We used Intersport for two different reasons, renting Via Ferrata equipment and getting advice on…read morewhat to purchase for blister protection, and were pleased on both accounts. They only charged us a half-day rental even though I think we were a bit over on our time. Employee was very friendly, spoke English well, and was quite knowledgeable about the Via Ferrata we were doing. The Compeed blister aids were lifesavers. A bit pricey but couldn't have managed without them. I appreciated their staff being so well-rounded in their sports knowledge.

There are several Intersports in Chamonix - this is the newest one right in the centre of the town,…read moreon the main street. We had pre-booked ski hire and the process could not have been any more efficient. When we arrived, we were greeted instantly and attended to right away, with no waiting. The person thankfully spoke English (even though we had given our rusty French a go - badly) and we had no communication issues at all. The skis I was given were almost brand new - they were certainly new that season and did not have a mark on them. Later in the week, my ski instructor commented that I'd been given good skis and they were the right size and type for my height and skill level. This was not the case with other members of the group who had ordered their skis from elsewhere - the ski instructor even advised one girl that she should ask her ski provider for a different pair, as the ones she had been given were not suitable at all. Whereas we were very confident in the expertise and equipment provided by Intersport. On returning the skis at the end of the week, again we were seen to right away, no waiting at all - just a very easy and quick in and out. I would definitely use this Intersport again. I'd also popped in during the week to buy a Buff, as we had unfortunate weather. and driving snow was getting the better of my face. It seemed expensive - just under 40 Euros for a Buff, but let's face it, if you buy gear in a ski resort you know you are going to get fleeced on the price anyway, and I was happy to pay the price for convenience. Again, we were happy with the quality of the items on offer, and with the friendly service.

Such a missed opportunity to do something great - super location, great mechanics yet ownership…read morethat only cares about squeezing every penny out of each customer. I spent thousands of dollars there over the last couple of years and really found the mechanics top notch. But the first time I had a problem, it could have been simply solved and the owner wouldn't even address it. I was shocked after being a loyal customer I could only image how he must gauge tourists. When I told him about the issue I never asked for a specific resolution (just wanted to let the owner Martin, know I was charged for work I didn't request and the work I did request was never done) he had the chance to take accountability and make it right. Instead he told me any problems were between me and the employees he "had nothing to do with it". A terribly spineless way to run a business. Imagine bringing your car in for a brake job and because the mechanics thought it was old looking they give you a new paint job but never do the brakes!! Stay away from here, there is a great shop in Les Houches and a super place in Sallanches.

I purchased some Fitwell splitboard mountaineering boots from Zero G, and they are great boots but…read moreunfortunately I wasn't sure of my correct Euro sizing and the boots were too tight. At first I was bummed to learn that the free return policy only applies to customers in France, but after I explained how I missed this info, the team at Zero G was kind enough to hook me up with some product credit to compensate for the return shipping cost and even took the time to take my advice on making the policy more clear on their site. Solid customer service to go with their great pricing on high quality gear.

I was in Chamonix for 5 days of skiing and had some fitting issues with my boots (which were…read morealready fitted in the US)... I came into the store right before closing and went upstairs to the Boot Dept. Flo was there and spent the time with me to have my boots refitted and remolded, even past the closing time of the store, and made sure to take the time for my boots to cool down. He never rushed the process! The boots felt amazing the next day on the slopes!!! Flo was a Godsend and helped make the rest of my trip amazing! I would definitely recommend visiting this store if you need anything done with your ski gear!

This place is definitely hit or miss depending on who helps you. I had a fine time buying energy…read morebars for the Tour du Mont Blanc. However I bought flip flops and when I realized a couple hours later that they were the wrong size they wouldn't let me return it even though I had the receipt, it was only two hours and I literally only walked down the street. The frustrating thing is that when purchasing they never tell you it's final sale. Shame on me for not knowing, but shame on them for not being forthcoming and transparent. They only tell you it's final sale on the receipt after you've already bought it. How does that make any sense?

Even though Patagonia is out of California, seeing them in Chamonix made it feel like my "hometown"…read morewas represented. This store is similar to your typical Patagonia shop in the US, with slightly higher prices. (yeah) A great place to go if you need a last-minute puffy or ripped your softshell pants wide open with a crampon.

They have pants jacket skis boots poles boards and helmet. They don't rent gloves or goggles…read more Quick in and out. I picked up my equipment the afternoon before I hit the slopes. Return was quick as well. The person that helped was nice and knowledgeable.

It's just like the Icebreaker "Touchlabs" in the US except...way more pricey…read more Still, I almost bought a Mt Blanc shirt here. But it was SO expensive (over $100 USD...for a T-shirt...seriously). I had just climbed Mt Blanc and wanted it SO BAD, but I FORCED myself not to buy it. I'm glad I did. Turns out it wasn't a special "one-off" print for Chamonix, I found it on Icebreaker's website, on sale and got it for over half off that! Still, if you need some wool layers for your climbing adventures in the alps, it's hard to go wrong with IB!

This place is the only place to rent/demo real equipment. Do not waste your time down the street at…read more2,000. Friendly, knowledgable, great equipment - the absolute best.

Last January I rented skis from the Namaste store in Argentiere, and had an accident which required…read morea couple of weeks of hospitalization. When I didn't hear from Namaste during my hospitalization, I assumed that the rescue team had returned my equipment to the store. At the end of the season (more than 3 months later!) I got a huge credit-card charge (which, in my opinion, far exceeded the value of the skis). I paid it--I always pay my bills--and contacted the owner, explaining the circumstances and pleading with him to reduce the charge. He promised to get back to me but never did, after he got paid by my credit card. I do not dispute that I bear responsibility for the loss of the skis; however, if Namaste had billed me or contacted me a day or two after the lease expiry it wouldn't have been hard to trace the skis: they were picked up by the rescue team and stored somewhere. 3-4 months later nothing could be done. (A rescue team never leaves behind the belongings of the person who suffered an accident; and obviously they'd be the last people to be tempted to take someone's pair of old rental skis...) In short, be careful: mine was a string of unfortunate accidents but accidents happen, and there are people who might be tempted to take advantage of an accident. Kudos to the rescue team who saved my life.

Always really nice people very wiling to help (in English or French). I needed a enduro bike and…read morethe other big bike place in town (Zero G) wanted an outrageous €70 for the day! Intersport had the same quality bike for €45 and they were nice enough to throw in a pack and extra tube (which I ended up using). They have helped me in the winter too at the main store on the high street.

Went to the main store for skis. Guys were very helpful, took their time to explain and make sure…read morethe fit is good. I changed skis at the end of the day, and they were very receptive. Highly recommend!