This guidebook contains in-depth route description and mapping for both the classic 11 day anti-clockwise circuit and an alternative 10 day clockwise TMB circuit. This well-signed but demanding 170km route, starting from Les Houches or Champex, is suitable for fit walkers. The guidebook comes with a map booklet containing official 1:25,000 IGN mapping for the TMB route, and urban maps for the major centres of Chamonix, Courmayeur, Les Contamines, Les Houches and Champex. Complete with a French-English glossary, comprehensive notes about accommodation, facilities and transport, this guide provides all the information needed for planning and completing your trek. The Tour of Mont Blanc is one of the world's classic treks. Visiting France, Italy and Switzerland, the TMB passes through some of Europe's most spectacular mountain scenery, with views of the peaks and glaciers of the magnificent Mont Blanc massif.
An inspirational larger format guidebook to 20 summer treks in the Alps across Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France and Slovenia, including the classics such as the Tour of Mont Blanc and lesser-known routes like the Traverse of the Slovenian Alps. Perfect for planning, the treks included are: Tour of Mont Blanc, Tour of the Matterhorn, Tour of Monte Rosa, Walker's Haute Route, Tour of the Jungfrau Region, Tour of the Vanoise and Dolomites AV 1 and 2; (longer trans-Alpine routes) GR5 (Lake Geneva to Nice), Eastern Alps E5, Italian Alps GTA and the Traverse of the Slovenian Alps; and (for the Alpine adventurer) Alpine Pass Route, Tour of the Oisans, Tour of the Queyras, Tour of Mont Ruan, Stubai High Route, Zillertal High Route, Gran Paradiso AV2 and the Ratikon Hoehenweg. Outline schedules for each trek allow you compare the routes and become inspired to take up the challenge. Basic day-by-day route descriptions for each route are illustrated with maps and profiles, helping you choose the best routes to walk.
A guidebook to 50 day walks in the Mont Blanc region near Chamonix and Courmayeur, plus outlines of 4 multi-day treks around both sides of the Mont Blanc massif. The day walks are 2–13 miles (3–20km) in length and range from high-level walks to easy summits, mountain huts, viewpoints and mountain lakes, as well as less strenuous valley walks. The multi-day treks range from 14–33 miles (22–52km) and include Vallorcine to Plaine Joux and Servoz, the Aiguilles Rouges and the Italian Val Ferret. 1:100,000 sketch maps (1:200,000 scale for treks) included Bases include Les Houches, Chamonix, Argentiere and Courmayeur Information on access, accommodation and recommended mapping Walks are graded (1-3) according to difficulty Valley walks included for bad weather or rest days
Write guidebooks, make travel TV, lead bus tours? Cameron Hewitt has been Rick Steves’ right hand for more than 20 years, doing just that. The Temporary European is a collection of vivid, entertaining travel tales from across Europe. Cameron zips you into his backpack for engaging and inspiring experiences: sampling spleen sandwiches at a Palermo street market; hiking alone with the cows high in the Swiss Alps; simmering in Budapest’s thermal baths; trekking across an English moor to a stone circle; hand-rolling pasta at a Tuscan agriturismo; shivering through Highland games in a soggy Scottish village; and much more. Along the way, Cameron introduces us to his favorite Europeans. In Mostar, Alma demonstrates how Bosnian coffee isn’t just a drink, but a social ritual. In France, Mathilde explains that the true mastery of a fromager isn’t making cheese, but aging it. In Spain, Fran proudly eats acorns, but never corn on the cob. While personal, the stories also tap into the universal joy of travel. Cameron’s travel motto (inspired by a globetrotting auntie) is "Jams Are Fun"—the fondest memories arrive when your best-laid plans go sideways. And he encourages travelers to stow their phones and guidebooks, slow down, and savor those magic moments that arrive between stops on a busy itinerary. The stories are packed with inspiration and insights for your next trip, including how to find the best gelato in Italy, how to select the best produce at a Provençal market, how to navigate Spain’s confusing tapas scene, and how to survive the experience of driving in Sicily (hint: just go numb). And you’ll get a reality check for every traveler’s "dream job": researching and writing guidebooks; guiding busloads of Americans on tours around Europe; scouting and producing a travel TV show; and working with Rick Steves and his merry band of travelers. It’s a candid account of how the sausage gets made in the travel business—told with warts-and-all honesty and a sense of humor. For Rick Steves fans, or anyone who loves Europe, The Temporary European is inspiring, insightful, and fun.
At 15,781ft, Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in western Europe. All-in-one hiking route guide, maps and accommodations for the trail (105 miles, 168km) that circumnavigates the massif. Passing through France, Italy and Switzerland, is the most popular long distance walk in Europe. Includes 50 large-scale walking maps; 12 town maps and 2 overview maps. Full details of all accommodations and campsites, restaurants and inns; plus full public transport information. Includes day-walks.This guide includes: 60 maps - 12 town and village plans and 50 large-scale walking maps - at 1:20,000 - showing route times, gradients, where to stay, interesting features Itineraries for all walkers - whether walking the 105 mile (168km) route in its entirety, or sampling the highlights on day walks and short breaks Practical information for all budgets - where to stay (campsites, gîtes, hostels, B&Bs, lodges and hotels), where to eat, what to see Comprehensive background information - the Alps, flora and fauna, the history of mountaineering and trekking in the region and the conquest of Mont Blanc in 1786 by Bourrit and BalmatTown guides to Chamonix, Courmayeur and ArgentiereFull public transport information - for all access points Climbing Mont Blanc - practical information, guides, the route to the top
Move over traditional sightseeing, throngs of visitors, and tourist traps! Explore Europe on Foot gives travelers an alternative way to discover Europe. A hiking vacation offers countless rewards: the time to admire the tidiness of a village farm, soak in the rugged alpine view from a rocky perch, and absorb a country through the smells of its landscape and encounters with locals. Explore Europe on Foot is a complete guide to conceptualizing, planning, and executing the slow-travel hike (or hikes!) of a lifetime. Author Cassandra Overby tells you how you can spend all, or even just part, of your vacation enjoying scenery, small towns, and cultural experiences most travelers miss—all without carrying a big backpack. This guide offers all the nuts and bolts you need: how to choose a route that is right for you, how to plan, what to pack, what to expect, how to find accommodations and food, how to deal with challenges along the way, and so much more. These aren’t wilderness backpacking trips, but rather a wide range of town-to-town walks that offer the opportunity to have an authentic, affordable, restorative vacation. Travelers will also appreciate overviews of fifteen long-distance trails in Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey, with itineraries that range from one to fifteen days. For those unwilling to go all-in, Cassandra also offers tips on incorporating day-hike outings into a more traditional vacation. The focus is on how to craft that more immersive vacation so users of the guide will be able to apply what they learn to their own dream destinations. 15 Handpicked Walks include: Rota Vicentina, Portugal English Way, Spain Mont Saint-Michel, FranceTour du Mont Blanc, France and Italy Cinque Terre 2.0, Italy Lycian Way, Turkey Alpine Pass Route, Switzerland King Ludwig’s Way, Germany The Moselle, Germany The Ardennes, Luxembourg and Belgium The Lake District, England, UK West Highland Way, Scotland, UK Laugavegur Trek, Iceland The Sahara Desert, Morocco
A guidebook describing 40 trail running routes in the Chamonix Valley and around the Mont Blanc massif, visiting France, Switzerland and Italy. The routes, which range from 3.8km (2½ miles) to 168km (104 miles), are graded from 1 to 5 and categorised as trail running, fell running or skyrunning. Starting from Chamonix, Les Houches, Servoz, Champex, Courmayeur, Orsières and Vallorcine among others, and covering classic ultra trail routes as well as shorter day runs, there is something for every runner. Step-by-step route descriptions are accompanied by 1:100,000 mapping and route profiles, with notes on safety and useful tips for runners. Also included is a comprehensive equipment checklist plus information on running at altitude, adapting to the Alps, navigation, maps and mountain safety. GPX files for all routes are available for download after you have purchased the book by logging in to your Cicerone account. Renowned as a mecca for trail runners, the Chamonix Valley and Mont Blanc region is home to some of the greatest trail running races in the world, including the Tour des Géants and Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. The landscape, with its dramatic mountain scenery and ethereal vistas, offers diverse trail options and true adventure - the perfect playground for this exhilarating sport.
The Walkers' Haute Route is probably the single finest way of getting deep into the Alps. Trekking the Walkers' Haute Route, from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn, from Chamonix to Zermatt, you'll traverse one of the finest stretches of the Pennine Alps - the mountain range in the western Alps that stretches between Valais in Switzerland and Piedmont and the Aosta Valley in Italy. A 13-day walk over 11 ridges in 113 miles (180kms), it isn't technically demanding and the rewards are immense.
Details on each of the best walks through the Alps in France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Slovenia are enhanced by quality two-colour maps. There is special coverage of the classic Walker's Haute Route and the spectacular Tour du Mont Blanc as well as practical advice on language, gear, safety, food and accommodation.
