Refuges

Dorm or private room? Your guide to which refuges offer what accommodation

This post will help you decide which TMB refuge accommodation to book, particularly if you are looking to only book private rooms during your Tour du Mont Blanc trek.

Remember if you’re hiking in a small group and you book early its entirely possible to get small dorms to accommodate you, which would be exactly like private rooms but cheaper.

Private rooms will not include an en-suite so expect to still have to walk out into the corridor to use the communal toilets at night. There are a few exceptions to this rule, for example Italy’s Refuge Cabane Combal has en-suite facilities in all of their dorms (all 1-6 bed).

The list is in order of TMB accommodation clockwise

Refuge la Flégère – dorms & private rooms
Refuge Bellachat – dorms only (no shower)
Refuge Lac Blanc – no private rooms, dorms only
Refuge La Boerne – dorms of 2/3/6/9 so book early for the small dorms
Trient – Hotel de l’Ourse – has dorms & private rooms
Champex Lac – Hotel de la Belvedere – private rooms with en-suite
La Fouly – Maja Joie/Hotel Edelweiss/Auberge des Glaciers – all have private rooms
Gite de la Lechere – dorms of 3,8,10,14 – no private rooms
Alpage de la Peule – one large dorm only
Refugio Elena – private rooms and dorms
Chalet Val Ferret dorms only
Refugio Bonatti – private rooms and dorms
Refugio Bertone – private rooms and dorms
Courmayeur – many hotels
Refugio Maison Vielle – dorms only
Cabane du Combal – small dorms (1-6 bed) all with ensuite facilities
Refugio Elisabetta – private rooms and dorms
Refuge des Mottets – private rooms and dorms
Les Chapieux – Auberge de la Nova, Chambres du Soleil – private rooms and dorms
Refuge de la Croix de Bonhomme – private rooms and dorms
Refuge de la Balme – private rooms and dorms
Refuge de Nant Borrant – no private rooms but do have some small dorms of 4/6

2 Comments

  • Stanley
    January 6, 2023 at 8:31 am

    Hi Mags,
    Can all the above be booked from Booking.com or Agoda? If not, how can I book them? Thanks

    Reply
    • tourdumontblanchike
      January 12, 2023 at 2:12 pm

      Hi Stanley no the refuges are not on booking.com or Agoda. You can book many of them online on the official website https://www.montourdumontblanc.com/uk/index.aspx however many of the really good ones (Bonatti, Lac Blanc) are private so you need to email them direct. If you are hoping to book for this summer (2023) many of the refuges are now completely booked (!) as October, November and December saw unprecedented levels of reservations – however many refuges have cancellation lists and I’ve found that I’ve been able to get spots from cancellations before. The refuge you really need to get first is either Auberge de la Nova in Les Chapieux (or Refuge Mottets) as this is a huge bottleneck. Nova is showing some availability for August but none for July. Mottets is completely booked online so contact them direct as some of my zoom clients have been managing to get in that way. Nova is not putting anyone on a waiting list – you will need to check daily on the official website for their availability to change as they update cancellations daily on there (Nova anyway). If you can’t get into Nova or Mottets then its a 20 min taxi ride down to the town of Bourg St Maurice – not ideal but better than not doing the tour at all this summer! Fingers crossed for you. Mags

      Reply

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