A Tour of Mont Blanc
We did a fantastic tour of Mont Blanc on the Ducati Multistrada 1200S. In this blog I will take you along this route. Some important information in advance:
- We did the tour in September
- The weather was still like in summer, 25 degrees and lots af sun
- The tour is a little over 320 kilometers
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Lots of height difference and hairpin bends
- Countries: Italy, Switzerland and France
- No toll roads
Aosta
Day one we drove from our house to Aosta as the tour of Mont Blanc starts there. we spent the night in Bed & Breakfast Ad Podium in the old center of Aosta. This B & B is well maintained and is very convenient for exploring the old center. The center of Aosta is car-free and there are a number of archaeological sites to visit. You can buy an all-in-one ticket for the Criptoportico Forense, the Teatro Romano and the Chiesa Paleocristiana di San Lorenzo. If you don’t like culture, you can of course also just stroll through the streets. Delicious food is certainly part of it, we can recommend restaurant / bar Ad Forum.
Aosta-Grand Saint Bernard-Martigny
The first stage of the tour of Mont Blanc goes straight up from Aosta via the SS27 towards the Grand Saint Bernard pass. This is a fantastic route with impressive views. The roads were in very good condition, without many potholes or loose stones. So enjoy it. Make sure you don’t take the tunnel a little before reaching the top, because you will miss a well-deserved break. At the top of the pass you will find a reservoir lake and a restaurant as well as the statue of Saint Bernard. Here they obviously sell the St. Bernard plush toys 😉
After the break you almost immediately cross the border with Switzerland and the descent to Martigny begins. Here the road was less well maintained in the beginning. Moreover, any kind of protection is missing along the spectacular abyss. Here too, of course, an enormously impressive nature. Arriving in Martigny it was time for lunch, this time not in the center because we were looking forward to eat Peruvian Ceviche. We had a delicious meal at La Cordillère.
Martigny-Chamonix
After lunch we continued the tour of Mont Blanc via the Route de la Forclaz. After the border with France, this road turns into the D1506. This part of the route is much less rugged than the Grand Saint Bernard Pass. The difference in height is also less, although you will still encounter some hairpin bends. You now mainly drive through forests and a number of villages. After the last real climb you will be treated to a fantastic view of Mont Blanc, truly breathtaking.
It was our first time in Chamonix so we stayed for two nights. Hotel La Folie Douce is very nice with lovely rooms, a gym, a spa and swimming pool.
Chamonix
Chamonix is a wonderfully relaxed village, or maybe it was because of the COVID-19 and the time of year. A mask was required in the “busy” center, but since it was not busy many people walked around without a mask. You can indulge yourself in the center if you are an outdoors type because the majority of the shops are specialized in trekking, cycling, mountaineering and winter sports. Fortunately, there are also many restaurants and terraces, it is really like living as God in France.
Telepherique de l’Aiguille du Midi
To take a closer look at the breathtaking view, we went up the mountain L’AIGUILLE DU MIDI with the CABLE CAR OF L’AIGUILLE DU MIDI. This cable car takes you from just over 1000 meters to no less than 3840 meters. Do take a sweater or jacket with you because it is a lot cooler at this height. We were lucky because we could immediately walk through and get into the cable car. Once at the top, it is pure enjoyment, what an incredible view. The Mont Blanc towers another 1000 meters above you and you can see the mountaineers walking up the mountain.
If you are not afraid of heights you can also step into the glass box that they mounted on the outside, Step into the Void 😉
Chamonix-Beaufort-Bourg Saint Maurice
After enjoying this rest, the spa and a massage in Chamonix, it was time to continue our tour of Mont Blanc. If you want, you can also shorten the route here and take the Mont Blanc tunnel back to Aosta. Fortunately the weather was still nice so we could continue the tour. We arrived in Beaufort via beautiful and well-maintained roads (D218 and D70), meandering through a constantly changing landscape. It was lunchtime again, so we enjoyed the local cuisine. Just past Beaufort the road was closed so we continued via a small detour. The reservoir lakes of Saint Guérin and Roselend are nice places to take a break before the descent to Bourg Saint Maurice begins. Here we spent the night in hotel Autantic, which is a nice place just outside the village. The village itself is well worth a visit with its old and car-free center. A must for dinner is El Refuge, unfortunately they don’t have a website but they are easy to find.
Bourg Saint Maurice-Aosta
And then it is time for the last stage of the tour of Mont Blanc. This part starts with a considerable climb, but after that it is mainly descending through forests and a few winter sports villages. La Rosière in France and La Thuile in Italy are the best known. The route numbers are the D1090 and SS26. Halfway through you drive over a kind of plateau and you pass the Petit Saint Bernard pass. The roads on this stretch are again excellent and in Italy even recently paved.
After a last series of hairpin bends we arrived back in the Aosta valley. After this unforgettable adventure, we return home very satisfied.
But ……. we will definitely come back!
If you have already done this tour, let us know what you liked most!