French Alps vacations
Tours & vacations in 2018 & 2019

I do want to say that our stay in the chalet was absolutely 5 *****. We were cared for beautifully in a warm and friendly ambiance with delicious, generous and creative meals, including wine. There was plenty on offer at the chalet....tv, games, hot tub. Our guide, Bruno, was fantastic. (more)Denise Hellier

The views from the walks was the highlight. (more)Geoff Wright

In one word 'excellent'. (more)Julie Whyte

Our children would say Kaia, our donkey who they bonded with was the most memorable. For me, the emptiness and the views. Possibly my favourite spot of all was the Chappelle St-Barnabe near Val Pelens where we whiled away a couple of hours in glorious sunshine with spectacular views. (more)Rob Booth

Awesome, it has raised the bar for next year! (more)Tony Johnson

The whole thing was memorable! Our 6 year old and 4 year old leading "Leonidas" our donkey through the French Alps, sleeping in a beautiful yurt in an Alpine meadow, and feeling like we'd done something completely different to the typical "bucket and spade" type of vacation. (more)Alison Godfrey

The husky dog sledding, the ice climb, the snowshoeing itself, being out in such a beautiful environment! And our companions too - the other four people in the party were lovely, and we all got on very well together - enough in common to bond yet different enough for good conversation! (more)Angela Dennison

In terms of the most exciting part, it has to be the ice climbing...not part of our original plans but I'm so glad it was suggested. Slow down and enjoy your stay in what really is an undiscovered part of the Alps. (more)Norma Sherratt

Well organized, interesting, hassle free and great fun- the ideal introduction to the activities. (more)Matt Hannah

We had a fantastic time staying in Samoens... The walking was amazing at this time of year: alpine meadows, wildflowers, waterfalls, and glacial landscapes, and not too challenging: we ranged between 500m and 970m ascent in a day. We went rafting on the Giffre on our day off, which was also great. (more)Ross Carne

Superb walking country (more)Christine Ansons

Varied expertly guided walks through magnificent scenery (more)Jon Hargreaves

Wonderful scenery, great food, best company (more)Michaela Brinkhaus

Having a great variety of walking experiences was wonderful - from full-on snowshoeing to walking over ice and snow with cleats/microspikes on our boots to gazing across from the mountain tops at the Med (more)Angie Polkey

Excellent!!!!! This vacation had so many wonderful moments...each and every moment spent there was memorable (more)Bernadette Russo

We loved the stunning location and tranquillity of the area. Although the roads were a bit "white knuckle" at times the rewards of the views dotted with towns hanging from the cliff sides were amazing. A real treat for any photographer. Providing access to Nice, just over an hour away or heading further into the mountains the location provides the option of dipping into nature or culture. (more)Karen Mckiernan

It is the best vacation we’ve had in France and that's from a perspective of over 40 years vacationing in France...The walking in the beautiful mountains in the Mercantour with snow,sun,isolation and good companions.Why did I reach 67 before finding this most beautiful place? (more)Tony Bell

The Alpes-Maritimes and Mercantour National Park is a fantastic area to visit and we would consider this to be one of our best vacations. (more)Lourdes Roffey

Seeing fantastic landscapes & wildlife was memorable. Really great. (more)Ingrid Beveridge

Tres bien! Liz and Mel took good care of us and went above and beyond our expectations to ensure our vacation was great. Good value, too! (more)Holly Evans

The variety of the walks and scenery - and loads of wildlife. Marmot, chamois, vultures, various birds. Level of challenge was set just right for the needs of the group...Great - would do it again! Really good value for money. (more)Patricia Grey

We had a great family vacation - Liz and Mel were terrific hosts (more)Wendy Dickson

Excellent...one of the most memorable parts was. Lunch on a summit La Cime de Guilie at 2999m with 360 degree views encompassing Italy and France. (more)Katie Toms

The boys loved cayonning - jumping off of cayons into pools; I loved horse riding American style through the mountains - it was fantastic & Liz was a terrific guide. We also climbed up to some glacial lakes with Mel - which was an incredible experience. (more)Natalie Wiggins

Best bits: Walking up to and visiting the rock art in the Vallee des Merveilles, and the Fete du Pain in St Martin Vésubie. (more)Carolyne Mason

Excellent. We travelled with young family and would certainly stay again so cannot recommend it too highly. (more)ROSIE KELBRICK

A really worthwhile and memorable vacation: the self guided walks were well planned and gave us a great idea of the locality; the food was very good and the garden(s) excellent for relaxing on our days off. We were given a very warm welcome and a friendly stay. (more)Jon Nay

The young people Sam and Rachel achieved confidence respectively in snowboarding and downhill skiing in a small quiet resort at Ancelle for the first three days...Successful as a way of satisfying all ages and giving the family precious time to be on our own without the pressures of work and university. (more)Rosemary Rayner

The most memorable part was snow shoeing on a beautiful sunny Christmas Day and completing our first Via Ferrata. (more)Lynn Clunie

The trip exceeded expectations in every way and we can't recommend this highly enough. Liz and Mel are splendid hosts and made us truly welcome in their home. They are hugely knowledgeable about the area, routes, flora and fauna, and local conditions. (more)Elaine Higgleton

It exceeded our expectations....Walking in the high Alpine valleys with the stunning flora and butterflies, seeing ibex, chamois and marmot up close and experiencing the drama of the huge Mercantour peaks all around. (more)Peter Tilbrook

Seeing varied wildlife, including ibex, while walking in Mercantour National Park- which seemed to be virtually empty! (more)Lydia Watkinson

Memorable parts? A truly special experience in a little corner of the Mercantour where time seems to have stood still. We went with the flow of life at the pace of an ambling donkey. Every detail of the trip was well thought out, and the route guidance booklet (which we carried with us all the time) was spot on. The range of different landscapes we walked through surprised and delighted us. The effectiveness of the route marking was also great. The vacation providers team was hugely... (more)Carolyne Mason

Memorable parts? Reaching the Summit of Dome Des Ecrins at 08:40 on the Sunday morning after leaving the refuge at 04:00am! Overall the experience was great, certainly recommend Bernard's excellent skills at both guiding and pushing you to reach above your goals Tips? Good boots that you know are essential, you'll be working them hard over different terrain, with and without crampons. Stuff to eat while you're on the move or balanced on a snow-field - ideally softer the better - makes... (more)Rebecca Belton

Memorable parts? Walking on my own in the mountains of the French Alps Tips? Be prepared for changes of plan due to weather affecting the chair lifts Local benefits? A little Overall rating? A great time walking in the country side seeing beautiful views and wildlife. (more)Rob Burton

Overnight stay in the alps ... but all of it was memorable ! Amazing in fact ! Visit to the Wolf Sanctuary too ! (more)Gill Rowlands

Vacation was wonderful (more)Abigail Combes

This was an outstanding opportunity to walk in an imposing place, and experience something completely different as a family. We were extremely well catered for in every way, from the expertise of our guide to the fantastic and plentiful food, and the location and quality of our accommodation. Not many vacation experiences could come close. Wonderful! (more)Sophie Tyrrell

Every minute was memorable and exciting! The horses, the views, the people, the food - all lovely. (more)Jane Fox

I loved every moment of it. It felt really special and actually quite an achievement to be part of something like a transhumance, which is steeped in so much tradition. (more)Kate Moore

Most memorable was perhaps climbing to what seems like the top of the world on horseback, arriving at a mountain refuge in a cloud and then realizing the stupendous view in the morning. (more)Hester Wilcox

Climbing was the most memorable part. (more)Gunvor Leirbukt

Memorable: 1.Training in the stunning beautiful mountains - Trient Glacier. 2. The views on the climb up and down from Mont Blanc summit, including sunrise Exciting - the scramble up to the Gouter Refuge. (more)John Hehir

I think the attempt to reach the summit of Mont Blanc and in spite not having made it due to bad weather conditions it was still nice to have been to the Dome de Gouter. Other moments were the stunning landscapes. (more)Peter Koopmans

Excellent - stunning area, with lots to do. I was with my 18 and 13 year old and we did an activity or walk, bike hire each day and were "happy tired" at the end of each day!- (more)Peter Wightman

Best bit: River-rafting. (more)Cormac Lucey

10 out of 10...We had the best vacation we've ever had! (more)Theresa Reynolds

Absolutely brilliant. (more)Jane Sargent

A fantastic vacation and one I'd love to do again!...The area was beautiful and the local restaurants were very nice. The activities, in particular the white water rafting, were the most memorable part of the vacation. A great way to get out and see the area from a different perspective. (more)Donal Kelly

All the activities were special (trekking, cycling, horse riding and via ferrata). The two peaks we climbed were highlights for me. (more)Elroy Campbell