UKC

I'm passing through Chamonix next week, and fancied a walk high up, but it appears that every cable car is closed until June. Is this usual?

yes it is usual.  plan praz opens on 11th June, flegere and vallorcine the same day, plan Joran is closed not sure about the summer, prarion is open 4th June week end and would give you a nice walk up high, midi is open but that's not "walking" territory at the top and the grand Balcon nord lower down is still pretty snowy, the Montenvers train is running but they are doing a lot of work on the paths up there and some are closed, there is a new lift going in at le tour so they are closed all summer

hope that helps

Thursdays Chamoniarde report (walking bit) with French humour at the end:

Hiking

The snow is receding more and more, but not everything is practicable.

Here is a short but not exhaustive list of accessible hikes (including those that were not accessible at the time of our last updates):

Prarion, Aiguillette des Houches, refuge de Bellachat, Planpraz, Charlanon, Flégère, Grand Balcon Sud (attention Planpraz and Flégère lifts closed until June 11th), lacs des Chéserys, refuge de la Pierre à Bérard, refuge de Loriaz, Aiguillette des Posettes, Peclerey, Tête de Prapator, Montenvers via Caillet (buvette open every day for drinks and then for lunch and dinner from June 1st) or les Mottets (reminder: the moraine path is closed, you have to go by the “viaduct” path), Blaitière alpage and then Signal Forbes (access from Montenvers closed until June 11th, access possible from the the start of the Grand Balcon Nord), Plan de l'aiguille by Grand Bois, chalet des Pyramides. ..

You will still have to wait for :

Lac de Pormenaz, lac du Brévent, lacs Cornus, lacs noirs, lac Blanc, Buet, col de la Terrasse, refuge Albert 1er, Argentière glacier point de vue, Grand Balcon Nord, Jonction...

as well as treks of several days (tour des Fiz, tour des aiguilles Rouges, tour du Mont Blanc).

For our snowshoeing friends, go and watch the tennis on TV (Rolland Garros is starting !

Haven't been that way for years and only July/Aug but I have a memory that people can get the midi telepherique from town but get out at the plan de l'aiguille interchange and walk down to town again.

Anyone here know if that's doable at this time of year?

There is a nice walk from the Plan to the train at Montenvers with a good footpath. This assumes that there isn't too much snow!

Thanks for the info and links. I was hoping to get up on the North side of the valley, in the Aiguilles Rouges, as there are much better views from there. I'll take a look at possibilities from Col des Montets.