Last Updated on June 24, 2026 by tourdumontblanchike
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 you’re 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.
ALL OF THE 2026 TIMETABLES HAVE NOW BEEN RELEASED & ARE DETAILED BELOW
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 Les Houches – Bellevue Cable Car
OPEN JUNE 6th – SEPTEMBER 13th 2026
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 2026 cable car tariff is €18.60 one way for an adult and €15.80 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 or an easy 5 minutes to pick up the highly recommended variant via the Col du Tricot.
The 2026 summer Bellevue cable car opening times
From 06/06 to 04/07/2026 daily between 7.30 am and 5.30 pm.
From 05/07 to 29/08/2026 daily between 7.30 am and 6 pm.
From 30/08 to 13/09/2026 daily between 7.30 am and 5.30 pm.
Stage 1 traditional – bus from Tresse/La Chapelle – Les Contamines starts 27 June 26
27 June – 30 August 2026
This bus is handy to take if you are trekking the stage 1 traditional route and popping out onto the main road (Tresse/La Chapelle) to Les Contamines.
OR
If you have taken stage 1 variant route via the Col du Tricot from La Frasse d’en Haut (34 on the map) if you want to skip the last section on variant stage 1 which is basically just the descent into Les Contamines.
When you’ve descended into the Montjoie valley the traditional TMB track will eventually hit the main road that leads into Les Contamines. It’s here (or nearly here) that you can catch the public bus into Les Contamines if want to cut off the remainder of the trail (it crosses the main road and runs along parallel winding through some small hamlets for a further hour).
Don’t make the mistake I made the first time I ever trekked the TMB. I came straight off the trail 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 because 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 two cols – the Col du Bonhomme & the Col de la Croix 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 shattered 10 year old and my exhausted 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 2026 bus timetable below if you are thinking of catching the bus for this section, take a photo of it and just make sure you don’t wait at Tresse unnecessarily.
If you are hiking the variant stage 1 route via the Col du Tricot you can also pick up the bus at no 34 on the map above (top middle) La Frasse d’en Haut which saves around 20 minutes of descent down into Les Contamines.
La Chapelle – Les Contamines (Chef Lieu) – ND de la Gorge Bus Summer 2026 timetable
Did you know I offer zoom consultations to help you plan your TMB trek? Let me troubleshoot if you run into problems booking your refuges ..
Stage 2 – Les Contamines – Notre Dame de la Gorge – free shuttle bus
27 June – 30 August 2026
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 4km 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, Camping Pontets at Notre Dame de la Gorge, you can stay on the bus all the way if you are not fussed about seeing Les Contamines town (it will drive through it). Otherwise stop overnight in Les Contamines and catch the bus from the tourist office in the morning.
This service operates from the 27 June and runs until August 30th in 2026. It runs roughly every 30-40 mins. The first bus to Notre Dame de la gorge leaves outside the tourist office (Chef Lieu) at 07.52 this year and arrives at Notre Dame de la Gorge at 08.07. Be sure to be on the 07.52 – anything later is just well, too late!
Les Contamines (Chef Lieu) – ND de la Gorge Bus Summer 2026 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 (1.5 – 2 hours walking from Les Contamines centre or 45 – 60 minutes 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
Les Chapieux bus ticket machine
A bus ticket machine was installed last season outside the Les Chapieux tourist information office to make it easier for trekkers to buy bus tickets for the Les Chapieux navette to La Ville des Glaciers or to Refuge Mottets Parking.
The machine is very easy to use. It has a big touchscreen where you can select your language. You can buy tickets for the same day or the following day – it then shows the available buses and the number of tickets remaining. You can also buy tickets from this machine for the three end of day buses to Bourg St Maurice.
Its worth noting that if there are any no-shows on the bus then the drivers seem to accept cash…
There are minibus 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 €5.00 per person whilst children 12 and under are free. Below is the 2026 timetable.
Where to buy your ticket?
Previously all shuttle bus tickets were bought from the small wooden tourist office 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. There is now a machine to buy your bus tickets – note – it accepts cash and now contactless payments
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. But the bus ticket machine is very close! If you skip buying your ticket the evening before and decide to buy your ticket in the morning – chances are the first bus (peak season 2026 – 7.20am peak season or 07.30 shoulder season) will be full. The next bus in peak summer is only ten minutes later at 7.30 but the next is at 8am 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.
On my first ever TMB with my 10 year old daughter and 65 year old Mother, we didn’t know the trick about buying the tickets the afternoon before. 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 bus ticket machine as soon as you arrive the afternoon before to bag tickets for the 07.20, 07.30 or latest 8am shuttle the following morning. For 2026 they now have five shuttles departing before 9am although only the first four arrive at Ville des Glaciers before 9am.
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 16.20 arriving at 16.45 (peak season) or remarkably early at 14.30 in the shoulder season! If you arrive after this the last bus that goes to Ville des Glacier (which is three quarters of the way to Refuge Mottets) leaves at 17.30 (peak season) arriving at Ville des Glaciers at 17.50, so catch this 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.
A few adventurous may be heading up to Refuge Robert Blanc. To do this take the shuttle bus all the way to the end of the bus line – Les Lanchettes. The last bus departing Les Chapieux in peak season is 16.20 arriving at Les Lanchettes at 16.50.
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 over 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 (€8.00) at 17.20, 17.50 and 18.20 every day (peak season 2026). This is brilliant news as it used to always be only one bus descending at the end of the day. Well done to the local commune for adapting the service for the demand.
What this means is that 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 one of these buses, you can find some accommodation in Bourg St Maurice and then head back to Chapieux on the 06.45 or 8.20 shuttle in the morning (peak season) or 6.55 in the shoulder season (and an additional service at 7.25 in September) to pick up the trail. (I talk more about this in my Tour du Mont Blanc Refuges post).
Note that if you miss this one of the buses going down to Bourg St Maurice then you’ll have to pay for a taxi to come up for you. Taxi Arthur are excellen). To book the taxi you can WhatsApp David on +33614182611 or email aarthur.transport@gmail.com. To benefit from these rates you need to mention my name or Tour du Mont Blanc Hike.
Les Chapieux / Bourg-Saint-Maurice:
1-4pax 70€
5-8pax 80€
Bourg-Saint-Maurice / Ville des Glaciers
1-4pax 85€
5-8pax 95€
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 – 931 Val Veny orange line bus (11 June – 27 Sept 2026)
If you want to exit at the end of stage 3, it’s easy to catch the regular (and free!) 931 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.
The great news for early and late trekkers this year – the Val Veny and Val Ferret bus services are running from 11th June – 27th September in 2026! Hats off to Courmayeur for realising the TMB shoulder seasons are now increasingly popular and extending their service! The bus is also free!
If you were leaving Rifugio Elisabetta, it’s an easy stroll along the straight Roman road (50-60 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 rifugio across the way). From the bridge it takes between 40-50 minutes to arrive in the village of La Visaille. You will immediately see the bus stop on the right hand side.
From La Visaille the 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. 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.
The 2026 timetable for the Courmayeur – La Visaille (Val Veny) bus service has finally been released.
La Visaille – Courmayeur bus timetable – Summer 2026
See for yourself what you would miss by taking this section by reading our Day 6 Elisabetta to Courmayeur post here.
Stage 4 – La Maison Vieille chairlift (CLOSED FOR 2026) & Dolonne cable car to Courmayeur
OPEN FROM 27 June – 30 August 2026
Dolonne gondola 9:30-17:50
Zerotta chair lift 9:30 – 17.20
Maison Vieille chair lift 9:30-17:20
The Maison Vieille chairlift as we know it is now more! That rickety old two man chair connecting Rifugio Maison Vieille to Plan Chécrouit (1702m) finished its last circuit last Sunday when Courmayeur’s ski slopes closed for the season. Work will start immediately to replace the two man with a high speed four man chair. It’s a blow for TMB trekkers who were planning to trek stages 3 and 4 in the same day and were hoping to take this lift some part of the way down.
The good news is that the Dolonne gondola will still be running from Plan Chécrouit down to the village of Dolonne (1221m) and from there it’s simply a ten minute walk into the centre of Courmayeur.
The summer 2026 tariff for a one way on the Dolonne cable car is €10.50 for an adult and €6.50 for under 12s or over 65.
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.
Zerotta chairlift
The Zerotta chairlift was traditionally just a winter chairlift for skiers. Last season (2025) they opened it for hikers. I love this lift and it makes it easier for hikers to just hike stage 3 of the TMB but still stay at either Rifugio Maison Vieille or Gite Le Randonneurs – as long as you get to the lift before the last departure of 17.20. It opens up the accommodation options at the end of stage 3 which has traditionally just been Rifugio Elisabetta or Cabane Combal (both of which sell out extremely quickly).
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 – Val Ferret (green line) bus (Courmayeur – Bivio Rifugio Bonatti) 11 June – 27 Sept 2026
Bus service 924 from Place Le Monte Bianco (outside the tourist office in Courmayeur) runs along the valley floor of Val Ferret and can drop you at bus stop “Bivio Rifugio Bonatti’ (or you can stay on the bus all the way along to the end of Val Ferret and get off at Arp Nova before you start the climb to the Grand Col Ferret – see section below)
The great news is that this service is running from 11th June – 27th September in 2026!
The Bonatti bus stop is located slap bang at the bottom of the vertical trail that leads straight up to Rifugio Bonatti. The hike up takes roughly an hour. The bus is now free from this summer – yay!
Taking the bus along this section is a good back up plan in very bad weather if you are staying in Bonatti.
It’s also a life saver if you’ve been unable to get a reservation at Bonatti and so have hiked stage 5 as a day hike. You can then easily descend down to the valley floor (30 minutes) and get this bus either back to Courmayeur, or for campers to Camping Grand Jorasses (bus stop of the same name).
Stage 6 – Courmayeur to Arnouva bus (Val Ferret)
If you’ve had to walk stage 5 as a day hike because Rifugio Bonatti was full then you will have used the Val Ferret bus to bus back to Courmayeur the day before. This bus is the same as in the paragraph above.
The same bus will allow you to travel from Courmayeur all the way to the end of the Val Ferret to bus stop Arnouva to allow you to start stage 6 without having to ascend up to Rifugio Bonatti. By not walking up to Bonatti and following the traverse you save approximately 3.5 hours walking time so makes your day over the Grand Col Ferret to La Fouly as much easier day. Whilst the balcony section you miss does have glorious views – you will have soaked up much of those glorious views the day before whilst walking the balcony route from Rifugio Bertone to Bonatti.
Stage 6 – Ferret to 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 smattering of chalets 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. Whilst it is possible to book your ticket online, I always pay on the bus (cash or card) because it’s easy and you won’t know exactly what time you’ll end up here. The bus now accepts euros so its not necessary to have Swiss francs on you.
Read my full post on catching the bus from Ferret or La Fouly to Champex Lac
Stage 7 – La Fouly – Champex-Lac – bus
A lot of TMB hikers skip Stage 7 entirely as a way to cut their total days on the trail. It’s argued to be the most unremarkable section of the trail, the route passing through gentle meadows and charming Swiss villages.
If you plan to skip Stage 7 plan to take this at the end of the day after you’ve hiked stage 6. You can pick up the bus in Ferret (which is 45 mins walk before La Fouly) or La Fouly. Depending on the timetable it can take only 50 minutes or around 1 hour 15 minutes to get to Champex Lac.
Note: 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 buses in Orsières).
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
Expect to pay for a single ticket from Ferret to Champex-Lac CHF16 (or €16) for an adult and CHF6 (€8) for a child between 6 and 16.
This bus is operating from the 6th June 2026.
Read my full post on catching the bus from Ferret or La Fouly to Champex Lac
Stage 8 – how to completely miss out 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
Quite a few hikers also choose to leave the trail at Champex Lac. It’s easy to get transport to Geneva airport from here. Use the website above to check the connections & price.
Stage 8 – Col de la Forclaz – Trient
There are a couple of bus services between Trient, Le Peuty and Col de la Forclaz. These can be handy at the beginning or end of the day when the 30 min walk between Trient and Col de la Forclaz would rather be avoided.
In order to give some context to the lay of the land – Col de la Forclaz is high at an altitude of 1527m whilst Trient is in the valley below at 1300m. If you plan to hike the traditional (Bovine) route from Champex Lac to Trient, once you reach the Col de la Forclaz, you might prefer to take the bus down if the times align rather than the 30 minute descent.
On the other hand if you have stayed in Trient overnight and plan to trek the variant Les Grands up to the Col de Balme (instead of the traditional route straight up from Le Peuty) then you might want to take the bus up to Col de la Forclaz to start the variant on the lovely historic Bisse du Trient (50 mins) which is the first stage of the variant before reaching the buvette Chalet des Glaciers.
TMR bus – Col de la Forclaz – La Peuty or Trient
One bus service is the TMR which connects Finhaut (not many trekkers stay there – but it is possible as there are some Airbnbs there) via the Swiss French border town of Châtlard up to Le Peuty / Trient / Col de la Forclaz. The 2026 timetable and map are below or to view online click here.
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 around 30-45 minutes off the end of your day.
Note that the bus goes more frequently to just Trient which is just a ten minute walk from Le Peuty.
During Summer 2026 the bus leaves Col de la Forclaz to Trient village four times a day for the 4 minute journey. The most helpful times on the schedule are 16.31 and 18.31 (the other times being 05.35 and 11.31).
Make sure you double check the timetable at www.carpostal.ch/valais or email valais@carpostal.ch as times may change.
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 and perhaps you’re running late – hop on the 18.31 bus to make sure you get there for your dinner (normally served at 19.00 or 19.30).
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 4 minutes in the car via the road, whilst the TMB hiking route takes you directly down through the forest, taking around an hour.
Stage 8 – Col de la Forclaz – Martigny
As the TMB has got busier and busier, the end of stage 8 has become rather a bottleneck for securing accommodation. There are only four accommodations here. Many hikers will have to book accommodation in nearby Martigny which is 42 minutes on the bus from the Col de la Forclaz.
The post bus will leave from Col de la Forclaz every week day during the summer at 17.05 and 18.31. On Saturdays at 16.09 and 17.45 and on Sundays there will only be one service at 16.09.
Always double check directly on the website as the timetable could be subject to change.
Stage 9 – Autannes chairlift / Charamillon gondola to Le Tour
20th June – 13th September 2026 gondola 09.00 – 17.00 early/late season or 17.30 in peak season(last descent) / chairlift 09.15 – 16.45 early/late season or 17.15 in peak season (last descent)
Once you reach the Refuge du Col de Balme on Stage 9, you can either continue on the TMB trail along to the Col du Posettes and descend down to Tré-le-Champ (4 hours) or if you want to shorten this stage significantly you can walk down from the Col de Balme (1-1.5 hours) or express down by hopping on the the Autannes chair lift and then connect to the Le Tour – Charamillon gondola down to the village of Le Tour (at the end of the Chamonix Valley). From there regular buses run to Chamonix.
The latter choice is a highly recommended in bad weather as the Posettes ridge is highly prone to lightning.
The Autannes chair lift is very close to Refuge du Col de Balme – you can actually see it from the refuge and it’s just a 10 minute walk away. Bear in mind it’s quite a hefty price tag to get both the chairlift and gondola down to Le Tour – a whopping €31.00 per person.
I also recommend this easier route down if you’ve decided to hike the beautiful variant via Refuge Les Grands to Col de Balme (4 hours) instead of the standard ascent from Trient up to Col de Balme. However if you are ready for a long beautiful day of hiking do both – the Les Grands and the Posettes is a full 8-9 hour day.
2026 tariff for Col de Balme
Autannes chair lift: €11.50 per adult / €9.80 child/senior one way
Charamillon gondola: €19.00 per adult / €16.20 child/senior one way
The chair lift takes you half way down the mountain – you’d then need to walk down the home piste down to Le Tour. Or you can pay more to take both the chair and the bubble down to the valley floor. It’s a pretty expensive ride down coming in at €31.00 one way all the way down. If you want to save money there is a good track underneath the ski lifts where you can walk down to the village which takes around 1-1.5 hours.
If you want to stay in Argentière or Chamonix for the night and pick up the trail again at the beginning of stage 10 in the morning, you can catch the train to Montroc (the stop after Argentière). With your free carte d’hôte card from your Chamonix hotel, the train is free! Plus it’s a lovely way to travel along the Chamonix Valley as the train has large sloping windows to enable you to see the beautiful peaks. After getting off at Montroc train station you simply walk to the end of the platform and turn right and veer right again. This takes you to the back of the train station into a small car park. Here you will find an unmarked trail that leads to the village of Tré-le-Champ. It takes only 10 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 on the left.
Stage 9 – how to cut it completely (if you need to!)
Firstly let it be known that I love stage 9 of the TMB. This is not like Stage 7 (La Fouly to Champex Lac) which is the least spectacular stage in all eleven stages of the Tour du Mont Blanc. No – Stage 9 is one of my favourites so only consider cutting this stage if:-
1/ you could not secure accommodation in Trient or on the Col de la Forclaz.
Being one of two accommodation bottlenecks on the TMB trail – it’s easy to get stuck at Trient. The options are to keep trying for cancellations (often happens so don’t lose hope), to book a hotel or hostel down in Martigny (not ideal as the transport options between Col de la Forclaz and Martigny aren’t great – there’s an infrequent bus or a very expensive 140CHF taxi ride.
2/ you are extremely limited on time
It’s not a stage I like to cut but if you wanted a taste of Switzerland and you were limited on days to begin with then you might need to cut stage 9 (although I’d often recommend cutting stage 8 instead by taking a taxi around + still including stage 9 – another good fix if you couldn’t get into Trient).
Okay let’s get on with it. To cut stage 9 you can take the bus from either Col de la Forclaz or Trient to the train station at the Swiss / French border Le Châtelard Frontière. From here you pick up the Mont Blanc Express train to Chamonix changing at Vallorcine. If you’re looking to get to the beginning of stage 10, after changing in Vallorcine you continue on to Montroc – Le Planet and then its an easy 10 min walk up to Tre-Le-Champ to start stage 10.
TMR/Car Postal Bus Col de la Forclaz/Trient to Le Châtelard-Frontière
Mont Blanc Express train from Le Châtelard-Frontière
Here is the 2026 summer timetable for Mont Blanc Express train. This service travels between St Gervais – Chamonix – Martigny.
Stage 10 – Tré-le-Champ to La Flégère
OPEN: 20th June – 13 September 2026
There are no short cuts on stage 10 of the TMB. It is possible to take the La Flégère cable car down to Les Praz, the village just 5 minutes on the bus from Chamonix (or a 30 minute walk along the river) if you wanted to stay overnight in Chamonix rather than staying in Refuge Flégère. There is some accommodation in Les Praz if you wanted to be straight back on the cable car first thing in the morning to pick up the trail. Have a look at my recommended Les Praz hotels in my accommodation guide.
The 2026 tariff one way down from La Flégère is €19.00 per adult, €16.20 per child/senior
Stage 11 – La Flégère – Les Houches
Brévent cable car
OPEN: 13th June – 20 September 2026
Stage 11 is a stunning section of the Tour du Mont Blanc trail with incredible views of Mont Blanc. If you have hiked the stunning Balcon Sud section from La Flégère, 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 the Brévent summit (2525m).
Taking the cable car means you will cut out climbing the Col du Brévent so you’ll slash your trail time by approximately 2 hours of the traditional TMB (or an hour if you plan to hike the Charles Bozen piste – the wide 4 x 4 stony track up). Personally whilst the piste is an easier route, it is devoid of the charm of the high route traditional TMB route so I would either trek the col or take the cable car. Early treks should always take the cable car as soon as it is operational as the Col du Brévent is always stacked with snow in June and is never safe. Even in peak season if I was hiking from Refuge Lac Blanc to Les Houches in one day, I would miss out the Col du Brévent to save time. For me it’s not a must do section of the TMB and the cable car (which spans the void) is an awesome experience.
The 2026 summer rate for the Brévent summit cable car from the mid station (Plan Praz) is €12.00 one way for an adult and €10.20 for a child/over 65. It’s then a 4-5 hour descent from the summit down to Les Houches. The timetable and rates are below or click here for the online official website.
Of course you can also exit the trail here by descending on the Plan Praz – Chamonix cable car. This costs €19.00 one way for an adult and €16.20 for a child / over 65.
Stage 11 – potentially using Le Parc Merlot navette
Stage 11 is LONG! By the time you hit Le Parc Merlot (an animal park on the end of stage 11) you will be utterly shattered. Know that it’s a further 6km down to Les Houches on a steep winding road (approximately 1-1.5 hours). The road is accessible to vehicles so it’s possible to catch a lift at this point if you are beyond exhaustion either by hitching, taxi or if you’re cheeky you might be able to offer the drivers of the free Merlot Parc shuttle bus a couple of euros for a lift back down.
There is a regular free navette (bus) service from the Merlot animal park to Les Houches in July and August. If you happen to be trekking stage 11 on these days, you ‘might’ be able to catch the navette service after the extremely long descent from Brévent. Your knees will have taken a beating with the 9km descent. I say ‘might’ because before you could pay €2 to use this service however now the service is free for people wishing to visit the Parc so I’m unsure of whether trekkers can now pay to make the descent one way. It’s worth asking.
The buses run in conjunction with the trains arriving and departing from Les Houches train station. For 2026 info check the up to date information on the Parc Merlot’s website.
Taxi from Parc Merlot
You can also call for a taxi to come and pick you up from Parc Merlot however it will be expensive. You can send a message on WhatsApp to Go Prime Taxis on +33 6 41 80 89 34. It will cost around €60-70 for the 13 minute taxi ride down to Les Houches depending on where you’re staying in Les Houches.
132 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.
zoe pride
June 15, 2023 at 4:30 pmHello ! What a great post !
I’m looking to get to refuge Nant Borrant to rifugio Elisabetta in 1 day. Any tips on how to cut down hiking time with the transport?
Thank you !
tourdumontblanchike
June 19, 2023 at 9:09 amHi Zoe. You would need to take the shuttle bus from Les Chapieux to Ville des Glaciers OR if the weather is good you can do the Col des Fours from the top of the Croix du Col du Bonhomme to Ville des Glaciers. The shuttle bus is the only short cut however the Col des Fours is shorter. My advice is to set off very early (take breakfast with you).
Mihai Stefan
July 3, 2023 at 12:17 pmHi! Wonderful site and post! Extremely helpful! Is there any news on the shuttle from Les Chapieux to Bourg Saint Maurice, I can’t seem to find any timetable online. We are a bit worried as we couldn’t find accommodation in Les Chapieux or Mottets despite booking in November.
tourdumontblanchike
July 4, 2023 at 6:11 amHi Mihai yes the bus leaves Les Chapieux at 18.15 every day to return to Bourg St Maurice. You can see it on red on the timetable here https://en.lesarcs.com/hiking/les-chapieux It costs 6 euros per person. It returns the following morning a6 6.55am.
Alternatively you can order a taxi https://www.taxibourgsaintmaurice.com They’re good and cost is approx 60 euros from Chapieux to Bourg and 75 euros from Bourg to Ville des Glaciers the following morning (so you don’t need to stop at Les Chapieux and then wait for the shuttle bus to continue on to Ville des Glaciers). This saves you 1.5 hour of walking (Les Chapieux to Ville des Glaciers)
Best
Mags
Mihai Stefan
July 6, 2023 at 8:37 pmMany thanks for the reply, I must have looked at that timetable at least ten times without seeing it :)
tourdumontblanchike
July 8, 2023 at 5:50 amYou’re welcome :)
Hemant
August 28, 2023 at 6:47 amThanks a lot ! We are going from 6-16th Sept. WIll let you know how it goes.
Best,
Hemant
Anthony
July 5, 2023 at 7:54 pmThanks for keeping this information up to date!
tourdumontblanchike
July 5, 2023 at 8:04 pmYou are welcome! :)
Tommy
July 6, 2023 at 5:28 amHi! If I am hiking from Courmayeur to Bonatti and then want to take the bus to Grand Jorasses for camping for the night. How would I do that?
Then the next day would the bus drop me back to Bonatti so I can continue to La Fouly from there?
Also, how can I buy the tickets? I saw something that said I could purchase them in advance, but activate when I am boarding the bus – is that accurate for this situation?
Thank you so much for the detailed and organized information you’ve laid out!
tourdumontblanchike
July 8, 2023 at 5:57 amHi Tommy. It’s super easy to get the bus and from this year its absolutely FREE! So don’t worry about the ticket thing now. When you get to Bonatti there is a signposted trail heading downwards. It takes around 1 hour to get down to the main road at the bottom of the valley (Valley Ferret – the Italians call it Val Ferret). As soon as you hit the road there is a bus stop there (Bonatti bus stop) so you can pick up any bus coming from your right going to your left! You will not need to pay now. You need to ask the driver where to get off for Camping Jorasses as its not that clear however the campsite is on your right hand side so look out for it (as well as asking the driver). Yes the next day you just take the bus back to the Bonatti stop and climb back up. However if I were you and the day before I had reached Bonatti relatively early I would continue along the balcony trail and descend down to Chalet Hotel Val Ferret (a further 2 hours) then get the bus back from here – its the end of the valley. Then the next day you can simply take the bus back to the end of the valley instead of having to climb back up the mountain to get to Bonatti to then walk along the balcon and descend again. I think its easier this way just to have a slightly longer day the day before. Hope this makes sense? Best Mags
Alan
July 6, 2023 at 9:53 pmI’m departing tomorrow from Florida to Geneva, to walk the TMB with a friend who in Germany now. This trip was all planned and scheduled three years ago…..but then Covid arrived! So the second time should be the charm.
We’ve talked about using buses on some of the routes (I’m 67 and he is 64) to minimize some of the more strenuous parts…and maximize the enjoyment. I’ll let you know in a month how it all turned out !
tourdumontblanchike
July 8, 2023 at 5:49 amHi Alan. Have a fabulous trek! Definitely use the shuttle buses and cable cars as much as possible – it will allow you to enjoy the trail even more! Let me know how you get on. Best. Mags
Hemant
July 7, 2023 at 9:47 amIncredibly useful information. Thanks for making effort to put this together. We have booked 10 days of TMB trekking, but one of the people is injured, so can not hike. He can drive. Can he rent a car and drive around TMB using the same route? We have already booked refuges so use that. Here is route Chamonix – Argentière – Trient – -Champex – La Fouly – Val Ferret- Courmayeur – Les Chapieux – Les Contamines – Les Houches – Chamonix. Any help is appreciated. Thanks
tourdumontblanchike
July 8, 2023 at 5:48 amHi Hemant. Sorry to hear one of your party is injured. Yes he can certainly drive around the route which is in most sections easy however in certain sections it will take them longer as they will have drive around the mountains. From Chamonix to Argentiere to Trient is very easy. To Champex-Lac is a bit further but only an hour, same with La Fouly. The biggest distance is getting from La Fouly over to Val Ferret which would take a couple of hours and then from Courmayeur to Les Chapieux is another couple of hours and again from Les Chapieux to Les Contamines but all fine with a car! If you look at google maps you will see the route. It sounds like you are not staying in any high mountain huts? Are you staying in Bonatti in Val Ferret? If so there is no road access so this could be a problem. If you are staying at Chalet Hotel Val Ferret or Hotel Lavachey these are on the main road in the valley of Val Ferret so both have road access. Hope this helps. Have a great trek! Mags
Hemant
July 11, 2023 at 11:19 amTruly appreciate your detailed note. Many thanks. We are staying in Hotel La Vallée Blanche in La Paludn ( and not in Val Ferret). and Hotel Maison St Jean in Courmayeur.
These are our Hotels.
Hotel La Vallée Blanche in Chamonix
Hôtel Le Dahu in Argentière
Auberge du Mont Blanc in Trient,
Hotel Mont Lac in Champex
Auberge des Glaciers in La Fouly
Hotel La Vallée Blanche in La Paludn
Hotel Maison St Jean in Courmayeur
Chambres du Soleil in Les Chapieux
Hotel Le Christiania in Les Contamines – Montjoie
Hotel Les Campanules in Les Houches
Hotel La Vallée Blanche
tourdumontblanchike
August 9, 2023 at 8:40 amHi Hemant. If your itinerary is chronological then you have made a mistake with La Paludn – it is on the far side of Courmayeur. There is no reason actually to stay in La Paludn unless you want to go up on the cable car to see Monte Bianco – it is not on the TMB route. You are missing traditionally Refuge Bonatti as the route (clockwise) would be La Fouly then Refuge Bonatti then Courmayeur. If Bonatti is full, you can either stay at Hotel Lavachey in the valley or take the bus along Val Ferret to Courmayeur. If you are hiking this section it would be two full stages from La Fouly to Courmayeur (via Bonatti) however La Paludn you would need to take a bus to from Courmayeur. I don’t normally advise on itineraries on comments but needed to point this out to you. If you would like further help on your itinerary I offer 1 hour zoom consultations. Best wishes. Mags
Manish Doshi
August 22, 2023 at 11:17 pmThank you. We just came back from TMB. This was very useful.
tourdumontblanchike
August 23, 2023 at 2:24 pmGreat to hear. Thanks Manish.
Wendy
December 9, 2023 at 1:19 pmwhere is the bus stop in Les Chapieux which is going to Bourg Saint Maurice?
thanks
tourdumontblanchike
December 27, 2023 at 9:58 amHi Wendy. The bus goes from outside the tourist information wooden hut in Les Chapieux. It’s a very small hamlet – you can’t miss it. Note that there is only one bus down to Bourg St Maurice at the end of the day around 6pm. They will release the 2024 timetable around the beginning of June. In 2023 it cost 6 euros per person. Do note that the bus is only a small mini bus so will only seat around 12-14 people so get there early or try to pre-book. Failing that you can get a taxi down to Bourg but these are expensive at around 60 euros and need to be pre-booked ideally. There is no phone signal in Les Chapieux however if you are stuck, the staff at Refuge de la Nova are extremely friendly and will happily call for a taxi for you (especially if you have a drink in the bar whilst you wait). Best wishes. Mags
Dan Murphy
August 8, 2024 at 12:36 pmJust completed the TMB. regarding the Bourg St Maurice – Les Chapieux bus, you CANNOT pre book these buses or buy tickets online. As you point out, there are only 12-14 seats on each bus, so first come first served, which can be tricky if you absolutely want to be out early. One tip I can offer is to get to the Bourg St Maurice station first thing, around 0615am before the first bus leaves at 0655. the ticket office opens around 0615 (the woman is generally pottering about before then checking the buses in and out) if you get her attention, she might open the office and sell you tickets thus ensuring you seats on the first bus as they only sell tickets for each bus up to capacity. We did this and there were quite a few people who turned up 10 mins before the first bus left, and did not get on that bus. So get up and get out early!!!!
tourdumontblanchike
August 9, 2024 at 7:05 amThis is invaluable information! Thanks Dan!
Wendy
January 15, 2024 at 1:53 amThank you very much
I would like to know where to pre-book the bus ticket from Les Chapieux to Bourg Saint Maurice?
tourdumontblanchike
February 12, 2024 at 11:51 amHi Wendy
I’m not sure if you can pre-book the bus ticket from Les Chapieux to Bourg St Maurice. You can contact the Les Chapieux tourist information to ask. They will open on 15th June 2024 – + 33 (0)9 88 77 38 97
Sally
March 10, 2024 at 6:43 pmHi, I’m still in two minds about the trip I’m planning next year. Do the whole trip going from one accommodation to the next, or centre myself in Charmonix and maybe another town and travel by public transport to each section to complete that day, returning to Charmonix at night. Is this even possible?
tourdumontblanchike
March 21, 2024 at 3:17 pmHi Sally it’s possible to do some of the stages basing yourself in some of the towns but impossible to do the whole tour like this. From Chamonix you could do stage 1 and get public transport back however this is quite long winded – a taxi (expensive) would be quicker or else you could do a stage 1 loop back to Chamonix. You can easily do stages 10 and 11 from Chamonix. You can catch the train to Trient and do stage 9 back to Chamonix. Trickier parts are stages 2 and 3 – these you wouldn’t be able to do day trips to. From Courmayeur you can do stage 4 and 5 easily as day trips. Hope this helps. Best wishes. Mags
Barbara Perlowski
May 9, 2024 at 12:50 pmWill public transportation still be generally available thru early September? We finish on 11 September 2024. Thanks!
tourdumontblanchike
May 22, 2024 at 8:47 amHi Barbara it depends which transport. The Italian buses all finish their service at the end of August as does the Maison Vielle chairlift/Dolonne cable car. The Les Contamines free shuttle bus to Notre Dame de la Gorge also finishes at the end of August. The Les Chapieux shuttle bus stops in early September – date yet to be released for 2024. The Chamonix cable cars stay open the longest and generally close around the 15-17th September so you will be able to use these for your descents on stages 10 and 11 if required. The best thing to do is to check this post before you leave and it will have all the updated 2024 timetables on. Have a fabulous trek!
Kalyan Muthukumar
May 19, 2024 at 11:37 pmHi,
We are planning to do an anti-clockwise TMB tour for 10 days starting on September 10th at Chamonix. We have booked the hotels for all the 10 nights. At this point, we plan to do hiking for all the 10 days. In case we get tired or run into bad weather in the middle of our TMB tour, can we get public transportation or taxis to go from one point to another in the last minute?
Here are the places where we plan to stay:
Chamonix
Les Houches
Les Contamines-Montjoie
Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Courmayeur
Orsieres (2 nights)
Martigny
Argentiere
Chamonix
Thanks,
Kalyan Muthukumar
tourdumontblanchike
May 22, 2024 at 8:50 amHi Kalyan yes it’s possible to get public transport or taxis between all the towns however in some cases this can be over 2 hours long and would be rather expensive. The longest section would be between Les Contamines and Bourg St Maurice which takes around 2.5-3 hours. Have a great trek!
hagar
June 16, 2024 at 11:25 amHi! Thanks for sharing all this information.
I will walk the `TMB clockwise this summer. I wonder if all the buses are driving in two directions, or just one?
I was thinking about taking the bus between La Peuty and Col de la Forclaz. Do you know if this is possible?
Thanks in advance!
tourdumontblanchike
July 3, 2024 at 4:33 amHi Hagar yes the buses run in both directions. Yes it is possible to catch the bus from Le Peuty to Col de la Forclaz. Check the timetables as it might be easier to catch it from Trient which is just a ten minute walk from Le Peuty. Best. Mags
Robin
July 6, 2024 at 8:17 pmA question I have: I am planning a hike for July 2025 going CLOCKWISE. Am I going to find that this affects my ability to take short cuts with public transportation? I hope I will still have some options, but not sure if going the nondominant direction means limiting my choices for these options?
tourdumontblanchike
July 22, 2024 at 10:54 amHi Robin no not at all, all public transport goes in both directions :)
Casey
July 7, 2024 at 2:41 amHi! Thank you for all the detailed information. It has helped me so much in my planning! I am trying to maximize time so we can visit another area of Switzerland as well. I would so appreciate your input on the itinerary if you have time! I have adjusted my itinerary as follows:
Day 1 : Acclimatize, Take gondola from Les Praz to Index, hike to Lac Blanc. Overnight in Les Houches. **Would this essentially cover the best views from the traditional stage 11?**
Day 2: Les Houches – Contamines
Day 3: Contamines – Chapieux
Day 4: Chapieux- Elisabetta then transport Cabana Combal – Courmayeur for lodging
Day 5: transport back to trail, hike to Courmayer
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Courmayer – Bonatti
Day 8: Bonatti to La Fouly
Day 9: ***This is where I need help. We want to skip stages 7-8. I see I can take the bus from Lay Fouly to Col Forclaz, 8:48am-12:30pm. Then we would need to hike to Argentiere/Tre Le Champ. Is there a chair lift that can be used on this section? Would you recommend staying in Argentiere or possibly Les Praz for this night? I have a hotel booked for Les Praz but am second guessing myself now. The traditional TMB map doesn’t look like it actually runs into Argentiere but its a few minute taxi away from where the lifts connect in Les Praz.
Day 10: Argentiere- La Flegere. ***If we took the cable car to Les Praz would we miss out on the ladder section?
Thank you very much for all the great information and helpful responses!
tourdumontblanchike
July 22, 2024 at 11:08 amHi Casey thanks for reaching out however I’m really sorry but I don’t respond on comments to itinerary planning help as I offer this via a zoom consultation service, but yes you can take a chairlift and cable car in peak season from the top of the Col de Balme down to the village of Le Tour. Feel free to contact me directly if you’d like to book a session to discuss your whole itinerary in detail. Best wishes. Mags
Gabriele Brambilla
July 28, 2024 at 4:03 pmHey thank you very much for these super useful pieces of information! For stage 6 bus we found the timetables and the possibility to buy tickets on the app Mobile FFS, an app that we use everywhere in Switzerland for traveling. HIH!
tourdumontblanchike
August 9, 2024 at 7:47 amHi Gabriele thanks for the tip. I’ll check out the app. SBB the website I recommend for Switzerland Travel also has an app called SBB MOBILE.
Bill Dempsey
January 29, 2025 at 4:42 pmThank you for your help on this site.
What is the bus/hike route from Arnova (Arp Nouvaz Cap) bus stop to Ferret in order to take the bus to Champex. How long does it take to walk if necessary?
Also, what is the best web site to determine the bus schedules? Hopefully we can buy a ticket on the bus.
Thank you,
Bill Dempsey
Mags Nixon
February 23, 2025 at 2:04 pmHi Bill, sorry for the delay in replying to you! The bus from Courmayeur can drop you off at Arnova. This is the end of the valley where the road ends next to Hotel Chalet Val Ferret. You can then hike the trail up to Refuge Elena and onwards up to the top of the mountain pass (Grand Col Ferret). You will then descend into Switzerland passing the working dairy farm La Peule and descend down to the river to pick up the road. It’s just a ten minute walk to the Ferret bus stop. It is 11.9km / 810m ascent / 748m descent. It takes between 5-6hrs without stoppage time to hike. You can pay card or cash on the bus. You can check the timetables between Ferret and Champex Lac on the excellent Swiss travel website https://www.sbb.ch – it takes around 1hr 15 minutes normally and you will have to change in Osieres. You can read more about this bus from my TMB public transport post here https://tourdumontblanchike.com/tour-du-mont-blanc-public-transport/
Lili
April 1, 2025 at 12:40 amThank you for all the information!
I would like to ask what do you think of hiking from la Fouly to Orsieres and then using public transport to get to col de forclaz as a way of skipping a stage? Is it feasible in the high season? And unfortunately I cant find the usual rates of the public transport on the mentioned route. Can you provide information on the aprox. fee?
Mags Nixon
April 10, 2025 at 6:05 pmHi Lili, you can take the bus from La Fouly to Orsiere easily (check http://www.sbb.ch) or you can hike to Praz de Fort and catch the bus from there. From Orsiere you would catch the train to Martigny (change at Sembrancher) then you can get a bus up to Col de la Forclaz. It takes around 1hr 10 mins from Orsiere to Col de la Forclaz. The http://www.sbb.ch website is fantastic – the whole journey is detailed on there for you and it will give you the prices.
Erin Homburg
June 16, 2025 at 6:01 pmHi Mags, thank you so much for this invaluable information! Most of our group is staying at Bonatti on July 17, but we are going to stay in Courmayeur that night and come back in the morning to meet the group at Bonatti and resume hiking. The hike we have planned on July 18 from Bonatti to La Fouly is 12.2 miles – 2,952 foot gain / 4,449 foot loss. It seems to get back to Bonatti, we’ll take a 30 minute bus ride and then we’ll have a one hour uphill hike. Do you have an idea of the approximate distance and elevation gain of that one hour hike? I misunderstood previously and thought it was about a 20 minute walk – now I am nervous that I’ve signed myself up for a really ambitious day.
Mags Nixon
July 8, 2025 at 2:13 pmHi Erin. Good to hear from you. It’s 1.5km up and 336m elevation gain. Yes it takes an hour. If you have walked stage 5 the previous day then the balcony from Bonatti to Chalet Val Ferret has similar views so unless you desperately want to see Bonatti or want to hike every step of the TMB then you could decide to continue on the bus all the way to the end of the road (Arnouva on the timetable). This will make a nice easy day for you as you will have cut the hour of ascent to Bonatti and then 2-2.5 hours along the balcon and back down to Chalet Val Ferret. So at least 3 hours off your day. Whichever you decide – have a great trek. If you’re interested in other Alpine treks check out my website on the Alta Via 1 https://www.altavia1dolomites.com – its the perfect next trek after the TMB and I help clients all the time plan that one. Best. Mags
Caroline
July 7, 2025 at 2:46 amHi Mags:
Excellent info on public transportation! Thanks so much!
To take the Brevent gondola and cable car one-way, just down, can I buy tickets at the top?
The website says one-way tickets must be purchased at the counter.
Similarly, for the Autannes and Charmillon chairlifts, can I buy tickets at the top?
If not, is there wifi at the top so I can buy tickets online.
Thanks
Caroline
Mags Nixon
July 8, 2025 at 2:02 pmThe Autannes chairlift you just pay at the bottom. At the top of the Charmillion I think you can pay at the top as well but if not just at the bottom – they are very relaxed there and pleasant – especially if you ask how do I pay at the top. At the mid station at Plan Praz I am sure there is a ticket office (I have a season pass so it’s not something that I do) however just ask one of the staff. At that point you will be able to go online if they say you need to buy one online no problem. Have a great trek!
Valentina Tong
July 12, 2025 at 6:58 pmHello, thank you for all the perfect explanations!
I have 5 days in september, from 6th to 10th, and planned to follow your suggestions (with the available shortcuts) from Les Houches to Courmayeur. However, what would be the option for returning with the blocked tunnel?
Would you happen to have any other itinerary suggestions?
Thank you!
Valentina
Mags Nixon
July 16, 2025 at 6:10 amIts either a very expensive taxi ride or as you say you have 5 days I would take a bus or taxi along the Val Ferret (skipping stage 5) and climb the Grand Col Ferret (stage 6) to Ferret or La Fouly. You can then either stay there the night or if you want to get back the same day catch the bus from Ferret to Orsiere then the train from Orsiere to Chamonix (change in Sembrancher, Martigny & Vallorcine). You can check on the website http://www.sbb.ch from Ferret to Chamonix. I just looked and on 10th September there is a 15.43 from Ferret that gets into Chamonix at 18.45 and the last one is 17.13 which arrives at 20.45. Obviously double check yourself and look at the connections etc but you can buy your ticket on the bus then train so no need to pre-book. The bus takes cards. It looks like the entire journey is around 40CHF. Have a great trek!
Matt C
August 6, 2025 at 10:34 pmHello: Thank you for all the wonderful information. For Stage 3 – you mention that the information centre is only 100m from Refuge de la Nova and does close around 6pm. Does this mean that the Les Chapieux bus ticket machine also closes around 6 pm? Thank you so very much. Matt
Mags Nixon
August 12, 2025 at 8:31 pmHi Matt, no you can book anytime on the ticket machine as the machine is outside the tourist office so you can access it anytime. You can make bookings the same day or the next day for example if you are getting the shuttle down to Bourg St Maurice and want to return the following morning and also add the Les Chapieux to Ville des Glaciers the next day as well. Cheers. Mags
Jeff
August 7, 2025 at 4:00 pmHello Mags,
Just checking to see if you have heard or seen the proposed date for the 2026 UTMB race.
We are going to start planning a 2026 TMB hike and would like to coordinate it
around the UTMB race. Thanks for any information you may have!
Jeff and Trecia
Mags Nixon
August 12, 2025 at 8:29 pmHi Jeff yes it’s scheduled for 30th – 1st September for the big race, the other races start from the 26th. Cheers. Mags
giorgos christoforou
November 20, 2025 at 8:46 amHello Mags
Congratulations for your site, it has been very helpful. I have a question for public transport. I recently watched a video of a hiker who started at refuge Mottets , passed ref Elisabeta and Cabane Combal and reached rifugio Maison Viellle, continued for half an hour to ref Monte Bianco and took a bus from there to Courmayer. What is your opinion? Is this a realistic option?
Thank you very much. Have a nice and relaxed winter.
Giorgos
Mags Nixon
November 20, 2025 at 11:48 amHi Giorgos, yes this is possible. It is a long day so you would need to set off early. You can take a time check opposite Cabane Combal where there is a signpost turning right to continue the trail onto stage 4. You need around 3.5-4 hours to walk to Rifugio Maison Vieille. If the weather is terrible or you don’t think you have the energy you can walk past the signpost, cross the bridge and turn right – follow the private access road down to the village of La Visaille and catch the bus to Courmayeur – this is the same bus that you would pick up if you descend down from Rif Maison Vieille. The Zerotta chairlift now started operating for the first time this year so you can also choose to walk to the top of that and get that lift down as the Zerotta bus stop is just at the bottom. Hope that makes sense. It’s a fantastic day if the weather is good but just set off early. Cheers. Mags
Dan Blaser
November 22, 2025 at 3:34 pmHi Mags
I was not able to secure accommodations in Trient and have booked a hotel in Martigny. I didn’t see this problem addressed in your post. Can you give me the best way to get to my hotel and back to the trail the next day?
Thanks
Mags Nixon
November 30, 2025 at 8:33 amHi Dan, yes Trient is really becoming a bottle neck now and so more and more trekkers are having to go down to Trient to stay the night. There is a bus that goes down Martigny. It’s not a ‘navette’ (shuttle bus) that goes back and forth like the Les Chapieux one so you will need to factor in the timetable when planning your set off time that morning. You can also get a taxi but these are quite expensive. I will update my post nearer to the time (June 2026) with the bus schedule but you will also be able to see if on the Swiss transport website https://www.sbb.ch – you would pick up the bus at Col de la Forclaz. Hope this helps. Best. Mags
Rebekah
November 26, 2025 at 6:16 pmHi. Your page is amazing!
We want to do three day hike stay two nights and trying to decide the best section. Could we take a bus to Courmayeur to start. Hike to Rifugio Bonatti and stay. Then to La Fouly and stay. If we did that- what is a good spot to stay around La Fouly? Is there a transportation option from La Fouly or Champex back to Chamonix? And this would be a good section if this is all we have time for. Considered adding on visit to Lac Blanc.
Thanks!
Mags Nixon
November 30, 2025 at 8:45 amHi Rebekah, yes you can get a bus easily from Chamonix to Courmayeur. You will struggle now to get a bed at Bonatti unless you are very very flexible with your dates but email them and give it a go. This would be stage 5 from Courmayeur to Bonatti. If you can’t secure Bonatti you can try Hotel Lavachey 30 mins down on the valley floor but I expect they will be full also. You can also catch a bus back from here to Courmayeur in the worst case scenario and return on the bus the following day. Then stage 6 to La Fouly however I would skip stage 7 as its not particularly spectacular so I would catch the bus to Champex Lac from Ferret (just before la Fouly) at the end of the day. You can then decide to either hike stage 8 on your third day or get a taxi around to Tre-Le-Champ (45 minutes and approx 170 CHF) to start stage 10 up the ladders to Lac Blanc. If you want further detailed advice to plan your trek I offer one on one zooms that are recorded. Cheers. Mags
Yardin
December 9, 2025 at 9:40 amHi Mags,
Thank you so much! This is super helpful, especially for me as a first-timer coming from Indonesia! I just finished booking all the huts last night, and I’d love to double-check a few details with you:
1. Day 3: I plan to start early from Les Chambres du Soleil to Rifugio Maison Vieille. I saw on the website that there’s a shuttle option. Just to confirm, does it drop off at Les Mottets Parking, and then I rejoin the trail from there?
2. Day 4: My plan is to hike from Rifugio G. Bertone to Gîte Alpage de La Peule. If something comes up and I need to shorten the hike, would it be a good backup plan to descend from Rifugio G. Bertone back to Courmayeur and take Bus 924 from Place Le Monte Bianco to Bonatti or ARP Nova?
3. I couldn’t get a hut in Trient, so I’m planning to stay in Martigny instead. After hiking from Champex Lac and arriving at Hotel du Col de La Forclaz, I’ll take Bus 213 down to Martigny (stay one night), then rejoin the trail the next morning (take the bus again to Hotel du Col de La Forclaz). Does that sound reasonable?
4. I’m not planning to finish in Les Houches. My plan is to go straight to Chamonix. From Auberge la Boërne, is it correct that I hike to La Flégère and then take the cable car down to Chamonix?
Thanks again for your guidance, super helpful!
tourdumontblanchike
January 5, 2026 at 4:37 pmHi Yardin. Sorry for the late reply. Great job on getting all the huts booked. Not easy now. Sorry I don’t answer specific itinerary questions on here as I offer one to one zoom consultations for this. If you would like me to check your itinerary for you feel free to book a zoom with me here. Cheers. Mags
Fabio
January 19, 2026 at 4:01 amHi Mags,
Which stage is more beautiful, stage 8 or stage 9?
I only have one day’s hike from Champex-Lac to Tre-le-Champ, and since I couldn’t find a hut in Trient, I’m deciding whether to hike from Champex to the Col de La Forclaz and take the bus to Martigny and then to Tre-le-Champ, or take the first train from Champex to Martigny and then the bus to the Col de La Forclaz to start the hike from stage 9 to Tre-le-Champ.
What is the best option in your opinion?
Tks,
Fabio
tourdumontblanchike
January 19, 2026 at 9:26 amHi Fabio. It depends whether you take the variant stage 8 or traditional – so that depends on what month you are trekking in and whether you would be comfortable on the more challenging Fenetre d’Arpette terrain (look up on YouTube). The Fenetre d’Arpette is stunningly beautiful so definitely worth taking although you can only do it on a good weather day. I love stage 9 although the climb up to the Col from Trient isn’t particularly spectacular which is why I love adding on the Les Grands variant so you hike from Col de la Forclaz via the Chalet Glaciers buvette via Les Grands refuge to Refuge Col de Balme – from there you hike the traditional trail via the Posettes to Tre-Le-Champ – this route is incredible. It’s a shame you can’t do both. Are you cutting out stage 7? If you are not, I would suggest taking the bus on stage 7 at the end of the day after stage 6 and then trying to do both of these sections. If you don’t want to do the Fenetre d’Arpette then definitely the Les Grands version stage 9. I’ve written a post on it here. https://tourdumontblanchike.com/refuge-les-grands-variant/. Bear in mind though that it will take around 8 hours – as you are taking public transport this will add considerable time on. If there is more than just you in your group consider taking a taxi – it’s expensive but very quick. You can contact via WhatsApp Jika at Taxi Fenyx on +41 79 773 77 40 for a quote. Hope this helps. Cheers. Mags
tourdumontblanchike
January 19, 2026 at 9:28 amPs you can also stay at Les Grands – it’s super affordable, just mattresses in the attic with duvets and pillows. You can’t get an evening meal or breakfast though so you would have to get an expedition pack meal in the shop in Champex Lac. They have boiling water and a range if you want to take more provisions to cook. Contact me via email if you want the details. Cheers. Mags
Nidod
February 1, 2026 at 5:29 pmHi Mags,
Thank you so much for sharing your vast knowledge in one place—it’s incredibly helpful. Like many others here, I booked a hotel in Martigny rather than Trient. I checked the SBB site and saw that the 213 bus is not very frequent.
I was wondering how difficult it might be to rely on other options, such as hitchhiking, shared transportation, or worst case get a random taxi to get from Trient and back the following day. how many hours I can loose there?
tourdumontblanchike
February 17, 2026 at 8:51 amHi Nidod. Yes its very infrequent the bus unfortunately – I have been in touch with the Martigny tourist office and local operators here in Chamonix to see if its possible to introduce a shuttle bus on this section similar to Les Chapieux however there is a trans-country issue so Chamonix operators cannot run this route. Jika at Taxi Fenyx is very good (https://www.fenyxtaxi.ch/en/taxi-la-fouly). WhatsApp +41 79 773 77 40. It takes around 20 minutes to get to Martigny. I’m just finding out the 2026 taxi price.
Katie
February 10, 2026 at 4:27 amHi Mags,
Do you know when the 2026 bus, chairlift, and cable car schedules will be posted? Thank you in advance.
Cheers, Katie
tourdumontblanchike
February 17, 2026 at 8:29 amHi Katie, the schedules are always posted very late as the winter schedules finish around the end of April, beginning of May. I always update this article on June 1st – by that point generally all of the timetables have been published. Cheers. Mags
Nicola
February 21, 2026 at 7:55 amThanks Mags, such a great website. I have read this article many times over the past 6 months planning our trip! Question I was unclear of: We are hoping from Trient to take the Aiguilettes des Posetts if the weather is good; can we get a bus from Tre Le Champ into Argentiere – we are staying at Hotel le Dahu, or do we have to walk to Montroc station and get the train one stop? thank you!
tourdumontblanchike
February 21, 2026 at 10:37 amHi Nicola yes you can get a bus from Tre-Le-Champ to Argentiere but the bus is very infrequent so its better to walk the 10 minutes down through the forest to Montroc as the buses and train pass by there more frequently. The best thing to do is to check the bus schedule when you arrive at the main road on the Col du Montets (just before Tre-Le-Champ village) and if there is not a bus anytime soon, just follow the sign saying Tre-Le-Champ, cross the pasture and head down to Montroc. Have a great trek. If you want to talk through your itinerary day by day note I offer private zooms where I’ll share a map and discuss details such as exit strategies, transport for bad weather, lunch stops, water stops etc. Cheers. Mags
Katie
April 1, 2026 at 7:07 amHi Mags, unfortunately I was unable to reserve at Refuge du Col de Balme when they opened up their reservations today. Now I am scrambling as everything around there is fully booked. In your opinion is hiking from Bon Abri along the bovine trail to Trient and then hiking the variant to Vallorcrine doable in a day? How difficult is this variant into Vallorcrine? Would stay in Vallorcrine and then the next day continue along this variant back to the main TMB to Tre le Champ to our next hut Refuge du Lac Blanc. If you have another recommendation in this situation I am very open to it. Thank you very much for your expertise.
Cheers, Katie
tourdumontblanchike
April 19, 2026 at 2:19 pmHi Katie – sorry for the delay in responding. Are you on the Col de Balme waiting list? Yes what you suggest is possible. The trail is standard and not difficult. Options are to keep checking for cancellations in any of the 4 Trient accommodations (all online on the official TMB website) especially 6 weeks before your trek start date. If you are only 1-2 people you have a good chance of getting in. Another option is to book Refuge Les Grands which is on the Les Grands variant (I have a dedicated post on this on my homepage) – you don’t get dinner or breakfast provided so you would need to take an expedition food pack, or another option is to book Ecuries de Charamillon which is less than an hour down over the other side of the col from Refuge Col de Balme on the French side – they pretty much always have availability. Of course it’s a very long day from Bon Abri to Refuge Col de Balme but if you are super fit then this is okay. Vallorcine is still an option but the last one really. Thanks. Mags
Andrew
May 17, 2026 at 8:33 pmHey Mags. Great blog!
Do you know if there is a bus or buses that take you from Chamonix (or close by) to the start of Stage 2 in Les Contamines? I’m planning to skip Stage 1 😅
Also, is there a shuttle bus or similar from Courmayeur back to Chamonix at the end of Stage 4?
Looking to go in mid-late August 2026.
Cheers!
tourdumontblanchike
May 28, 2026 at 7:48 amHi Andrew yes you can take the train from Chamonix to St Gervais Le Fayet Gare then take the Y84 bus to Les Contamines. Then at ‘Chef Lieu’ (outside the tourist office) you can pick up a free bus all the way to Notre Dame de la Gorge which is where the trail goes off road. https://www.sat-montblanc.com/horaire-timetables/ligne-y84-sallanches-st-gervais-les-contamines.aspx – hope this helps. Happy hiking. Mags
Ian
June 9, 2026 at 4:39 pmHi Mags,
Previous years you’ve mentioned the Tourist Office staff at Les Chapieux would phone for a taxi to Bourg Saint-Maurice for people. Given the lack of mobile signal in the area, do you know if that is still the case this year?
Many thanks,
Ian.
tourdumontblanchike
June 10, 2026 at 7:07 amHi Ian I’ve mentioned before that the staff at Refuge de la Nova would probably call for you (if you are in there having a drink & need a taxi). Yes you are correct there is zero phone signal in Les Chapieux – it’s in the one black out zone on the TMB so you cannot call on your mobile. The best advice is to pre-book a taxi yourself. There are three small shuttle buses seating 12-14 people that leave Les Chapieux between 5-6pm. This is 8 euros. Or pre-book a taxi. These two are very good. Taxi Gé : 06 13 63 39 42 0r https://www.taxibourgsaintmaurice.com (Taxi Aarthur) Tél: 00 33 (0)6 14 18 26 11 (he is on WhatsApp)
Expect to pay the prices below for 2026
Les Chapieux – Bourg St Maurice
1-4 pax 65€
5-8 pax 75€
Hope this helps Ian. Have a great TMB. Cheers. Mags
Ilana
June 22, 2026 at 8:28 pmThank you for such an amazing information, its very helpful!
One thing i couldnt find and i’m debating about – on my last trekking day i’m finishing in Trient (coming from Champex Lac) and the next night I’m sleeping near Geneva airport. I would like to use this day to hike the route through Refuge Les Grands and I’m trying to understand if I have enough time to do it and arrive to Geneva at the same day. The options are walking from Trient to Col de Balme and taking cable car down to Le Tour or to Vallorcine. What is the fastest route to get to Geneva airport from Col de Balme and is it doable in one day?
thank you!
tourdumontblanchike
June 24, 2026 at 4:40 amHi Ilana I would get the bus from Trient up to Col de la Forclaz at 07.49am arrives 07.54am – but check your dates on the timetable here. Then it’s 4 hours to walk the variant Les Grands up to Col de Balme (versus 3 hours if you did the traditional). Yes then you can get the Autanes chairlift (its 10 min walk from the top of Col de Balme – you can see it running from the refuge – note you pay at the bottom of the chairlift not at the top. Then catch the connecting gondola down to the village of Le Tour. You can then catch the no 2 bus into Chamonix all the way to Cham Sud bus station where the buses to Geneva Airport depart from. Alternatively if you want to pay a bit more to get there faster – you can ask Mountain Dropoffs to pick you up from Le Tour. You might need to give them an accommodation but you could always give them the CAF Chalet Alpin du Tour and meet them outside. They would then drive direct to the airport. Yes it’s definitely doable in one day but also depends on the time of your flight. If it is a late afternoon or evening flight it would be okay. You should arrive at Col de Balme around 12 and down to Le Tour by 12.30 but obviously give yourself a little wiggle room! Hope this helps. Best. Mags
Ilana
July 3, 2026 at 11:35 amAmazing thank you so much!!! The flight is next morning so should be ok following your advice.