Via Francigena Camino Switzerland: Gran San Bernardo Pass to Ivrea - 9 Days

The walk starts at Gran San Bernardo Pass and finishes in Ivrea, in northwest Italy. The most convenient airport is Geneva (GVA), with good international connections. From Geneva Airport, trains run to Martigny, then continue to Orsières (changing at Sembrancher). From Orsières, a connecting TMR bus travels directly to Gran San Bernardo Pass. Book Swiss rail tickets in advance through SBB.

Those travelling via Milan can connect from Milano Centrale, travelling via Martigny and Orsières to reach the pass. Travellers arriving via Turin can travel through Aosta and then continue by bus to Gran San Bernardo.

The walk ends in Ivrea, from where trains connect to Turin and Milan, both offering good onward rail and air connections. Turin (TRN) and Milan's airports (MXP and LIN) are reachable by train from their respective city centres. As with all rail travel in Italy, remember to stamp your ticket at the platform machine before boarding. Inspectors treat an unstamped ticket as unpaid travel, regardless of whether you have paid.

This walk is available from April to October, with no fixed start days. The Gran San Bernardo Pass sits at 2,469 metres, and timing matters. July and August offer the most reliable conditions for the crossing, when snow has fully cleared. June and September are also fine, with settled weather through the valley stages to Ivrea. April, May and October are possible but conditions at the pass can be wintry; check carefully before setting out. Pack warm layers and waterproofs whatever the month.

Easy to moderate. Daily walks average 16.1 kilometres with around 629 metres of ascent and descent, and a terrain difficulty rating of 5 out of 10. The terrain is uneven in places, so sturdy walking boots with good ankle support and reliable grip are essential.

Elevation is the primary training consideration for this route. Include regular hill climbs in your preparation; a treadmill, stair climber, or local grandstand works well if hills are not accessible. Build up to covering around 21 kilometres comfortably in a single day and include back-to-back walking days to prepare your body for consecutive days on the trail. Balance and lower-body strength exercises such as squats, lunges, and single-leg stands will help on the uneven ground.

You will be provided with comprehensive daily walk notes, detailed maps, and GPX tracks compatible with your own device.

You must hold adequate travel insurance for your trip, including cover for personal liability and accidental injury and illness. For all trips involving international travel, your policy must also include emergency medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation cover. We strongly recommend your policy also covers trip cancellation and curtailment, and loss of or damage to luggage.

A cancellation fee usually applies if you cancel after your booking is confirmed. Travel insurance with cancellation cover will generally cover this fee, so it's worth arranging your policy at the time of booking.

Full insurance requirements are set out in our booking terms and conditions.

A detailed information pack and itinerary will be sent to you around six weeks before departure, covering everything you need to know for a seamless experience. In the meantime, our team is always on hand to answer any questions.

For your safety and well-being, we are unable to accept bookings for solo walkers on this self-guided trip. The remote nature of some tracks and limited mobile reception mean that walking alone presents a higher risk in case of emergencies.

Luggage transfer is included in your package and is normally provided by the accommodation itself.
Please clearly mark all your belongings with your name and put a small note with the name of the next accommodation in order to indicate where the bags should go next (check your accommodation list). Also ask the accommodation owner where the bags should be left in the morning. Labelling your belongings prevents mix ups, delays and loss.
Bags should be ready and at the reception or store room by 9:00 hrs.
If you are unable to walk, you can always ask, if the luggage transporter can take you with him when transporting your baggage, but this is not always possible and sometimes you have to pay a small fee locally. In some countries there are special insurances for transporting peoples and sometimes the car is not suited for transporting persons.
When you travel with public transport you always take your luggage with you unless specified differently.