Tour du Mont Blanc

The Tour du Mont Blanc is one of the epic routes in the world. On this tour you will tackle the entire route around Mont Blanc, staying in comfortable Inns and Refugios along the way. You'll begin your adventure in the world famous resort town of Chamonix - the region where trail running and just about every other outdoor adventure sport originated. You'll start with a gondola ascent to Le Brevent and trek around Mt. Blanc in a counter-clockwise direction finishing where you started with a gondola ride back down to finish the tour. As with all of our running tours, you will truly embrace the trail and the area you're running through. This means you'll be staying in nice, traditional and historic inns along the way, with two nights in the Refugios that are famous in Europe and along the Mont Blanc Trail. You'll truly immerse yourselves in the culture of the trail with your stays in the Refugios, sleeping alongside your trail companions! You'll stay in comfortable hotels in Chamonix and Courmayer and in between you'll be in rustic, historic and comfortable Inns and Hotels that will give you a real feel for the countryside you're running through and the people you're sharing the trail with. This tour is one of the most spectacular we've offered, and we believe once you've run the Tour du Mont Blanc, you'll feel the same way!

Difficulty: Advanced - This tour presents a significant challenge with its rugged and steep trails. The Tour du Mont Blanc includes significant elevation change, very rugged trails, very long climbs and descents, high elevation, navigation challenges, little access to support vehicle, and potential hazardous weather. Be prepared to depart early on your longest days. You will be running 7 days with distances between 10 and 19 miles.

On the Tour du Mont Blanc we stay in a mixture of comfotable hotels and inns and remote refugios. Our hotel accommodations will generally offer rooms with two full size beds with private bath in each room. Our more rustic or remote refugios can include dormitory style lodging with shared bathrooms and less privacy. These remote refugios are a classic part of any Tour du Mont Blanc and should be experienced for their hospitality and companionship. Single supplements are nearly impossible to accommodate on the Tour du Mont Blanc and generally you will be sharing a room with another person or the group. Our mix of accommodations are an essential part of any Tour du Mont Blanc!

The closest airport to Chamonix is the Geneva Airport (GVA). The Geneva Airport is served by most major airlines.

Public transportation to Chamonix is readily available. Travel from Geneva to Chamonix can be done by train, bus or car and it's only 1.5 hours between the cities.

Bus options from Geneva to Chamonix include:

https://www.chamonix.net/english/travel/switzerland/bus - covers all bus transfers

https://www.omio.ie/buses/geneva/chamonix-mont-blanc - another multi-bus booking service

http://www.altibus.com

https://alpybus.com

There are no direct options for trains from Geneva to Chamonix, so the trip will be longer. It is generally recommended to travel by road, however the train, while longer, is a quite scenic way to arrive in Chamonix. Options for booking trains from Geneva to Chamoix include:

https://www.omio.com/trains/geneva/chamonix-mont-blanc

http://tinyurl.com/yy39s44w

There is also the option to hire a car or van to transport you directly to Chamonix from the airport. These options can be slightly more expensive, but the transfers are direct and will take you right to your door without additional stops along the way. Some car options include:

http://www.geneva-chamonix-transfers.com

https://www.shuttledirect.com/en

https://www.chamexpress.com

https://www.mountaindropoffs.com

It is also very easy to rent a car at the Geneva Airport. All major car rental companies are represented and rental can be done online at any number of car rental and travel sites. You will not need a car while in Chamonix and on the tour, so the other transport options may be more practical.

Please let us know if you would like assistance with your travel to Chamonix and we can help.

On the Tour du Mont Blanc most of our accommodations will provide Half-Board. This means that we'll have dinner and breakfast provided by our hosts. These hearty and delicious meals are based on local cuisine and often locally sourced. Breakfasts are typical of Europe, heavy on bread, cheeses and meats. Two nights we will be responsible for our own dinners - in Chamonix and Courmayeur. Sack lunches for the trail can often be provided upon request at an additional cost. Most often, our groups stop for lunches and refreshments along the trail at remote refugios or in small villages. These "lunches" can be amazing! Fresh pasta for lunch anyone??? Take your time and enjoy all that the Tour du Mont Blanc can provide!

Trip support, luggage transfers, mapping assistance, all breakfasts and dinners at our inns, all lodging during the tour, support vehicle, group gear, first aid, permits, fees, round trip Le Brevent cable car passes, train passes during trip if necessary, reservations and licenses. Group gear includes cookstoves, dishes, cutlery, camp chairs, water, firewood, portable hot shower, foam roller, maps, group first aid and satellite communication devices for emergencies and staff communication. Not all group gear is provided or needed on our lodge based tours.

Trip does not include airfare or other transportation to and from the departure site, lodging before or after the tour, or most snacks and lunches on the trail. Dinner our first night in Chamonix and our 4th night in Courmayeur are out on the town and at the runners expense. Bag lunches, snacks for the trail and refreshments along our route each day will also be at the runners expense. You should carry money with you on the trail if you intend to purchase refreshments or lunches at the refugios and huts along the trail. It should be noted that you will be able to purchase a bag or picnic lunch for the trail to take with you each day. Relying on the refugios along the way can be risky if they are very busy or happen to be closed. The refugios do however make great stops along the way for rest and refreshments when available. Any specialty supplements or nutrition systems are not provided by Adventure Running Co.

Tour du Mont Blanc

General Overview

Overview

Overview