Rail day trips from Courmayeur, Italy

[magpiespy]

I'm going to be in Courmayeur for a week in early April and am looking for ideas for some railway days out. It seems easy enough to get to Chamonix by bus, which is on the French rail network. There are two rack railways nearby which I will probably visit - le tramway du Mont Blanc and train du Montenvers. Is there anything else, especially of railway interest, worth a day trip in the area? Perhaps something in Switzerland, which is quite nearby? On the Italian side, the nearest line appears to have closed about 20 years ago unfortunately. I would be grateful for any suggestions.

 

[sleepy_hollow]

I'm going to be in Courmayeur for a week in early April and am looking for ideas for some railway days out. It seems easy enough to get to Chamonix by bus, which is on the French rail network. There are two rack railways nearby which I will probably visit - le tramway du Mont Blanc and train du Montenvers. Is there anything else, especially of railway interest, worth a day trip in the area? Perhaps something in Switzerland, which is quite nearby? On the Italian side, the nearest line appears to have closed about 20 years ago unfortunately. I would be grateful for any suggestions.

From Chamonix the narrow gauge railway continues to Vallorcine with a connection to Martigny advertised as the 'Mont Blanc Express'.

I think there are also circular tickets available from Courmayer to Chamonix and vice versa combining the bus through the tunnel and the cable cars over the top via the Aiguille du Midi - railway free public transport, but spectacular.

 

[Iskra]

I would recommend the rack railways and cable cars.

When I visited a few years ago, the mainline service was entirely suspended.

Chamonix is a stunning place though, so I’m sure you will have a great time.

 

[sleepy_hollow]

It has to be said that if you take the Mont Blanc Express, get out at Vallorcine and take the cable car up the hill from there you find yourself on an undulating moor on the Swiss border looking back down the Arve valley at the much more spectacular glaciated mountains around Chamonix at a distance of several km. In the UK the valley down to Martigny might be spectacular, but in the Chamonix area it is probably unremarkable. My views may be coloured by having been up from Vallorcine on a summer day of low cloud.

If in Chamonix for a week much better to use the cable cars to the spectacular view points, although in April it would traditionally be rash to suggest the balcony paths as anything but winter mountaineering walks. In spring, the cable cars are traditionally intended for access to the ski areas.

My recollection of the main line route within France from Lyon St Gervais is that it cuts across the grain of the country and is quite spectacular, in an unglaciated way.

 

[magpiespy]

Thanks to all who replied. I ended up taking the bus through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Chamonix. The bus stop is very close to Chamonix-Aiguille du Midi rail station, and I initially looked for a connection there, which was very tight. However Swiss-bound trains in the morning have a very long layover in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc station, and it proved easy to walk there in plenty of time for the train to Martigny via Vallorcine.

The Mont Blanc express to Martigny is highly recommended. One particular highlight was the Tunnel des Montelets - a single track combined road/rail tunnel which has to be seen to be believed! On the Swiss side of the border, the line runs along the side of a steep gorge and offers spectacular views across to the mountains on the other side. The line is third rail electrified with a number of rack sections, and some steep non-rack sections have short lengths of overhead electrification, presumably to provide extra power when climbing. The descent into Martigny was sensational - a twisting steep drop down the side of the gorge.

Martigny station was remarkably busy - in the 15 minutes I was there I think there were a good ten train movements, including a German freight and a propelling wagon shunt. I took a train to Saint Maurice, where I had a six minute connection for Bex. No problem in Switzerland of course - this was an advertised itinerary and one of four sub 10 minute connections I made in the day.

Bex has a rack tramway/railway climbing to Villars-sur-Ollon, a ski resort from where another rack railway climbs well up into the snow. Time did not permit me to go as far as Col-de-Bretaye, and I descended by bus to Aigle, from where I returned to Martigny and then retraced my steps back to Italy.

I can highly recommend this outing, which cost approximately £105 when booked the day before travel.