Turin and Mont Blanc
 

My husband and I have almost completed our itinerary for our upcoming, long awaited trip to Italy. We have everything planned except the first three days. Help! We are arriving in Turin (I still can’t remember why we chose Turin, but “it is, what it is”). There doesn’t seem to be much information on Fodors about Turin. We are meeting our traveling companions in Cinque Terre on Day 4 so would like to spend time in the Mont Blanc region. My husband loves beautiful scenery and long walks (as opposed to hikes). My wish is also for beautiful scenery, but not for complicated plans to get there or expensive places to stay. In a nutshell, we want:
How to get to the Mont Blanc area from Turin (please don’t say rent a car)?
Where to stay in the Mont Blanc region (not too expensive since we don’t want to blow our budget at the beginning of the trip?
Should we spend our first night in Turin (and then where should we stay in Turin without a car) and then move on to Mont Blanc?
Realistically, can we do a plan without a rental car? (I want to enjoy the scenery and not have to worry about the perils of driving)?
We would appreciate any help you could give us.

How to get to the Mont Blanc area from Turin (please don’t say rent a car)?
Where to stay in the Mont Blanc region (not too expensive since we don’t want to blow our budget at the beginning of the trip?

From Turin you can take a train to Aosta, from where you can take a bus via the Mont Blanc Tunnel to Chamonix, a sweet base for the Mont Blanc region.

Or you can train to Pre-St-Didier and then take one of the world's most thrilling aerial cable car rides over the awesome Mer de Glace to Chamonix. No need for a car and once in Chamonix there are many public transports going anywhere you will wish to go.

Great TR on Turin here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nd-bicerin.cfm

Hi SS - My recommendation would be to stay in Courmayeur - an attractive little resort on the Italian side of Mont Blanc.

From Courmayeur it's a 5 mins bus/taxi ride to the cable-car ride Pal mentions. The valleys at the foot of Mont Blanc - Val Veney and Val Ferret - are lovely walking country.

You may find these links useful:

http://www.courmayeur.it/courmayeur/...ita/multimedia
http://www.courmayeur.com/

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Thank you all so much for your help. My next step is to study the detailed map I just bought to check out distances. I am still wondering if this trip can be done without a car (after we get to the Mont Blanc area).

I think you have options from Courmayeur without a car - using public transport or local taxis. There are also organised excursions, I believe, in high season. When are you going?

You can find a info covering Courmayeur and the whole Valle d'Aosta area at:

http://www.regione.vda.it/turismo/te.../default_e.asp

Hope this helps ...

Steve

P.S. Alternatively you could stay further down the valley - which would give you the additional option of an excursion to the Matterhorn, of course.

We are planning to arrive in Turin On Sept 20. We are thinking this is still a good time for fewer tourists and cooler weather. Do you think September is considered "high season"?

No - in Valle d'Aosta and the mountain resorts like Courmayeur, high season is over by late Aug.

But September is still a good time to go - weather permitting, of course

Steve

I am not really familiar with Courmayeur but i do know Chamonix very well and there is a plethora of easy excursions by public transports from there to glaciers, the top of Mont Blanc by Mont Blanc Railway, etc. I've stayed there several times and never had a car - well we drove there once but the car never left the camping parking lot.