Tour du Mont Blanc Food Guide: Meals, Half Board & Resupply

Food on the Tour du Mont Blanc is one of the great pleasures — refuge dinners, Italian pizza in Courmayeur, Swiss fondue on a col — but half-board rules and Swiss prices catch hikers off guard. This guide covers what we ate, half board (demi-pension), resupply stops and a realistic food budget.

Also read: Cost guide · Refuges guide · Complete TMB Guide

How eating works on the TMB

Meal	Typical source	Included in half board?
Breakfast	Refuge / hotel	Yes (HB)
Lunch	Refuge, restaurant, picnic	No — budget separately
Dinner	Refuge / hotel	Yes (HB)
Snacks / drinks	Carry or buy on trail	No

Half board (demi-pension) = dinner + breakfast at refuges. This is the default booking on most French refuges and Italian rifugi — and the best value.

Half board — what to expect

Refuge dinners

• Set communal meal at a fixed time (usually 19:00–20:00)
• Hearty alpine dishes: soup, pasta, polenta, meat or vegetarian option
• Wine and beer available — we enjoyed Italian wine at Rifugio Elisabetta and beers at Robert Blanc
• Tell refuges about dietary needs when booking (vegetarian usually fine; vegan harder)

Refuge breakfasts

• Bread, jam, coffee, tea, sometimes eggs or cereal
• Eat well — you’ll need calories for the morning climb
• Pack a snack for mid-morning before lunch

When we skipped half board

Courmayeur and Champex hotel nights — we ate in town or had hotel dinner (Champex hotel included dinner — worth it in Switzerland).

Lunch on the trail

Lunch is the meal you plan most carefully.

Option	Cost	Where
Refuge lunch	€12–€18	Most refuges between stages
Village restaurant	€15–€25	Les Contamines, Courmayeur, Champex
Picnic from shop	€5–€10	Chamonix, Courmayeur supermarkets
Leftovers	Free	We ate Courmayeur pizza on day 5 at Bonatti

Best resupply towns:

1. Chamonix (pre-trek) — full supermarkets, bakeries, gear shops
2. Courmayeur (days 4–5) — gelato, pizza, pharmacy, laundry
3. Champex-Lac (day 7) — small shop; hotel dinner recommended
4. La Fouly — limited; buy snacks before arriving

We carried trail mix, bars and nuts daily and bought fresh food in towns.

Food by country

France

• Refuge meals: simple, filling, good value
• Raclette and alpine cheese culture
• Village restaurants on lower stages (day 1 lunch stop)

Italy

• Best food on the trail — Elisabetta rifugio was a highlight
• Courmayeur: pizza, pasta, gelato — plan extra spend
• Espresso at rifugios

Switzerland

• Most expensive section — our 500 ml wine in Champex was 30 CHF
• Fondue at a col refuge (day 8) — memorable but pricey
• Half board at Swiss refuges still cheaper than à la carte dinner

What we spent on food (per person)

See full breakdown in cost guide.

Category	Approx. per person (11 days)
Half board (included in refuge/hotel rates)	See accommodation table
Lunches	€120–€150
Snacks & trail food	€40–€60
Drinks, gelato, treats	€80–€100
Extra food & drink	€240–€310

Half board refuge nights averaged €57–€68 (France/Italy) or 68–97 CHF (Switzerland) — dinner and breakfast included.

Water on the TMB

• Refuges sell drinks; tap water usually available
• Mountain streams common in Switzerland — we drank refuge water without filtering
• Carry 2 L capacity minimum
• Optional filter for peace of mind — see packing list

Dietary tips

• Vegetarian: Usually available at refuges if noted at booking
• Gluten-free / vegan: Harder — email refuges ahead; carry backup snacks
• Alcohol: Wine/beer at dinner adds up — especially in CHF
• Portions: Refuge dinners are large; you’ll burn the calories

Food mistakes to avoid

1. Assuming lunch is included — it rarely is on half board
2. Under-budgeting Switzerland — carry CHF for snacks and drinks
3. Missing refuge dinner time — kitchens close; arrive on schedule
4. No snacks between towns — some stages have few food stops
5. Skipping Courmayeur resupply — best chance for real meals and treats

Sample eating day (refuge night)

Time	Meal	Example
07:00	Refuge breakfast	Bread, jam, coffee
10:30	Trail snack	Bar, nuts
13:00	Refuge lunch	Soup + sandwich (~€15)
16:00	Trail snack	Apple from village
19:30	Refuge dinner (HB)	Pasta, salad, wine
—	—	Bed

Related planning

• Refuges & accommodation — book half board when reserving
• Packing list — snacks, water capacity
• Itinerary — which days pass through towns
• Cost calculator — model food tier