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!

In this Post

• Why Use Public Transit on the TMB?
• Public Transit in Chamonix
• Public Transportation on each Stage
• Private Transfers & Taxis

Why Use Public Transit on the TMB?

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.

Public Transit in Chamonix

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:

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.

• Cost: €4
• Operating Season:
  • June 19th – September 8th, 2023
• Distance saved:
  • 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.

• Cost: €6
• Operating Season:
  • 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!

• Cost: €2
• Operating Season:
  • 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)
• Operating Season:
  • 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.

• Cost: €2
• Operating Season:
  • Typically early-July through August
• Distance saved: ~ 17km if riding from Courmayeur to the Arp Nouvaz stop.

The 2023 schedule is below:

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:

• Cost: €TBD
• Operating Season:
  • Typically early-July through August
• 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.

• Cost: €TBD
• Operating Season:
  • Typically early-July through August
• Distance saved: ~ 3km

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.

• Cost: €TBD
• Operating Season:
  • Typically early-July through August
• Distance saved: ~ 3km

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
• Operating Season:
  • 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.

• Cost: €17.50 one way per adult
• Operating Season:
  • June 10th – September 17th
• Distance saved: N/A

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!

• Cost: €17.50 one way per adult
• Operating Season:
  • June 10th – September 17th
• 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!

Conclusion

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!