Slash your TMB trail time by taking public transport along your Tour du Mont Blanc.
The Tour du Mont Blanc trekking route packs a punch with it’s 170 kilometres over demanding terrain. Days are long on the trail and with the serious elevation gain (& loss) it’s possible that you might need a helping hand along the way.
If you’re behind schedule, hit bad weather or say trekking with kids, there are a number of transport options on most of the Tour du Mont Blanc stages. These mainly consist of public buses that run along the valley floors or cable cars and chair lifts that can whip you up and down mountains in a jiffy.
We would highly recommend the following Tour du Mont Blanc public transport to cut trail times, especially if your hiking with kids or if the weather becomes untenable. Many of the shuttle buses merely run along mundane sections of valley floors so you’re not actually missing much by taking them.
On average expect to be on the TMB trail between 7-9 hours per day. When I hiked with my 10 year old, it took us that with all the transport options! Without taking all the TMB transport options, I know we definitely could not having hiked the TMB with our kids. It would have been way too much.
Check out the public transport below and build them into your planning so you know where to save tired legs or as plan B in bad weather. Figuring out what your speed will be during your planning isn’t easy so give yourself extra time, each day.
Stage 1
1. Les Houches – Bellevue Cable Car
OPEN JUNE 3rd – SEPTEMBER 10th 2023
Right at the beginning of the Tour du Mont Blanc on Stage 1 (Les Houches – Les Contamines) you can cut 2 hrs off the trail time by catching the Bellevue cable car instead of hiking up from the valley floor.
The 2023 cable car tariff is €17.50 one way for an adult and €14.90 for children up to 14 years old/over 65s. Annoyingly they don’t have a family one way ticket but if you are a family of 5-7 you will only pay for 2 adults & 2 children (the 3rd, 4th or 5th child is free). It takes merely 5 minutes to get to the top of the Bellevue Plateau (1800m) and it runs frequently (approximately every 20-30 minutes).
Many hikers take this short cut so don’t worry there are still plenty of TMB signposts once you get out of the cable car. You will then only have to walk only 15-20 minutes to pick up the ‘proper’ TMB track. The cable car starts running at 7.30am in peak season (10 July – 27 Aug 2023)
2. Tresse/La Chapelle – Les Contamines – bus
This bus is handy to take if you are trekking the stage 1 traditional route (NOT the stage variant route which conveniently pops you out in the centre of Les Contamines next to the church).
When you’ve descended into the Montjoie valley the TMB track will eventually hit the main road into Les Contamines. It’s here (or nearly here) that you can catch the public bus into Les Contamines.
Don’t make the mistake we’ve made before of coming straight off the track out into the village of Tresse and waiting at the bus stop literally opposite (Tresse Le Quy). The TMB trail actually crosses the main road here and continues on the opposite side of the valley up into the town of Les Contamines. It’s another 1 hour hiking.
We intended to cut this 1 hour from our trail time and waited at the Tresse bus stop for what seemed like forever. We’d planned to take the bus as I’d actually added a further hour onto our first day schedule by planning to hike from Les Contamines onto the first refuge Nant Borant. A clever tactic to reduce the second days hike (which is notoriously hard over the Col du Bonhomme) by an hour the following day.
It backfired. The bus never arrived and so we reluctantly carried on, traipsing along the trail and wearily hit Les Contamines dog tired with a worn out 10 year old and my weary 65 year old mother. It turned out that the tourist office had put up a timetable at the Tresse bus stop with the incorrect highlighted times. In fact we should have walked up the road to the next bus stop, La Chapelle to catch the bus. The bus takes a circular route round to La Chapelle and only comes down to Tresse a couple of times a day. Check the 2023 bus timetable below if you are thinking of catching this bus, take a photo of it. If you are close to 14.00 and 17.30 then when you pop out on the road from the trail with Tresse Le Quy bus stop over the road to your right, turn right and walk the 5 minutes up to Le Pont des Crouets to make sure you’ll get the bus. The 17.30 is the last bus from here so if its later than this the bus comes down to La Chapelle at 18.13, 18.43 and 19.13 so in this case turn left on the main road and walk up to the bus stop.
La Chapelle – Les Contamines (Chef Lieu) – ND de la Gorge Bus Summer 2023 timetable
Stage 2
Les Contamines – Notre Dame de la Gorge – Free shuttle bus
There’s a free shuttle bus (navette) from Les Contamines to Notre Dame de la Gorge – the furthest point up the valley where the road stops and the trail continues. Catch the navette from outside the tourist office in Les Contamines. Notre Dame de la Gorge is the last stop on the route so it’s easy to see where to get off and the driver is very friendly, so if in doubt just ask. Catching the navette cuts 5km off the trail and will save you an easy hour.
This free shuttle bus is the same one that comes up the valley from Tresse Le Quy and La Chapelle (see above) so if you’re pushing on through to Refuge Nant Borrant on your first day, or if you’re heading to the campsite at Notre Dame de la Gorge, you can stay on the bus all the way. Otherwise stop overnight in Les Contamines and catch the bus from the tourist office in the morning.
This service operates from the end of June and runs every 45-60 mins from 07.45 from Le Pont des Crouets.
Les Contamines (Chef Lieu) – ND de la Gorge Bus Summer 2023 timetable
This is the same timetable as above as the bus that picks up from La Chapelle continues into the centre of Les Contamines and out the other side on towards Parking Notre-Dame de la Gorge. This means that if you are not aiming to stay in the town of Les Contamines overnight and you have no need to get supplies from the three small supermarkets on the main road then you could stay on the bus and continue all the way to Notre-Dame de la Gorge. This is perfect for instance if you are staying at Refuge Nant Borrant – the first refuge on the trail after Les Contamines (2 hours walking from Les Contamines centre or 1 hour walking if you are going to take the free shuttle bus to Notre-Dame de la Gorge).
Stage 3
Les Chapieux to Village des Glacier or Les Mottets refuge – shuttle bus
There are mini bus shuttles (navettes)from Les Chapieux to La Ville des Glaciers and further to the Les Mottets refuge parking. The navettes leave regularly from Les Chapieux and I would highly recommend saving your legs by catching it. It costs €4.00 per person whilst children 12 and under are free. Below are the timetables – the first is between June 19-25th, the second timetable (peak summer) runs more frequently.
Where to buy your ticket?
Buy your ticket from the information centre, a small wooden shack near the shop in Les Chapieux (there’s not much there so don’t worry you can’t miss it!) It’s also here where the shuttle bus depart.
Tip: If you’re staying the night in Les Chapieux, buy your ticket as soon as you arrive for your bus the following morning. Yes you’ll be tired and a cold beer at the bar at Refuge de la Nova will be calling your name. However the information centre is only 100m from Refuge de la Nova and does close around 6pm. If you miss it, you’ll have to buy your ticket in the morning and chances are the first bus at 7.40am will be full. The next bus in peak summer isn’t until 8.50am so if you want to get an early start perhaps if you’re going all the way through to Refuge Maison Vielle or even Courmayeur you need to get on this first bus.
We missed buying our tickets the night before and it was quite busy when we turned up first thing at 8am when the hut opened, so we didn’t manage to get onto the first bus. We bought tickets for the 9am departure to Village des Glaciers, so we were happy enough and it didn’t hold us up really on our schedule, but I would recommend hot footing it to the information shack as soon as you arrive the afternoon before to bag tickets for the 07.40 shuttle the following morning.
If you’re pressing onto Les Mottets for the night and you’re exhausted by the time you hit Les Chapieux, the last bus to Les Mottets parking leaves at 16.25 arriving at 16.55. If you arrive after this the 16.55 and 17.35 bus does go to Ville des Glacier which is three quarters of the way to Refuge Mottets so catch one of these and then just walk the rest of the way up the road. You can’t miss the refuge – you’ll see it down in the valley and there’s a clear path down to it.
Do I buy a ticket to Ville des Glaciers or Les Mottets Parking?
Unless you’re staying at Refuge des Mottets, catch the bus to Ville des Glaciers. This is around half way. The bus will stop in the large car park there. Ville des Glaciers is a small hamlet with a cheese farm. I recommend a 10 minute stop at the cheese farm before pressing on! Note: there is no accommodation in Ville des Glaciers.
From Ville des Glaciers you will cross the river and the TMB track winds gradually up and past Refuge des Mottets which is down in the valley. At this point you’ll be starting the ascent of the Col de la Seigne.
If you catch the bus all the way to the Les Mottets parking, you’ll have to walk down a steep hill from the parking to the actual refuge (in the base of the valley) and then up again from the refuge on the path on the opposite side of the valley to pick up the TMB trail.
The bus to Bourg St Maurice
There’s also a shuttle bus that runs from Les Chapieux to Bourg St Maurice (€6.00) at 18.10h every day (2022 times). This means if you’ve booked your Tour du Mont Blanc late and you haven’t managed to get any accommodation in Les Chapieux, as long as you make the 18.10h bus, you can find some accommodation in Bourg St Maurice and then head back to Chapieux on the 07.55 shuttle (2022 times) in the morning to pick up the trail. (I talk more about this in my Tour du Mont Blanc Refuges post).
Please note: on the recent Les Chapieux timetables released for 2023 they have not included the Bourg St Maurice bus. I am making enquiries as to what time this will be so if you haven’t managed to secure accommodation in Les Chapieux you know what time you need to aim to get to Les Chapieux for to get this bus down to the town.
Another option, if you haven’t managed to secure accommodation in Les Chapieux is to book the next refuge, Les Mottets, as the shuttle bus from Les Chapieux drops you at their parking spot (so it’s just a 10 minute downhill stumble to the refuge). Make sure you’re on the last shuttle bus from Les Chapieux or face the 1 hour walk (or book a taxi!). Note: Refuge Mottets is very popular. Don’t expect to book a bed if you are late in your planning however they regularly have cancellations so it’s worth checking here online for their availability.
Stage 4
La Visaille to Courmayeur – bus
If you want to fast track stage 4, there’s a regular bus service from La Visaille to Courmayeur. La Visaille is a small hamlet in the Val Veny. It’s approximately a 50 minute walk from Cabane du Combal. It then takes 23 minutes to get into the centre of Courmayeur.
If you were leaving Rifugio Elisabetta, it’s an easy stroll along the straight Roman road (40-50 mins) until you hit a bridge at Lac Combal (you won’t see the Lac, it’s slightly higher on the opposite side, but you will see the lovely A frame Cabane du Combal refuge across the way). From the bridge it’s a half an hour walk down the road, then picking up a track for 10 minutes to arrive in the village of La Visaille.
From La Visaille a bus goes directly to Courmayeur. This is a good option if your legs can’t handle the TMB trail along the Col Chécrouit ridge all the way to Courmayeur and believe me it’s actually shockingly demanding. There are no cols to climb on stage 4 but the trail is undulating and seemingly never-ending. That said, it’s a stunningly beautiful section of the trail.
La Visaille – Courmayeur bus timetable – Summer 2022
You can see the summer 2022 timetable for the La Visaille – Courmayeur bus more clearly here https://arriva.it/app/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/Val-Veny-Courmayeur-Giugno2022.pdf
See for yourself what you would miss by taking this section by reading our Day 6 Elisabetta to Courmayeur post here.
La Maison Veille – Courmayeur – chair lift & Dolonne cable car
OPEN FROM 1 July – 3 Sept 2023
Dolonne gondola 9:30-17:50
Maison Vieille chair lift 9:30-17:20
After hiking along the Mont Saxe traditional TMB route, you’ll finally reach Rifugio Maison Vielle on your descent into Courmayeur. The Maison Vielle chairlift descends down from immediately outside the refuge to the mid station of Plan Chécrouit (1702m), from where you can catch the Dolonne telecabine down to the village of Dolonne (1221m). From Dolonne a regular bus service takes you into the Italian town of Courmayeur.
It costs €15 for an adult (and €9 for a child under 12 or over 65s) for both the chairlift and the telecabine down to Dolonne.
Click here to see the live website with the above timetable.
Courmayeur is a good place to have a day’s rest if you are continuing on full circuit of the TMB trail or if you’re only planning to hike half the trail from Chamonix to Courmayeur, we’d recommend returning to Chamonix for a few rest days before leaving the Alps.
Catching the bus back from Courmayeur to Chamonix
If you’re only trekking half the Tour du Mont Blanc, then it’s here you can catch a bus through the Mont Blanc tunnel back to Chamonix.
There are a few bus companies that provide this service. It takes 45 minutes to arrive in Chamonix.
SAVDA buses depart at 9h, 11h, 12h, 14h, 16h & 18h. One way costs €15.
Flixbus offers super cheap deals at around €5 each. Download their apps below to check out their timetables.
Stage 5
Courmayeur – Bivio Rifugio Bonatti – bus
Bus No 5 from Place Le Monte Bianco runs along the valley floor of Val Ferret and can drop you at stop “Bivio Refugio Bonatti’. This stop is located slap bang at the bottom of the vertical trail that leads straight up to Refugio Bonatti. The hike will take roughly an hour. The bus is 2 euros one way.
If you want to take the bus to the end of the line to start climbing the Grand Col Ferret the last stop is called Arnouva or Arp Nouvaz Cap.
Taking the bus along this section is a good back up plan in very bad weather.
You can see the Summer 2022 timetable for the bus to the stop below Bonatti Hut here https://arriva.it/app/uploads/sites/3/2022/06/Courmayeur-VAL-FERRET_s-Luglio2022.pdf
Stage 6
Ferret – La Fouly – bus
Taking the bus from Ferret to La Fouly
After hiking over the Grand Col Ferret, you might want to catch the bus on the very last section from Ferret to La Fouly which will save you 45 minutes on the trail. The same bus goes onto Champex-Lac seven times a day so if you’re looking to skip stage 7 this is the bus you’ll need to take.
You’ll see the bus stop at Ferret immediately on your left as you reach the first buildings of Ferret. The timetable on the bus stop is impossibly hard to fathom. Plan ahead by visiting www.cff.ch and choosing FERRET and LA FOULY VS and check the timetable for your dates. Make a note of the timetable. It’s possible to book your ticket online or if you’re unsure which bus you want to catch, you can just pay on the bus. They now accept euros so its not necessary to have Swiss francs on you.
Stage 7
La Fouly – Champex-Lac – bus
A lot of TMB hikers skip Stage 7 entirely as a way to save time on the trail. It’s argued to be the most unremarkable section of the trail, the route passing through gentle meadows and through charming Swiss villages.
If you plan to take the bus from La Fouly (or Ferret) to Champex-Lac, you will need to change buses in Orsières, the largest town in the area. You’ll first catch a bus from Ferret or La Fouly to Orsières, and then a second bus from Orsières to Champex-Lac (very easy to change from bus 1 to bus 2).
You find all the details of the schedule on www.cff.ch, where you can put your starting point (Ferret or La Fouly) and your arrival point (Champex-Lac), the date and the time you want. It will give you the price and you can book online if you wish, or pay cash to the driver. You can pay for the bus either in euros or Swiss francs
It cost us for a single ticket from Ferret to Champex-Lac CHF12 (or €12) for an adult and CHF6 (€6) for a child.
Stage 8
There are no public transport options to cut down stage 8 of the TMB, however you can miss it out altogether by taking a bus from Champex-Lac to Orsières, then catch a train from Orsières to Col de la Forclaz (you will need to change in Martigny. It takes around 2.5 hours.
You can check the timetable (horaires) and the price at www.sbb.ch
Stage 9 Col de la Forclaz – Trés-le-Champ
Post bus – Col de la Forclaz – La Peuty or Trient
From the Col de la Forclaz it’s possible to catch the post bus down the steep hairpin road to La Peuty or Trient, shaving an hour off your day.
The bus goes approximately four times a day with two early pick ups at 06.33h and 8.28h, a lunch pick up at 12.28h, and an evening pick up at 19.28h. Make sure you double check the timetable at www.carpostal.ch/valais or email valais@carpostal.ch as times may have changed since this post was written.
Expect to pay around CHF2.20 for a single ticket. It takes around 4 minutes to get down to La Peuty or Trient. Note Trient is slightly off the TMB trail so only go here if you’re planning to stay there overnight. If you’ve stayed the night in Col de la Forclaz, get off at La Peuty to remain on the direct trail.
If you’re pushing on through to La Peuty or Trient to stay the night instead of staying at Col de la Forclaz, it’s probably not possible to catch last post bus at around 19.28h otherwise you’ll probably miss your refuge dinner which will probably be around 19.00-20.00.
Hitching from the Col de la Forclaz
It’s also possible to hitch from the Col de la Forclaz down to Trient. The road is very busy as it’s the main road into Switzerland from the French border. Trient is only 10 minutes in the car via the road, whilst the TMB hiking route takes you directly down through the forest, taking around an hour.
Le Tour – Charamillon chair lift
Once you reach the Refuge du Col du Balme on Stage 9, you can either continue on the TMB trail which will skirt round to Tré-le-Champ or you can catch the Charamillon chair lift and the bubble down to the village of Le Tour at the end of the Chamonix Valley. This is a good option if you want to stay in Chamonix or one of it’s villages on the valley floor instead of at Refuge La Boerne, which is an excellent refuge, however often full.
The 2020 Charamillon chair lift costs €10 per adult and €8 per child one way on just the chair lift (you’d then need to walk down the home piste). Or you can pay €25.00 per adult, €21.30 child/senior to take both the chair and the bubble down to the valley floor.
If you choose to stay in Chamonix for the night and pick up the trail again in the morning, you can catch the train to Mont-roc (the stop after Argentiere) and walk around to the back of train station to a trail that leads to Tré-le-Champ. It takes around 15 minutes to walk up. You can then walk straight through Tré-le-Champ to the start of the trail which is only 2-3 minute walk up from the hamlet on the main Col du Montets road. The trail starts from the main car park.
Stage 10 – Tré-le-Champ to La Flégère
There are no short cuts on stage 10 of the TMB. It is possible to take the La Flégère cable car down to Le Praz, the village just 5 minutes from Chamonix if you wanted to stay overnight in Chamonix rather than staying in Refuge Flégère. There is plenty of accommodation in Le Praz if you wanted to be straight back on the cable car first thing in the morning to pick up the trail.
The 2020 tariff one way down from La Flégère was €15.00 per adult, €12.80 per child/senior.
Stage 11 – La Flégère – Les Houches
Brévent cable car
Stage 11 is a stunning section of the Tour du Mont Blanc trail with incredible views of Mont Blanc. Once you get to the Brévent ski area, you can opt to take the cable car from Plan Praz (the Brévent mid station at an elevation of 2000m) to the top of Brévent (2525m). Taking the cable car will cut your trail time by approximately 2 hours of the traditional TMB, or an hour if you plan to hike the Charles Bozen piste. Personally whilst the piste is an easier route, it is devoid of the charm of the high route traditional TMB route.
The 2020 summer Brévent cable car cost €10.00 one way for an adult and €8.50 for a child/over 65.
Le Parc Merlot navette
In 2020 there was a regular navette service from the Merlot animal park to Les Houches on Tuesdays and Fridays. If you happen to be trekking stage 11 on either of these days, you might well be glad of the navette service after the extremely long descent from Brévent. Your knees will have taken a beating with the 9km descent. Expect to pay €2 one way.
The website does not yet have 2021 information on but keep checking this link https://chamonix.montblancbus.com/en/news/les-houches-parc-de-merlet-shuttle
53 Comments
Shouee
June 24, 2021 at 3:28 amMags,
The bus/shuttle information you listed here is exactly what I am looking for. Many of my friends signed up a Mont Blanc tour for August 2022, I want to join them but I am a slow hiker, my comfort zone is 8 miles with 1500 feet gain/loss. I am thinking if I can take buses here and there, perhaps I can do it? I am 67, I hike about once or twice a week within my comfort zone. Based on the info I provided above, do you think I can do it? Any advice? Thank you.
tourdumontblanchike
July 4, 2021 at 4:04 pmHi Shouee, thanks for getting in touch. I think you could do it but you would have to train to try to get your 1500 ft (approx 500m) gain/loss increased. Yes the public transport links would help but there are still some sections where there is no transport available and it’s over 1300m+ gain and 900m+ descent (example stage 2 over the Col du Bonhomme & Col du Croix du Bonhomme). It may be that you could cut some of these sections out entirely. Are your friends taking a guided tour? If so, then the tour operator can give you lifts over certain sections if they do luggage transfers which they almost certainly will. If your friends are planning to trek independently then you would need to plan carefully. However as it’s next year you have a lot of time to train if you want to set yourself the challenge. Have you seen our training video by Neil Martin-McClean? It’s on the website under the planning section – getting fit. It is an excellent video on simple exercises you can do to prepare yourself, as well as putting in the time walking longer hike times and training on hills. I am positive you can do it Shouee with some planning and commitment to training. Mags
Toos
August 21, 2021 at 6:53 amHello, to break up the 1300 ascent to Croix the Bonhomme we stayed the night in Rfuge La Balme, so it too took us 2 days to do this stage.
tourdumontblanchike
August 21, 2021 at 7:07 amGood plan – it’s a long stage! I’d be interested to hear your experience of staying at Refuge La Balme?
Emily
July 14, 2022 at 4:01 pmBonjour! We are a family of 4 with kids ages 12 & 15 currently hiking the trail. We camped by La Balme a few nights ago and joined at the refuge for dinner. It was delicious with huge portions, the staff were friendly. And we completely forgot to give notice that our daughter is vegetarian when we made a reservation earlier in the day and they still accommodated us. We had a great experience there.
tourdumontblanchike
July 17, 2022 at 6:24 amHi Emily thanks so much for the feedback on Refuge Le Balme. I’ve stayed there myself only two weeks ago and I too had a fantastic experience. I’ve now changed the info on the website to reflect this. It’s so brilliant when the owner or staff changes for the better! Happy days! I hope you & your family are enjoying the tour. I’d love to hear more about your trek. Best. Mags
david
July 4, 2021 at 10:35 pmthe public transport detail here is incredibly helpful. im doing a self planned trip and can do the hikes but plan on using transport as much as i can to save my knees and to make the trip more enjoyable. thank you!
tourdumontblanchike
July 7, 2021 at 5:11 amHi David, I’m so pleased my transport post has helped you. We found it invaluable in hiking the trail. Have a great tour!
Brendan
August 7, 2021 at 1:04 amHi, this is brilliant information! However, you refer to the Mont de la Saxe area as being in Stage 4. I think you mean the Col Checrouit area in stage 4….. the Mont de la Saxe area is in stage 5 after Courmayeur. Again, many thanks for the excellent info!
tourdumontblanchike
August 21, 2021 at 7:11 amBrendan – well spotted! You are absolutely correct! Thanks for the heads up 🙂
SWEE KENG Aw
August 18, 2021 at 7:09 amThanks for sharing, it’s been super helpful so I can look forward to plan my hike and also save my knees whenever possible.
Stacey
August 22, 2021 at 4:05 amThank you for this incredibly useful information! From Champex-Lac we are looking to take Fenetre d’ Arpette (in good weather) to the Trient area. We are staying near Le Châtelard Frontiere for the night and trying to find the most efficient way to make that transfer after we arrive in Trient. Right now I’m seeing taking the 213 bus to Martigny and the train from there to Le Châtelard Frontiere. We’d be so thankful for any insight or other ideas you may have, thanks again! What an amazing resource your blog is!
tourdumontblanchike
August 25, 2021 at 8:59 pmHi Stacey it’s seems crazy to get the bus back to Martigny to then take the train to the border as you go back on yourself but public transport is hard in this section. When are you hiking? There is a post bus that goes from Col de la Forclaz down to the border but this seems to only be from 17 July – 15 August so only in the peak month. If you are hiking next summer within these dates then this is the way to go. It’s frustrating because the drive is only 15 minutes or so to Chatelard. The other option is to hitch – there is a lot of traffic going down from the col. Or the third option is to hire a taxi to come and take you from Chamonix. It may well be cheaper than the bus/train tickets depending on how many people are in your group? I have advised this to another group hiking that wanted to skip stage 9 and arrive in Tré-le-Champ. Try CVT (Chamonix Valley Transfers)
Jin
September 5, 2021 at 3:14 pmThanks for your wonderful and informative blogs. It seems most public transport ends in early September. Anyway or could I get a taxi. Thanks very much!
tourdumontblanchike
October 27, 2021 at 9:05 amHi Jin. Yes most public transport that aren’t on the main bus routes ie the shuttle buses, cable cars etc all close generally at the end of August. Taxis are still available but it’s wise to pre-book if possible as there are not so many taxis here ie: there isn’t a taxi rank or taxis that you can hail. Have a great hike. Mags
James
October 24, 2021 at 1:21 pmHi.
Love your site !!!
Do you happen to know if they would allow me to take my dog on the Prarion Gondola?
Thanks
James
tourdumontblanchike
October 27, 2021 at 9:03 amHi James, I believe dogs are allowed on the Prarion gondola but need to be on a leash once up there. Thanks. Mags
Tammy
October 31, 2021 at 11:51 pmYour info has been very helpful. Thank you for going to the effort. We attempted the TMB about 20 years ago but were way too ambitious with our daily mileage and my knee gave out. We are reattempting next September at a much slower pace. I did not intend on using any alternative transportation but if things went bad again, it would be a great option. However, it doesn’t look like anything is still open the second and third week of September? Has it turned to winter by then? Is that the reason? Thank you.
tourdumontblanchike
November 5, 2021 at 9:02 amHi Tammy good to hear from you and sorry to hear about your knee on your first trek. No September is a wonderful month – Winter does not arrive until December, however most of the alternative transport is only offered in the peak tourist weeks on the trail which ends at the end of August. I hiked the trail solo in September of this year and none of the transport was available apart from the regular bus service from Ferret or La Fouly to Champex Lac. I am sure with hiking the trail at a much slower pace that you will be fine with no back up transport. September is a glorious time to hike! Just to let you know I will shortly be releasing my TMB refuges e-book – this will give extra info on all the refuges. Let me know if you are happy for me to add you to my mailing list for when it releases! Best wishes. Mags
Tammy Kimbrough
December 7, 2021 at 8:15 pmGreat. Thank you for your reply. I have everything settled except my last day and I just cannot get my head around it. Can you please help? We are staying in Tre-Le-Champ on September 19. I believe all lifts etc.. will be closed. My plan was to hike from Tre-Le-Champ to Lac Blanc to Flegere to Planpraz and get a car or bus to Chamonix. However, I was told there are no roads or wheeled transport from either Brevent or Planpraz and we would need to hike the whole way from either, which may be too much. We must end up in Chamonix in order to fly out from Geneva the next day but we do not want to entirely miss the Grand Balcon. What are our options? I have heard the hike from Planpraz to Chamonix is grueling. In order to take a car or bus, must we go to Argentiere from Flegere? If we could take a cable car or lift to Brevent or Planpraz at the beginning of our hike, on September 8, where should we go in order to not feel like we completely miss this last leg and at least see a portion of the Grand Balcon? Or, will all lifts be closed at that time too? Sorry so long winded but this last day is stumping me. Thank you!!! Your blogs have been very helpful!
tourdumontblanchike
April 9, 2022 at 8:12 amHi Tammy September is a tricky time when it comes to the cable cars or chair lifts as they will all be closing. Some stay open longer than others but its at the discretion of the Compagnie du Mont Blanc, the company that operates the lifts so it cannot be planned ahead normally. But you should be able to see the closing dates once the summer is in full swing so you should be able to plan this nearer to the time. You are correct there are no roads from any of the mountains in Chamonix – you have to walk up and down if the cable cars or chair lifts aren’t working. The easiest way to walk down is down from La Flégère as the route is wide. This would mean you can hike up from Tre-le-Champ, see Lac Blanc and then descend to La Flégère – you will still see epic views of Mont Blanc if the weather is playing ball. If you want to hike a bit further then continue along to Plan Praz – it is very steep to descend from here but not unachievable. You would not want to continue down to Les Houches along the normal trail from Le Brévent if you are coming from Tre-le-Champ in one day as it is too far. If you are able to take a cable car on Sept 8 – get the bus to Les Praz and take the La Flégère cable car up and walk along the Grand Balcon to Plan Praz. Hope this helps.
Ann Ogg
September 9, 2022 at 1:09 amHi! My sis(68) and I (62) are planning our trip to tmb next July. Thanks so much for the info and would love more info on refuges and how to book them. Thanks so much! Ann
tourdumontblanchike
September 10, 2022 at 9:44 amHi Ann. I’ve written a TMB refuges ebook which discusses in one of its chapters how to book the refuges and lots of in-depth info on what to expect, hut etiquette, hut food/dinners/vegetarians & vegans plus an in-depth in over 23 refuges/accommodation options along the trail. It’s $9.99 to buy the 84 page guide. Here’s the link https://tourdumontblanchike.com/tmb-refuges-ebook/
STACY
March 8, 2022 at 4:31 pmHmmm. I thought I left a reply yesterday, but I don’t see it so apologies if this is a repeat question. First, thank you so much for all of this fantastic information! It is so very helpful and well organized. My question is regarding the sections in Switzerland. Can you recommend a particular hike or 2.5 day -3day hike? After my trip in 2020 was cancelled, I am finally going to the Mont Blanc area solo in July of 2022! I am arriving early from Paris and have 3 days until my scheduled hikes in the Chamonix and Courmayour areas begin. I will be using public transportation. I was hoping to do some hikes in all three countries and was wondering if you have suggestions for the “best of” the TMB and, particularly, hikes and stays in Switzerland? I reviewed your information and it looks like it is most concentrated in the Chamonix, Les Houches, Courmayour areas rather than the Switzerland areas. Also, I am hoping to find lodging for the two nights prior to my scheduled hikes somewhere cool and interesting with great hikes – maybe in Switzerland if it is worth it. Do you have any recs? Finally, there are two or three “free days” to explore on your own during my scheduled hike time from Chamonix and Courmayour. Any thoughts on best, most stunning day hikes accessible by public transport?
tourdumontblanchike
April 9, 2022 at 7:47 amHi Stacy I don’t know many other trails in Switzerland to be honest. I just haven’t spent so much time there apart from the TMB trail. The landscape is more gentle in Switzerland and I prefer the rugged, wild mountains on the French/Italian sides.What is spectacular though is the alternative stage 8 and 9 route on the TMB which takes you over the Col du Fenêtre and past the Trient Glacier. I have heard that a stay in the Trient Glacier hut is awesome but have never done it so you might want to research that. I love the Albert 1er hut hike from Le Tour which goes right up to the Le Tour glacier. Also the day hike from the mid station of the Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix over to the Montenvers is one of my favourite walks in Chamonix – the viewpoint Le Signal is incredible. You can then either walk down to the valley floor or take the Montenvers train down. An unforgettable stay is at the Montenvers Hotel Refuge – it’s not a refuge at all but a beautiful old hotel that housed the first travellers to the Mer de Glace glacier who used mules to travel up from the valley floor – it is wonderfully historic and very comfortable. Highly recommended!
Rui Severino
March 27, 2022 at 12:30 pmHello, thanks for such a valuable info, very much appreciated.
Looking at doing a partial TMB this year and due to time restrictions this info is just great.
Still looking at best options as for easier route, best views and how to make best use of our limited time.
As we can only do 4 stages and looking for easier routes, what would be your best advice southern or northern part?
Also we will be camping and then spending one day in Charmonix.
Cutting some time of our legs with those tips will surelly help making our experience much more fun.
tourdumontblanchike
April 9, 2022 at 7:40 amHi Rui in my opinion the 4 stages from Chamonix to Courmayeur are the most spectacular. Be sure to hike the stage 1 variant if it’s good weather – it’s far more interesting that the traditional stage 1. You can then get the bus back to Chamonix from Courmayeur through the Mont Blanc Tunnel
Sue
April 23, 2022 at 3:09 pmHello, thanks for all theses useful information about transport,
This article actually let me run all around of tmb by taking all different kind of transportaion.
im actuallly planning to go hiking this july-august. Since all timetables are about 2021, i wonder if there will be also same transportation schedule in this year, 2022!
Im looking forward your relpy, thanks!
tourdumontblanchike
April 28, 2022 at 10:23 amHi Sue yes the transport will be the same this year but they haven’t yet updated their timetables from winter to summer. Normally this happens soon around the beginning of May so I will be updating our website soon with the 2022 timetables as soon as they are released. I’m so glad this article has helped you plan your TMB. Happy hiking! Mags
Avraham
April 28, 2022 at 12:15 pmHello Mags
Thanks for the great information.
We are planing to follow your way this year on July 2022.
Do you know if the time table of the shuttles and buses will be the same this year?
Thank you very much.
Avraham
tourdumontblanchike
May 6, 2022 at 7:33 amHi Avraham the timetables will change slightly I’m sure. They have not yet been released but I’m keeping my eye out and will upload them on the website soon. Happy hiking! Mags
Jan Clark Harrison
June 6, 2022 at 2:13 amHello. THANK YOU so much. This is so helpful. However, I too am stumped on my last day. I am spending the night at Refuge de la Flegere and need to find transport to Chamonix on the next day, July 8, 2022. I am 64 and hiking solo and the downhill that day will be too hard on my knees. From Refuge de la Flegere can I hike a bit to a cable car or chairlift going down? If so, which one? Thank you so much for your help. Jan
tourdumontblanchike
June 6, 2022 at 7:01 amHi Jan, the La Flégère cable car is right next to Refuge de la Flégère so you can just take this down after breakfast. It goes down to the village of Les Praz. From here you can either walk along the river to Chamonix (30 minute walk – turn right out of the cable car station and continue along the main road until you reach a bridge. Just before the bridge on the left is a trail that follows the river to Chamonix). Or you can simply take the No 1 or No2 bus from the bus stop outside the cable car station back to Chamonix (4-5 mins). Have a great hike! I’ll be on the trail then too 🙂
Tuki
June 19, 2022 at 9:25 pmHi, This is super helpful information. My husband and I are planning on the TMB. we were hoping to take shuttle from Refuge de la croix du bonhomme to refuge Mottets. is that possible? if yes, which shuttle should we be taking? or should we take the shuttle from Refuge de la croix du bonhomme to Notra Dame de la Gorge and walk to Mottets? if yes, what is the hike distance, do you know? thanks for your help.
tourdumontblanchike
June 22, 2022 at 4:35 amHi Tuki there isn’t a shuttle from Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme – it’s a high mountain refuge and there are no roads from it. There is a free shuttle bus from the town of Les Contamines to Notre Dame de la Gorge and a paying shuttle between Les Chapieux and Ville des Glaciers then onto Parking Mottets. The shuttles only run in peak times so July and August. For hike times refer to one of the guide books or maps. I recommend this map which has a brilliantly laid out table which gives hiking times very accurately depending on whether you are a walker/trekker/fast packer/trail runner https://geni.us/5sjkl
Mark
July 31, 2022 at 6:30 pmWe have just got back from 9 days on the TMB
Your information was so helpful.
If I may add a few points
The circular bus in Courmayer goes up to Villair which cuts out a 100 meter elevation on what is a very steep climb up To Refuge Bertoni. It leaves at 08.15.
The bus to Champex from Ferret and La Fouly was direct- so no need to change in Orsierres. There are three stops in Champex so look ahead where you are staying. We stayed at the amazing Hotel Alpina which was a short walk from the Le Signal stop.
The timetable for the postal bus down to Le Peuty from Col de Forclaz has changed. The first bus is at 06.33 which we took . Made the huge climb up to the border much easier walking in the cool of early morning.
The Charamillon cable car is closed for reconstruction till December I believe
Once again thanks for all the information provided!
Joe
September 2, 2022 at 12:59 pmHi thank you so much for this post, it is super helpful and so is the rest of the site!
my wife and I are doing a portion of the TMB and we are ending in champex-lac and looking to bus back to chamonix. what are the best options for that? we are looking to do so either on sept 8 or 9th.
Thanks so much
tourdumontblanchike
September 11, 2022 at 6:24 pmHi Joe there is no direct link. You will need to go to Martigny and take the train.
Fiona
September 19, 2022 at 10:00 pmHi, thank you for sharing such a wonderful website! This might be a silly request as it appears to be late in the season, I was hoping to do a last minute TMB for 7-8 days, is this still possible to do? (Starting 23/24 Sept) I have been struggling today to connect all the dots with completing the best parts of the TMB and public transport that’s operating in late September. Is it also possible to arrange baggage transfers daily which would allow me to just enjoy the amazing scenery. If you have any advice, I’d really appreciate it!
Thank you in advance
tourdumontblanchike
September 20, 2022 at 5:43 amHi the trail is still open so it’s just a case of piecing together which refuges are still open and as you say working out which public transport is still running. Bellevue cable car is still running and normal public buses but the navettes (shuttle buses) will have closed. Contact Taxi Besson direct to see if they will still offer a luggage transfer for you. I doubt they will still be operating but worth contacting them. Let me know how you get on. Good luck. It’s a great time to still do the trail if you can work it all out.
Barb
October 13, 2022 at 8:56 pmMy partner and I are planning to hike the west half, Chamonix to Courmayeur with some rest days added to not feel rushed and enjoy the mountains!. Looking at Leaving Chamonix Friday, September 8 , 2023 and arriving Courmayeur Thursday, September 14, with extra day/night in the beginning in Chamonix and extra day/night in Courmayeur at the end. Is this too late in the season to utilize cable cars, shuttle transports, gondolas? We will use luggage transport. This website is so informative! Thank you so much for all the information and guidance!
tourdumontblanchike
November 27, 2022 at 11:30 amHi Barb sorry for my late reply! September is a great time to hike the trail but yes unfortunately a lot of the public transport will be closed. The Bellevue cable car in Les Houches will still be operating but the Maison Vielle chairlift and Dolonne cable car in Courmayeur would be closed. The shuttle buses at Les Contamines and Les Chapieux would not be operating either. La Flegere and Le Brevent cable cars in Chamonix should still be operating. The bus on stage 7 in Switzerland should still be running. This post has all the 2022 timetables for each public transport option so check these to find the closing dates which will give you a good indication for 2023. Unfortunately they do not release their timetables much ahead of time so only expect to see the 2023 in late June!!
Kevin
November 2, 2022 at 8:26 pmThank you so much for your magnificent website. I am in the early stages of planning a 5-6 day trek next September. This itinerary would not allow us to complete the circuit, so I am trying to find sources that might help me understand my public transportation options back to Chamonix if we were to stop at various points along the tour. I am aware of the bus from Courmayeur back to Chamonix, but is it easy to get back if we hike further? Many thanks, again!
tourdumontblanchike
November 27, 2022 at 11:21 amHi Kevin yes the bus is easy to catch back to Chamonix from Courmayeur. It gets a bit trickier the further around you walk. You could complete stage 5 and then get the bus back to Courmayeur from the end of Val Ferret although this service will stop at some point in September. From Champex-Lac it’s possible to get the bus to Martigny and then the train back to Chamonix from Martigny. From Trient you can order a taxi back to Chamonix. If you stay at Refuge de la Peuty they are excellent at arranging transport back to either the border or Vallorcine (where you can catch the train) or the whole way back to Chamonix).
Diana
November 9, 2022 at 9:35 pmHello! I am planning to hike the TMB the first week of June. Are any of the transport options open at that time? Do you think the weather will be a huge factor? I appreciate all the information and congrats to you for doing the hike with your mom and daughter!
Diana
tourdumontblanchike
November 27, 2022 at 11:17 amHi Diana, the trail doesn’t officially open until the 14th June (although as this is France you are still able to trek it if you wish before the 14th as long as you know and understand the risks) as there can still be a lot of snow on the trail (the ski season only ends in May!). Can you put your trip off for a couple more weeks? Even in June there is a high chance you will have to take hiking crampons and possibly an ice axe to be safe on certain sections. Last year however there was little snow late in the ski season along with a warm spring so there was no snow really left on the trail by the time it opened with seasonal weather being around 6 weeks ahead of normal. Of course we don’t know whether this will happen again next summer so you would need to be prepared for any conditions.
Jay
December 15, 2022 at 5:56 pmBonjour!
Thank you very much making/maintaining this wonderful site!
It’s truly helpful to prepare TMB trekking.
My wife and I plan to do it late June to early July in 2023.
Our Stage 11 plan is: Start Refuge Lac Blanc – Hike to Le Brevent – (any maybe check Refuge Bellachat) – Go back to Le Brevent then ride Lift to Chamonix
My questions are;
1. Can I purchase lift ticket from Le Brevent directly? A hiker’s blog says she had to buy it at Plan Praz. Is it true?
2. Is it really tough to Hike to Le Brevent from Plan Praz? Some say it’s dangerous?
3. Do you think it’s worth going down to Refuge Bellachat then back to Le Brevent?
Thank you very much again!
tourdumontblanchike
December 26, 2022 at 1:11 pmHi Jay. Plan Praz is just the mid station of Brevent so you can just buy it when you arrive after you have trekked from Lac Blanc.
No it’s not that tough to walk from Plan Praz to the summit of Brevent. It will take around 2 hours. There are some metal ladders to negotiate but it’s all straight forward. I can’t see that it’s dangerous. I’m not sure I would descend as far as Bellachat if I wasn’t continuing down to Les Houches. Its quite a bit of a climb back up to Brevent. The ridge however is lovely to walk along – especially to get a photo on. Or you could walk down to the lake and then back up – it’s clear where this is from the top. However I don’t think you will feel like doing this and climbing back up if you have just walked from Lac Blanc. Why don’t you continue and stay at Bellachat and then descend to Les Houches the following day?
Jay
December 27, 2022 at 8:21 pmHello!
Thanks for answering to my questions.
It’s great to hear that hiking to Le Brevent is not that tough. Hopefully there’s not much snow in early July around the area.
Due to my limited vacation time, Refuge Lac Blanc would be the last stay before go back to Chamonix.
Yeah, I heard about the good view from the ridge trail to Refuge Ballachat, but I may have to skip it. Let’s see how it goes.
Thanks again for your detail inputs!
Happy New Year!!!
Katie
January 19, 2023 at 8:16 pmHi Mags,
Your blog is fantastic. Thank you so much for all the advice! I am planning to hike from Courmayeur to Chamonix in early July. I wanted to get your thoughts on combining stage 8 and stage 9, going from Champex to Auberge La Boerne in one day. Do you think this would be too difficult to do? What route/ shortcuts would you recommend?
tourdumontblanchike
February 8, 2023 at 5:49 pmHi Katie. It would be too much to walk the Bovine traditional stage 8 and then all of stage 9 in one day. A better option would be to stay at Relais D’Arpmtte 45 minutes up from Champex Lac and do the variant stage 8 which you can combine with variant stage 9 and then stay at Refuge Col de Balme. The next perfect stop would be Refuge Lac Blanc if you can get in. Combining variant stage 8 and 9 is not for the faint hearted – it’s a very long day but with absolutely stunning scenery. You would not want to do this in bad weather though. Set off early!
LJ
February 10, 2023 at 1:47 pmThis is a wonderful site! So helpful!
I am looking for information about taking the bus from Courmayeur to La Fouly.
Is there a bus that takes this route? I cannot find information anywhere!
Many thanks.
tourdumontblanchike
March 3, 2023 at 10:35 pmHello. No its such a long route around the mountains I don’t think the bus goes there. You could take the no 5 bus along Val Ferret to the last stop and climb the Grand Col Ferret and descend from there. It’s probably quicker than taking a bus! This would mean you would miss stage 5 but hike stage 6. You can also take a bus from Ferret (the first hamlet after the proper road starts on the Swiss side) down to La Fouly. You can read about both of these buses on my public transport/short cuts post here https://tourdumontblanchike.com/tour-du-mont-blanc-public-transport/ It would probably take you 4 – 5.5 hours hiking not including the time on the buses.