Ciao tutti! I just returned from Val d'Aosta a few days ago, and thought I'd report back on transportation details of that area--hopefully it's helpful. I took a train from Torino to Aosta, walked across the street to "Autostazione"--the bus agency--and bought a ticket for the bus to Courmayeur. I stayed in a B&B (L'Abris Des Amis--really nice!) about a 15-min walk north of Courmayeur (in La Saxe). The Arriva buses [ https://arriva.it/en/ ] were really convenient, running from Courmayeur up to Entreves where you stroll to the Funicular (Le Funivie) for Pointe Helbronner (a must...and not scary for those with fear of heights, such as me!!)! The buses go up two different valleys (Val Veny & Val Ferret); I took it up Val Ferret, to the trailhead of Rifugio Walter Bonatti (thanks so much for the tip, Brad!!!) for a magnificent hike! (Alltrails.com has lots of hiking trail info!) It was tricky at the end of the day to get on the bus back--they were filling up! (We took one continuing up the valley, and stayed on for the return route.) Sometimes the bus schedule can change; I was relying on the Rome2Rio website for bus times, & I missed a connection one time due to a recent change, so I spent a couple nice hours meandering through Aosta's old center (which is only a few blocks from the bus station). Fyi, you can now store a bag at the Aosta train station (quite a recent improvement!). To go from the Courmayeur area to Cogne/Gran Paradiso, you have to bus back to Aosta, and take a different line from there. [www.svap.it] From Cogne, you can take a free shuttle up to Valnontey (every 30 min), or Lillaz, or a few other places--very easy! I found it quite relaxing to take the bus. The main advantage of a car is the freedom--not having to schedule your day around the bus (although they run often, so it's not a big deal), or to be able to explore various small towns easily. But the cost of gas and rental, the parking hassle, and my own anxiety of driving on narrow windy mountain roads, is outweighed by taking the bus. (If I had young kids, I'd rent a car.) One last tip! In Courmayeur, buy your bus ticket(s) at the office there, often for 1 euro for a local stop (3.50euro to Rif. Bonatti and back)! If you buy it on the bus, they charge you an extra 4 euro per ticket!! So it's good to plan ahead. That's about it! My concise itinerary only whetted my appetite to return for more!! Happy travels!
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