in the Arve Valley, there’s delicious Savoyard and international cuisine to suit all budgets and tastes.

Okay, so Chamonix was knocked off our 2020 travel plans. But as one of France’s oldest mountain resorts, this Alpine gem near France, Italy and Switzerland’s tri-point (Mount Dolent) remains on the cards for the future. Maybe we’ll see you there!