Imagine you and your favorite travel partner dangling in your own private little gondola, gliding silently for 40 minutes as you cross the Mer de Glace (“sea of ice”).
You just left the last stop in France. On your right is the pillowy summit of Mont Blanc – Western Europe’s tallest mountain. On your left are jagged rocks called “dents” – each famous among the world’s best rock climbers. And, ahead of you, the next stop is Italy. You’re near where Switzerland, Italy, and France come together to high-five the sky. Miles above Chamonix, you’re riding one of Europe’s highest lifts.
Chamonix shrinks as trees fly by, soon replaced by whizzing rocks, ice, and snow, until you reach the top. Up there, even sunshine is cold. The air is thin. People are giddy. Fun things can happen on top if you’re not too winded to join locals in the halfway-to-heaven tango.From the Aiguille du Midi station, the highlight of the ascent is riding the elevator to the summit. From the platform, the Alps spread out before you. In the distance is the bent little Matterhorn .
But for the ultimate Alpine joyride, grab a private gondola at Aiguille du Midi and continue on to Italy for what must be Europe’s most breathtaking border crossing. In the tiny red gondola, you venture south. Open the window. Explore every corner of your view. You’re sailing a new sea. Cross into Italy at Helbronner Point and descend on another lift into the remote Italian Valle d’Aosta.
“The Rome of the North,” as Aosta is called, has many Roman ruins and offers a great introduction to the fine points of Italian life: cappuccino, gelato, and an obligatory evening stroll. An evening here is a fine way to ease into la dolce vita.
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