Summer in the French Alps
Most of us think of the French Alps as a winter playground, but once the snow melts they reveal an entirely different, and arguably even more beautiful, side. Resorts such as Chamonix, Morzine and Megeve trade their ski lifts for hiking boots and mountain bikes, and the prices drop dramatically compared with the peak ski season.
The walking is the great draw. Hundreds of waymarked trails thread through alpine meadows carpeted with wild flowers, past tumbling waterfalls and up to high cols with views of Mont Blanc that simply take your breath away. Many of the cable cars keep running through summer, so you can ride effortlessly to altitude and then stroll back down at your own pace.
For the more energetic there is white-water rafting, paragliding off the high ridges, via ferrata routes and some of the finest mountain biking in Europe, with lift-served downhill trails for all abilities. Families, meanwhile, will find lakeside beaches, gentle nature walks and farm visits where children can meet the cows whose milk goes into the region’s famous cheeses.
Add in long, warm days, cosy chalets at a fraction of the winter rate and the chance to enjoy a hearty tartiflette without first having to ski for it, and a summer in the French Alps starts to look like one of the smartest holidays you can book.
