Tour du Mont Blanc Cost Guide: What We Actually Spent (September 2024)

The Trek Cost Calculator is useful for modelling scenarios — but it cannot replace a real receipt stack from three countries. This Tour du Mont Blanc cost guide is what we actually paid on our 11-day self-guided circuit in September 2024, hiking as a couple with a mix of refuge half board, hotels and one refuge tent night.

Also read: Complete TMB Guide · Refuges & accommodation · Trek overview

Model your own trip: Trek Cost Calculator

Cost summary — per person (our trip)

Category	Our spend (approx.)	Notes
Pre-trek hotel (Chamonix)	€75	€150 room for two, breakfast included
Trail accommodation	€520–€580	Mix of refuges, hotels and one tent night
Lunches & snacks	€120–€150	Picnics, refuge lunches, Courmayeur pizza
Drinks & treats	€80–€100	Refuge beers, Swiss wine, gelato
Local transport	€60–€90	Geneva bus, trains, cable cars, Bonatti bus
Insurance	€50–€100	Alpine travel cover
Total on the ground	€900–€1,100	Excludes flights to Geneva

For two people sharing rooms, our on-the-ground total was roughly €1,800–€2,200 for the full trip including Chamonix bookends — not counting flights from Amsterdam.

Your number moves with lodging choices: camping and refuge-only nights sit nearer €700–€900 per person; hotel-heavy itineraries in Switzerland and Courmayeur push past €1,300.

Accommodation — night by night (what we paid)

We booked half board (dinner + breakfast) at most refuges. Hotels were room-only or breakfast included.

Stage	Overnight	Type	Price (our booking)	Per person*
0	Chamonix	Hotel	€150 / room	€75
1	Refuge Nant Borrant	Refuge HB	€57	€57
2	Refuge Robert Blanc	Refuge HB	€57	€57
3	Rifugio Elisabetta	Rifugio HB	€58	€58
4–5	Courmayeur (2 nights)	Hotel	€170 + €127 / room	€149
6	Auberge des Glaciers, La Fouly	Refuge HB	97 CHF	97 CHF
7	Hotel du Glacier, Champex-Lac	Hotel B&B+D	170 CHF / room	85 CHF
8	Auberge du Mont Blanc, Trient	Refuge HB	68 CHF	68 CHF
9	Auberge la Boërne, Tré-le-Champ	Tent HB	€45	€45
10	Refuge de la Flégère	Refuge HB	€64	€64

*Per person assumes two hikers sharing hotel rooms.

Swiss franc note: Switzerland was the biggest budget shock — half board at 97 CHF in La Fouly and a 30 CHF half-litre of wine in Champex reminded us why many hikers book a hotel with dinner included there.

Where the money goes

Refuges vs hotels

Style	Typical range	Our experience
Refuge half board	€45–€70 / night	Best value; dinner is hearty and social
Hotels (Courmayeur, Champex)	€80–€170 / room	Worth it for laundry, privacy and recovery
Refuge tent	€40–€50 / night	Cheaper but coldest night of our trek

We splurged on two Courmayeur hotel nights after Bonatti was full — that bus back down was free, but the hotel comfort was worth the extra €127–€170 per room.

Food beyond half board

Half board does not include lunch. Budget:

• Refuge lunch: €12–€18
• Village restaurant: €15–€25
• Trail picnic from shop: €5–€10
• Snacks per day: €5–€10

Courmayeur and Chamonix are the best resupply stops — we bought pizza, gelato and pharmacy supplies there.

Transport on the trail

Item	Cost (approx.)
Geneva → Chamonix bus (AlpyBus / SAT)	€20 / person each way
Chamonix → Les Houches train/bus	€5–€10
Les Houches cable car (day 1 skip)	~€20–€30
Courmayeur ↔ Bonatti area bus	~€5–€10
Col de Balme ski lift (weather escape)	~€15–€25
Chamonix ↔ Geneva return	€20

We also used trains between Chamonix and Les Houches — cheap and scenic.

Hidden costs to plan for

• Booking deposits — some refuges charge online; keep a card with no foreign fees
• Cash — small Swiss villages and some refuges prefer CHF cash
• Laundry — Courmayeur (~€10–€15)
• Gear gaps — Chamonix has every shop if you forgot liner or poles
• Post-trek nights — we added two celebration nights in Chamonix (not in table above)

Budget scenarios

Style	Per person (10–11 trail days)	Best for
Refuge-focused	€700–€900	Light pack, social evenings, early booking
Our mixed trip	€900–€1,100	Balance of comfort + refuges
Hotel-heavy	€1,200–€1,500+	Private rooms most nights
Camping	€500–€700	Heavier pack, more flexibility

How to save without ruining the trip

1. Book refuges early — half board is cheaper than à la carte dinner in villages
2. Book Rifugio Bonatti first — we lost a night there and paid for extra Courmayeur hotels + bus
3. Carry lunch snacks from Chamonix or Courmayeur supermarkets
4. Skip optional cable cars if fitness allows — we used one on day 1 and the Balme lift on day 9 in bad weather
5. Pre-buy Geneva–Chamonix transfer — walk-up prices are higher in peak season

What the calculator does not capture

The Trek Cost Calculator models nights, food tier and transport — use it to compare refuge-only vs hotel mixes. This guide adds:

• Real CHF/EUR split across the loop
• Hotel splurge nights that saved our legs
• Weather shortcuts (lift, bus) that added cost but kept us safe

Related planning

• Packing list — keep pack light to avoid taxi temptations
• Day-by-day itinerary — see which days have town stops for resupply
• Refuges & accommodation — booking timeline
• Getting to Chamonix — transfer costs from Geneva