Hi. We are a family of 5 (2 children age 11) traveling from Avignon to Paris via French Alps. We are looking to spend 3 days in the Alps, interested in alpine hikes with good views of glaciers, with some non-hike activities too (swimming, kayaking if possible, etc.). Chamonix has been suggested...are there other recommended locations? Pros/cons compared with Chamonix? Planning to travel July-August.
Thank you.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7346 posts
I hope this helps to some extent, as we did a somewhat similar trip last summer, although we finished in Nice, not Paris, and it was just two of us adults, with no kids in tow. We'd originally considered going to Chamonix after Avignon, but decided to chase the Tour de France for a couple of days, and wound up at the iconic Alpe d'Huez, staying at a lodge a double tramway lift ride away in Oz-en-Oisans, which itself is uphill from Oz, which itself is uphill from the pleasant village of Allemond. Are you planning on traveling by rental car or train? Some mountain areas will be better served by trains than others, but driving allows you to go where and when you choose. The mountain scenery will be stunning everywhere, and this is from someone who spends a lot of time in the spectacular Colorado Rocky Mountains.
An advantage of Chamonix (the world's first winter resort area) is that Rick Steves covers it well in his guidebooks. I've been there once for a week in ski season, but have not yet visited any other time of the year.
A possible advantage of Oz-en-Oisans is that it's closer overall to Avignon and Paris, but you'll need to do a lot more research for places to see and stay. There was snow up high even in July, but I'm not certain those were true glaciers. It doesn't have Mont Blanc or the Aguille du Midi tram like the Chamonix area, but there's still a lot of hiking opportunities, with or without using ski lifts to get around. I suspect there's kayaking somewhere on the Isere River, but not sure where, how, or when. Are you planning on taking your 11-year-olds on Class 5 whitewater? It's also a biking mecca, both road and VTT (mountain bike).
Nearby is Grenoble, site of the 1968 Winter Olympics, and farther northeast is the Val d'Isere region, which includes Albertville, site of the 1992 Winter Olympics. Either of these might offer alternatives to Chamonix.
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7026 posts
One nice thing about staying in Chamonix is the possibility of a day trip to Annecy, one of the prettiest towns in France and one of my all-time favorites. Good possibilities for a walk (not an alpine hike) or bike ride around the lake, or even a boat ride to one of the small villages around the lake.