Why go
The French Alps have the highest mountain in Western Europe, Mont Blanc at 15,774 feet (4,808 m), and the largest interconnected ski areas on Earth. In winter you can ski all day across several valleys on one pass, and stop for a three-course lunch on a sunny terrace, for less than a few days at a big American resort. In summer the same lifts carry hikers, mountain bikers and climbers into high country with mountain huts, glaciers and lakes.
Below the peaks are towns worth a visit in their own right: lakeside Annecy, Évian on Lake Geneva, and Grenoble, a lively university city ringed by mountains. Nonstop flights to Geneva and fast trains from Paris make it all easy to reach.
Top towns and sights
Annecy
A canal-laced old town on one of the cleanest lakes in Europe, with turquoise water clear enough to swim in all summer. Walk the Vieille Ville and the triangular Palais de l'Isle, bike the lakeside path, swim at free beaches like Albigny, or take a lake cruise; tandem paragliders launch from the Col de la Forclaz above. It is 45 minutes from Geneva airport and very busy in July and August.
Chamonix
The original Alpine resort, hosting the first Winter Olympics in 1924, in a narrow valley under the Mont Blanc massif. It is a real town with a year-round population, pedestrian streets and plenty of restaurants. In winter it is serious skiers' terrain; in summer it is the base for the most dramatic lift rides and hikes in the Alps.
Aiguille du Midi
A two-stage cable car climbs from Chamonix to a rock needle at 12,605 feet (3,842 m) in about 20 minutes, one of the highest cable cars in the world. Up top: terraces facing Mont Blanc, a glass box called Step into the Void, and climbers setting off across the snow ridge. An adult round trip to the top costs €60.20–83 (about $67–93), depending on date and time slot; the mid-station Plan de l'Aiguille alone is €43. You must have a timed boarding number, so book on the official site; more slots are released the day before, and a few same-day tickets are sold at the counter. Children under 3 are not allowed, and it is not recommended under 5. The lift closes for annual maintenance each fall (November 2 to December 18 in 2026) and stops in bad weather; from December 19 it runs daily, 8:10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the last round-trip departure at 3 p.m.
Montenvers and the Mer de Glace
A cog railway from Chamonix climbs for about 20 minutes to Montenvers at 6,276 feet (1,913 m), overlooking the Mer de Glace, France's longest glacier. The €42.30 adult round trip covers the train and the small gondola down toward the ice; from there, about 170 steps lead to the ice cave carved into the glacier each year, and the Glaciorium explains glaciology. The ice cave and gondola close in the fall, and the train itself stops from early November to early December. Signs on the walk down mark where the ice reached in past decades, a sobering lesson in how fast the glacier is shrinking.
Évian and Lake Geneva
A Belle Époque spa town on the French shore of Lake Geneva, where you can fill a bottle for free at the Cachat spring. CGN paddle steamers and ferries cross to Lausanne in Switzerland in about 35 minutes; bring your passport. Nearby Yvoire is a flower-filled medieval fishing village.
Grenoble and the Bastille
The "capital of the Alps" is a university and research city. Ride the bubble-shaped cable cars, running since 1934, up to the Bastille fort for views of three mountain ranges and, on a clear day, Mont Blanc. A round trip costs €9.80 (about $11) and one way €6.60; cabins leave every 5–10 minutes, with late opening to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Hours vary by month, and it can close on Mondays in the off-season. The Musée de Grenoble has one of France's best fine-art collections outside Paris.
Vercors and Chartreuse
Limestone plateaus west of Grenoble with cliff-hung roads, caves, and the village of Pont-en-Royans, whose houses hang over the river. The Vercors was a Resistance stronghold crushed in 1944; the memorial at Vassieux tells the story. In Voiron, at the edge of the Chartreuse, the cellars of the monks' famous liqueur run tours.
Briançon and the Écrins
At 4,350 feet (1,326 m), Briançon is the highest city in France, with Vauban's UNESCO-listed fortifications and over 300 days of sunshine a year. It sits next to the Serre Chevalier ski area and the Écrins National Park, wild glacier country with hikes like the trail to the Glacier Blanc from Pré de Madame Carle.
Watch out
Lifts and mountain weather are unforgiving. At 12,600 feet, the Aiguille du Midi is cold even in August (often below freezing), and the thin air can make you dizzy or short of breath. Bring a warm jacket, sunglasses and sunscreen, and go early: clouds usually build by midday. Check the live webcams before you buy.
The Tour du Mont Blanc
The TMB is the most famous long-distance hike in Europe: about 105 miles (170 km) around the Mont Blanc massif through France, Italy and Switzerland, with roughly 33,000 feet (10,000 m) of climbing. Most people take 7 to 11 days, starting at Les Houches near Chamonix and sleeping in mountain huts (refuges), village inns and gîtes.
- The season is roughly mid-June to mid-September, when huts are open and snow has cleared from the high passes.
- Book huts months ahead for July and August; many reservations open in winter. The shared booking site is montourdumontblanc.com.
- Huts provide dinner, breakfast and dorm beds (half-board); bring a sleeping-bag liner, and cash in euros and Swiss francs, as not all huts take cards.
- Carry your passport, since you cross two borders on foot.
Shorter classics from Chamonix: Lac Blanc, a half-day hike on the sunny north side of the valley, and the Grand Balcon Nord from the Aiguille du Midi midway station down to Montenvers. See outdoors for hut etiquette and hiking safety.
Save money
If you will ride more than two lifts in Chamonix in summer, compare the price of single tickets with the MONT BLANC MultiPass (from €95.60, about $107, for one day; versions up to nine days), which covers the Aiguille du Midi, Montenvers and the valley's hiking lifts.
Skiing the French Alps: a guide for Americans
French ski areas are huge and high. Many were purpose-built in the 1960s and 70s above the tree line, with ski-in, ski-out apartment blocks; others are old farming villages with lifts. The purpose-built resorts have the best snow and convenience, the villages more charm.
Les 3 Vallées
The largest linked ski area in the world, with about 370 miles (600 km) of runs. Courchevel 1850 is the glamorous, expensive end, with designer shops and Michelin-starred restaurants. Méribel is in the middle, with chalet architecture and a big British presence. Val Thorens, at 7,546 feet (2,300 m), is Europe's highest resort, with snow reliability from late November to early May but little charm.
Val d'Isère and Tignes
High, snow-sure and steep, with a long season and huge off-piste. Val d'Isère is a stone village with nightlife; Tignes is a purpose-built resort around a lake, with a glacier. Strong for advanced skiers.
Paradiski
Two giant areas linked by the double-decker Vanoise Express cable car. Les Arcs has a funicular from Bourg-Saint-Maurice station, so you can travel from Paris by train with no car. Good value and family-friendly.
Chamonix
Separate, non-linked ski areas around a real town, aimed at strong skiers. The famous Vallée Blanche, about 12 miles (20 km) of off-piste down glaciers from the Aiguille du Midi, should only be skied with a mountain guide because of crevasses. Beginners and families are usually happier elsewhere.
Alpe d'Huez
Sunny, south-facing slopes reaching 10,925 feet (3,330 m) at the Pic Blanc, and La Sarenne, one of the longest black runs in the world at about 10 miles (16 km). About 1.5 hours from Grenoble.
Les Portes du Soleil
Around a dozen linked resorts straddling the French-Swiss border, including Avoriaz (car-free, high), Morzine (a real town) and Châtel. Close to Geneva, lower in altitude, so check snow before booking a late-season trip.
La Clusaz
A traditional village where Reblochon cheese is made, about 1 hour from Geneva and 40 minutes from Annecy. Smaller and lower than the giants, but authentic and family-friendly.
Season dates for 2026–27
High resorts open first: Val Thorens and Orelle open on November 21, 2026, and the full 3 Vallées links open on December 5, 2026, running to about April 18, 2027 (Méribel). Les Arcs opens December 12, 2026, with its last week April 17–24, 2027. Most other big resorts open in early to mid-December and close in mid- to late April; glacier and high areas like Val Thorens, Tignes and Val d'Isère often run into early May. Lower resorts such as La Clusaz and parts of the Portes du Soleil can close earlier in a thin snow year. Confirm exact dates on each resort's site before booking flights.
Watch out
French school winter vacations run in three staggered zones from early February to early March. Resorts and roads are packed on Saturdays (the standard changeover day), and lodging prices peak. Christmas–New Year is equally busy. January and late March are the best-value weeks.
Lift passes compared with the US
French lift passes cost a fraction of big US resorts. A six-day 3 Vallées pass, covering the world's largest linked area, was listed at €421 (about $470) for an adult on the official Méribel-Mottaret ticket site in October 2026, and early-season deals such as six days for the price of five are common. By comparison, a single walk-up day at Vail or Park City can exceed $300. Smaller French resorts are cheaper still. Prices vary by season period (off-peak, mid and late season), so the same pass costs less in early December or mid-April.
- Buy online a few days ahead to skip lines and sometimes get a discount; many resorts let you reload a hands-free card.
- Children, seniors (usually over 65 or 75) and families get discounts, and very young children often ski free; bring passports as proof of age.
- Beginners can buy cheaper passes for a few lifts near the village.
- Add the optional daily insurance (Carré Neige is about €3.50 per day in Méribel). Rescue on the pistes is billed to the injured skier, often hundreds of euros for a sled ride and more for an ambulance, and US health insurance rarely pays it upfront.
Different from home
There are no resort boundaries in the American sense. Anything off the marked, groomed pistes is off-piste: not patrolled, not avalanche-controlled, and entirely at your own risk, even if it is right next to a lift. Trail colors differ too: green, blue, red and black, where a French red is roughly an American blue to blue-black and a black is properly steep. Lunch on the mountain is a real sit-down meal, and nobody rushes you.
Ikon and Epic access
Both big American passes now include French terrain, which can make a ski trip to France almost free on the lift side if you already own one:
- Epic Pass: 7 consecutive days at Les 3 Vallées (Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens and the rest), its only French partner. Show your pass at a ticket office to collect a lift ticket; the mobile pass in the Epic app works as proof, but it is not scanned at partner lifts.
- Ikon Pass: 7 days (5 days on the Ikon Base Pass) in the Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley (Grands Montets, Les Houches, Le Tour/Balme, La Flégère and Le Brévent, direct to lift) and 7 days (5 on Base) in Megève. The Ikon Session Pass does not include France.
Partner terms change each season, so confirm 2026–27 details, blackout dates and redemption rules on epicpass.com and ikonpass.com.
Ski schools, rentals, and where to sleep
- Ski schools. The ESF (École du Ski Français) has red-suited instructors in every resort and runs group lessons, children's clubs (with a tiny-kids "Piou Piou" area), and private lessons. Independent schools like Oxygène, Evolution 2 and New Generation often have smaller groups and many English-speaking instructors. Book weeks ahead for Christmas and February.
- Rentals. Chains like Skiset, Intersport and Sport 2000 discount heavily for booking online in advance. Bring your own boots if you have them.
- Insurance. Ski-slope rescue and transport to a clinic are charged to you. Buy the resort's daily lift insurance (Carré Neige or similar) or make sure your travel insurance covers ski rescue, helicopter evacuation and repatriation.
Apartment (résidence)
The French norm. Cheap and ski-in, but small: a "studio 4 personnes" might be 270 sq ft (25 m²) with bunks in the hallway. Bed linen and cleaning may cost extra. Weeks usually run Saturday to Saturday.
Hotel
Usually sold with breakfast and dinner. Flexible on arrival day in many resorts, and good for short stays.
Catered chalet
A British-style formula: a chalet host cooks breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner with wine, usually six days a week. Rent the whole chalet for a group or book a room.
Luxury chalet or palace hotel
Courchevel has the highest concentration of "palace" hotels outside Paris. Private chalets come with chefs, drivers and spas.
Summer in the Alps
- Hiking. Resort lifts run from about late June to early September, and summer lift passes are often cheap or included with lodging.
- Via ferrata. Fixed cables, ladders and bridges on rock faces let non-climbers reach exciting places. Many routes are free; rent a harness, lanyards and helmet for the day at sports shops, or hire a guide.
- Lakes. Swim and paddle at Annecy, Lac du Bourget at Aix-les-Bains (France's largest natural lake), Lake Geneva, and the Serre-Ponçon reservoir in the south.
- Cycling the famous climbs. Alpe d'Huez's 21 numbered hairpins (about 8.6 miles, 13.8 km, averaging 8%), the Col du Galibier, the Col de la Croix de Fer, the Col de la Madeleine and the Col de l'Iseran, the highest paved pass in the Alps at 9,068 feet (2,764 m). High passes typically open from June to October. Rent a road bike or e-bike in Bourg-d'Oisans or Briançon.
- Glacier and summit trips. Climbing Mont Blanc takes fitness, acclimatization, mountaineering skills and, for almost everyone, a certified guide; the main route requires a confirmed hut booking. See outdoors.
Suggested itineraries
Three days: Annecy and Chamonix (summer)
- Day 1
Annecy
Fly into Geneva or take the TGV from Paris. Explore the old town, swim or rent a pedal boat, and watch sunset from the Pâquier lawn.
- Day 2
Lake loop to Chamonix
Bike or drive the lake shore to Talloires, then continue to Chamonix (about 1.5 hours). Evening stroll in town.
- Day 3
Aiguille du Midi and Montenvers
First booked cable car up the Aiguille du Midi, then down to the midway station to hike the Grand Balcon Nord to Montenvers and the Mer de Glace. Train back to Chamonix.
Five days: lakes, peaks, and passes (car)
- Day 1
Évian and Yvoire
From Geneva, drive the French shore of Lake Geneva to Yvoire and Évian. Optional ferry hop to Lausanne.
- Day 2
Chamonix
Aiguille du Midi in the morning, a valley hike or Montenvers in the afternoon.
- Day 3
Annecy
Old town, lake swim, and dinner of fondue or Reblochon.
- Day 4
Grenoble
The Bastille cable car and the Musée de Grenoble, with a detour through the Chartreuse.
- Day 5
Over the passes to Briançon
Drive via Bourg-d'Oisans (detour up Alpe d'Huez), the Col du Lautaret and Galibier (summer only), to Briançon's fortified old town. Return via Grenoble or continue to Provence.
One week: a ski trip
- Saturday
Arrive
Land in Geneva or Lyon, take a pre-booked shuttle or train to the resort, pick up rentals in the afternoon.
- Sunday to Friday
Ski
Take a lesson on day one to learn the area. Plan one long "safari" day across the whole linked area, one rest or spa afternoon, and one lunch at a famous mountain restaurant.
- Saturday
Depart
Leave early: the Saturday traffic jams to Geneva and through the Tarentaise valley are notorious.
Getting there and around
By air
Geneva (GVA) has nonstop flights from the New York area and easy one-stop connections from elsewhere, and is about 1 hr 15 min by car from Chamonix, 45 minutes from Annecy, and 2.5–3 hours from the Tarentaise resorts (Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens, Val d'Isère). The airport has a French sector, where you can rent a French-registered car and exit directly into France. Shared and private shuttle companies run door to door in ski season. Lyon–Saint-Exupéry is similar in distance to the Tarentaise and closer to Grenoble and Alpe d'Huez. See flights.
By train
From Paris Gare de Lyon, TGVs reach Chambéry in about 2 hr 50 min, Grenoble in about 3 hours, and Annecy in about 3 hr 40 min. In ski season, extra TGVs run to Moûtiers (for Courchevel, Méribel and Val Thorens) and Bourg-Saint-Maurice (for Les Arcs, Tignes and Val d'Isère), mostly on Saturdays, in about 4.5–5 hours. For Chamonix, take a TGV to Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet or Annecy and change to regional trains; the Mont-Blanc Express runs up the valley. An overnight Intercités sleeper runs from Paris Austerlitz to Briançon. Book on SNCF Connect; see trains.
Car or no car
For a ski week, you do not need a car: resorts are compact, with free shuttle buses, and many are car-free in the center. For summer touring between lakes and passes, a car is essential. Parking in resorts is often paid and limited.
Winter tire and chain rules
Under the Loi Montagne, from November 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, every car driving in designated mountain towns in 34 départements (including all of the Alps) must have either four winter tires or chains or snow socks in the trunk that fit at least two drive wheels. Only tires marked with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) count as winter tires; other "snow" tires, such as M+S only, must be paired with chains or socks. Signs mark the start and end of each covered zone. A separate round blue "chains required" sign means you must actually fit them.
Insider tip
Ask your rental company in writing for winter tires or chains, and practice fitting the chains in the parking lot. Many Americans have never put on chains, and the side of a snowy mountain road at dusk is a bad place to learn. Read driving in France for tolls, speed limits and mountain driving.
Food and drink
- Fondue savoyarde, a mix of Beaufort, Comté and Emmental melted with white wine, for dipping bread.
- Raclette, melted cheese scraped over potatoes, charcuterie and pickles.
- Tartiflette, a gratin of potatoes, bacon, onions and Reblochon.
- Diots (Savoie sausages cooked in white wine) and crozets (small square buckwheat pasta).
- Cheeses: Beaufort, Reblochon, Tomme de Savoie, Abondance and Bleu de Bonneval.
- Wines: crisp whites from Savoie (Jacquère, Altesse and Bergeron) and the red Mondeuse.
- Liqueurs: Génépi, an alpine herb digestif, and green and yellow Chartreuse, still made by Carthusian monks.
- From Grenoble: gratin dauphinois (potatoes baked in cream) and walnuts from the Isère valley.
The best mountain lunch spots fill by 12:30 p.m. in winter, so book the famous ones. See French food and French wine.
Seasons and 2026–2027 events
| When | What | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2026–Mar 31, 2027 | Winter tire or chain rules in force | Mountain zones only |
| Late Nov–early Dec 2026 | High-altitude resorts open | Val Thorens, Tignes, Val d'Isère usually first |
| Mid-December 2026 | Most resorts open | Christmas–New Year is peak season |
| Feb–early Mar 2027 | French school winter holidays | Busiest, most expensive weeks |
| Mid-April–early May 2027 | Resorts close | High resorts last; spring skiing is cheap and sunny |
| June 2027 | Annecy International Animation Film Festival | One of the world's top animation festivals |
| Late June–early Sept 2027 | Summer lifts and mountain huts open | Tour du Mont Blanc season |
| Late Aug–early Sept 2027 | UTMB trail running week, Chamonix | Chamonix fills up; book well ahead |
Shoulder seasons (May, October and November) are very quiet: many resort hotels, restaurants and lifts close entirely. Valley towns like Annecy, Chamonix, Grenoble and Évian stay open year-round. See when to go.
Tips for Americans
- Altitude sneaks up on you. Drink water, go easy on the first day, and use high-SPF sunscreen even in winter.
- Avalanche risk off-piste is real, and the French publish a daily danger rating from 1 to 5. Skiing off-piste without a guide, transceiver, shovel and probe is common here and kills people every winter.
- Card payments work almost everywhere, but small mountain huts may be cash-only. Carry euros, and Swiss francs if crossing into Switzerland.
- Emergency number: 112 works everywhere in the EU. Mountain rescue (PGHM) is very good.
- Geneva is in Switzerland, which is in the Schengen area but not the EU, so customs checks at the border are possible and Swiss prices are much higher. Carry your passport.
Combine the Alps with Lyon (1–2 hours away), the Jura, or a drive south to Provence and the Riviera. For ski and hiking basics across France, see outdoors; the regions hub has the full map.
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