The planned TMB permit system
From 2027 onwards Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) trekkers will need to book accommodation in advance and register to obtain a permit. As of October 2026 details have not been finalised but are expected soon. The headline changes are:
- Accommodation must be booked in advance and a permit obtained.
- No wild camping/bivouacking will be allowed. A ‘green patrol’ of rangers will police this. Fines can be imposed.
- The clear intent is to make the TMB booking-only and so control the trail environment better. Book early for 2027.
- At present this applies only to the 7 French communes on the tour, working with the regional authorities.
Hiking Tour du Mont Blanc
The Tour du Mont Blanc is available as a printed guidebook or digital eBook. The guide is also accessible through the Cicerone app for GPS-enabled navigation on the trail.
More informationWhy is a permit system being introduced for the TMB?
In recent years, the trekker numbers have increased substantially, up 50% since 2022 to an estimated 90,000pa. Uncontrolled bivouacking has proliferated; trash and excrement have been left around the trail. Villages on the trail have been inundated by luggage transfer vehicles. Incredibly, there have been reports of trekkers with wheelie cases! A general view has developed that this cannot continue.
Where and how do I register?
Not yet known. If planning for 2027, it’s best to get accommodation booked early. The booking sites have opened.
What about Italy and Switzerland?
At present Italy and Switzerland are not part of the scheme. In recent years both countries have taken steps to limit bivouacking and ensure formal sites are available – Val Veny, Courmayeur, Italian Val Ferret, La Fouly, Champex etc. My perception from the trail is that it seems less of a problem in Switzerland and Italy, perhaps because the walkers are TMB-only by that stage and not day walkers, and wild camping is not permitted. If Italy and Switzerland join, we will let you know in newsletters etc.
What powers will the rangers have? Can they kick me off the trail?
This is unclear. How would a resistant wild camper be removed? Fines are proposed. We will see what develops, but there is a clear determination to solve the trail issues.
How will I be able to prove I have accommodation booked?
Unclear, possibly self-registration. Probably places booked through the main accommodation sites will have some sort of link to the permit system.
What will the permit cost?
A cost for the permit has not been finalised. But a number of €35 has been mentioned for fines.
What about GR5 trekkers?
The GR5 joins with the TMB between Brévent and the Col du Bonhomme – roughly two stages. This is unclear, but my guess will be that the same system will apply.
What about the refuge on the Col de Balme – is it in France or Switzerland?
It’s right on the border. Strictly it’s in Switzerland; the postal address is Trient, although it does have a French phone number. We will find out soon enough whether it’s part of the scheme.
Will more accommodation be provided?
Again, unclear. With a plan to control numbers, there may not be more accommodation in remote areas of the trail. One suspects there may be more campsite places over time, and the trekking season might extend to the end of September with huts open for longer, weather allowing.
The refuge at Col de la Croix du Bonhomme is closed for rebuilding. How will that affect the trail?
The hut will be shut until the summer of 2029 at least. This creates a significant bottleneck and should probably be one of the first places to sort out. It’s possible some accommodation will be provided there. See comments below on organising trail bookings.
What do you recommend for 2027?
The busiest months are July and August. If you can work around these, then we recommend you do so. June is beautiful and still warming but perhaps take microspikes for some of the higher passes. September is generally settled (after a traditional storm at the end of August), a bit cooler. But huts will start to close after mid-month.
Book early on the montourdumontblanc.com and autourdumontblanc.com sites. 2027 might be a year to book through an agency/trekking company while things settle down.
How can I approach doing the bookings?
The points with least accommodation will be Bonhomme in the south, Trient in the north and between Argentière and Les Houches above Chamonix. The best plan is to sort these out early. There should be few issues elsewhere on the trail.
After Les Contamines, there are three refuges on the route to Bonhomme (Nant Borrant, La Balme and Refuge des Prés, a bit off route). Then there are the auberges in Les Chapieux, and the refuge at Les Mottets. Strong walkers could reach the high and remote Refuge Robert Blanc or Elisabetta in Italy in a long day.
In Trient there are two fairly substantial auberges and a refuge with camping at Le Peuty. Options at Les Grandes (off the main route) and at the Col de Balme are possibilities.
Between Argentière and Les Houches there is a limited amount of accommodation – at Lac Blanc with wonderful views, at La Flégère, and at the tiny but stunning Bellachat. But with cable cars at La Flégère and Planpraz, there is always the option to drop to a valley hotel or campsite and travel with a lighter pack the next day.
Should I do another trail and come back to the TMB next year when systems are in settled in?
The TMB is certainly beautiful, a wonderful trek. The system will doubtless take a bit of time to bed down. But it’s not the only trek. Cicerone has over 50 guides to alpine treks as well as another 40 to trekking worldwide and 50 in the UK, so there is plenty of choice. Here are few ideas:
In France and the French Alps
- Find out about the Vanoise, a trekking wonderland 75km south from Mont Blanc.
- The Écrins or Queyras or the Alpes-Maritimes.
- Or try the Pyrenees on the GR10, GR11 or for the tough the Pyrenean Haute Route.
Elsewhere in the Alps
- The Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt.
- The trails in Italy’s Gran Paradiso and the Giants Trail just over the border from Mont Blanc.
- Several treks in the Bernese Oberland.
- The valley tours in the Val d’Hérens and Val d’Anniviers in the Arolla and Zinal guide.
- One of the great treks in the Stubai, Zillertal or Hohe Tauern.
- Go east to Slovenia on the Slovenian High Route or the Juliana Trail round the Julian Alps.
- In Italy the Alta Via routes are wonderful but also busy so book early.
One of the UK’s great long-distance treks
- Such as the Coast-to-Coast, or 20 other routes.
How do I keep up to date on the system?
Exact details will come in the next months. We will update through newsletters and Cicerone’s social channels when we know.
In conclusion, book early, keep an eye out for the registration scheme. We will post details online when things are clearer.
About Jonathan Williams, guidebook author:
A proud Yorkshireman, Jonathan first climbed a mountain before he was born. Although he first met Lesley at sea, they have spent many years exploring mountains and trails in Britain and Europe. After nearly 25 years as Cicerone's publisher and managing director, he now supports the team whilst exploring, updating and writing guides. He has developed UK guides and walked throughout Europe, but his special subject is the Alps and Switzerland. He has worked on guidebooks including Chamonix to Zermatt: the Walker's Haute Route, Trekking in the Vanoise, the Swiss Via Alpina and the Tour du Mont Blanc, as well as walking guides to Zermatt and Saas Fee, Arolla and Zinal and the Bernese Oberland.
