The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes

Les Saisies. Photo: C. Martelet. Rhône Alpes Tourisme. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.

The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes

Here I have put together the must-read guide to the Rhône Alpes. It is pretty inclusive so I’ll do it as a bit of a bullet point. But it is a good start where to see all their ski resorts and which ones could tempt you for your perfect ski holiday.
The Rhône Alpes is an extensive area in the Central West of France. From west to east it offers the Auvergne Volcanoes to Lyon and the French Alps and Mont Blanc. This is the roof of Europe at 4,810 meters.
Pointe d'Ireuse. View on Mont Blanc. Chablais Massif. Photo: Christian Matelet. Auvergne Rhône Alpes Tourisme. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.
Pointe d’Ireuse. View on Mont Blanc. Chablais Massif. Photo: Christian Matelet. Auvergne Rhône Alpes Tourisme. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.
 

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How to get there: The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes. 

 

By Air:

 
  • Paris Airport- transfer to Lyon is 45 minutes.
  • Geneva Airport
  • Chambery Airport
  • Grenoble Airport
 

By Train:

 
  • Paris – TGV (fast train)
  • London with the Eurostar
  • Brussels with the Thalis
 

By Car:

 
  • Lyon airport: 1-3 hours
  • Geneva airport: 1-3 hours
  • Chambery airport: 1-1.5 hours
  • Grenoble airport: 1-1.5 hours.
Sunset on the Grandes Jorasses. Mont Blanc Massif. Photo: Carmen Villa/Auvergne-Rhône Alpes Tourisme. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.
Sunset on the Grandes Jorasses. Mont Blanc Massif. Photo: Carmen Villa/Auvergne-Rhône Alpes Tourisme. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.
 
 

The French Alps – The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes

 
The French Alps are the most renown ski mountains in the world. Here are some specs to explain why:
  • It has been three times host of Winter Olympic games:
    • Chamonix in 1925 (first edition)
    • Grenoble, 1968
    • Albertbille, 1992.
  • The 3 Valleys is the world’s largest ski area, with 600 km of ski slopes and more than 200 cable cars. Most of the terrain is above 1800 m altitude.
  • There are different connected ski areas, or if you prefer to call them ski carousels.
    • Les 3 Vallées
    • Paradiski
    • Val d’Isère- Tignes.
  • It has the longest snow season in Europe, from November (October for Tignes this year!) to May.
  • It offers summer skiing from June to August at
    • Val d’Isére-Tignes
    • Les 2 Alpes
 
This guide will pinpoint the unique particularities of the different main ski resorts.
 

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What is new with Les Trois Vallées for the 2018 – 19 ski season

Meribel is the centre of the Les Trois Vallées, a multi-linked ski area with 600 km of pistes. Photo Meribel. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.

Les Trois Vallées, the world largest ski area as they call themselves, is composed by renowned resorts like Courchevel, Meribel, Brides-les-Bains, Les Menuires, St Martin de Belleville, Val Thorens and Orelle. With 600 km of pistes, it can keep all guests entertained for weeks, without having to ski one trail twice! Here we’ll tell you what is new for the 2018-19 ski season.

Les Trois Vallées, an amazing expanse of pistes and off-pistes to challenge any type of skier.
Les Trois Vallées, an amazing expanse of pistes and off-pistes to challenge any type of skier.

The opening days for the 2018-19 ski season from the different resorts  are from 17th November for Val Thorens, 24 Nov for Orelle, 8 December for Courchevel 1850, Courchevel Village, Courchevel Le Praz, Vallée de Méribel and Les Menuires. On the 14th December is the turn of Brides les Bains, followed on the 15th by Courchevel Moriond, Courchevel La Tania and Saint Martin de Belleville.

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Why going to Brides-les-Bains could be a good choice for you, your family and your wallet, if wanting to go to Les Trois Vallées

The village of Brides-les-Bains- Photo Brides-les-Bains Tourism Office. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.

If you look at a ski map of Les Trois Vallées (3 Valleys of France)- the largest ski domaine you see in the middle of the map Meribel, which is known as the heart of Les Trois Vallées. This could be a great resort where to base yourself if you want to ski all over the three valleys. But maybe you should look a bit lower, at 600 meters, it is an easy way to get to, and is connected to all the rest of the three valleys. I am talking about Brides – les – Bains.

Sauna cabin at Brides-les-Bains- Photo by Brides-les-Bains Tourism Office.
Sauna cabin at Meribel- Photo courtesy of Brides-les-Bains Tourism Office.

Maybe not thought as much as a place to stay, but Brides -les -Bains is a town that is opened 11 months of an year, instead of only some months in winter and a couple in summer. Therefore, this makes a bigger population of all-year residents, and prices are much cheaper. They do not need to make in three months their year’s earnings. Rates are between 30 to 50% lower than at the high-altitude resorts in the Three Valleys.

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