FrenchAlps
5
Day Itinerary •
France
Five days in the French Alps lets you explore the full extraordinary breadth of the finest mountain region in Europe, from the extraordinary Chamonix valley beneath Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, to the magnificent turquoise lake of Annecy, the extraordinary Vanoise National Park and the finest alpine villages of Megeve, Val d'Isere and Morzine. This route covers the complete French Alps. The extraordinary Aiguille du Midi summit at 3,842 metres, the Mer de Glace glacier, the finest Reblochon cheese country of the Aravis, the medieval canal town of Annecy, the extraordinary Gorges de la Bourne in the Vercors, the Vanoise glaciers and the finest mountain drive in France over the Col de l'Iseran.
Best Time To Visit
June to September for hiking, December to March for skiing
Getting There
Geneva airport (GVA) 1 hour to Chamonix, or TGV to Grenoble or Chambery
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 110 to 180 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Moderate, some high-altitude walking
DAY 1
CHAMONIX AND MONT BLANC
MORNING
AIGUILLE DU MIDI, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY CABLE CAR IN THE WORLD
The Aiguille du Midi cable car rises 2,807 metres in 20 minutes from Chamonix to the extraordinary summit platform at 3,842 metres, the most spectacular vertical ascent in the world. The face-on view of the entire Mont Blanc massif, the Matterhorn and across to Switzerland is extraordinary. The step into the void glass-floored viewing box is the most extraordinary single experience in the Alps. Book online weeks ahead. Return approx 67 euros. Drive: 15 min walk
MIDDAY
MER DE GLACE, THE LARGEST GLACIER IN FRANCE
The Mer de Glace is the largest glacier in France, 7km long and 200 metres deep, flowing down from the flanks of Mont Blanc. The Montenvers rack railway climbs to the extraordinary viewpoint in 20 minutes. The ice grotto carved inside the glacier each year is extraordinary. The markers showing the glacier's retreat over decades are extraordinary and profoundly sobering. Return train approx 34 euros. Drive: 20 min walk
AFTERNOON
CHAMONIX TOWN AND THE AIGUILLES WALK
Chamonix is the finest mountain town in France, its extraordinary centre beneath the Aiguilles de Chamonix lined with the world's finest mountain gear shops and climbers from every nation. The walk along the Arve river gives the most extraordinary face-on view of the Dru and Grandes Jorasses. The Maison de la Montagne with its remarkable climbing library and weather station is extraordinary. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Lac Blanc above the Flegere lift is the finest viewpoint in the Mont Blanc massif, its perfect reflection of the Grandes Jorasses and Aiguille Verte an extraordinary sight. The 2-hour hike from La Flegere cable car station is the finest day walk in the Alps. Cable car to Flegere approx 18 euros, hike entirely free. Almost no visitors compared to Chamonix centre.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Chambre Neuf, Chamonix Coffee at the foot of the Aiguille du Midi lift before the morning ascent. | Lunch: Le Monchu, Chamonix Outstanding tartiflette, fondue savoyarde and local Roussette de Savoie white wine. | Dinner: Le Bistrot, Chamonix Extraordinary Savoyard cuisine. Local raclette, charcuterie and Mondeuse red from the valley.
DAY 2
MEGEVE AND THE ARAVIS
MORNING
MEGEVE, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ALPINE VILLAGE IN FRANCE
Megeve is the most beautiful and elegant alpine village in France, its extraordinary medieval church, cobbled squares and timber-framed chalets entirely authentic despite its status as one of the finest ski resorts in the Alps. The extraordinary Wednesday and Saturday market sells the finest Reblochon, Beaufort and Tome des Bauges cheeses in France. The views to Mont d'Arbois are extraordinary. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
COL DES ARAVIS AND THE FINEST MOUNTAIN PASS IN THE NORTHERN ALPS
The Col des Aravis at 1,486 metres is the most extraordinary mountain pass in the northern Alps, its views of the Mont Blanc massif to the west and the Aravis chain to the east among the finest in France. The road from Megeve to La Clusaz passes through the finest alpine cheese-making country in France. The summit cross and the extraordinary panorama are unmissable. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
LA CLUSAZ AND THE ARAVIS CHEESE FARMS
La Clusaz is the finest traditional ski village in the Aravis, its extraordinary 12th-century church surrounded by mountain farms producing the finest Reblochon fermier in France. Visit a producer directly for an extraordinary tasting of cheese made from the milk of Abondance cows grazed on the extraordinary alpine meadows above. The Thones market on Friday morning is the finest cheese market in the Alps.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Gorges de l'Arve between Cluses and Sallanches is the finest hidden natural feature in the Mont Blanc approach, its 300-metre limestone walls entirely invisible from the autoroute above. The D1205 through the gorge is extraordinary. Free. Almost entirely unknown to visitors heading for Chamonix.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Boulangerie in Megeve Coffee and croissant in the finest alpine village before the market opens. | Lunch: Les Enfants Terribles, Megeve Extraordinary mountain lunch. Local Beaufort fondue and Roussette de Savoie. | Dinner: La Scierie, La Clusaz Outstanding traditional Savoyard cooking. Local trout, Reblochon tart and Mondeuse red.
DAY 3
ANNECY
MORNING
LAC D'ANNECY, THE CLEANEST LAKE IN EUROPE
Lac d'Annecy is the most beautiful alpine lake in France and the cleanest in Europe, its extraordinary turquoise water surrounded by limestone peaks. The cycle path around the entire 40km shore is the finest cycling route in the Alps. The extraordinary Chateau de Duingt on its promontory in the middle of the lake is the most photographed sight in Haute-Savoie. The morning light on the water at dawn is extraordinary. Free. Drive: 15 min walk
MIDDAY
ANNECY OLD TOWN AND THE MEDIEVAL CANALS
Annecy old town is the most extraordinary medieval canal town in France, its network of flower-decked arcaded houses reflected in extraordinary clear water. The Palais de l'Isle on its canal island is the most photographed building in the Alps. The Tuesday and Friday farmers' market is the finest in Haute-Savoie. The view from the chateau over the old town rooftops and the lake beyond is extraordinary. Drive: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
GORGES DU FIER AND THE LOVAGNY CHATEAU
The Gorges du Fier 10km west of Annecy is the most extraordinary river gorge in Haute-Savoie, its suspended walkway threading through a narrow slot of polished limestone above the roaring Fier torrent. The medieval Chateau de Montrottier above the gorge is the finest in the Annecy area, its extraordinary collection of armour and curiosities assembled over five centuries. Entry to gorge approx 7 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary village of Talloires on the eastern shore of Lac d'Annecy is the finest hidden village on the lake, its 11th-century Benedictine abbey now the finest hotel on the water. The walk from Talloires to the Ermitage Saint-Germain gives the most extraordinary panoramic view of the entire Lac d'Annecy. Free. Almost entirely unknown to day visitors from Annecy.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe on the Annecy lakefront Coffee at dawn on the lake shore before the boats arrive. The water colour at first light is extraordinary. | Lunch: Le Bilboquet, Annecy Outstanding fresh lake fish. Local fera, omble chevalier and Roussette de Savoie white wine. | Dinner: Le Clos des Sens, Annecy Two Michelin stars, finest restaurant in the Alps. Extraordinary local produce and Savoie wine list.
DAY 4
VAL D'ISERE AND THE VANOISE
MORNING
COL DE L'ISERAN, THE HIGHEST PAVED PASS IN THE ALPS
The Col de l'Iseran at 2,770 metres is the highest paved mountain pass in the Alps, its extraordinary summit road winding above the treeline through an extraordinary moonscape of rock and permanent snow. The view from the summit chapel over the Vanoise glaciers and the Grande Motte is extraordinary. Drive early before cloud builds. Open June to October only. Free. Drive: 20 min drive
MIDDAY
VAL D'ISERE AND THE VANOISE NATIONAL PARK
Val d'Isere is the finest high-altitude village in France, its extraordinary setting beneath the Rocher de Bellevarde and the Grande Motte glacier at 1,850 metres surrounded by the Vanoise National Park. The park is the first and finest national park in France, its extraordinary glaciers, ibex herds and marmot colonies the finest alpine wildlife in Europe. The walk from Val d'Isere to the Refuge du Prariond is extraordinary. Free. Drive: 1 hour drive
AFTERNOON
BONNEVAL-SUR-ARC, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE IN THE ALPS
Bonneval-sur-Arc is the most extraordinary and best-preserved alpine village in France, its extraordinary stone houses and barns clustered beneath the Pointe de Combe Froide entirely free of modern development by protected designation. The village has no telegraph poles, no neon signs and no cars in the historic centre. The surrounding Vanoise glaciers are extraordinary. Entry to village free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Refuge du Plan du Lac above Termignon in the Vanoise is the finest mountain refuge in the French Alps, its extraordinary position at 2,364 metres above the Lac du Mont Cenis giving views over the entire Vanoise glacier complex. The 2-hour hike from Termignon is the finest walk in the national park. Refuge meal approx 25 euros. Almost entirely unknown to foreign visitors.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Boulangerie in Val d'Isere Coffee before the early drive to the Col de l'Iseran. The summit is clearest before 9am. | Lunch: La Fruitiere, Val d'Isere Outstanding mountain restaurant. Local Beaufort raclette, charcuterie and Savoie wine. | Dinner: L'Ouillon, Bonneval-sur-Arc Extraordinary dinner in the finest village in the Alps. Local lamb and Savoie cheese.
DAY 5
GRENOBLE AND THE VERCORS
MORNING
GRENOBLE, THE ALPINE CAPITAL AND THE BASTILLE
Grenoble is the most extraordinary alpine city in France, its extraordinary setting at the confluence of the Isere and Drac rivers surrounded on three sides by limestone massifs. The Bastille fortress above the city, reached by the extraordinary bubble cable car over the Isere gorge, gives the finest panoramic view of three alpine massifs in France. The extraordinary Musee de Grenoble is the finest provincial art museum in France. Cable car approx 8 euros. Drive: 45 min drive
MIDDAY
GORGES DE LA BOURNE, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY CANYON IN THE VERCORS
The Gorges de la Bourne in the Vercors Regional Park is the most extraordinary river canyon in the French Alps, its extraordinary vertical limestone walls rising 400 metres above the turquoise Bourne torrent. The D531 through the gorge is the most dramatic road in the Vercors. The extraordinary Grottes de Choranche, a cave system of extraordinary stalactites and underground lakes, is the finest cave in the Alps. Entry approx 12 euros. Drive: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
THE VERCORS PLATEAU AND THE VILLAGE OF PONT-EN-ROYANS
The Vercors is the finest hidden plateau in the French Alps, its extraordinary limestone tableland of caves, forests and alpine meadows the most beautiful and least-known massif in France. The extraordinary village of Pont-en-Royans, its coloured houses cantilevered over the Bourne gorge on wooden stilts, is the most extraordinary village in the Vercors. The Resistance memorial at the Col de la Croix Perrin is extraordinary. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Chartreuse massif north of Grenoble, home of the Grande Chartreuse monastery where the monks have made Chartreuse liqueur since 1737, is the finest hidden massif in the French Alps. The monastery is closed to visitors but the extraordinary Musee de la Grande Chartreuse tells its story. The gorge road from Saint-Laurent-du-Pont is extraordinary. Entry to museum approx 7 euros.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe on Place Grenette, Grenoble Coffee in the finest cafe square in the Alps before the cable car opens. | Lunch: Auberge de Malatras, Vercors Outstanding local Vercors lunch. Wild mushrooms, local cheese and Clairette de Die sparkling wine. | Dinner: A Ma Table, Grenoble Extraordinary creative cuisine in the Alpine capital. Local Chartreuse liqueur digestif is mandatory.
Where To Stay
Chamonix, Night 1 Hotel Mont Blanc or Le Morgane. Central, massif views. Approx 120 to 220 euros. Annecy, Nights 2 to 3 Hotel du Palais de l'Isle in the old town. Approx 100 to 180 euros per night. Val d'Isere or Grenoble, Nights 4 to 5 Hotel Christiania Val d'Isere or Hotel Europole Grenoble. Approx 100 to 200 euros.
Top Tips
1. Book Aiguille du Midi cable car online weeks ahead. It sells out before 8am on peak summer days.
2. Annecy old town at dawn before tourists arrive is the most extraordinary small city in the Alps.
3. The Col de l'Iseran at 2,770 metres is the highest paved pass in the Alps. Drive it before 9am.
4. Reblochon cheese from a fermier producer in the Aravis is extraordinary. Buy at the Thones market.
5. The Lac Blanc hike above Chamonix is the finest viewpoint in the entire Mont Blanc massif. Free.
6. The Vercors plateau is the finest hidden natural region in the French Alps. Almost no foreign visitors.
Total Budget
110 to 180 euros/day