Where to Leave Your Car During the Tour du Mont Blanc? (Complete Guide)

Vehicle logistics is every hiker's headache before setting off on the Tour du Mont Blanc. You pack your bag, plan your stages, check the weather — and then comes the question you keep putting off: where do you leave your car for the 7 to 11 days the trek takes?

Unlike a day hike, the TMB means handing over your car without being able to watch it or step in if something goes wrong. Here is a complete overview of the options available in the valley, with their real advantages and limits.

The different parking options

Free car parks (Prarion, Bellevue)

Le Prarion and the Bellevue gondola car park, in Les Houches, are the two free car parks most used by TMB hikers. Their main advantage is obvious: it's free, and they sit a few minutes' walk from the official start of the trail.

But free parking has a hidden cost. In peak season (July-August), these car parks are full by 7-7:30am. A hiker arriving mid-morning after several hours on the road often leaves with no solution. And over 7 to 10 days away, the problem isn't just finding a spot: it's leaving a vehicle completely unsupervised, in a car park open to everyone, often with no lighting and no cameras.

• Saturation: full from dawn in high season, including some June weekends.
• No surveillance: no fence, no camera, no supervision while you're away.
• Risk of towing: long-stay tolerance isn't always official or guaranteed from one season to the next.

Paid public car parks in the valley

Chamonix, Saint-Gervais, Le Fayet: the valley's paid public car parks offer more spaces, but rarely a solution suited to a week of parking. Most display an official time limit (24h, 48h, sometimes 72h maximum), beyond which the vehicle can be fined or towed.

In car parks with no explicit time limit, the daily rate (€10 to €20 depending on the town and season) ends up adding to a significant sum: up to €140-200 for a 9-to-10-day TMB, with no guarantee of an available spot on arrival and no enhanced night-time surveillance.

The ideal solution: private parking with a local host (ParkTMB)

Between uncertain free parking and public rates with no guarantee, there's a third option: booking a private spot with a valley resident via ParkTMB. Your car stays on a private, enclosed, often lit property for the entire duration of your trek — with a reachable host in case of the unexpected.

3 golden rules before leaving your vehicle for a week

1. 1Leave nothing visible inside: bags, GPS units, chargers, documents — any visible item in the cabin is an invitation. Empty the car completely, including the boot if it's visible from outside.
2. 2Disconnect the battery if your vehicle allows it: over 7 to 11 days, this avoids a flat battery on your return and limits electrical risks during a long standstill. A simple battery cut-off switch or disconnecting the negative terminal is enough.
3. 3Park properly, without obstructing anything: an obstructive or badly positioned car draws attention (and fines) far faster than a discreet, correctly parked one — especially in a private space shared with other vehicles.

Where to book your spot with total peace of mind?

Find our verified private spots in the main TMB starting towns: Les Houches, Chamonix, Le Fayet and Les Contamines. Book online, rate fixed in advance, free cancellation up to 48h before your arrival.