Plan your trip
GETTING THERE
EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) flies to Geneva from many UK airports; one-way from £22.49. Ouibus (www.ouibus.com) and Alpybus (www.alpybus.com) link Geneva and Chamonix by bus (90 minutes; fares from ¤19 one-way). GETTING AROUND
Bus Line 1 links Chamonix and Les Houches (20 minutes; ¤3). Cable cars can offer shortcuts, like from Les Houches to Bellevue (¤14) and from La Flégère to Chamonix (¤14). Local buses can be used to avoid road sections, like the 4km walk from Les Chapieux to La Ville des Glaciers. WHERE TO STAY
Lots of options, ranging from basic mountain huts with shared matratzenlager (mattress rooms) to guesthouses with private facilities. Book in advance, especially July-August. Recommended is Auberge de la Nova in Les Chapieux
(www.refugelanova.com), a cosy gîte with quality food; half-board dorms/private rooms from ¤52pppn/65pppn. Hotel
Lavachey (www.lavachey.com) in Italy’s Val Ferret is pleasingly old-school; halfboard doubles from ¤60pppn. WHERE TO EAT
Most hotels and refuges offer halfboard. Breakfast is usually coffee, bread and cereal. Dinners tend to be hearty set menus – typically soup, a meat/pasta dish and pudding. Mention special dietary requirements when booking. Drinks cost extra; from ¤6 for a 50cl carafe of wine (more in Switzerland). Packed lunches can be ordered from your accommodation (¤8-12pp), or buy supplies en route. PACKAGE OPTIONS
Country Walking travelled with adventure tour operator Explore (01252 883621, www.explore.co.uk), who offer an 11-day Self-Guided Tour du Mont Blanc trip from £1599 excluding flights. This includes nine days’ trekking with halfboard accommodation in simple hotels, two nights B&B in Chamonix, luggage transfers and walking instructions. Explore also offers a guided Tour du Mont Blanc (11 days; departures 25 July, 3 September 2018; from £1799 excluding flights). MAPS & GUIDES
The TMB is well waymarked. The 1:50,000 A1 Pays du Mont Blanc map covers the whole route. More detailed are the 1:25,000 maps: 3630 OT Chamonix, 3531 ET St Gervais (French IGN) and 107 Monte Bianco (Italian IGC). Trekking the
Tour du Mont Blanc (Cicerone, 2017) is a useful guide. A new edition of Trailblazer’s
Tour du Mont Blanc out this year too. i MORE INFO Contact the Tour du Mont Blanc Refuges and Gites Caretakers Association (www.montourdumontblanc.com).