

With such a small window the huts can book up quickly so it is a good idea to reserve well in advance (as much as 6 months if your dates aren’t flexible). Because of the altitude (between 1,500 and 2,500 metres above sea level) the season to hike the TMB is quite short, usually from the beginning of July to mid-September. Most charge around €50-60 per person for half-board with a dorm bed, excellent evening meal, breakfast and an incredible location. While you wouldn’t describe the mountain huts as cheap, they are still good value for what you get. However, there are many access points making it possible to choose smaller sections if you are short on time (or fitness). The entire hike is roughly 170 kilometres, usually takes around 10 days and involves nearly 10,000 metres of elevation gain and loss. Most people start in charming Chamonix, France and hike counter-clockwise, crossing into Italy to pass through the ski resort town of Courmayeur before heading into Switzerland to the greenest valleys and most rural areas of the trek around Champex-Lac. Featuring stunning scenery, strenuous passes, fantastic mountain huts and even a few great towns along the way, the TMB is a bucket list trek for all avid hikers.
Central switzerland scenery full#
One of the world’s iconic long-distance hiking trails, the phenomenal Tour du Mont Blanc passes through no fewer than three different countries as it makes a full circuit around spectacular Mont Blanc.

TOUR DU MOUNT BLANC- Long distance hiking trail! It is expensive for a single ticket, although the Glacier Express is included on the Interrail Pass and Eurail Pass as well as many local passes making it great value for money for wider travels.īy Allan Wilson from “It’s Sometimes Sunny in Bangor” 2.
Central switzerland scenery windows#
Compared to standard train journeys in Switzerland, the train is high-end with panoramic carriages with big windows to enjoy the surrounding scenery. It is a long express journey, so it’s best to bring drinks and snacks, and there is also the option for meals served to the seats/tables from the restaurant and car bogey. The better half of the journey would likely be the second half after Chur, with the crossing of the Landwasser Viaduct, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the start of the River Rhine at the Rhine Gorge.

Zermatt would be the recommended start with an overnight stay, if possible, beneath the majestic background of the Matterhorn (of Toblerone fame). Given the high altitude and rugged, and at times seemingly impassable terrain, the high-speed train rarely reaches high speeds giving it the dubbing as ‘The Slowest Fast Train in the World’. The journey itself takes roughly 7-hours between the 2-points, with a stop at Chur as a midpoint, following some of the most scenic mountain landscapes that you will ever come across. The Glacier Express, known for being the slowest fast train in the world, connects the fancy alpine resort towns of Zermatt and St Moritz in the high mountains of the Swiss Alps. The Glacier Express-the slowest fast train in the world!
