This is why you should holiday in the French Alps!

Savoie

Savoie is a sparsely populated department bordering Italy. 88% of the region belongs to the Alps. Here you can try out great wines and 200 types of mountain cheese; a small beer brewing scene has also developed in the meantime. Savoie is home to one of the most beautiful high alpine roads, the Cormet de Roseland, as well as some of the highest alpine passes, offering beautiful landscapes of cow-filled pastures and snow-capped peaks.

Isère

The Isère is the third-largest winter sports destination in the French Alps. The Écrins National Park is also located here, which invites you to explore. Belledonne, Chartreuse and Vercors are ideal for summer and winter sports with peaks up to 3,000 m high.

🏴‍☠️ Pirate tip: Be sure to try the herbal schnapps while in Isère, which are made according to a secret recipe in the Grande Chartreuse.

Haute-Savoie

The Haute-Savoie department brings together pretty much everything that makes up the French Alps, including famous winter sports resorts, charming towns, delicious gastronomy, impressive landscapes, nature reserves and spa towns. Spa tourism is very important here due to the many mineral springs! So if you are looking for relaxation, we recommend choosing Haute-Savoie for a wellness holiday as they have a number of excellent spas.

Annecy

The Alpine town of Annecy is best known for its old town, with pastel-coloured houses and canals meandering through the city. The eye-catcher of the city is the medieval castle Château d'Annecy, which houses a museum. And if that's not romantic enough, perhaps the location on Lac d'Annecy (Lake Annecy), the sixth-largest lake in France, will convince you.

2. Paragliding

Enjoy the panorama of the Alps and Mont-Blanc from above while feeling like a bird—while paragliding!

🏴‍☠️ Pirate Tip: the Sur Un Nuage paragliding school in Crozet offers scenic flights from Monts Jura in summer and winter. You can book a paragliding session with them €110 (around £93) for adults and €80 (around £67) for children.

3. Hiking

Of course, hiking in the French Alps should not be missed either! There are a number of hiking routes, no matter what level of fitness. The Le Morond circular route, which you can access via the Morond chairlift, is particularly beautiful. Enjoy a number of viewpoints and views of the 300 or so peaks of the Alps chain as you make your way along the ridges of Mont d'Or.

Find more hiking routes in the French Alps here.

4. Ice floating

Ice floating originally comes from Finland. You can drift on a frozen lake in a special suit, so you don't feel the cold water, and enjoy the peace and quiet that nature has to offer. This works particularly well in winter and spring on the Lac de Tignes.

We've pirate-tested ice floating with Evolution 2 and had a blast! You can try it from €50 (Around £42) for one hour of floating.

5. Moonbiking

Moonbikes are 100% electric snow bikes that look like bicycles with skis underneath and with which you can race down the slopes in La Plagne, Tignes, Risoul, Le Sauze or Les Saisies without noise and pollution. A 45-minute session in Tignes costs €50 (Around £42). Give Moonbiking a go!

6. Bike tours

A leisurely tour on an e-bike or a daring tour on a mountain bike through the ups and downs of the French Alps – both are possible! For those looking for the latter, we recommend the “la Marmotte” tour. This demanding 174 km tour takes cyclists from the Croix de Fer to the Télégraphe in Galibier and ends with the climb to the Alpe d'Huez (a total of 5000 meters in altitude). Not for the faint of heart!

7. Paddle Yoga

You probably know Stand-Up Paddle Boards, on which you can now see people floating around on every lake. You may have tried yoga yourself. Did you know that you can combine both? This requires a lot of balance, but then it can be really relaxing. If this sounds like an activity up your alley, we recommend trying Paddle Yoga in Sévrier.