Malpensa to Courmayeur: coach, train or car

Why there's no train

Older guidebooks and timetables still show Pré-Saint-Didier station, only 5 km from Courmayeur. Don't build your plans around it: the Aosta – Pré-Saint-Didier branch line shut at the end of 2015, and services never came back.

Trains now go no further than Aosta. From there you switch to a SAVDA bus: about an hour to Pré-Saint-Didier and a few more minutes on to Courmayeur. Counting the changes in Milan and Aosta, the journey stretches to around 5 hours.

There's a temporary complication too. Until spring 2027, buses are replacing trains on part of the line towards Aosta, so check your date on the Trenitalia website well beforehand.

Here the coach beats the railway

That's unusual for the Alps: the coach is more convenient than the train. Direct services from Milan and Turin take about three hours with no changes, whereas the route via Aosta takes about five.

The coach has one weak spot, and that's its timetable. It won't wait for your plane, and you still have to get from the airport to the coach station in Milan.

Cost and time compared

Operator figures were checked on 5 September 2026. For winter dates, confirm them again.

Where the motorway meets Mont Blanc

Courmayeur sits at the very end of the A5: the village has its own exit, and beyond it the Mont Blanc Tunnel begins. Almost the whole way from Malpensa is on toll motorways through the Aosta Valley.

Winter tyres or chains are mandatory. Our cars carry both, at no extra cost.

In 2026 the tunnel has no long closures. Until December it shuts only at night, mostly from 22:00 to 06:00. Extended closures return in 2027, so keep that in mind if you plan to carry on into France, to Chamonix, after Courmayeur.

Travellers from Geneva and Chamonix come in through the same tunnel. If your flight lands in Switzerland, that way round is often shorter.

Where to get out: the centre, Dolonne or Skyway

In winter the historic centre is a ZTL, and Via Roma is pedestrianised. If your hotel can be reached by car, the driver takes you to the entrance; if not, they stop at the edge of the zone. From Via Roma it's about a five-minute walk to the cable car.

There are further car parks in Dolonne and Entrèves. The Skyway Monte Bianco cable car doesn't start in the village but at Pontal station in Entrèves, and its car park fills up quickly in the morning. If you'd like to start the day on Mont Blanc, tell us and we'll drop you right at Skyway.

The 2026/27 season

The Courmayeur Mont Blanc ski area is open from 28 November 2026 to 11 April 2027. Two new ten-seater gondolas, Chécrouit and Maison Vieille, are in place for this season. The first lift goes up at 08:45 on weekdays and 08:25 on public holidays.

The City Ski Challenge runs from 28 to 31 January 2027; book your accommodation early for those days.

Fares to Courmayeur

Tap a row to book this route.

The fare is for the whole car and is fixed when you book. Motorway tolls, luggage, ski carriage and an hour's wait at the airport are all included. Child seats are free. The way back is 10% cheaper. You pay the driver when you arrive, by card or in cash, with no prepayment.

The driver follows your flight: if the plane is late, they'll meet you at the time it actually lands. On some routes a late-night arrival carries a night supplement; you see it when you book, and it doesn't change afterwards.

Making the choice

The direct coach, at €25–35 and three hours, works well if you land during the day without much luggage. The train via Aosta loses to it on both time and the number of changes.

A car makes sense when your plane comes in during the evening, when there are three or four of you with skis, or when you'd rather step out at your hotel door than at a coach station. Four people in a minivan pay about €115 each, and you're not tied to the one convenient departure of the day.