In the Alps there are only a few companies that specialise in carrying passengers in hot-air balloons, all of which are required to hold a CTA (Certificat de Contrôle Technique Aérien) which is granted for a five year period and requires an annual technical test of each balloon by Veritas. Les Ballons du Mont-Blanc, which is based at Praz-sur-Arly not far from Megève, is one of those companies. Created in 1999, it is the only company of its kind in the Haute-Savoie and is the sister company of Objectif in the Auvergne.

We mostly offer hot-air balloon flights over the Val d’Arly, an activity which is very dependent on the wind direction, explains Charles Gauby, owner of the business. From Praz-sur-Arly, it’s possible to get as far as Les Saisies, Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe or La Clusaz. But we also offer flights that last much longer, taking the balloon up to 4000 or 4500 m altitude, giving us the chance to get close to Mont-Blanc or fly as far as Gap if the North wind is blowing… .

The reason for choosing the Val d’Arly as the company’s base is that the valley offers a stable flight environment. In order to launch the balloon, we need clear skies, without rain, fog or snow. And the wind must not be more than ten knots. If the weather is good, we fly every day. However, in reality this means on about 120 days in a year we only take off in the morning, an hour after sunrise, round about 9.30 am in the winter and 7 am in the summer. The flight last an hour and we serve the passengers with champagne once we land!

In order to respond to the growing demand from businesses, Megève Congrès or the local hoteliers, Charles Gauby’s company has two balloons on site: a 6000 m³ balloon that can take eight passengers and a 4000 m³  that can take five.

But if necessary we can also bring over the four 6000 m³ balloons based in the Auvergne and call upon other companies to help out if we get groups of 100 to 120 people, like we had last summer with Soitec, a company from Grenoble. Most of our clients come from the Paris area and from the Rhône-Alpes. More often than not, it’s big pharmaceutical companies, airlines, banks and other businesses that want to celebrate a special event or to reward their best clients and business colleagues. The ticket that’s given to the passengers is valid for two years because, as you will appreciate, we can only fly when we have the right weather conditions. We ask our clients to call us two days before their planned flight in order to check the weather forecast and to get confirmation of the flight. When we can’t take off, our clients can choose to postpone to another date or take a two-hour plane or helicopter flight over the Alps from Megève’s Altiport with one of our partners, Mont-Blanc Hélicoptères, CMBH or Aérocimes .

A flight over the Val d’Arly costs between 240 and 280 euros per person and, as Charles Gauby explains : The price is more expensive if there are more passengers, because we have to bring in balloons from other companies! And for a long distance flight, it will cost in the region of 580 euros per person . An expense that no-one will regret because it’s a genuinely magical experience and one that provides unforgettable memories.

This is a very successful product, and Les Ballons du Mont-Blanc will even respond to requests from Lyon-based companies who do not want to go as far as Praz-sur-Arly. We organise lots of group flights in the Beaujolais area and in the Dombes, taking off from Montmelas, or from Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne , concludes Charles Gauby.

Bonus : Megève : seminars on the farm