Looking to escape? Here’s a recent trip a local reader took across three countries in Europe. Check it out, then find more reader travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/.
FRANCE, ITALY, SWITZERLAND: After training for several months on Bay Area trails like Mission Peak, Fremont’s Jojy Michael joined a group of college friends and hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc. A popular trek that spans three countries in Europe and includes the highest point of the Alps, the journey isn’t for the faint of heart. “We completed the tough but exhilarating 100 miles with average daily elevation gains of about 3,000 feet in 10 days,” Michael said.
TRAVEL TIPS: The best time to hike Tour du Mont Blanc is from late June to early September. “Most folks start from Chamonix, France, and hike counter clockwise around Mont Blanc,” Michael said. “It goes without saying that it is important to be fit and have the right gear for the 100-mile hike. Most of us stayed in hotels but a few spent some nights in rustic but comfortable huts called refugios.
“Unless you plan to carry all your luggage in your backpack, you can make use of a delivery service that will move luggage between hotels/refugios. There is public transportation between towns along the trail that one can use if you need to skip that day’s hike.
“Be sure to spend an extra day at the midpoint of the hike, Courmayeur, Italy, to take a gondola to Aiguille du Midi.
“TMB is quite popular thanks to blogs like Rick Steve’s “Best Hike of My Life,” so be sure to book your hotels and refugios several months before your trip!”
Join the fun! Send a photo of yourself on your latest adventures — local, domestic or international — to jmastrodonato@bayareanewsgroup.com. Tell us where you are, who everyone is and where they’re from, and share a travel tip or two to help fellow readers go there, too.