le tour to chamonix bus

Tour du Mont Blanc – Shortcuts, Detours, & Public Transit

As you plan your Tour du Mont Blanc trip you’re likely to hit some common roadblocks: how can I find additional accommodation if my first choice is full? What if that stage is too long for me? What if bad weather comes in but I still need to make it to my destination?

The answer to all of these questions is to take advantage of the excellent network of public transportation available on the route. You’ll find buses, trains, and cable cars on most stages of the TMB. You can use them to shorten a stage, connect to a nearby town, or simply enjoy the amazing scenery from a new perspective.

In this post, we’ve covered all the public transit options for each stage of the TMB, so you can be confident in planning your route!

Everything you need to plan your TMB – all in one place.

Whether you prefer mountain huts or hotels, fastpacking or meandering, or something in between, we’ve got you covered.  Our Guide to the Tour du Mont Blanc  is the ultimate tool to help you plan your perfect trip.

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• GPS Maps:  Every guide comes with custom GPS maps for three different itineraries. Download the maps for offline use so you’ll always be able to find your next campsite.
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In this Post

Why use public transit on the tmb, public transit in chamonix.

• Public Transportation on each Stage
• Private Transfers & Taxis

There are several reasons you’ll want to take advantage of the ample public transportation on the TMB. You can use it to shorten a long stage, combine multiple stages, save time, save your knees, and access accommodation options off the main trail.

Here are the most common reasons you’ll find yourself on a bus, train, or cable car on the Tour du Mont Blanc:

• Shorten Stages : Grab a cable car to cut out a steep ascent or descent, grab the train to skip a specific section or hop on a bus to reduce mileage. If you’re worried about the physical demands of a specific stage, there is a good chance you’ll have the ability to shorten the length, reduce the climbing, or avoid part of the descent by utilizing public transit on the route.
• Combine Stages : Want to see the entire trail but don’t have enough time to hike the entire thing? No problem! Using public transportation you can combine multiple stages into a single day, allowing you to shorten your time on the TMB.
• Save Time: The sun is starting to set, your feet are screaming, and you are ready to take your pack off and enjoy a meal. It’s guaranteed to happen at least once on the TMB, and often times you’ll have an option to utilize a bus or cable car to save some time and get to your destination sooner.
• Access Accommodation off the Route : There is no doubt that it is becoming increasingly competitive to secure the most in-demand accommodation on the TMB. If you can’t find a bed in your first choice accommodation, don’t worry, as you’ll likely have an option to use public transit to access other options.

Most TMB hikers will arrive in Chamonix and spend a night or two there before beginning their trek in nearby Les Houches. Chamonix has excellent public transit and best of all, it will most likely be completely FREE as long as you are staying in registered accommodation.

Check out the details on the Chamonix’s bus, trains, and the fantastic Carte d’hôte below:

• Carte d hôte : The Carte d’hôte or guest card is included as part of the lodging tax levied by your hotel or Airbnb and provides free public transit access in the Chamonix valley. This includes both the bus and the train. Your card includes transit in and between the communes of Servoz and Vallorcine. Be sure to ask your accommodation provider for this when you arrive!
• Bus : Chamonix has an excellent public bus system that stretches from Le Tour to Les Houches, with many stops in between. This is often the most convenient way to get around the valley, and typically the easiest way to get to the start of the TMB in Les Houches. Rides are € 3 each, unless you have the aforementioned Carte d’hôte.
• Train : Finally, there is frequent train service up and down the Chamonix Valley as well as to the surrounding region. The ‘Mont Blanc Express’ is a fun and convenient way to get around, and is free with the Carte d’hôte.

Public Transportation on Each Stage of the TMB

Nearly every stage of the Tour du Mont Blanc has some sort of transportation that can aid in your trip. Read on for all the details!

Stage One – Les Houches to Les Contamines

The beginning of the Tour du Mont Blanc starts with a popular shortcut that eliminates a few hours of steep, uphill climbing to reach the Col de Voza by utilizing the Bellevue Cable Car. Additionally, you can save a bit of walking at the end of the stage by utilizing the Les Contamines bus – especially useful if you are heading to one of the refuges past the village.

Check out your options below:

Bellevue Cable Car

The Bellevue Cable Car whisks hikers from the start of the trek in Les Houches to near the top of the climb to the Col de Voza. From here, it’s all downhill to Les Contamines. This is a popular option to save time on your first stage, especially if you are continuing past Les Contamines to Refuge Nant Borrant or Refuge de la Balme.

• Cost: €17.50 per adult
• June 6th – July 9th: 8am – 5:30pm
• July 10th – August 27th: 7:30am – 6pm
• August 28th – September 10th: 8am – 5:30pm
• Distance saved: 5 km / 675 meters of elevation

Les Contamines Bus + Notre Dame de la Gorge Shuttle

Once you descend from Col de Voza into the Montjoie Valley you’ll have access to their excellent free public bus system. The bus route is helpful for two primary uses:

• If you’re staying at one of the refuges past Les Contamines (Refuge Nant Borrant or Refuge de la Balme)
• If you want to cut out a bit of Stage 2 and take the shuttle to Notre Dame de la Gorge before continuing on to Les Chapieux.

Outside of that, you can of course use it to simply shorten the end of Stage 1, but it really won’t save you much walking in that case.

Do be aware that the TMB route crosses the main road adjacent to the Tresse bus stop. While it may be tempting to simply wait there for the bus, be warned that this stop does not see frequent service. It is a much better idea to continue on the road to the La Chapelle bus stop , which has a higher frequency of service.

The Google Maps view below shows the La Chapelle bus stop:

Here is the schedule for the Les Contamines bus for Summer 2023:

Note that this is the same bus that will take you from Les Contamines to Notre Dame de la Gorge. For TMB hikers using that at the start of Stage 2, it is popular to pick up the bus at the tourist office (Chef Lieu bus stop) and ride it to the parking area for Notre Dame de la Gorge, saving approximately 4 km of walking.

• Typically early-July through early-September
• From La Chapelle to the centre of Les Contamines: ~2.7 km
• From the centre of Les Contamines to Notre Dame de la Gorge: ~4 km

Stage Two – Les Contamines to Les Chapieux

The Les Contamines to Notre Dame de la Gorge shuttle described above is a popular way to cut out 4 km of this stage. You can pick up the shuttle at the tourist office (or any of the other bus stops in town) and ride it from free to the parking area at the church.

For more details see the description in the previous section.

Stage Three – Les Chapieux to Rifugio Elisabetta

Stage three has a couple of transit options that are good to know about. The first is the navette (shuttle bus) that runs from Les Chapieux to Les Mottets, and also stops at Ville des Glaciers. This is a popular way to avoid about 5 km of road walking out of Les Chapieux.

In addition, there is a twice-a-day bus that connects Les Chapieux to the nearby town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice. This is helpful for TMB hikers who weren’t able to secure overnight accommodation in Les Chapieux.

Simply hop on the bus in the evening, stay in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, and then take the bus back to pick up the trail in the morning.

Full details for both of these routes are below.

Les Chapieux to Les Mottets Navette

This is likely the most popular public transit/shortcut on the TMB and is utilized by many, if not most, TMB hikers. From Les Chapieux, Stage Three begins with a long walk along the road to La Ville des Glaciers, a small hamlet near the base of the Col de la Seigne.

From here, the trail crosses a river and then continues on a rough track to the start of the climb to the col, near the Refuge des Mottets.

The Les Chapieux navette can elimite one or both of these sections, and saves an hour or so of walking. See the map of the Les Chapieux navette below for more details:

The navette leaves from the tourist office in Les Chapieux, with the first bus leaving around 7:30am. There are several busses throughout the morning and they run well into the evening.

• June 19th – September 8th, 2023
• From Les Chapieux to La Ville des Glaciers: ~4.5 km
• From Les Chapieux to Refuge des Mottets: ~6 km

This route is also convenient if you are staying at Refuge des Mottets rather than in Les Chapieux, as you can cut out the last segment of your walk by taking the navette – just be sure you’ve arrived in time to catch the last shuttle at 5:35pm!

The 2023 schedule is shown below:

Here are a few tips if you plan on utilizing the Les Chapieux – Les Mottets Navette:

• Purchase your tickets the evening before : The first few trips of the day tend to sell out the night prior. As soon as you arrive in Les Chapieux, head to the tourist office building to purchase your tickets.
• Either the Les Mottets or Ville des Glaciers stop will work : Unless you’re staying at Refuge des Mottets, it is probably easier to get off at Ville des Glaciers. From there you will cross the river and pickup a rocky track that will bring you to the base of the climb to the Col de la Seigne. It is also fine to ride to the Refuge des Mottets as you’ll simply walk a few minutes downhill to the refuge where you can pick up the main TMB.

Les Chapieux – Bourg Saint Maurice Bus

In addition to the popular navette described above, there is also a twice-daily bus connecting Les Chapieux with the town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice. This is helpful for those who were not able to secure accommodation in Les Chapieux, which is becoming increasingly common as the TMB gains popularity.

If that’s the case, you can catch the evening bus at 6:15pm from Les Chapieux to Bourg-Saint-Maurice where you will find ample accommodation available. Then, in the morning you’ll pick up the same bus back to Les Chapieux (it picks up in front of the tourist office in Bourg-Saint-Maurice) and start back on the trail. The Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Les Chapieux bus departs at 6:55am, giving you plenty of time to also take the Les Chapieux navette if you’d like.

Keep in mind that those are the only two times this bus runs (6:55am and 6:15pm), so if you miss it or don’t feel like waiting around you’ll need to book a taxi. The tourist office in Les Chapieux and Bourg-Saint-Maurice can help you arrange this.

• June 26th – September 8th, 2023.
• Distance saved: N/A

Stage Four – Rifugio Elisabetta to Courmayeur

Stage four benefits from a few good public transit and shortcut options. First, there is the option to descend into the Val Veny just past Lac Combal and utilize the La Visaille bus stop to reach Courmayeur or one of the campgrounds in the Valley. There is also the option to eliminate the steep and arduous final descent into Courmayeur by taking advantage of the cable cars in the final section.

Details on both of these options can be found below.

La Visaille – Courmayeur Bus (Orange Route)

The Val Veny bus runs from central Courmayeur to the small hamlet of La Visaille, which is an approximately 40 minute walk down a rough track from the end of Lac Combal, near Cabane du Combal. The main TMB splits here and begins an uphill climb, while the track to La Visaille runs downhill into the valley. It takes approximately an hour to reach the La Visaille bus stop, which you can see below in Google street view:

Using this bus makes sense in a couple of scenarios, which we describe below. However, the section of the Tour du Mont Blanc that this bus allows you to cut out is one of the most spectacular of the entire trek! So we only recommend utilizing this public transit option if you must.

Here are a few reasons you might considers using the Val Veny bus:

• Bad weather : Should you find yourself facing a big storm, it is best to avoid high elevations and exposed routes. If that is the case on this stage, taking the bus from La Visaille to Courmayeur is a good option.
• Accommodation options : Accommodation can be a challenge on this stage since there are basically just two options for TMB hikers: Rifugio Elisabetta and Cabane du Combal. If both of those are full, you can continue to La Visaille and take the bus to Courmayeur to spend the night. In the morning , you can simply take it back to the La Visaille stop to pick back up the trail.
• Camping : There is no legal place to camp near Rifugio Elisabetta. If you’re camping on your TMB , the best option is to take the bus to one of the campgrounds in Val Veny. The next day you can take it back to the trail, hike to Courmayeur, and then return to your campground via the same bus. This is described in detail in our camping guide .
• Combining stages : If you’re short on time and need to connect directly from Les Chapieux to Courmayeur, the Val Veny bus is a great way to shorten the stage. However, you’ll miss some fabulous scenery!

The route is operated by the transit company Arriva . We recommend downloading the Arriva My Pay App and purchasing your ticket ahead of time, if possible. If you need to pay cash to the driver, there is a €4 surcharge on top of the fare!

• Mid-June through August
• Distance saved: ~ 13km / 500 meters of elevation gain & 1300 meters of elevation loss

The 2023 schedule is below:

La Maison Vieille Chair life & Dolonne Cable Car

The final section of Stage Four on the Tour du Mont Blanc consists of a knee-busting descent from Rifugio Maison Vieille to Courmayeur. The trail is steep, loose, and tiring to say the least. When we hiked the TMB we combined stages three & four, and the final descent nearly killed us!

Luckily, there is an easy way to cut out this descent if you’d like to save your legs for future stages or simply want to get to town a bit faster.

A combination of the Maison Vieille chair lift and Dolonne cable car will deliver you quickly and easily into the small village of Dolonne, which sits adjacent to Courmayeur.

You’ll first come to the Maison Vieille chair lift, which sits opposite the refuge of the same name. A short ride will bring you down to the mid-station of Plan Chécrouit, where you can catch the Dolonne cable car the rest of the way to the bottom.

• Cost: €15 for one-way on both Maison Vieille & Dolonne cable cars ( view rates here )
• July 1st – September 3rd
• Distance saved: ~ 5.5 km / 800 meters of descent

Courmayeur Local Bus & Courmayeur-Chamonix connections

Once you’ve arrived in Courmayeur you’ll find excellent local transportation in town via the Courmayeur circular bus route (blue route) operated by Arriva . This route, combined with the Orange Line described above and Green Line described on the next stage make moving around the area simple and enjoyable.

It is also possible to connect back to Chamonix from here, with frequent bus service through the Mont Blanc tunnel available . Several companies provide this service, so be sure to shop around or inquire at the tourist office in Courmayeur.

Of special note for 2023, the Mont Blanc Tunnel will be closed for repairs from September 4th through December.

Stage Five – Courmayeur to Rifugio Bonatti

Stage Five of the Tour du Mont Blanc takes hikers from the town of Courmayeur to the stunning Rifugio Bonatti. The views of the Grandes Jorasses are incredible, and this is a stage you certainly won’t want to miss!

However, securing accommodation here can often be difficult, with only a few options available on the main route.

To alleviate the accommodation issue, there is a helpful bus service that runs the length of the Val Ferret and lets TMB hikers connect to additional accommodation options on this stage. Check out the details below.

Courmayeur – Arp Nouvaz Bus (Green Route)

The Val Ferret bus connects central Courmayeur with several stops in the Italian Val Ferret, which sits directly below the main TMB route. The final stop along the route, Arp Nouvaz, is also just a short walk from the main TMB near Chalet Val Ferret. Here are the main situations you might find yourself needing to utilize this route:

• Accommodation options : If Rifugio Bonatti is full, you may want to utilize the bus to reach additional accommodation. The most popular way to do so would be to hike from Courmayeur to Rifugio Bonatti, and then take one of the many link trails down to the valley. From here you can catch the bus back to Courmayeur to spend the night. In the morning, simply take the bus back to the link trail or pick up the route again near the Arp Nouvaz stop.
• Camping : Camping is not permitted near Rifugio Bonatti or at any other point on this stage. If you want to camp, you’ll need to descend to the valley where there are a few campgrounds available. You can use the bus to get between the link trails and the campgrounds, if needed.

As with the other routes in and around Courmayeur, the Val Ferret/Green Route is operated by Arriva. The same €4 surcharge applies if you don’t use their app to purchase your ticket in advance.

• Typically early-July through August
• Distance saved: ~ 17km if riding from Courmayeur to the Arp Nouvaz stop.

Stage Six – Rifugio Bonatti to La Fouly

Public transit won’t be super relevant on this stage, although if your timing lines up it is possible to cut out ~45 minutes of hiking at the end of the stage by catching the bus from Ferret to La Fouly. This same bus also allows you to connect to Champex, skipping all of Stage Seven should you desire. However, we’ll touch on that option in the next section.

Here are the details on the Ferret – La Fouly bus:

• Distance saved: ~ 3km

Stage Seven – La Fouly to Champex

Stage Seven is widely considered to be the easiest stage of the Tour du Mont Blanc. With no major passes to climb or ridges to traverse, it is indeed a straightforward day. As such, those with a tight timeframe often opt to skip this stage entirely, utilizing the bus connection between La Fouly and Champex to cut this stage from their itinerary.

Doing so is relatively easy, as there is a single bus stop in La Fouly, making it hard to miss. This bus will take you to the town of Orsières, just a 30 minute ride from La Fouly. Here, you’ll need to change to the bus that connects to Champex. The bus arrives and departs in front of the train station in Orsières.

To help plan your trip and view timetables, you can use the SBB (Swiss Public Transit Agency) trip planner.

Stage Eight – Champex to Col de la Forclaz

Although it is possible to use public transit to skip this stage entirely, the most common use on Stage Eight to find additional accommodations should both Hotel Col de la Forclaz as well as all accommodation in Trient and Le Peuty be fully booked.

In that case, it is possible to take the bus from Col de la Forclaz into Martigny, where you will find additional accommodations, and then back again in the morning to pick up the trail.

The bus also heads the other direction and often takes hikers down the last segment of trail between Col de la Forclaz and Trient/Le Peuty. From there, it continues on to Le Châtelard where you can catch the train to Vallorcine and then onwards to Chamonix.

Stage Nine – Col de la Forclaz to Tré-le-Champ

From Col de la Forclaz to Tré-le-Champ there are a few public transit options that can help you shorten Stage Nine as well as options at the end of the stage to expand your accommodation options.

Read on for full details on public transit availability on Stage Nine of the Tour du Mont Blanc.

Col de la Forclaz – Trient Bus

The first option to reduce the length of this stage is to utilize the bus mentioned in the stage above to bring you from Col de la Forclaz down to Trient where you can pick up the trail as it begins its ascent to Col de Balme. This will save you maybe an hour of downhill walking and won’t be worth it for most hikers.

Balme(Autannes) – Charamillon – Le Tour Chairlift to Le Tour

Upon reaching the Col de Balme and crossing back into France from Switzerland you’ll have the option to use convenient chairlifts to reduce or eliminate your descent into the valley. The main TMB route stays high and then descends down to Tré-le-Champ on a trail adjacent to the ski area.

However, you can also reach Tré-le-Champ or other accommodations in the valley by taking two chairlifts (the Autannes and Charamillon lifts) down to the ski village of Le Tour. From here, you can connect to Tré-le-Champ as well as use public transit to get to Argentiere where you’ll find additional accommodations available.

• Cost: €17.50 one way per adult
• June 10th – September 10th
• Distance saved: ~ 3.5 km

Additional Public Transit on Stage Nine

At this point in your trek, you will have returned to the Chamonix Valley and its abundant public transportation. This includes both the bus and train that connect many stops in the area. On Stage 9, this will allow you to find alternative accommodation, services, or simply shorten your hike by finishing and transferring to Chamonix.

For more details, read our Public Transit in Chamonix section .

Stage 10 – Tré-le-Champ to Refuge de la Flégère

There are no public transit shortcuts on Stage 10 of the TMB, however you can utilize the Flégère Cable Car to connect directly to the refuge of the same name, or to descend to the valley upon completing the hike if you were not able to secure accommodation at any of the refuges on this stage.

Flégère Cable Car

This gondola departs directly next to Refuge la Flégère and ends in the village of Les Praz. From there, it’s possible to take a bus or taxi back to Chamonix. This is a good option if you need to cut out the final day of the TMB, or if you want to hike in reverse and avoid the long, long climb out of Les Houches. You could also take the cable car down into Les Praz for more accommodation and services at this stage, and then take it back up the next morning to continue your trek.

• June 10th – September 17th

Stage 11 – Refuge de la Flégère to Les Houches

The final stage of the Tour du Mont Blanc is a spectacular one, with stunning views across the valley towards Mont Blanc. However, the final descent in Les Houches can be daunting, with kilometer after kilometer of knee busting downhill. It should be manageable for most hikers, but if your legs have had enough at the end of your trip, you can always take the cable car down to Chamonix.

Find details on exactly how to do that below.

Le Brévent-Planpraz-Chamonix Cable Car

Approximately 7.5 km into the final stage you will reach the high point for the day, near the summer hamlet of Le Brévent. From here, it’s another 9.5 km of downhill hiking to reach Les Houches.

Luckily, you’re also just steps from the Le Brévent cable car, which can whisk you down into Chamonix.

You’ll first ride the Brévent cable car to the mid-station at Planpraz, where you’ll then take the Planpraz cable car the rest of the way down into Chamonix. From here, simply walk into town and toast to your accomplishment!

• Distance saved: 9.5km & 1500 meters of descent

Private Transfers & Taxis on the TMB

Should the various public transit options listed above not work for your specific itinerary or needs, there are private transfers or taxis available that should be able to help. We’ve listed some of the popular companies below:

• Taxi Besson is a highly recommended transfer company that services much of the TMB region.
• Chamonix Valley Transfers : Offers private transfer services along with luggage transfer on the TMB.
• Local Tourist Offices : The local tourist offices are incredible resources and can help explain the public transportation network, call taxis, and offer other valuable resources. They can be found in most towns and villages along the route. Be sure to use them!

Let Us Make Your TMB Trip A Success

We have used our experience, research, and passion to create effective and trail-tested resources for all TMB hikers. If you plan to trek without the support of a tour company, our resources can help you with the logistics of preparing for the trip of a lifetime.

• Camping Guide (Our Best Seller): If camping is more your style, our dedicated camping guide is just for you. It includes detailed campground descriptions and camping-specific itineraries.
• GPS Digital Downloads (2nd Best Seller): Navigate the TMB with ease using our GPS files, updated yearly and compatible with most devices. The files cover the entire trek, including common alternate routes.
• Guide to the TMB:  Our comprehensive guide includes everything you need to know about the TMB. It’s available on our online planning portal and as a downloadable eGuide. The guide includes accommodation recommendations, offline GPS & maps, and video fly-throughs of the trail.
• Custom Itineraries:  We’ll help you design a TMB itinerary that fits your specific needs, including your trip length, accommodation type, hiking ability, budget, and more.
• Custom GPS Files:  For a truly personalized experience, we can create a GPS file customized to your specific itinerary, including your accommodations and route preferences.

As passionate hikers, we’ve made it our goal to empower you with all the information you need for your best TMB experience. We’ve helped over 2,500 hikers prepare for their trips, navigate on the trail, and simplify the planning process.

We hope you found this information informative and helpful as you plan your own Tour du Mont Blanc adventure. We try to keep this information as up to date as possible, but if you notice anything that needs correcting, don’t hesitate to let us know by leaving a comment below!

4 thoughts on “Tour du Mont Blanc – Shortcuts, Detours, & Public Transit”

The Val Veny busses in Courmayeur are now from from June 16 2023

Thanks! We’ve updated the information in the post.

Hi thanks for the great post, very helpful. What happened to the comment about the 18:10 shuttle from Les Chapieux to Bourg-Saint-Maurice? Just wanted to confirm that the shuttle is still running.

Hi Korey, To the best of our knowledge, it should be running through September 8th. Thanks!

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We’re Emily and Ian, outdoor lovers and planning nerds who live in Boulder, Colorado. The only thing we love more than researching and mapping out our next adventure, is actually being out there on the trail. Between the two of us, we’ve been to over 30 countries, and much of our travel in these countries has been on two feet or two wheels. When we’re not in a far-flung destination, we spend a lot of time exploring the amazing camping, hiking, and biking destinations in our home state of Colorado. Learn More About Us

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Chamonix Bus

The Chamonix Bus network allows you to move quickly in the centre of Chamonix or the Mont Blanc Valley.

Carte d’hôte: free buses and trains in the Chamonix valley

Accommodation in a hotel or rental in Chamonix : When you arrive at your hotel or accommodation, ask for your “Carte d’Hôte”. This card will allow you to travel for free in the Mont Blanc valley on the Transdev Chamonix Bus network and on SNCF trains (communes between Servoz and Vallorcine). The guest card is given to you by the hotelier or your accommodation provider. If you are staying free of charge, you must go to the Chamonix town hall or tourist office to collect your guest card. The card will then be charged (price: 10€ per person per week). Day visitors : if you are not staying in the valley, you will have to pay for the bus. It is possible to buy tickets inside the bus.

Map of the bus network

The network varies according to the season. The buses serve the whole Mont Blanc valley and run between Servoz and the village of Le Tour.

Le Mulet Shuttle

Le Mulet is an electric shuttle that serves the whole of Chamonix town centre. These small shuttles are accessible to people with reduced mobility.

Year-round bus routes

Find below the itineraries of the lines operating all year round

Line 1 : Les Houches > Chamonix > Les Praz / Flégère Line 2 : Les Bossons > Les Pélerins > Chamonix > Argentière > Le Tour Line 3 : Chamonix > Servoz Line 6 : Servoz shuttle

Chamo’nuit : the night bus Les Houches – Chamonix – Argentière

The Chamo’nuit line links Les Houches on one side and the village of Argentière on the other to the centre of Chamonix. The line operates every day in summer and winter.

• Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley
• Accommodation
• Usual information & services

Getting around in the valley : bus, train, bike

For your travels in the valley, use buses and trains: it's easy and economical!

New routes, new stops, increased frequencies, extended service hours, a new live traveler information service. Discover new lines SKIBUS, PROXIBUS, CHAMONUIT

Bus network : Schedules, map, traffic, tickets

Chamonix Bus become Chamonix Mobilité !

Starting from the 4th of december 2023, a new ambitious public transportation offer begins for the chamonix-mont-blanc valley.

• New direct Skibus routes to the ski lifts. Bus Ski15 is running until May 5th included
• New Proxibus routes to the valley hamlets
• Bus service starting earlier in the morning and ending later at night
• +50% more kilometers covered by the buses  

Bus brochure spring from 22 April to 21 June 2024

All information about Chamonix Mobilite bus network

Interactiv Map Chamonix Mobilité bus network

Free access to the Mont Blanc Express train from Servoz to Vallorcine , reduced rates on Chamonix Mobilité bus tickets , discounts at museums and sports facilities...

All guest Card - carte d'hôte information

Mont-Blanc express train

From Chamonix, the SNCF rail line serves all the villages : - On the French side, up from St Gervais les Bains-le Fayet with stop in Les Bossons, Les Houches and Servoz.

- On the Swiss side, up to Martigny with stop in Les Praz, Argentière and Vallorcine. The SNCF rail line from Servoz to Vallorcine is free to use if you have the Guest Card ,  provided by your accommodation host on arrival.

Download the timetable from the 1th Aril to the 14th of June 2024

Download the timetable from the 15th of June to the 14th of September 2024

N.B. Times may vary when bad weather occurs during the winter season. Check the forecast before you set off.

SNCF Etablissement Mont-Blanc 40 place de la gare 74400 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

The Mont Blanc Express train is connected to the SNCF network, to the TGV and the Léman Express  from St Gervais-le Fayet station.

Continuation of the chamonix valley cycle path

Cycling is increasingly popular in the valley..

With e-shuttles, hybrid buses and, coming soon, natural gas-powered buses, the complete overhaul of the rail network with better timing, pedestrian routes and cycle paths, Chamonix Valley is rolling out a clear eco-mobility stra

A cycle path is currently being established between Chamonix and Argentière to encourage local residents and tourists to leave their cars in the garage and take their bicycles instead. In the long term, there will be an uninterrupted “soft mobility” link using specially developed lanes. Development will continue between Les Bossons and Chamonix-Sud in autumn 2019, along with a section through the Bois de Bouchet area. Eventually, the Valley will be linked to Lake Geneva via the Véloroute itinerary (the V61) from the Lake to Mont Blanc.

Regional lines

Bus lines in the department exist, you will find all the information by clicking here!

• Where to stay – Chamonix
• Geneva Airport to Chamonix
• Itineraries
• Tour du Mont Blanc Refuges
• Refuges ebook

Tour du Mont Blanc public transport

Slash your TMB trail time by taking public transport along your Tour du Mont Blanc.

The Tour du Mont Blanc trekking route packs a punch with it’s 170 kilometres over demanding terrain. Days are long on the trail and with the serious elevation gain (& loss) it’s possible that you might need a helping hand along the way.

If you’re behind schedule, hit bad weather or say trekking with kids, there are a number of transport options on most of the Tour du Mont Blanc stages. These mainly consist of public buses that run along the valley floors or cable cars and chair lifts that can whip you up and down mountains in a jiffy.

We would highly recommend the following Tour du Mont Blanc public transport to cut trail times, especially if your hiking with kids or if the weather becomes untenable. Many of the shuttle buses merely run along mundane sections of valley floors so you’re not actually missing much by taking them. 

On average expect to be on the TMB trail between 7-9 hours per day. When I hiked with my 10 year old, it took us that with all the transport options! Without taking all the TMB transport options, I know we definitely could not having hiked the TMB with our kids. It would have been way too much. 

Check out the public transport below and build them into your planning so you know where to save tired legs or as plan B in bad weather. Figuring out what your speed will be during your planning isn’t easy so give yourself extra time, each day.

Much of the Tour du Mont Blanc transport options are only available during peak periods, July & August. Below are all the Summer 2023 timetables. As soon as they become available at the beginning of the 2024 summer season I will update them one by one. This is usually mid June. You can use the 2023 timetables below to get an idea of frequency for 2024 – the timetables are always very similar. Be aware of public transport & exit points along the trail in case of sickness, mild injury or bad weather – it’s always good to have an exit strategy to fall back on.

1. Les Houches – Bellevue Cable Car 

OPEN JUNE 3rd – SEPTEMBER 10th 2023

Right at the beginning of the Tour du Mont Blanc on Stage 1 (Les Houches – Les Contamines) you can cut 2 hrs off the trail time by catching the Bellevue cable car instead of hiking up from the valley floor.

The 2023 cable car tariff is €17.50 one way for an adult and €14.90 for children up to 14 years old/over 65s. Annoyingly they don’t have a family one way ticket but if you are a family of 5-7 you will only pay for 2 adults & 2 children (the 3rd, 4th or 5th child is free). It takes merely 5 minutes to get to the top of the Bellevue Plateau (1800m) and it runs frequently (approximately every 20-30 minutes). 

Many hikers take this short cut so don’t worry there are still plenty of TMB signposts once you get out of the cable car. You will then only have to walk only 15-20 minutes to pick up the ‘proper’ TMB track. The cable car starts running at 7.30am in peak season (10 July – 27 Aug 2023)

2. Tresse/La Chapelle – Les Contamines – bus

STAGE 1 CATCHING THE BUS FROM LA CHAPELLE TO COURMAYEUR

If you come out onto the road at Tresse Le Quy, TURN LEFT and walk up to the next bus stop at La Chapelle to catch the bus. The bus stop on your right only gets picked up very infrequently.

This bus is handy to take if you are trekking the stage 1 traditional route (NOT the stage variant route which conveniently pops you out in the centre of Les Contamines next to the church).

When you’ve descended into the Montjoie valley the TMB track will eventually hit the main road into Les Contamines. It’s here (or nearly here) that you can catch the public bus into Les Contamines. 

Don’t make the mistake we’ve made before of coming straight off the track out into the village of Tresse and waiting at the bus stop literally opposite (Tresse Le Quy). The TMB trail actually crosses the main road here and continues on the opposite side of the valley up into the town of Les Contamines. It’s another 1 hour hiking.

We intended to cut this 1 hour from our trail time and waited at the Tresse bus stop for what seemed like forever. We’d planned to take the bus as I’d actually added a further hour onto our first day schedule by planning to hike from Les Contamines onto the first refuge Nant Borant. A clever tactic to reduce the second days hike (which is notoriously hard over the Col du Bonhomme) by an hour the following day.

It backfired. The bus never arrived and so we reluctantly carried on, traipsing along the trail and wearily hit Les Contamines dog tired with a worn out 10 year old and my weary 65 year old mother. It turned out that the tourist office had put up a timetable at the Tresse bus stop with the incorrect highlighted times. In fact we should have walked up the road to t he next bus stop, La Chapelle to catch the bus. The bus takes a circular route round to La Chapelle and only comes down to Tresse a couple of times a day. Check the 2023 bus timetable below if you are thinking of catching this bus, take a photo of it. If you are close to 14.00 and 17.30 then when you pop out on the road from the trail with Tresse Le Quy bus stop over the road to your right, turn right and walk the 5 minutes up to Le Pont des Crouets to make sure you’ll get the bus. The 17.30 is the last bus from here so if its later than this the bus comes down to La Chapelle at 18.13, 18.43 and 19.13 so in this case turn left on the main road and walk up to the bus stop.

La Chapelle – Les Contamines (Chef Lieu) – ND de la Gorge Bus Summer 2023 timetable

Les Contamines – Notre Dame de la Gorge – Free shuttle bus

There’s a free shuttle bus ( navette ) from Les Contamines to Notre Dame de la Gorge – the furthest point up the valley where the road stops and the trail continues. Catch the navette from outside the tourist office in Les Contamines. Notre Dame de la Gorge is the last stop on the route so it’s easy to see where to get off and the driver is very friendly, so if in doubt just ask. Catching the navette cuts 5km off the trail and will save you an easy hour.

This free shuttle bus is the same one that comes up the valley from Tresse Le Quy and La Chapelle (see above) so if you’re pushing on through to Refuge Nant Borrant on your first day, or if you’re heading to the campsite at Notre Dame de la Gorge, you can stay on the bus all the way. Otherwise stop overnight in Les Contamines and catch the bus from the tourist office in the morning.

This service operates from the end of June and runs every 45-60 mins from 07.45 from Le Pont des Crouets which would arrive at the bus stop outside the tourist office (Chef Lieu) at 07.58.

Les Contamines (Chef Lieu) – ND de la Gorge Bus Summer 2023 timetable

This is the same timetable as above as the bus that picks up from La Chapelle continues into the centre of Les Contamines and out the other side on towards Parking Notre-Dame de la Gorge. This means that if you are not aiming to stay in the town of Les Contamines overnight and you have no need to get supplies from the three small supermarkets on the main road then you could stay on the bus and continue all the way to Notre-Dame de la Gorge. This is perfect for instance if you are staying at Refuge Nant Borrant – the first refuge on the trail after Les Contamines (2 hours walking from Les Contamines centre or 1 hour walking if you are going to take the free shuttle bus to Notre-Dame de la Gorge).

Les Chapieux to Village des Glacier or Les Mottets refuge – shuttle bus

Les chapieux shuttle bus.

Great news! This year the Les Chapieux shuttle bus will run from 19th June instead of the beginning of July AND will continue up until 8th September! This is fantastic news for early trekkers and later trekkers.

There are mini bus shuttles ( navettes )from Les Chapieux to La Ville des Glaciers and further to the Les Mottets refuge parking. The navettes leave regularly from Les Chapieux and I would highly recommend saving your legs by catching it. It costs €4.00 per person whilst children 12 and under are free. Below are the timetables – the first is between June 19-25th, the second timetable (peak summer) runs more frequently.

Where to buy your ticket?

Buy your ticket from the information centre, a small wooden shack near the shop in Les Chapieux (there’s not much there so don’t worry you can’t miss it!) It’s also here where the shuttle bus depart.

Tip: If you’re staying the night in Les Chapieux, buy your ticket as soon as you arrive for your bus the following morning. Yes you’ll be tired and a cold beer at the bar at Refuge de la Nova will be calling your name. However the information centre is only 100m from Refuge de la Nova and does close around 6pm. If you miss it, you’ll have to buy your ticket in the morning and chances are the first bus at 7.40am will be full. The next bus in peak summer isn’t until 8.50am so if you want to get an early start perhaps if you’re going all the way through to Refuge Maison Vielle or even Courmayeur you need to get on this first bus.

We missed buying our tickets the night before and it was quite busy when we turned up first thing at 8am when the hut opened, so we didn’t manage to get onto the first bus. We bought tickets for the 9am departure to Village des Glaciers, so we were happy enough and it didn’t hold us up really on our schedule, but I would recommend hot footing it to the information shack as soon as you arrive the afternoon before to bag tickets for the 07.40 shuttle the following morning.

If you’re pressing onto Les Mottets for the night and you’re exhausted by the time you hit Les Chapieux, the last bus to Les Mottets parking leaves at 16.25 arriving at 16.55. If you arrive after this the 16.55 and 17.35 bus does go to Ville des Glacier which is three quarters of the way to Refuge Mottets so catch one of these and then just walk the rest of the way up the road. You can’t miss the refuge – you’ll see it down in the valley and there’s a clear path down to it.

Do I buy a ticket to Ville des Glaciers or Les Mottets Parking?

Unless you’re staying at Refuge des Mottets, catch the bus to Ville des Glaciers. This is around half way. The bus will stop in the large car park there. Ville des Glaciers is a small hamlet with a cheese farm. I recommend a 10 minute stop at the cheese farm before pressing on! Note: there is no accommodation in Ville des Glaciers.

From Ville des Glaciers you will cross the river and the TMB track winds gradually up and past Refuge des Mottets which is down in the valley. At this point you’ll be starting the ascent of the Col de la Seigne.

If you catch the bus all the way to the Les Mottets parking, you’ll have to walk down a steep hill from the parking to the actual refuge (in the base of the valley) and then up again from the refuge on the path on the opposite side of the valley to pick up the TMB trail.

The bus to Bourg St Maurice

There’s also a shuttle bus that runs from Les Chapieux to Bourg St Maurice (€6.00) at 18.15h every day (2023 times). This means if you’ve booked your Tour du Mont Blanc late and you haven’t managed to get any accommodation in Les Chapieux, as long as you make the 18.15h bus, you can find some accommodation in Bourg St Maurice and then head back to Chapieux on the 07.55 shuttle (2023 times) in the morning to pick up the trail. (I talk more about this in my  Tour du Mont Blanc Refuges post ).  Note that this is just one bus run down to the valley – if you miss this then you’ll have to pay for an expensive taxi to come up for you (60 euros Taxi Arthur – email: [email protected])

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.

Taxi – Les Chapieux

In June and September it’s possible to get a taxi from Les Chapieux to Bourg St Maurice (20 minutes down into the valley by car). You need to pre-book. Places are limited. Pay the driver. Taxi options are: Taxi Besson 00 33 (0) 4 50 93 62 07 http://www.taxi-montblanc.com Taxi Gé : 06 13 63 39 42 Taxi Aarthur https://www.taxibourgsaintmaurice.com email: [email protected] Expect to pay 60 euros from Chapieux to Bourg St Maurice and 75 euros from Bourg to Ville des Glaciers the following morning – this is recommended as this is where the shuttle bus from Les Chapieux drops off. It saves around 1.5 hours of walking.

La Visaille to Courmayeur – bus

If you want to fast track stage 4, there’s a regular bus service from La Visaille to Courmayeur. La Visaille is a small hamlet in the Val Veny. It’s approximately a 50 minute walk from Cabane du Combal. It then takes 23 minutes to get into the centre of Courmayeur.

If you were leaving Rifugio Elisabetta, it’s an easy stroll along the straight Roman road (40-50 mins) until you hit a bridge at Lac Combal (you won’t see the Lac, it’s slightly higher on the opposite side, but you will see the lovely A frame Cabane du Combal refuge across the way). From the bridge it’s a half an hour walk down the road, then picking up a track for 10 minutes to arrive in the village of La Visaille.

From La Visaille a bus goes directly to Courmayeur. This is a good option if your legs can’t handle the TMB trail along the Col Chécrouit ridge all the way to Courmayeur and believe me it’s actually shockingly demanding. There are no cols to climb on stage 4 but the trail is undulating and seemingly never-ending. That said, it’s a stunningly beautiful section of the trail.

From this summer (2023) the La Visaille bus is now free! Yay!

La Visaille – Courmayeur bus timetable – Summer 2023

You can see the summer 2023 timetable for the La Visaille – Courmayeur bus more clearly here https://arriva.it/app/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/000931-CourmayeurValVeny.pdf

If you are trekking on the shoulder season and the La Visaille bus service has either not yet kicked in or has sadly finished for the season you can pre-book a taxi from La Visaille to Courmayeur with Prime Taxis. You can pre-book via WhatsApp on +39 347 447 8544.

See for yourself what you would miss by taking this section by reading our  Day 6 Elisabetta to Courmayeur post here.

La Maison Veille – Courmayeur – chair lift  & Dolonne cable car

OPEN FROM 1 July – 3 Sept 2023

Dolonne gondola 9:30-17:50

Maison Vieille chair lift 9:30-17:20

After hiking along the Mont Saxe traditional TMB route, you’ll finally reach Rifugio Maison Vielle on your descent into Courmayeur. The Maison Vielle chairlift descends down from immediately outside the refuge to the mid station of Plan Chécrouit (1702m), from where you can catch the Dolonne telecabine down to the village of Dolonne (1221m). From Dolonne a regular bus service takes you into the Italian town of Courmayeur.

It costs €15 for an adult (and €9 for a child under 12 or over 65s) for both the chairlift and the telecabine down to Dolonne. 

Click here to see the live website with the above timetable.

Courmayeur is a good place to have a day’s rest if you are continuing on full circuit of the TMB trail or if you’re only planning to hike half the trail from Chamonix to Courmayeur, we’d recommend returning to Chamonix for a few rest days before leaving the Alps.

Catching the bus back from Courmayeur to Chamonix

If you’re only trekking half the Tour du Mont Blanc, then it’s here you can catch a bus through the Mont Blanc tunnel back to Chamonix.

There are a few bus companies that provide this service. It takes 45 minutes to arrive in Chamonix.

SAVDA buses depart at 9h, 11h, 12h, 14h, 16h & 18h. One way costs €15.

Flixbus offers super cheap deals at around €5 each. Download their apps below to check out their timetables.

Courmayeur – Bivio Rifugio Bonatti – bus

Bus No 5  from Place Le Monte Bianco runs along the valley floor of Val Ferret and can drop you at stop “Bivio Refugio Bonatti’. This stop is located slap bang at the bottom of the vertical trail that leads straight up to Refugio Bonatti. The hike will take roughly an hour. The bus is now free from this summer – yay!

If you want to take the bus to the end of the line to start climbing the Grand Col Ferret the last stop is called Arnouva or Arp Nouvaz Cap.

Taking the bus along this section is a good back up plan in very bad weather.

You can see the Summer 2023 timetable for the bus to the stop below Bonatti Hut here https://arriva.it/app/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/000924-CourmayeurValFerret-1.pdf

Ferret – La Fouly – bus

Taking the bus from ferret to la fouly.

After hiking over the Grand Col Ferret, you might want to catch the bus on the very last section from Ferret to La Fouly which will save you 45 minutes on the trail. The same bus goes onto Champex-Lac seven times a day so if you’re looking to skip stage 7 this is the bus you’ll need to take.

You’ll see the bus stop at Ferret immediately on your left as you reach the first buildings of Ferret. The timetable on the bus stop is impossibly hard to fathom. Plan ahead by visiting www.cff.ch and choosing FERRET and LA FOULY VS and check the timetable for your dates. Make a note of the timetable. It’s possible to book your ticket online or if you’re unsure which bus you want to catch, you can just pay on the bus. They now accept euros so its not necessary to have Swiss francs on you.

La Fouly – Champex-Lac – bus

A lot of TMB hikers skip Stage 7 entirely as a way to save time on the trail. It’s argued to be the most unremarkable section of the trail, the route passing through gentle meadows and through charming Swiss villages.

If you plan to take the bus from La Fouly (or Ferret) to Champex-Lac, you will need to change buses in Orsières, the largest town in the area. You’ll first catch a bus from Ferret or La Fouly to Orsières, and then a second bus from Orsières to Champex-Lac (very easy to change from bus 1 to bus 2). 

You find all the details of the schedule on  www.cff.ch , where you can put your starting point (Ferret or La Fouly) and your arrival point (Champex-Lac), the date and the time you want. It will give you the price and you can book online if you wish, or pay cash to the driver. You can pay for the bus either in euros or Swiss francs

It cost us for a single ticket from Ferret to Champex-Lac CHF12 (or €12) for an adult and CHF6 (€6) for a child. 

There are no public transport options to cut down stage 8 of the TMB, however you can miss it out altogether by taking a bus from Champex-Lac to Orsières, then catch a train from Orsières to Col de la Forclaz (you will need to change in Martigny. It takes around 2.5 hours.

You can check the timetable ( horaires ) and the price at  www.sbb.ch

Stage 9 Col de la Forclaz – Trés-le-Champ

Post bus – Col de la Forclaz – La Peuty or Trient

From the Col de la Forclaz it’s possible to catch the post bus down the steep hairpin road to La Peuty or Trient, shaving an hour off your day.

The bus goes approximately four times a day with two early pick ups at 06.33h and 8.28h, a lunch pick up at 12.28h, and an evening pick up at 19.28h. Make sure you double check the timetable at www.carpostal.ch/valais  or email [email protected] as times may have changed since this post was written.

Expect to pay around CHF2.20 for a single ticket. It takes around 4 minutes to get down to La Peuty or Trient. Note Trient is slightly off the TMB trail so only go here if you’re planning to stay there overnight. If you’ve stayed the night in Col de la Forclaz, get off at La Peuty to remain on the direct trail.

If you’re pushing on through to La Peuty or Trient to stay the night instead of staying at Col de la Forclaz, it’s probably not possible to catch last post bus at around 19.28h otherwise you’ll probably miss your refuge dinner which will probably be around 19.00-20.00.

Hitching from the Col de la Forclaz

It’s also possible to hitch from the Col de la Forclaz down to Trient. The road is very busy as it’s the main road into Switzerland from the French border. Trient is only 10 minutes in the car via the road, whilst the TMB hiking route takes you directly down through the forest, taking around an hour.

Le Tour – Charamillon chair lift

Once you reach the Refuge du Col du Balme on Stage 9, you can either continue on the TMB trail which will climb the Col du Posettes and descend down to Tré-le-Champ, or you can catch the Charamillon chair lift and the Le Tour cable car down to the village of Le Tour at the end of the Chamonix Valley. This is a highly recommended in bad weather as the Posettes ridge is highly prone to lightning. It’s also a recommended quick option if you are aiming to stay in Argentière or Chamonix instead of at Refuge La Boerne, which is an excellent refuge, however often full. Those wanting a private room should head to accommodation options in Argentière. Read about Argentière’s accommodation options in my accommodation guide .

The 2023 Charamillon chair lift costs €14 per adult and €10.50 per child one way on just the chair lift which takes you half way down the mountain – you’d then need to walk down the home piste to Le Tour. Or you can pay €35.00 per adult, €28.00 child/senior to take both the chair and the bubble down to the valley floor. It’s pretty expensive! If you want to save money there is a good track underneath the ski lifts where you can walk down to the village.

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 around 15-20 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 10 – Tré-le-Champ to La Flégère

There are no short cuts on stage 10 of the TMB. It is possible to take the La Flégère cable car down to 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 2023 tariff one way down from La Flégère was €17.50 per adult, €14.90 per child/senior.

Stage 11 – La Flégère – Les Houches

Brévent cable car

Stage 11 is a stunning section of the Tour du Mont Blanc trail with incredible views of Mont Blanc. 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 actually 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.

The 2023 summer the Brévent summit cable car from the mid station (Plan Praz) cost €16.00 one way for an adult and €10.50 for a child/over 65. It’s then a 4-5 hour descent from the summit down to Les Houches.

Le Parc Merlot navette

There is a regular navette (bus) service from the Merlot animal park to Les Houches from Monday to Friday. If you happen to be trekking stage 11 on either of 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.

The bus runs from Les Houches train station up to the Merlot park (car park P1) and back departing every 30 – 40 minutes from from  9:30  to 17:00 pm . The return runs every 30 min to 45 minutes from  9:55 to 6 pm  (arrival at les Houches train station). The buses run in conjunction with the trains arriving and departing from Les Houches train station. For 2024 info check the up to date information on the Parc Merlot’s website .

Further Reading...

What is a Chamonix guest card ? (carte d’hôte)

78 comments.

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

Hi 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

Hello, 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.

Good plan – it’s a long stage! I’d be interested to hear your experience of staying at Refuge La Balme?

Bonjour! 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.

Hi 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

the 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!

Hi David, I’m so pleased my transport post has helped you. We found it invaluable in hiking the trail. Have a great tour!

Hi, 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!

Brendan – well spotted! You are absolutely correct! Thanks for the heads up 🙂

SWEE KENG Aw

Thanks for sharing, it’s been super helpful so I can look forward to plan my hike and also save my knees whenever possible.

Thank 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!

Hi 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)

Thanks 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!

Hi 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

Hi. Love your site !!!

Do you happen to know if they would allow me to take my dog on the Prarion Gondola? Thanks

Hi James, I believe dogs are allowed on the Prarion gondola but need to be on a leash once up there. Thanks. Mags

Your 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.

Hi 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

Great. 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!

Hi 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.

Hi! 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

Hi 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/

Hmmm. 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?

Hi 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

Hello, 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.

Hi 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

Hello, 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!

Hi 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

Hello 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

Hi 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

Hello. 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

Hi 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 🙂

Hi, 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.

Hi 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

We 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!

Hi 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

Hi Joe there is no direct link. You will need to go to Martigny and take the train.

Hi, 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

Hi 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.

My 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!

Hi 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!!

Thank 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!

Hi 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).

Hello! 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

Hi 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.

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!

Hi 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?

Hello! 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!!!

Hi 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?

Hi 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!

This 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.

Hello. 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.

Hello ! 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 !

Hi 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

Hi! 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.

Hi 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)

Many thanks for the reply, I must have looked at that timetable at least ten times without seeing it 🙂

You’re welcome 🙂

Thanks a lot ! We are going from 6-16th Sept. WIll let you know how it goes.

Thanks for keeping this information up to date!

You are welcome! 🙂

Hi! 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!

Hi 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

I’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 !

Hi 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

Incredibly 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

Hi 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

Truly 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 

Hi 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

Thank you. We just came back from TMB. This was very useful.

Great to hear. Thanks Manish.

where is the bus stop in Les Chapieux which is going to Bourg Saint Maurice? thanks

Hi 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

Thank you very much I would like to know where to pre-book the bus ticket from Les Chapieux to Bourg Saint Maurice?

Hi 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

Hi, 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?

Hi 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

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Tour du Mont Blanc Huts - the good, the bad & the ugly

Water stops on the tmb, tour du mont blanc hike, privacy overview.

About Le Tour

Le Tour is a small, traditional alpine village situated at 1450 metres at the far end of the Chamonix Valley. It’s peaceful setting under the Le Tour Glacier offers the idyllic Alpine retreat in the heart of the mountains. The village is well suited to those who like a slower pace of life. Le Tour has a few bars and restaurants available for those staying in the village. As a quieter location the nearest pâtisseries, boulangeries and supermarket etc are in Argentière which is a 5 minute bus ride or car journey away. Based at the foot of the lift leading up to the Balme (Le Tour and Vallorcine) ski area this village is really great for those who want to get first lifts in the morning and take the last run home. In the summer Le Tour is a popular spot for Mountain Biking and Hiking . The village has easy access to Chamonix and the other ski areas where there are a number of winter and summer activities on offer.  

Restaurants in Le Tour

Le Tour has three main restaurants so you can enjoy a meal out. These are:

• Chalet Alpins du Tour | French | This is a hotel restaurant that offers traditional French and Savoyarde cuisine in casual relaxed atmosphere
• L'Olympic | French / Savoyarde | A popular restaurant right by the lift station offering good value Fondue and Raclette
• Le Passon | French / International | Close to the lift station this snack bar and restaurant offers a good selection of dishes to fill you up after an active day on the mountain

Bars and Nightlife in Le Tour

Le tour webcam.

This webcam is provided courtesy of Chamonix Tourist Office

More Information On Le Tour

For further information about the resort please visit Chamonet.com .

Le Tour to Chamonix PBN

Overall rating

Elevation + / -

226m / 683m

Point to Point

Mid Apr - End Oct

Hike duration

2.5 - 4.0 Hours

Altitude Range

1044m / 1527m

Technical level

Very Easy (1/5)

Natural beauty

Run duration

1.5 - 2.5 Hours

7+ Years old

Dogs Allowed

Provision Sources

Restaurants in Lavancher

Contributors:

This route takes you from the town of Le Tour to Chamonix using the low altitude and easy trails of the Petit Balcon Nord (PBN). It passes by the hamlet of Le Planet , the town of   Argentiere and the hamlet of Le Lavancher . It may not have the big views of the high altitude trails but it is still a very nice route with a nice mix of forest trails, open pastures and little hamlets. This walk can be done in many variations. This is the version with the least elevation gain. If you do it in the opposite direction and travel from Chamonix to Le Tour then you are looking at roughly 3x the vertical meters up. Our suggestion is to take the Petit Balcon Nord in a southern direction for slightly better views.

There are many variations you can make on this walk and the bus and train system in Chamonix will allow you to easily make your own version using different starting and/or ending points. In my opinion the nice parts of the Petit Balcon Nord are from Le Tour to Le Lavancher. You could shorten the route by stopping at the Lavancher and taking the trail to the main road and from there take the bus back to Chamonix. There are no snack bars directly on this trail but Le Lavancher has two restaurants which will require a booking: Le Rosebud and Les Chalets de Philippe . Both quite high end but a very nice bonus to add to this route.

Video of this Trail

We have made a video presentation for this trail. Please visit our channel on  YouTube and like the video and subscribe to our channel. Putting together these videos is quite a bit of work.

Photos of this Trail

We have a large library of pictures from in and around the Chamonix Valley. All pictures are categorized and geo location tagged. These are the pictures we have for this trail. Click on any picture to view it's details and location.

Trail Directions & Safety Considerations

We recommend to keep your dog on a leash

Risk Considerations & Difficulty Assessment

This is one of the easiest trails in the Chamonix Valley. It reaches an altitude of 1527 and should be snow free from mid April to the end of October. It is all low altitude and made to be family friendly. Beyond tree roots and a few rare steeper sections the trail is as easy as they come for the Chamonix Valley. Navigating this trail is easy. Just be aware that you are taking the Petit Balcon Nord and you should see that name on the trail markers you will be passing.

Trail Starting Point

You can start at Le Tour and make your way south west through the village to start the trail. There are many alternative starting points and the Petit Balcon Nord runs all the way through the valley from Le Tour to Chamonix. So you could get on at any point along the way.

Trail Directions

From the big parking in Le Tour there are two town roads that lead south west and merge at the Chemin de Rocher Nay which turns into a trail and the start of the Petit Balcon Nord (PBN). Follow the trail and the signs for Le Planet which will be the first hamlet that you will pass through. There is a short cut that by passes the hamlet but I think its worth passing through. After Le Planet follow the trail down towards Argentiere. You are not going to the town of Argentiere so the moment you make your way down to the valley floor follow the signs for Les Chosalets. If you do want to visit Argentiere then this is a very small detour to add on. Follow the signs for Petit Balcon Nord and you will climb up at La Rosiere. From there its a straight path to the hamlet of Le Lavancher. Use the footpath through the town to make your way up. On the right side you will see a sign for Chamonix. Take this path which will you down to the level of the valley floor again. Once you arrive in Les Bois there will be many paths you can take to go to Chamonix. You cannot go wrong from here.

Points of Interest for this Trail

We have a large database of all of the points of interests in and around Chamonix. These are the points of interest you will find along this trail:

The best town in the world. Basecamp for all kinds of mountain and outdoor adventures

Nearest Town

Exceptional

Beautifully situated hamlet on a plateau north from Chamonix

Hamlet at the far north-eastern end of the Chamonix Valley

Above Average

Small Catholic Chapel in the heart of the hamlet of Le Tour

Small and very scenic hamlet perched above Argentiere

3D Map & GPS

Trail route map & gps.

You can download the GPX file and load this route into your own GPS enabled device or application. If you are on Strava, then you can open this route in Strava and save it to your account.

3D Map of this Trail

FATMAP in an incredible website and mobile application that you can use to view the trail in full 3D, do a fly over of the route and get a detailed vertical profile. You can view the FATMAP of this trail below and use the 'View larger map' link to visit the trail on the FATMAP website.

© Lorne Cameron

Le Tour & Vallorcine ski area in Chamonix

Discover the best of the Chamonix Le Tour/Vallorcine ski area

If you are just starting out in your snowsports career and have heard that Chamonix is only for the hardcore don’t believe it: you will find the Domaine de Balme area (also known by village names Le Tour and Vallorcine) is perfect for you.

The Domaine de Balme ski area is the gentlest of Chamonix’s snowy areas in the winter. It’s a mixed terrain that’s relatively rock free and where pistes tend to be wide cruisy blues or fairly easy intermediate reds (see the piste map ). There are two access points to the ski area, from the villages of Le Tour and Vallorcine. Being right at the top of the valley means that it’s the furthest ski area from Chamonix town but it’s worth making the 20-minute journey up there either by car or the local free bus. You can also take a pleasant train ride to and from Vallorcine and the station is directly by the gondola. The train doesn’t go directly to Le Tour and instead has a stop at Montroc, about 1km from Le Tour itself which therefore requires a further bus ride to reach the main lift station area. From the top of the Domaine de Balme ski area there are some spectacular views across to the Emosson Dam and down to Switzerland.

For as much as it’s a great area for beginners, it also offers an expanse of off-piste skiing and can be a great place to learn how to ski or board in powder as you can stay relatively close to the piste, diving off when you feel confident enough to do so.

Beginner areas in Le Tour and Vallorcine

Le Tour/Balme ski area can be found at the far end of the Chamonix valley and is accessible by ski bus or by car. You can also take the train to Vallorcine from where you can get on the Vallorcine gondola, which links up to the ski area. The area offers plenty of variety for beginner skiers, from the nursery slopes of La Vormaine (1,500m) to the green and blue runs higher up the mountain, the natural rolling terrain is the perfect place to learn and perfect your skills.

La Vormaine La Vormaine (1,462m) is the largest nursery ski area in Chamonix, served by four drag lifts of varying length and a magic carpet lift. There are two green pistes and one blue piste here, as well a small snowpark and freestyle area. The nursery area is very wide and flat, allowing plenty of space to make progress and build confidence. You’ll find this area located just to the right of the main gondola and bus stop, to the side of the main home run back into the village.

Le Tour/Balme Higher up the mountain this ski area has 11 more blue pistes (the highest concentration of blue pistes in the Chamonix valley) and the terrain is mostly gentle and not too steep, making it very popular with beginner skiers and snowboarders looking to progress. The majority of the blue pistes are accessed by four drag lifts (good for skiers but not so easy for beginner snowboarders) and two chairlifts. At the end of the day it’s easy to take the Charamillon gondola down the mountain, to avoid having to do the red home run piste back to the bus stop and car park.

Advanced areas in Le Tour and Vallorcine

For advanced skiers, Le Tour and Vallorcine don't really recommend themselves as the slopes here tend to be cruisey blues and reds. For steeper gradients we'd recommend looking elsewhere.

Snowparks in Le Tour and Vallorcine

The Summit Park at Le Tour is billed as one of the biggest snowparks in Europe and is much bigger than the one at Grands Montets. Situated at 2,000m, it benefits from great snow conditions and has routes graded from blue through to black with the most advanced routes meeting FIS competition standard. A regular competition takes places here once a year called Ride the Snake, making the most of the large kickers and jumps.

If you go through it you can appreciate it really is a beast. It includes modules such as jumps, boxes, whoops and step-ups, plus two pipe lines on the black route. There is also a CoolZone here where you can chill out, watch the riders coming through the park or just admire the view of Mont-Blanc.

Use the Téléski Le Col to lap it.

Best pistes in Le Tour and Vallorcine

Take the Autannes chairlift at the front of Le Tour for some good intermediate runs, Les Ecuries being the most obvious as it runs below the lift. If you carry on down Charamillon you'll end up in the car park and can take the gondola back up. The area is littered with gullies which fill with snow and make natural halfpipes.

The Tête de Balme chair at the backside of the Domaine de Balme offers fast access to some steeper runs. If the snow is good there’s always the possibility of skiing right down to the village of Vallorcine and riding back up on the gondola. With some great access to powder even a few days after a dump the backside of Le Tour is one of our favourite areas in Chamonix.

The Aiguilette des Possettes drag lift accesses some great open powder fields down towards the Esserts piste. Don't go skiers' right though, it looks tempting but it's avalanche prone.

Off-piste skiing in Le Tour and Vallorcine

The geology of Le Tour is very different from that of the rest of the valley. It is far less rocky, and in the summer there are meadows filled with grazing cows here. At the start of the winter season it doesn’t need masses of snow to make the off-piste good.

The front side (in between the pistes that fan out from the Autannes chair) is gentle and great for getting a feel for making your first turns off-piste. You are never too far from the piste and the many gullies here are fun to play in, and it’s hard to get lost too as you always end up back at the Charamillon lift station. Here are a few of our favourite off-piste routes.

Route 1: Combes de la Vormaine Another easily accessible area with no hiking needed is the much steeper part of Le Tour called the Combes de La Vormaine. Staying on the front side by traversing skier’s left around the bowl from the Autannes chair you arrive at the top of the Combes de la Vormaine (it’s just out of sight of the lifts and pistes so chances are it’ll be fairly untracked too). From the chairlift we follow the Chatelet track on the skiers left to the top of the chutes from which we can take our pick to drop into. These steep chutes have several different aspects with gradients that vary between 35 and 45 degrees. They funnel into a valley that leads to the beginner’s area of La Vormaine so don’t attempt them unless you're confident in your ability to ride slopes of this gradient. These chutes are often loaded with snow in the form of cornices and wind lips all the way down, which are great for riding up and pulling powdery turns but its important to remain vigilant.

Route 2a: Aiguille des Posettes Take the Aiguillette draglift up and then head out skier’s right, away from the pistes staying high below the ridge. This leads to the slopes above the car park at Le Tour. When you reach the avalanche barriers (yes, these slopes are avalanche prone) start to descend towards Le Tour. The slopes are a good pitch here without being too steep, and scattered trees and bushes keep things interesting. You can either head into the trees below to pick up the trail that zigzags down, or head skier’s left into the more open section. When you are just above the river follow the riverbank down to the car park and bus stop. It’s a good run to do at the end of the day, unless it’s hot, which can cause these sunny slopes to become very unstable.

Route 2b: Aiguillette des Posettes From the Aiguillette des Posettes you can take a three-minute climb over the top of the Aiguillette and descend down to Vallorcine. There are plenty of routes down but plenty of cliffs too, so have a look at the mountain from below first. The most-frequented route is the Posettes couloir, which is wide, open and reasonably steep. The snow here is often good but since the Vallorcine gondola was built it’s a little harder to find completely fresh tracks. Be wary of heading too far skier’s right, as this is where the worst of the cliffs are. By heading almost straight down you should get some good lines through the trees and shrubs and the slopes are shaded and the snow often excellent. At the bottom head right to either the train station if you want to head back to Chamonix, or take the gondola to get back into the lift system.

Route 2c: Aiguillette des Posettes From the top of the Aiguillette draglift take a ride down the ridge skier’s left. Just dropping over the back of the ridge toward Vallorcine, being a little careful not to drop down too far as it means a walk back up. This opens up some superb terrain with rolling drops, scattered trees and little cornices (the zone below is an animal wintering zone). The area’s not particularly steep but is great fun nonetheless. There are also some good spots here. Traverse towards the top of the Vallorcine gondola and try not to drop below the Esserts Variant piste as the hike back isn’t much fun.

Route 3: Le Tour/Vallorcine A short hike to the top of the Tête de Balme from the chairlift of the same name opens up a lot of off-piste terrain at the back of Le Tour above Vallorcine. However, this can be a dangerous area for avalanches so take care. The back bowls here are often wind-loaded, with large cornices looming above the slopes: they may look great but can be deadly as there are several terrain traps here where you could potentially be buried under metres of snow. If you want to explore these areas, then take a local mountain guide and be prepared for all risks.

If you don’t want to do the hike to the top of the Tête de Balme, you can access some of the same terrain by heading down the Esserts black run and then traversing skier’s right. You miss out on some good stuff at the top but still get some superb riding through the trees. The woods here are worth exploring, as there are plenty of unexpected clearings and fun drops. The terrain undulates here and there’s always something fun around the corner. As we mentioned above, don’t forget to traverse back to the bottom of the chairlift.

The routes mentioned here are just the tip of the Le Tour iceberg, there are many, many more possibilities to explore in this area.

Bad Weather areas in Le Tour and Vallorcine

Another favourite spot is the tree area at the back of Le Tour above Vallorcine (Le Domaine de la Balme), which offers some great terrain. When it’s snowing, the front of Le Tour is normally in a whiteout so instead, you can take the long traverse round to the back through to the trees on the Esserts piste and then to the Tete de Balme chairlift and take that up to the top. It can be bitterly cold and windy on this chair in a snowstorm so make sure you are prepared with warm clothing.

From the top, follow the Tete de Balme chairlift down and then head skier’s right into the open trees but don’t go too far right as there are some very open and avalanche prone bowls beyond the trees. In the trees, the visibility is normally better and the woods shelter the snow from the wind, thus keeping it in good condition.

The terrain is less steep than the Magic Forest at Grands Montets. There are a few rocks to drop and lots of gentle rollers that often develop small cornices to jump off. It’s easy to get carried away with the powder and go down too far, so you'll have to remember to traverse back skier’s left to the bottom of the Tete de Balme chair - to avoid having to walk back up.

Again, this area is all off-piste and unpatrolled so if you head this way you need to take care and go equipped for avalanches .

Backcountry routes in Le Tour and Vallorcine

In one moment you can be skiing in France, the next in Switzerland, there are very few other ski resorts that can offer the same in backcountry riding. With some steep ascents, glacier travel and long powder field descents this area has a lot to offer those who want to explore. Just remember to take your passport!

There are several excellent guidebooks with descriptions of the many possible routes both within and beyond the lift areas. There are two published by Vamos called Mont-Blanc Ski tours (ISBN 2910672085) and Chamonix Hors pistes-Off piste (ISBN 2910672107); these books are bilingual, in English and French. A more extensive guidebook with more difficult routes is Mont-Blanc et Aiguilles Rouges à ski (ISBN 2960025520), written by Anselme Baud and published by Nevicata; it’s only available in French but is worth struggling through even if your French isn’t so good as it gives very accurate descriptions and has good explanatory photos. But remember, in the backcountry there are many dangers not least from cliffs and avalanches so you should always hire a Chamonix guide .

Grands Autannes A favourite ski-tour, it’s best to set off as early as possible because the slopes of the Grands Autannes are steep and catch the sun in the afternoon. Take the gondola up from Le Tour then the Autannes chairlift. Next comes the hard part; either on snowshoes or skins start the ascent up the slopes in front of you. Sometimes it’s best to go up onto the ridge and follow it along to the couloirs, at other times if it looks safe it’s easiest just to head straight up the couloirs. It’s a deceptive climb as it doesn’t look very steep from below, but the upper section by the GAZEX tubes can be intimidating and you need crampons for the last section. At the first saddle, head to the right up the last short rock scramble to the small peak. Once at the top you’ll realise it’s worth the climb, as you have a great view over the back to the Trient glacier.

For the descent to Trient, stay high and traverse skier’s right, avoiding the rock bands below until you reach the open bowl. From there it’s open powder all the way. If you look left you can see the Col de Balme and the restaurant there. Below that is the long gully that leads to Trient. There are several small and steep chutes that lead into the main gully or you can pick your way through the bushes. The chutes are better, but beware of wind-loading, as you can set off small slab slides. Don’t hang around in the main gully, because it is a serious avalanche channel. After a big snowfall this place is extremely high risk. Follow the big gully down, and head left at the bottom into the meadows. Follow the ski de fond trail to Trient and have a beer at the café while you wait for the bus. Job done, powder run completed.

PS. Don’t forget to take your passport on this trip as you may be asked for it when you head back over the border into France.

More inspiration...

Take a look at this year's Ski Pass Prices or, if you're not sure which pass to buy, read Ski Pass Options for more information. Find your way around with Piste Maps for Chamonix .

Beginner Areas in Le Tour

Beginner Areas in Vallorcine

Best Pistes in Le Tour & Vallorcine

Le Tour Ski Pass Office

Off-Piste Skiing in Le Tour

Ski Touring Routes in Domaine de Balme

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