GR
5 and GR52 Break Points.
* = Logical, recommended break points for multi-year trips; the
others can serve in emergencies. Some intermediate points with bus
service have not been listed.
Northern Alps:
Samoëns : 4-5 days'
walk from Lake Geneva, buses connect to Cluse RR Station on the
Chamonix line.
*Chamonix Valley : 6-8 days'
walk from Lake Geneva; trains run towards Annecy, with connections
to Paris, or towards Geneva.
*Landry (or Aime or Bourg St-Maurice, all on the Isère
River): 3-5 days'walk from the Chamonix Valley; trains go directly
to Paris via Albertville.
Tigne or Val d'Isère:
2 days' walk from Landry or Aime. Buses run to, respectively, Aime
or Bourg St.-Maurice.
*Modane:
4-6 days' walk from the Isère River; only 4 hours from Paris
on the main Paris-Rome train route.
Bardonnechia, Italy (off route):
2 days walk after Modane—Can be reached by taxi from Nevache
(a bit expensive) or from the GR5 at the Refuge de la Vallée
Etroite by continuing northeast down the valley, or from GR5B branching
northeast at the Col de l'Échelle, and walking down the highway.
Bardonnechia is the train stop in Italy after the tunnel from Modane
in France, about 4 1/2 hours from Paris.
Southern Alps:
*Briançon: 3-4 days from Modane. The train route
goes via Valance on the Rhone River south of Lyons, and takes 8
or 9 hours. There is one overnight train with sleeping "couchettes"
(bunks). An alternative is to take the three hour bus trip to Grenoble,
and continue to Paris from there in about 3 hours. The bus schedule
can be found at: http://www.vfd.fr/HorairesLignesRegulieres/Ligne35.htm
Chateau Queyras: 2 days from Briançon. Bus connects
with Montdauphin-Guillestre railroad station on the Briançon
- Valance line, which is 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours from Paris.
Ceillac: 3 days from Briançon. Bus connects with
Montdauphin-Guillestre railroad station on the Briançon -
Valance train line, which is 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours from Paris.
Larche: 5 days from Briançon. Some bus service to Gap
on the Briançon - Valance train line. The train takes 6 1/2
to 7 1/2 hours to reach Paris.
*St. Etienne-de-Tinée or Auron: On the GR5, 2 days from
Larche, Buses
run from these towns to and from Nice in 2 1/2 hours, but probably not on weekends outside of ski-season. Click here for a link to the bus schedule and fare. Connections
in Nice by train or air.
*Isola 2000 (on the author's special route or 3 to 4 days from Larche, by the author's recommended detours.): Bus service in 2 1/2 hours from Nice; for info click here.
Saint-Dalmas-Valdeblore: A 3 days' walk from St. Etienne-de-Tinée.
Bus to Nice.
Nice Route (GR5):
Levens or Aspremont: 5
days away from St. Etienne-de-Tinée. Local bus service takes
you to Nice in less than an hour. You can walk there in half of a day.
Menton Route (GR52):
St.-Dalmas-de-Tendé (off route): A couple of hours'
walk from the Refuge des Merveilles, this town lies on the Tendé-Sospel-Nice
train line. It is an escape route for those not willing to make
the day-long, 2,000 meter (7,000 foot) descent towards the Mediterranean.
Sospel: Only the physically injured should bail out here,
as the next day's descent into Menton on the GR52 is without question
one of the very best hiking days in the Alps. On the train line
from Tendé to Nice.
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