French Alps vacations
The Alps are so awesome that countries around the world steal their name in an attempt to emulate them, such as the Japanese Alps, Australian Alps and even the African Alps, a nickname given to Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains. But you can’t emulate a range that rocks as much as the Alps do, especially the ones that dominate the southeast of France. And the French will be quick to tell you that they are home to the real Alps anyway, despite the fact that these mountains spread their magnificence across eight countries in total, the others being Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Monaco.
Our France Vacations
Family adventure vacation to France
Life enhancing family adventure & yoga in the French Alps
From
£834
7 days
ex flights
Winter activity vacation in the French Alps
A flexible winter multi activity vacation in the French Alps
From
€546 to €1113
7 days
ex flights
Alternative family winter vacation in Chamonix, France
Half term family ski, yoga & circus vacation
From
£795
7 days
ex flights
Guided walking vacations in the French Alps
Guided walking from a historic chalet base
From
£715
8 days
ex flights
Mercantour Park self catering gite, France
Beautifully located accommodation in the Mercantour, France
From
€518
per week (sleeps 2)
Snowshoeing in the French Alps
Snowshoeing in the Alps with a high mountain guide
From
€1272
8 days
ex flights
French Alps self guided walking vacation
Chalet based, self guided walking vacation in the French Alps
From
£525
8 days
ex flights
Mercantour family hiking vacation, France
Family walking tour with a donkey in Southern French Alps
From
€550 to €650
7 days
ex flights
French Alps hiking and mountaineering vacation
A mountaineering début with three alpine summits in a week
From
€1355
7 days
ex flights
Multi-activity vacation in the French Alps
Enjoy a multi-activity vacation in the French Alps
From
€410 to €967
7 days
ex flights
Walking vacation in France, Mercantour Reflections
Magic walking - Mercantour National Park - South of France
From
€810
8 days
ex flights
Accommodation in the Mercantour, France
Beautifully located gite in the Mercantour, France
From
€518
7 days
per accommodation per week
Mont Blanc climbing vacation
The exhilaration of summiting an alpine peak
From
US $3510 to US $3620
8 days
ex flights
Walking vacations in the French Alps
Walking vacation taking in three contrasting alpine valleys!
From
€499
8 days
ex flights
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Alpine Wolf tracking vacation, France
Once in a lifetime wolf tracking adventure in French Alps
From
€599
3 days
ex flights
Mercantour National Park self guided walking, France
Value centre based self guided walking - Mercantour, France
From
€755
8 days
ex flights
French Alps biking vacation
Tailor made Alps cycling vacation with Tour de France cols!
From
€400 to €900
8 days
ex flights
Family multi activity vacation in the French Alps
Multi-activity family adventure vacation in the French Alps
From
£575
8 days
ex flights
Ski touring vacation in France
Ski touring trip in the wild Queyras Regional Nature Park
From
€1153
8 days
ex flights
Kayaking vacations in the French Alps
A week's white water kayaking in the French Alps
From
€647
8 days
ex flights
Portes du Soleil chalet in the French Alps
Traditionally built catered mountain eco-chalet
From
€80 to €150
per room per night
French Alps cycling vacations, Geneva to Annecy
'Leisure' cycling through the French Alps is indeed possible
From
€645 to €895
6 days
ex flights
French Alps climbing vacation, short break
Mountaineering trip to climb the Barre or Dome des Ecrins.
From
€730 to €1165
3 days
ex flights
Walking and yoga vacation in the French Alps
Mont Blanc circuit with photography and flowers
From
US $1545
8 days
ex flights
Winter walking & snowshoeing, France
Top winter walking/snow shoeing in the Mercantour, France
From
€830
8 days
ex flights
Trekking vacation in the French Alps
Dramatic landscapes, towering pine forests and rugged mountain peaks
From
US $1545 to US $1625
8 days
ex flights
Hiking in the Alps, France and Switzerland
Challenging hut to hut trek through France and Switzerland
From
£850
8 days
ex flights
Ecolodge accommodation in the French Alps
Luxury eco-chalet with yoga facilities in the French-Alps
From
€499
per accommodation per night
French Alps road biking vacation
Scenic bike tour around Geneva & the French Alps
From
€840
5 days
ex flights
Où sont les Alpes?
Où sont les Alpes?
Notice that when you write it in French, the word Alpes has an ‘e’ on the end, which can stand for enormous, exquisite, ethereal and many more possibilities. Indeed, some may even say they induce ecstasy. They may also have an ‘e’ because, quite simply, the word ‘mountain’ in French is a feminine noun and the highest peak, Mont Blanc is given the nickname ‘La Dame Blanche’ or the White Lady.
Mont Blanc reaches all the way up to an elevation of 4,810m and is part of the Mont Blanc Massif which is shared with Switzerland and Italy. Otherwise, the French Alps are spread over two French regions: the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and within those there are 15 massifs. The most notable of these are, from north to south, Haut-Giffre, Ecrins and Mercantour, the latter two protected by national parks.
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
The majority of our vacations in Mont Blanc are hiking trips along the iconic long distance walking trail known as the Tour de Mont Blanc. This 170km trail takes you through the great peak’s three national domains including France of course and, in particular, its gateway town of Chamonix. Also known as the TMB, you can take on the whole circuit, either at a high level over about six days, staying in lodges and mountain refuges or, the easier option is to spread it over two weeks and stay at hotels and inns.
On the TMB you don’t take on Mont Blanc’s summit as this takes serious climbing skills and alpinism techniques. We do offer an excellent Mont Blanc ascent vacation, however, which does require a serious level of fitness, some climbing experience and commitment. Read more in our Mont Blanc travel guide.
Ecrins National Park
Ecrins National Park
This is one of France’s biggest national parks yet it remains a little elusive on the tourism map. Challenge yourself with serious alpinism in the Dome des Ecrins or the Barre des Ecrins or enjoy the winter snows and slopes here in a more gentle way on a guided snow shoeing vacation or on a winter activity vacation, at a fraction of a cost of the destructive and downhill brigades elsewhere in the Alps. The hills are very much alive in Ecrins National Park in summer too, when you can go canyoning and kayaking the Durance River, taking on giant ziplines or a Via Ferrata, horse riding through meadows or rafting down the Severaisse River. Serious hikers, or those who want to up their skills or ascents, can opt for a vacation where they can conquer some of the Ecrins National Park’s spectacular peaks including L'Obiou (2,789m), Les Rouies (3,589m), Sirac (3,444m) or L'Olan (3,564m).
Our top France Vacation
Family adventure vacation to France
Life enhancing family adventure & yoga in the French Alps
From
£834
7 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2019: 10 Aug, 17 Aug, 25 Aug
2019: 10 Aug, 17 Aug, 25 Aug
Helpdesk
Hello. If you'd like to chat about France or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help. Rosy & team.
Mercantour National Park
Mercantour National Park
The Mercantour is France’s southern belle, because just an hour north of Nice, you enter a world of Mediterranean influenced Alps in a national park that is ski resort free and definitely mass tourism free. The southern Alpes of the Mercantour National Park stretch for over 600km² across both the Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes de Haute-Provence regions. If wanderlust if your thing, then be prepared to fall in love as you hike along a vast array of ancient walking trails, many of which are still used by shepherds to bring their flock up into the high ground for summer pasture.
This traditional way of life in the Mercantour is reflected in the fact that walking with donkeys to carry your bags vacations has become a thing here. And a most stunning thing too, whether you want to go on a family walking vacation where you head off into the hills Von Trapp style or base yourself in a village ecolodge and head off to do different hiking trail every day. Some of the Mercantour’s most magical spots include the Lacs des Millefonts, four glacial lovelies; the Gorges du Daluis, a 6km long red canyon formed by the River Var; and the Cime du Gélas which is the park’s highest peak at 3,143m. Read more in our Mercantour National Park travel guide
Tour des Alpes
Tour des Alpes
Not surprisingly, given its world renowned stages in the Tour de France, there are plenty of cycling opportunities in the French Alps. Some are challenging, but there is something for everyone here with mountain magnificence at every turn. Starting off with the serious Lycra brigade, try out a week’s tailor made French Alps cycling vacation based in the Champsaur valley near Gap, which has been a host town for the Tour de France on many occasions. From here you have access to cols galore including Col du Noyer, Mont Colombis, Col de Manse, Col du Moissiere, Orcieres and Chaillol. Or another option is to cycle from the shores of Lake Geneva to the world famous resort of Alpe d'Huez in a guided small group. This 21 hairpin bend cycling crown is also an option on a small group road cycling vacation that starts in the stunning town of Aix-en-Provence and ends in the medieval Alpine town of Chambery.
Less chamois and more shimmy, you can take a more casual cycle route on riverside routes that link the lakes of Geneva, Bourget, and Annecy, with plenty of swimming breaks at the lakes’ beaches and eating breaks at the fabulous Alpine accommodation along the way.
Alps in winter
Alps in winter
We aren’t big fans of downhill skiing at Responsible Travel, favouring winter vacations that have less impact on the environment and more positive impact on local communities. In the Alps we have a plethora of winter wonderlands to explore, however, on winter activity vacations or perhaps on snow shoes. Snow shoeing in the Mercantour National Park is also a great way to explore its winter beauty, guided by International Mountain Leaders.
One other snow shoeing and winter walking hot/cold spot in the French Alps is the Haute Savoie, where you take guided excursions into the Vallée du Giffre which envelops the mountain village of Samoëns. This is just one of many beautiful valleys in this particular Alpine region. You will head off for five or six hours every day, with a hearty packed lunch that you will need when snow shoeing, and then come home to an Alpine feast of three courses, as well as a hot tub. Which should be veritably effervescent. Just to throw in one more ‘e’ factor of the French Alps.
More about France
For the best time to go to France, read more about all the different regions, festivals, temperature and je ne sais quoi…
How on earth we pack everything into our France travel guide is beyond me however, pack it all in we do and if you’re looking for what we rate & what we don’t as well as Responsible Travel’s best & worst high and low lights then read on to discover France like a local, cuisses de grenouilles and all.
There are so many stunning areas to go to in France and some more famous than others. It is also packed with hidden gems…
Amble, ramble or hike yourself happy as things to do in France should always start with the great outdoors and finish with fine food & drink…
Like rebellious cousins to the goody two-shoes Alps, the French Pyrenees are all about the jagged peaks, the moody landscapes and the rugged terrain…
The Mercantour National Park is glorious mix of Alpes Maritimes and Alpes de Haute Provence. All just an hour north of Nice. Which is nice...
With approaches from France, Switzerland and Italy, Mont Blanc is a tripartite triumph of nature. Climb it, circumnavigate it, camp on it or go chic on it…
Rural idylls, walking trails, quaint historic market towns and spectacular marshlands, Poitou-Charentes is France without the fancy bits. Just the real and absolutely beautiful bits…
Provence vacations take you into a landscape immortalised in painting, literature and film. Medieval cities, olive groves, perched villages and superb food…
France is perfect en famille. With a great variety of vacations too from trekking with a donkey to white water rafting. Allez les enfants!...
We have lots of great France travel advice such as finding out more about camping with kids, trekking in the Alps and how to choose the right gite...
From vacation homes, to hunting and pollution in the mountains our responsible tourism tips are all you need to travel better in France…
Find all of our France guides in one place, for particular places in France such as Corsica, the Alps or Poitou-Charentes. Or a range of activities vacations too of course...
Why book with Responsible Travel
Photo credits: [Page banner: Jerome Bon] [Topbox: MHikeBike]
[Ou sont les Alpes?: Christian Bortes]
[Mont Blanc: Heather Cowper]
[Ecrins National Park: bastienhugues]
[Gorges du Daluis: gaikokujinkun]
[Cycling in French Alps: Graham of the Wheels]
[River route: Jeanne Menjoulet]
[Alps in winter: Aurelien Breeden]
[Samoens: Giancarlo Foto4U]
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