On The Route des Grandes Alpes
We take to the road and drive down the Route des Grandes Alpes in the French Alps. From Thonon-les-Bains on Lac Léman the Route provides an amazing alpine experience.
Cycling the Route du Parpaillon
The Route du Parpaillon in the Vallée de l'Ubaye, southern Alps. The Tunnel du Parpaillon is the highest road tunnel in Europe, popular for walkers and cyclists and with stunning mountain scenery.
MountainPassions is the premier online source of independent, expert insight and information for skiers and anyone planning to enjoy the mountains of France.
Walking Tour of the Vanoise National Park
Summer Activities
Sometimes known as the Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise, one of the great beauties of this tour, apart from the superb scenery, is that you remain at altitude and need only touch tarmac road for 50m from start to finish.
The Tour is well provided with mountain refuges which provide simple accommodation in stunning mountain locations and will provide you with memorable experiences and a chance to meet like-minded people. We asked Mark Tennent from Simply Savoie (Guided Walking and Via Ferrata Holidays) to give us a flavour of this magnificent tour. Read the feature
Adventure Time: All About Via Ferrata
Summer Activities
Via Ferrata allows you to climb rock faces normally only accessible to rock climbers.
Surprisingly, via ferrata routes don't require all the techniques of rock climbing, so they're accessible to a wide range of people. Qualified mountain activity specialist Mark Tennent reveals how it all works, and just what you need to know to get you started on your own adventure this summer.
Read the feature
Top Ten Summer Activities
Summer Activities
Before you do anything be sure to check out our list of great ideas, designed to help you make the most of your next summer holiday in the mountains.
Whether you plant to relax and unwind or push yourself to the limit, we think there’s no better setting than the mountains of France. There are countless activities to choose from, fantastic local food to try, traditional skills to discover and a wealth of history to explore among picturesque mountain hamlets and larger heritage sites. See our Top 10
Why you might finally decide it’s time
to holiday in the mountains this summer
Summer Activities
Something of a revolution has been quietly transforming the face of French mountain tourism, so we decided it was high time we took a look at just what has changed. As a result, we reckon that this year's summer visitors are going to be mightily impressed.
Developers have responded to raised market expectations and created premium self-catering accommodation with high levels of comfort and onsite services, all at prices not normally available to skiers and winter visitors.
Independent hoteliers and restaurateurs have followed suit, and now summer visitors can enjoy a huge range of mountain activities, along with stylish classic (or, if you prefer, contemporary) mountain chic. Read the feature
Great family Savings with the MultiPass
Summer Activities
The Portes du Soleil are justifiably popular with winter skiers, but this beaufitful and highly accessible area also has a lot to offer in summer.
The MultiPass gives holidaymakers access to 55 activities and attractions for just €1 a day. It has proved so successful hotels and apartments in Morzine that offer the Multi Pass were over twice as busy
as those that didn’t and in 2010 Châtel reported 2 and a half times more use of lifts by walkers than before
the Multi Pass.
The MultiPass is opening up the mountains to everyone and making it possible to have a great value family holiday without breaking the bank. Read the feature
Driving The Route des Grandes Alpes
Scenic Touring
From Lac Léman to the shores of the Mediterranean, the legendary Route des Grandes Alpes takes in a succession of truly breathtaking mountain scenery.
Our in-depth guide, written from experience on our own trip following The Route, will help you plan your drive, and includes ideas for accommodation, restaurants and places to see.
Read the full feature
Mexican Music & Dance Returns To...
Summer Activities
EVERY AUGUST the Vallée de l’Ubaye celebrates its historic links with Mexico in a Latino-Mexicain festival. For ten days or so the market town of Barcelonnette is enlivened by the musical tempo and colourful costumes, creating a unique ambiance of joy and conviviality.
Read the feature
Photo: © Claude Gouron
The Lost Alpine Route (by mountain-bike)
Summer Activities
In the Southern French Alps an old, long-abandoned mountain pass built by the military scales the wild, rugged Massif du Parpaillon and still appears on larger-scale maps.
Was it, we wondered, still possible to follow it from end to end? We were determined to find out.
Ultimate off-road cycling on the legendary Route du Parpaillon.
In The High Alpages: Beaufort Cheese
Tradition & Nature
It was an unforgettable journey up a rough mountain track to visit Conchette - summer home to alpagiste Jean-Pierre Blanc. Amid the highest of mountain pastures above the Lac de Roselend, in the Beaufortain region of the French Alps, M Blanc creates award winning Chalet Beaufort d'Alpage cheeses. We observed the process, then tasted the wonderfully complex flavours derived from the rich Alpine grasses and wildflowers. Read the feature
Travel to France by train...
Travelling to France this summer can be a much more relaxing affair with .
Accessible Cool
Find modern yet vintage style watches, jewellery, leather goods, sunwear, apparel, and footwear for men and women
Free postage on all orders at Fossil
Self-drive mountain holidays in France
Travel to France by ferry and some of the best summer scenery in the world. Enjoy the freedom of taking unlimited baggage and up to 9 people per car via .
Book your journey with P&O Ferries
Service and Comfort with SWISS
Year round flights from the UK to Geneva offer a huge choice of stunning holiday destinations throughout the Alps.
When the snows have retreated for another year, the mountains reveal a whole new side to their personality. Ski terrain reverts to lush pastures erupting with countless wildflowers and grazed by the dairy cattle who provide the rich milk for a host of celebrated mountain cheeses.
The backdrop to it all is the kind of scenery you can only truly appreciate when you see it at first-hand. And if walking or mountain-biking isn't your style you can discover much of the scenery on some of the world’s finest grand touring routes...
