The Tour du Mont Blanc is Europe’s most celebrated trekking route, a journey of sweeping alpine meadows, glacier-carved valleys and towering peaks that link France, Italy and Switzerland in one unforgettable circuit around Mont Blanc. If you’re thinking about tackling it, who better to learn from than someone who’s just come back?

To help you prepare for your own adventure, we sat down with KE’s David, who recently completed the route himself. From logistics to trail tips, crowd levels to favourite food stops, he gives us the honest, first-hand insight every traveller wants before taking on this incredible trek...

How did you get to and from Martigny?

Geneva Airport to Martigny is a direct train journey and a very scenic one! You’re travelling along Lake Geneva and into the Swiss Alps so definitely get a window seat on the right hand side of the train for the best views. The journey time is around 2.5 hours from the airport and you can get tickets on the day. Depending on what type of ticket you get, you can buy a flexi option that’ll let you get on any train but if you want to pay the cheapest fare this will be for a specified train only. I would buy the flexi option on arrival as you risk missing your train if there are any queues in Geneva Airport or if your flight is delayed.

Why start in Martigny?

Martigny makes a lot of sense as a start-point over Chamonix. It’s a lovely Roman town and a great gateway to the Alps, perfect for getting you hyped for tackling the Tour du Mont Blanc! You will have ample time to explore the Chamonix Valley during the TMB so being able to discover Martigny as well is a real bonus. Extending your trip by a day (before or after) and going to see Lausanne or Geneva is also not a bad idea, particularly if you have a long journey to get to Switzerland or like to travel with a contingency day. KE can’t plan this for you directly, but the train connections in Switzerland are so good that it’s very easy to do independently.

What surprised you about the trek?

How well-organised everything is - even across three countries. The transition from hotel to hotel was seamless and every time I arrived the bags would have been transported hours in advance. The logistics of the Tour du Mont Blanc are a major part of planning the trip, so having them all taken care of in advance makes the journey not only manageable but far more enjoyable. The whole route is breathtaking from start to finish and some of the most rewarding hiking you will ever do.

How busy is it? Do you need to book early?

Yes you do! This is probably the most popular hiking trail in Europe (for good reason) so get it penned in a year in advance if you can. You will see plenty of people out on the route but I never found that the number of people on trail was excessive or spoiled my enjoyment of the stages at all. A couple of tips if you are worried about crowds though:

1. Get an early start! Get down for breakfast as soon as they start serving, have your bags packed and check out then (or straight afterwards) so that you are ready to go as soon as possible. This should give you a head start over most other people.
2. If you are a fast walker and don’t typically stop much en route, do the complete opposite: leave later in the morning. Most of the hotels have a checkout of 11am and leaving closer to that time means you are more likely to have the early slopes of the climbs to yourself (as everyone will have set off a couple of hours earlier) and you can pass people at the top of the passes, or while they’re having a coffee in one of the Buvettes/mountain huts on the way up. If you just push through you will likely get ahead of the pack on the way down and have a quieter descent.
3. Go in June/September. These are the months where the TMB is likely to be a bit quieter. In particular Chamonix empties out quite a bit in the week/10 days after UTMB.

What’s the food like on the route?

Breakfast at the hotels each morning is buffet-style and there really is a lot of it – you won’t go hungry! Croissants, pain aux chocolate and torsades every day were a nice Alpine touch but they’ve also got all the foodstuffs you would want from a good breakfast: cereal, yoghurt, fruits and seeds, eggs, cold meats, cheeses, milk (including dairy & lactose free options) coffee and hot chocolate. While on trail you can buy food at the mountain huts as a mid-morning snack – nothing like a coffee and a piece of chocolate cake 2400m up with a view! There are plenty of shops in the towns as well where you can buy what you want – fresh baguette and Comte was my go-to. Dinners are a good opportunity to try the different regional varieties afforded by going through three countries. Most of the hotels will have an adjoining and very good quality restaurant, or in places like Chamonix, Courmayeur, Martigny and Champex there will be a good number of restaurant options to choose from. You’re also in boulangerie/café paradise – sitting in the sunshine by Lake Champex with a coffee and some homemade pastries after the day’s walk was a real highlight.

What was the accommodation like?

Staying in hotels is such a fantastic way to experience the Tour du Mont Blanc. After a good day’s walk you have a hot shower, comfy bed, excellent facilities (some of the hotels had saunas and swimming pools) and on top of that a fantastic breakfast to set you on your way the next morning. Most of the hotels you are staying in will be 3* and are all expertly geared up for hikers doing the TMB, so you are very well looked after. It’s also fantastic to be based in some of the mountain towns along the route – in particular Chamonix and Courmayeur – with easy access to the town centres from your hotel door.

How tough is it?

Most of the days involve a big climb then a big descent, so being in good walking/trekking fitness in advance is essential. In particular, you will need to be able to string together multiple days of 10+ mile hikes, with plenty of elevation. If you are a regular hill-walker and are hiking at least once or twice every week the TMB is well within reach however – I would just recommend ramping up your training as you get to a couple of months out from departure. Bar a couple of short hands-on sections the TMB isn’t technical at all, so you don’t need to worry about this aspect. It’s also worth mentioning that the sheer popularity of the route has helped make it that bit more accessible than other big hiking routes; you’re never too far away from a rest area or mountain hut where you can break the walk up a bit. Self-guided means you can enjoy the route at your own pace as well; there’s no group that you need to keep up with.

How much navigation is needed?

The TMB is incredibly well-signposted, however I would always take a map and compass (even if you have route notes and GPX files) – as long as you know how to use them they will never let you down. Maps, GPX files and route notes will all be provided in your self-guided pack before you go and you can also use the KE App for navigation the whole way round if you like. All in all, the navigation side of things is about as comprehensively covered as it could be.

What was your highlight?

Definitely day seven of the trek: crossing over the Col de la Seigne into Italy then trekking right underneath the Mont Blanc massif on the way down to Courmayeur and stopping for a coffee in the Rifugio Elisabetta, with glaciers and snow-capped summits in plain view. Unreal!

What’s the atmosphere like on the trail?

Very good! There were people from all over the world: I bumped into hikers from the US, Canada, Britain, New Zealand, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark, China, Malaysia, Mexico amd Brazil along the route, all who were there for the TMB and had their own story and experiences of outdoor hiking and of the route. In particular, the last few days through Switzerland and the first few days in France were great. There were plenty of local French, Italians and Swiss out on the trails also, which is always a good sign of the quality, challenge and enjoyment factor of the route.

Anything to tell anyone who is thinking of doing the trip?

No question about it – get it booked! It’s such a fantastic route and yet a very tricky one to be self-sufficient for. Doing it self-guided at your own pace but with the main elements (accommodation, navigation, baggage transfers, etc) taken care of is the way to go about the TMB and I would recommend it to both competent but inexperienced hikers and trekking veterans alike. It’s simply stunning.

Any other tips?? Money/time saving?

Take a Revolut/Monzo card that allows you to swap money without any charges, as you’ll need to change your money from Swiss Francs to Euros a couple of times on the trip. Learning some easy French/Italian phrases is useful along the TMB, even though most people speak very good English - it’ll unlock an extra level of service if you’re making an effort in native language. Another one to remember is if your gear isn’t quite up to scratch after the first couple of days, you can top this up in Chamonix – there is a world-class outdoor shop every hundred metres!