Summer Alpine holidays - recommendations please!

[cheeseypuff]

Just that really - we love the Alps in the summer for walking/ biking etc and have done a couple of holidays there in the Alp D'Huez & Annecy regions.
We're keen to go back again this year, but somewhere different. Looking at Chamonix, Morzine/ Les Gets so far. We have 2 boys 7 & 9 & are into our outdoors, pretty active.
Any recommendations for other areas/ resorts to try please?

[JustAnotherManicUsername]

Samoens - proper old attractive village with market, supermarket etc., not just a ski resort. But also has all the touristy things you'd want, like ski lifts, white water rafting, paragliding, cafés, weekly tourist welcome evening in village square. We stayed at Trumanalp which is about four apartments sharing a heated pool but there are other similar ones + hotels.

[FadedRed]

Must it be France? Some lovely places in Switzerland (Bernese Oberland, Zermatt for example, or Austria, Harz mountains and Black Forest in Germany).

[cheeseypuff]

thanks JustAnotherManicUsername - I'll check that out.

FadedRed - yes unfortunately as we're travelling on afterwards to a villa towards the S of France that we've booked with some friends & so don't want too much of a long drive.

[Ricekrispie22]

Lake Annecy is great in the summer as there are lakeside beaches with water slides and lots and lots of water-sports (including stand up paddle boarding, windsurfing, kayaking and kit surfing). There’s also the option of some flatter cycling routes by the lakeside if the steeper terrain isn’t your thing!
We stayed at La Ravoire www.campinglaravoire.com/en/ The DC liked the water slide and it was a bonus having an indoor pool. There is also a games room with a pool table, table football and video games as well as a local information room with leaflets and ideas for excursions and activities to do around the campsite. The site has bike hire and there’s a flat cycle path than runs from the campsite to Annecy.

[TheDogsMother]

Another recommendation for Samoens. I'm biased as I used to have a place there but it really is a lovely village with lots to do. Try Alps Accommodation who have a great selection of properties of all sizes and to suit all budgets. They manage the properties to a high standard. Have a great time OP, the Alps are lovely in the summer.

[zeebee]

FadedRed do you have any particular recommendations in the Black Forest please? Eg accommodation (not tent camping and ideally with pool access), things to do and visit? Thanks

[funmummy48]

Another vote for Samoens. It's a fab little p!ace with lots going on and within easy driving distance of the other big towns.

[BuggertheTabloids]

Chamonix is lovely in the summer. Loads to do and accessible by good local bus and train service. Our kids are the same age and they're never bored there!
Added bonus of only just over an hour from Geneva airport, or you can go by train though I've never tried that.

[cheeseypuff]

Thanks everyone! Ricekrispie - we've done Annecy before & loved it but feel like we've exhausted it as a base to stay in. We went with Chamonix in the end as we found a lovely gite, but will definitely bear Samoens in mind for the future.

[dudsville]

(I did not know that "the alps" referenced alpines! I'll show myself out...)

[dingit]

Saalbach, Austria. Google the joker summer card for activities. Also the games at the end of the valley. All sort of activities your dc would love. Bus ride to Zell am Zee if you want somewhere a bit livelier for the day.

[BrieAndChilli]

just through the mont blanc tunnel is the italian valley of Aosta. i worked there for a summer at PGL type place. did lots of stuff like climbing, white water rafting etc. lots of nice castles and Aosat is a pretty town.

[QuinionsRainbow]

Kandersteg, Wengen, Grindlewald (all in the Berner Oberland), Zermatt (which isn't!), the Pays d'Enhaut (between the Berner Oberland and Lac Leman), all in Switzerland.

[ihatethecold]

Following for ideas
I’d love to see some beautiful scenery this summer.

[museumum]

Not the alps but Slovenia is amazing for a mountain type holiday.

[ihatethecold]

can any one recommend any places good for a teenager. things to do plus scenery. Specific accommodation ideally.

[dingit]

Saalbach. We're going back with our ds 17. We don't return to many places either.

[Cotonshaded]

Morzine, Chamonix in France, , Wengen or anywhere in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland, or Seefeld or salzgammergut in Austria are all good, plus the Aosta valley (which is a lot cheaper for restaurants etc than Chamonix on the other side of the mountain!)

[FadedRed]

@zeebee- sorry but we have a campervan so I really only know good campsites. Our favourite is Scharwaldcamping Alisehof near Bad Rippdsau-Schapbach. Beautiful site by a river. You can swim in the river, but the nearest open air swimming pool is 1km away. There are a couple of sites about five miles away with pools though, if that is a must, Camping Langenwald and Hochcamping Königkanzel, but I haven’t stayed at them. The area is lovely though if you like walking and cycling. And there are some lovely old towns worth visiting.

[Gedge77]

We are going to Serfaus in Austria this summer. Looks to be loads to do for kids.

[mocha70]

We have been to Les Gets and Samoens and would recommend both. I think Anna Purna is the best self catering option in Les Gets. We stayed at la Reine des Pres in Samoens but if I were returning I would probably go to Chalets de Layssia or Residence Alexane which are newer. Samoens is good for white water rafting and also has the Indiana Park for tree climbing. there are lots of beautiful walks nearby eg. the cirque at Sixt fer a cheval and various walks by waterfalls or rivers. My children also really liked Saint Gervais as it has the mont blanc tramway, a nice open air pool in the village and various activities in Les Contamines. We booked through Peak Retreats with the ferry crossing included.

[PenguinPandas]

We have been to Hintertux in Austria and they have a glacier so can ski there in summer, there's white water rafting etc nearby and an ice palace with a boat under the ice at the top of the mountain. We stayed in the Kinder Hotel there, would recommend especially for 5s to 10s, excellent food.

[user1486076969]

Ignore all this talk of the Alps , you need to consider the Italian Dolomites, and in particular Alta Badia

[Cotonshaded]

User148etc- do you drive to the dolomites? We'd love to go there, but this year we are driving from Calais and still deciding where to go (with a dog!) is it doable?

[user1486076969]

Ah - no we flew and hired a car, Innsbruck is closest but we used Munich. Not a helpful comment if you're planning to drive . For what it's worth I've driven to/from Vienna to UK with the dog several times (a few years ago). You can also put the car on the train overnight sleeper from Dusseldorf (4 hours from Calais) to Innsbruck. It's not cheap but a fun way to travel, dog can go in sleeper cabin.