Hike the Tour du Mont Blanc Without Money or Planning

My gear list for the Tour du Mont Blanc:
App/Map TMB: alnk.to/g3b5Pg4
Backpack: alnk.to/cSHs1ru
Sleeping Bag: alnk.to/8tOvv4v
Sleeping Mattress: alnk.to/aANBgS4
Tent: bit.ly/3qmuR06
Trekking Poles: alnk.to/aANBgUw
Sun Hoody: alnk.to/7qjXCeW
Rain Jacket: alnk.to/dAmtWOc
Camera Case: alnk.to/gp0BDSy
Cookpot: bit.ly/3OnddkO
FlipFuel Canister device: bit.ly/3EcUsvP
Water purifier: alnk.to/bisDcf4
Stove: alnk.to/dWbZUui
Hiking Belt: alnk.to/9btxqtc
Puffy Jacket: alnk.to/dewXZgn
Hiking Pants: alnk.to/90yMrIi
Want to trek the Tour du Mont Blanc but don't have the money to book accomodations along the way or to pay for a guided tour? Want to hike the TMB this summer and but everything is already booked? Last summer I hiked the TMB on a last minute whim, with no planning, and no budget. And I still had the time of my life on this bucket-lis hike. So I've distilled what I learned into this video to help you make it happen tomorrow.
#trekking #tourdumontblanc #tmb #europe
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[@Archie-td6ox]

In 2015 I walked from Konstanz, Germany to Nice France (GR5 from Lake Geneva to Nice). I did it on 7 euros per day. I spent a total of 7 nights in 2 months in hostels. It was the most amazing walk of my life and didn't cost me much at all. Note: there are over 60, 000 km of marked trails in France alone. I used a Snugpac Ionsphere low profile tent. I actually spent 3 nights in a parkette behind a hedge in Nice totally unnoticed! I love not having to carry food in Europe and always having access to fresh fruit and veggies. My goal is to do the Grand Italian Trail!

[@eric_hanson]

wow that's an impressive budget! I love it. I would love to do more of the European trails.

[@TalesFromAbroad-SJ]

I’ve been to the lake on the Tour du Mont Blanc, and it’s absolutely fantastic! It’s great to see how you managed to do the whole hike without much planning or budget. Your tips are super helpful for anyone wanting to take on this amazing trail last minute. Thanks for sharing! Cheers, Simon - Tales From Abroad

[@matheus.lifestyle]

Great video. Me and wife are going to hike it end of July this year. Camping all the way except one night in Courmayeur. Hopefully all goes well. Thanks for the tips.

[@ervinslens]

Phenomenal topic man, as always masterfully put together! Your content is just completely different level!

[@eric_hanson]

Thank you so much! I hope this is helpful to people this season.

[@helena814]

I want to hike the TMB in just a Week no training, no money, no planning. That's the perfect Video for me :)

[@Char-qm8vg]

Heyy, me too:) Lmk if you want to know anything, maybe I can help you out:)

[@sven1036]

I`ve walked the TMB with my wife and five kids. We started drying our food and planning 4 days before we launched our hike from a rainy parking spot in Les Houches. You need to register your bivy spots in the Nature conservation areas. Thats it. The campgrounds are always prepared to accommodate TMB hikers.

[@IImVoltagee]

Great video. You should do the Alta Via 1 next time you intend on hiking in Europe. I spent 7 nights in rifugios along the TMB for about 520 euro total - all nights with a bed, dinner and breakfast, and 2 or 3 packed lunches. Add about 50/60 euro on other food and coffee, and that was my budget, about 600 euro.

[@eric_hanson]

Nice, that's a good budget. There's definitely some more trails around Europe I want to do, especially in Italy!

[@memathews]

This sounds like a dream hike! Back in 1975, I got to do some hiking in Switzerland, Italy, France, and Norway, but I didn't know about these routes and travel circumstances in general were more difficult, especially between countries with highly regulated borders and individual money systems. I should plan a trip for this before I get old, haha!

[@eric_hanson]

this is one of the best routes in the world (and especially Europe!) so I'd definitely say go for it!

[@brandoncrow1650]

My Holy Grail hike, one day I’ll get it done. Thanks for the info!

[@eric_hanson]

Right up there with the best of them. Cheers!

[@TheSpanishGuitarHub]

Thank you for the info! I am going to hike this first time in the middle of August, just checking how this will be. I will also bring my travel guitar to play some music along the way (I did it over the Camino too). It looks very amazing so I am very excited!

[@vanessawatson1768]

Thanks for the info as most info out there isn’t camping. Which is what I want to do. So appreciate all the info and vids you put out there have loved them all.

[@eric_hanson]

wonderful! Glad you found this helpful.

[@Harry-Giles]

Doing this late July but round two so plans already laid out. Awesome video idea. One of the greatest series of hikes out there. Thanks for the tips.

[@eric_hanson]

amazing. Enjoy the TMB!

[@jeffreyalanday7432]

I tried both - with and without tent. Going with TENT is the BEST. I was not slave to refugio reservations, I could spontaneously take a hotel, do a refugio, regular camping or wild camping. Tent offers more flexibility as well as privacy, and finally, it is much cheaper. With tent you are much nearer to nature. Just get a good base weight, tent not too heavy, 1 to -1.5 kg. With two or more you can share weight.

[@banders-ralfs]

Thank you for tips ;)

[@bendennis8773]

Thanks, it is on my list and a lower budget can make it happen sooner.

[@eric_hanson]

It's such a great trail, I hope you can do it soon!

[@prudencemiddleton6620]

this was fantastic and super helpful! i needed this resource to prepare for my hike!

[@dordevicm]

just what i was looking for. thanks for the great video and info!

[@eric_hanson]

so glad it's helpful!

[@prudencemiddleton6620]

couple questions - 1. most other channels recommend buying the cicerone handbook, did you need it? 2. regarding charging phones and accessing wifi, how did you do that on the trail? 3. did you need cash for most parts of the hike? was it easy to get local currency? 4. do you think it's a safe trail for solo female traveller to camp - did you meet any when you were hiking?

[@bcamping1]

1.Tmb map is enough, but that costs about 12euro 2. You need continental European charger, probably not much WiFi, get local SIM card. Charge at campsites and refugios, better to charge powebank , they are cheap and replaceable(unlikely that someone wants to steal your phone but they look very similar) 3. Some cash for lunch but most of them take card. In Switzerland they usually accept euros as well. 4. Feeling of safety is personal. It doesn't get very dark at night. And there are other people around. That should help with the feelings.

[@prudencemiddleton6620]

@@bcamping1 thankyou so much !!!

[@bcamping1]

@@prudencemiddleton6620 I got a big phone roaming bill because Switzerland is not in EU, and has rediculous prices. Second time around I made sure not to use the phone if I was even close to Switzerland.

[@prudencemiddleton6620]

hey i just did the TMB so i can answer my own questions 1. you don't need the handbook. Just use an offline map - i used Mapy. You can also ask other hikers for help or ask to borrow their handbook/take pictures of it. the handbook does have good tips. once you arrive in italy from france, on your right down the mountain is a cabin. and they have maps and a full diagram of the TMB with elevation. i took a picture of that, really helpful! 2. there are charging ports at camp grounds. You can leave portable batteries overnight to charge and they will unlikely be taken. Also at refugios/restaurants for lunch, you can often charge 3. I took 200 euros and that was enough. Some camp grounds only take cash. Everyone took euros, including Switzerland. 4. very safe for women travelling alone. I hike-camped on my own, made so many amazing friends and never felt unsafe or got lost :) i recommend camping over refugios

[@PerfDayToday]

Nice to know Far Out has tmb covered, thxs

[@edwinxu6291]

I plan to start the hike from Courmayeur on 25th and hopefully it will all go well.

[@malfaris82]

great to the point guide

[@kaleemjan4899]

Thanak you sir fir greT info.. i was searching who can fill mu blanks and you just did.. thank you ..

[@anqihoong4219]

So awesome and inspiring that I’m planning to follow your footsteps. I have some queries: 1. Name of campsite near Lac Blanc 2. What temperature is your sleeping bag 3. September dates did you do this hike 4. Based on your experience, do you think I can camp with a bivvy? Thank you very much.

[@seanguffey3161]

Get it done Eric!

[@BreathNino]

Im about to do it in 2 months (have no plan 😂) ❤️❤️❤️ thank you!!

[@eric_hanson]

haha you're welcome! You'll love it.

[@maca.outdoors]

Really cool video, thanks for the info! I'm going there soon (3rd of June). I'm curious to see if I can actually wild camp or just need to pay a camping place. Most importan thing for me is to respect nature, so let's see how it goes. Hopefully early June is still not full of people.

[@enricadventures5793]

Great video, thanks!

[@EmmelineKaarsgaren]

Hi Eric! Loved this. I'm hiking the trail later in the season. Would love to do it in 7ish days as well. Would you mind sharing where you camped at?

[@indiegoo]

Hello. Thank you for the video. Couple of questions : 1. how did you managed charging your devices ? 2. How did you pay for thing besides supermarkets (card or cash) ? 3. If I understodd correctly, all refuges have paying camping sites nearby in which you can sleep in ? Thank you !

[@ohmorpheus333]

great tips Eric. anyone here that will do the TMB starting mid July?

[@madelinehiebert6990]

My husband and I will be going in August this summer. Only thing is.. we're vegan. Going to have some pretty heavy food carrys and a bit worried about the weight. Trying to have a low budget for this trip. We already have our dinners but we will see about the rest! Going to have a heavier pack than I would like but it is in the land of dairy and charcuterie!

[@eric_hanson]

Being vegan on this trail would definitely be a challenge! I basically survived on cured meat and cheeses. I don't think I can offer much help, but good luck!

[@ttjustdgaf]

@thruhikers has lots of vegan meal ideas to make your own dehydrated meals!

[@SolarSailor]

Great video! I'm trying to decide between this and the Walker's Haute Route. I feel like this might be a little too crowded (and easy?), and I'm not sure I like the idea of just walking on a road 60% of the time. Have you done the WHR?

[@chaowang5867]

Could you please share your campsite list？I am heading out next week.❤

[@VladaTolokolnikova]

Hi! Thanks for the video! Do you have the website handy for booking campsite spots along the tail? Or do you just show up there and pay on the spot?

[@ivanshannon]

Hello, I did the TMB this year, late June/ early July, hut to hut. I started booking the hut the previous November. I took my time , 11 days, but after day two, I found the restrictive nature of hut to hut a major negative. There were days when I would have preferred more flexibility. I could have completed the route in 9 days, 2 less if I had the flexibility. Would it be possible for you to publish what you took on the TMB? I hope to return to the Alps in September 2025 to camp after a shorter hike in the Pyrenees, Le Chemin de la Liberte. Thanks

[@HighCentered]

Hey Eric, long-time/first-time. Another great video. Quick question: For the coffee shops, refugios, etc., were you able to use a credit card or ApplePay, or did you need to carry paper Euros and Francs? Thanks!

[@eric_hanson]

For refugios and places up in the mountains, cash only. I always had some coins in my pocket. But when you pass through towns and even some small villages you can definitely use credit cards ( I don't use Apple pay so I'm not sure about that one)

[@stevemoore7333]

To add to what you mention in video, was it actually pretty easy to find places sufficiently out of the way to bivouac in the event a formal campground wasn’t conveniently located at the end of a day? Budget or no I definitely would prefer this to a Refugio. Would likely do in September. Great video! Thank you!

[@eric_hanson]

I absolutely think camping is the better option to refugios, personally. I found it to be moderately easy to find a good place to pitch a tent. Up in the passes you're further from towns and crowds and it was much easier to find a place to pitch for free. But in the towns there was usually an option to pay for camping somewhere.

[@Chris-wk3xt]

Great video Eric! Can you tell me the name of your friend's pack in this video? I have been after one like that for a while!

[@kennethmccomas82]

Great video thanks for the info. Where is this lake you camped at / what is its name?

[@eric_hanson]

It's called Lacs des Chéserys in France not too far from Chamonix.

[@jeremy_beckers]

Best trips are the ones that are not planned or thought out. Kind of crazy how that works to be honest.

[@eric_hanson]

I absolutely agree!

[@jheadley3667]

Prolly cos your not tied down to a schedule

[@levosgiendesforets]

i didi it two weeks before yours soooo crownded

[@eric_hanson]

Go after the UTMB and the crowds thin out quickly.

[@mcnutty26]

You cannot legally wild camp in Switzerland. So don't do it. The Swiss love their rule adherence.

[@MariekaJackson]

Did you have to take a car at all or was it possible to get to and from (airport to trailhead) with just public transportation and your feet?

[@monique6604]

you can get on the TMB easily by public transport. There's a trainstation in Chamonix (linked to major towns in France and from Martigny in Switzerland). You can get by bus to Courmayeur from Chamonix and Switzerland, everything Switzerland is great with public transport.

[@sebastianayalaruano5070]

Hey! I have a question, do you need to book in advance for the camp grounds across the routes, or is it possible to fgo there and book when you arrived?

[@shaesonbringhurst8215]

What airport did you fly into?

[@swilsher]

Where is your replacement on BackPackingTV?

[@eric_hanson]

I'm not 100% sure but I'm pretty sure they just parted ways.

[@swilsher]

@@eric_hanson All her videos are gone from the KZbin channel

[@miketheglassguy7568]

Were you able to fly your drone there?

[@eric_hanson]

I didn't bring my drone there as it's fairly regulated. I think there are a few places where it's legal along the way but it's mostly prohibited so I just left it off the trail.

[@vanroykoen]

very helpfull video, tnx! About pronounciation: in French you shouldn't pronounce the C in mont blanc, so simply say: mont blan. Oh and by the way, don't pronounce the T in mont neither. Every English speaking person makes this fault. At your service, à votre service! And now hoping I didn't make too many mistakes in my English text!

[@eric_hanson]

so from what I gather the more you mumble your words the better you sound in french? haha merci beaucoup!

[@vanroykoen]

@@eric_hanson exactly!

[@Ehtizan-Editor-001]

Hey Eric, I just watched your video and I must say it's really helpful and well made. I was wondering if I could help you design your thumbnails for better CTR? Wanna try out a free one?

[@tt-of4xv]

Just so you know you don't pronounce the "c", it's [mon-blan] ;) In september the temperatures can fall rapidly, I think you did the right thing.

[@eric_hanson]

from what I understand the less you pronounce anything the more accurate.

[@tt-of4xv]

@@eric_hanson Well mont-blanc is just "white mount" so this is not a local rule or smth but you're right in the french alps you don't pronounce s, t, z at the end of place names. And this is the opposite in the pyrenees oO. You're ready for the HRP now ;)

[@driftundefined]

I'm inflammation deaf and have voices in my head but the music really makes it hard to hear you as well.

[@eric_hanson]

Sorry to hear that, the music only lasts about 30 seconds.

[@driftundefined]

I use captions and rewatch sections a lot. I realized that right after I posted.

[@skivo37]

If you spent 60% on roads then you were on the wrong route

[@matthewcollis6259]

Thanks for making this! The TMB is on my bucket list and I absolutely plan to do it with no fixed plan so it's good to know this is possible out of the main season

[@chasel1305]

I’d love to see a video about how to fly and get to places on a budget

[@eric_hanson]

Mission-Imossible-style grab the airplane and try really hard to not let go.