Winter vacations in France

Authenticity and flexibility

Sally, Bernard and family live and work on the outskirts of the idyllic and relatively lesser-known Ecrins National Park. “You’re not in a big purpose-built ski resort here. Instead, you’re staying in family-owned and run gîtes or hotels in small villages, with a real French alpine ambience. I think that sense of authenticity is key with our trips.”

Authenticity is important, but so too is flexibility. In the winter, your activities are dependent on what the weather is doing far more than with summer vacations. Sally says: “We have that indispensable local knowledge, so we can quickly adapt when the weather doesn’t cooperate – if the snow’s not there, for instance – and switch to an alternative but similar activity.”

There is no shortage of thrilling winter activities here, some of which may surprise you, and none of which are anything as destructive to the natural environment as the downhill skiing industry.

Our winter vacations in France take place mostly in the south-east of the country, in Ecrins National Park and the nearby Queyras Regional Natural Park. While snowshoeing or cross country skiing here, you may see chamois or ibex off in the distance, golden eagles in the skies above, and you may even hear the occasional howl of an alpine wolf. You’ll travel with companies that make a point of hiring local guides to lead their groups, that are engaged with the issues of the communities they work in, and passionate about creating vacations that are fun and memorable but low-impact. And they’ll always have a recommendation on what to choose from the menu.

“I suggest trying génépi, the classic local drink distilled from a high-altitude flower picked in summer,” advises Sally. “Food-wise, you’ll see tourtons everywhere, which are delicious fried pastry squares with sweet or savoury fillings. And the local lamb is excellent, of course.”

Winter vacation activities in France 

There’s a fantastic range of unusual winter activities in the French Alps that go far beyond the downhill skiing and boarding that dominate. Wolf tracking is perhaps the most unique, but you might join a small group tour for a week of snowshoeing or ski touring in Ecrins National Park. Led by a local high mountain guide who will be able to escort you safely well off-piste beyond waymarked routes, you’ll have the time of your life in pristine landscapes blanketed with snow, the only tracks ahead of you those left by animals.

Ski touring requires you to be a competent intermediate with some degree of off-piste experience. For snowshoeing, you will be traveling over flat terrain for the most part, but with the occasional steep ascent, so although regular hikers should be fine, getting in some extra training beforehand will be helpful.