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Earliest travel in the Alps to be able to do some hiking

Posted by (Portland, OR, USA) on

My husband and I like to travel in May before the crowds get really bad. we want to put together a trip in eastern France and spend a week in the French and Swiss Alps. Must we wait until September to be assured that the snow level is high enough for some hiking and the crowds have thinned? We just flew over them on May 25th, and the snow level still looked quite low.

Are there any trails that would be scenic but at lower altitudes? We have been to Murren and hiked but it was last two weeks of September. I hate to have to wait that long for the next trip!

Posted by
7301 posts

In Switzerland, the Rigi mountains near Luzern will be snow-free by a typical mid-May, and they are breathtaking. In general anywhere below 2,000m in France, Switzerland, Italy is snow-free by mid-May, bar the odd late storm or north-facing patch of snow.
But... The ground might well be muddy, and mountain resorts will be eerily quiet (expect lots of closed restaurants and hotels). Not the best time to be in Mürren for instance.

Posted by
283 posts

Will towns perk up by June? we could start our trip in mid-may and save the Alps until first couple of weeks of June. just trying to balance crowds, weather and sites open.

Posted by
8319 posts

We once went up on ski lifts and hiked down to villages. In some places, you can then catch another lift up and walk down to another town/village. Sure beats climbing uphill in the very thin air at 10,000 ft. elevation or more.

Posted by
1450 posts

Mid- to late-May is an excellent time. Crowds are down and flowers are fresh. I have found the lower and mid-elevation trails are clear, but the higher trails will still be blocked. This can vary by how much snow they had in the winter. However, some lifts and funiculars are usually scheduled for maintenance at that time.

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