French Alps in Summer

[Acunningruse]

We (DH, DS 12DD8 and I) are looking at going to the French Alps in 2026. Reasons are:—
-We love France but I haven’t done this area since I was a child
-DS wants to practice his French (hence not choosing Austria)
-We don’t do well in the heat and are limited to July/August
-we don’t want self-catering and all the ski resorts offer half board

Ive done some research and the resort of Avoriaz looks good. My only concerns are:
-We are just a normal family, not super fit. At weekends we are more likely to be ambling round a National Trust place than biking up a mountain. DCs don’t even have bikes which fit them at the moment di we need to be super fit to get the most out of a holiday like this?
-i understand the resort is car free. Online forums mention getting around by sledge/horse and carriage but is this still sn option in summer? Worried about how we will get to hotel with luggage otherwise.
-ive never been skiing and am really anxious about getting the cable car to get around. Is it easy/self-explanatory?

We would be coming from NE England so best route seems to be to fly into Geneva but any travel advice welcomed.

Any tips greatly appreciated.

I have a friend who lives in The French Alps (married her Ski Instructor) and we have visited a few times, my teens love it
We are not incredibly active and found the altitude hard, plus it can get pretty hot in August up there but we managed fine
We also flew to Geneva and hired a car and stayed in Annecy for 1 night.
DD is desperate to go with her BF now she is older but its not easy to get up there by public transport or cheap

Even if the resort is car free, this will probably just be the centre and you will be able to drive to your accommodation. A car would also enable you to get visit some of the Alpine lakes. Cable cars are dead easy for getting up and down the mountain.

You do know the alps gets pretty hot all
summer? Even high up.
We reach 30-35 almost every day at our home in the alps in July and August.

Is there anywhere you fancy in the French Alps with Lakes? It’s more where most people head in the summer. Stay at the lake, head to the mountains as and when to hike or explore, then back down to the lake to swim and cool off.

I didn’t even think about altitude sickness! 🙈🙈🙈
i love the look if Lake Annecy but struggling to find anywhere that’s not self catering within our budget.

@mugglewump the resort is completely car free, you can’t drive up to your accommodation. @Acunningruse Avoriaz’s website says they have horse drawn carriages for the summer.

We’ve been to the Alps in the summer and are back this year. You are at altitude so everything can be a bit more effort but not too bad. The Alps are generally for active holidays (definite not a lie by the pool and do nothing holiday) but you shouldn’t need to be super fit. I’m definitely not but I’m still expecting to do lots of walking. You buy a lift pass for the lifts and then it’s tap in to use them, not all lifts will be working but there will be a map with the ones that are. Don’t worry about altitude sickness, that’s not a thing for the altitude that Avoriaz is at.

Avoriaz has its own website, it will have details of all the activities on in the summer. The ski resorts make a lot of effort for the summer now. It also has an excellent swimming pool.

The Alps can get hot and the accent is not a "standard" learning French at school type. But it was very enjoyable when we went, admittedly a long time ago now.

We went last year to La Grave / Briancon area, as well as camping by Annecy. Wasn’t a car free type area and we used a car all the time so can’t advise on that front, but I’m not super fit either and had a fantastic time. We found that local tourist offices have maps of walks around the area, handily ranked by difficulty, and they were all extremely well signposted on the routes themselves (guess they don’t want to risk people getting lost). We tended to pick the super easiest ones “1.5 hours round route” and take ages over it, stopping to admire views and flowers and paddling / swimming in little lakes / waterfalls.

Temperature up at la grave was much nicer for us than in Annecy - Annecy was absolutely gorgeous but around 30 degrees ish, too hot for us in the sun but lovely in the shade / swimming in the lake. Up in the mountains it was 5 or 6 degrees cooler, tipping it over into gorgeous warm summer temps. Took a cable car up to a bit with glaciers and we needed a single second layer. Would certainly recommend up in the mountains for beautiful warm but not too hot weather.

I love the French Alps and we go there frequently in summer. We are at 800m (lower than Avoriaz) and like to be in a proper town. However somewhere like avoriaz will have easy access to lots of activities.

1. You can sit by a lake and sunbathe or read.
2. swimming in mountain lakes is fun. Ours is about 22 degrees. You can kayak paddle board, windsurf etc.
3. short local walks are possible as are serious hikes. Taking a chair lift means you can have a walk at altitude. Hard to believe you’ll get altitude sickness. My 80 something dad did a flattish walk at 2300m last year. Only 2km but fab views and a nice cafe.
4. kids love zip wires and go ape.
5. they may have luge tracks. Safe toboggan runs.
6. think about trying an e-bike.
7. if you want cheaper than Annecy (stunning!) do check out other lakes. Serre Poncon is wonderful. It’s a 2 hour drive from Marseille airport. It’s less common to find English people so your son will be able to practice his French.

We are about 40 minutes south of Briancon. Love it. Remember going there when I was 10! Did you go to the gardens at the Col de Lauteret near La Grave? Stunning!

Have you looked at Morzine? In the valley below Avoriaz (on the same ski lift pass), allows cars so easy to get to accommodation etc. More of a 'proper town' as opposed to a purpose built ski resort. Lots to do for all ages, public swimming pool, lake and lots of outdoor activities. A few ski companies offer packages in the summer, Alpine Elements and Inghams may be worth a look

We didn’t this time, but we did swim and walk in the area around Lac du Pontet, and drove over to the Dormillouse Valley with all the gorgeous waterfalls. So beautiful!

@Talipesmum we’ve been to Dormillouse. Lovely walk… with aged dad a few years back. Never have I been so relieved to find a bar! Little bit challenging for him but we will be going back.

We took slightly older teens to Morzine with Alpine Elements a few years ago and it was a great success

Their holidays include the multi pass and certain activities which made it really good value. It was definitely warm in August but not overbearingly hot.

Morzine has the alpine French school where kids spend the morning learning French and the afternoon doing activities.
We‘ve been to Avoriaz for skiing, but there isn’t much else there. I think morzine would be more fun as there’s more to do. It is quite an active holiday, but a lot of less well known places have cheap passes which include unlimited access to the swimming pools, cable cars etc during summer. It’s a great holiday and there is lots of variety. Only thing it lacks a bit is art and culture, but it’s our default family holiday

My son’s school trip this year is headed to the Savoie region, close to Beaufort (known for cheese) and Lac de Rozelend. They’re staying in a ski resort. Closest train towns are Chambery/Bourg St Maurice. They’ll be doing hiking and accrobranche.

I would definitely choose Morzine or Les Gets rather than Avoriaz.

Avoriaz is very high, perched on a cliff edge really, all purpose built and not a lot of character. Morzine is a lovely original Alpine town with a river through it, a beautiful lake nearby and a lot going on - Wednesday food market, lots of restaurants, kids activities in the town square, occasional live music. Only downside is it is rammed with mountain bikers in summer, but you’ll get them in Avoriaz too.

We went to Morzine for a fortnight last August and temp was low to mid 20s with 2/3 wet days. July would have been hotter, mid to high 20s I think. Of course this varies year to year but it’s reasonably likely to be warmer than UK but cooler than Med.

Avoriaz will be quite dead in the summer. The lift assited mountain biking is quite ‘full on’ - there aren’t many easy routes any where in the portes du soleil area.

presuming You are hiring a car, morzine would be better - or Les Gets. Also 1000m lower than avoriaz but avoriaz is at 2000m which won’t cause altitude sickness.

Lots of places to day trip to - there is a great pool on lac leman down the valley at Thonon Les bains, lac montriond for swimming near morzine and above that the ‘goat village’ of Les Lindarets, a good pool in morzine. The pretty ski resort of samoens is half an hour away. And you can drive up the to the end of valley from there past Sixt fer à cheval for stunning scenery.

if you have a choice of when to go, go after mid August as the French kids are back at school and it will be less busy

Yes to Morzine rather than Avoriaz for the summer. Also look at Samoëns, easy transfer from Geneva, great public pool, swimming lake and gorgeous village. White water rafting and this summer the ice rink will be a roller rink. aThere is a club med and lots of hotel options. Electric bikes in the region have really taken off so you can hire bikes and get around without too much effort and lots of very accessible family hikes (fer de cheval in sixt is stunning and basically flat). Yes it can get hot but it’s generally more than a few days before a storm breaks the heat. For learning French Samoëns would be better - Morzine has a very big British population.

Staying higher up is good if you don’t like the heat - although it may get hot I. The day it cools down a lot at night so doesn’t get that sticky feeling.
Check out somewhere like Les Contamines mount Joie . There’s options for the less active people- a lake and activity complex, valley walks and a cable car if you do want to get up high. There’s a lovely mountain railway and a natural spa down the valley at St Gervais Les Bain too

If you do choose samoens and want to use the ski lifts, they close towards end August where as morzine is open much longer.
So worth checking when lifts close

I did a family trip to La Clusaz many years ago and had a great time! Not sure if half board is available as we self catered and you would want a car. It's smaller and probably more french (good if you want to practice) than morzine or avoriaz but still has plenty to do in the summer with a toboggan run, mini golf, market,
indoor and outdoor pool, cable cars open etc... the great thing with the cable cars being that if you're not fit you can take them up and either walk or cycle down! We did a few trips out of resort, swimming and sailing at Lake Annecy (we went to Talloires) and to an accrobranche (Go Ape) and a waterfall. Also did a via ferrata but that wouldn't be suitable for your youngest.

We have been on several alpine summer holidays booked through Peak Retreats. We drove and took the ferry but they do accommodation only too. I think Samoens is a good option as there are some lovely walks to waterfalls in that area and you can also go rafting. Residence Alexane is probably the best self catering option there.

if you are thinking of the Portes du soleil area I think Les Gets would be a better base than Avoriaz. Les Gets is pretty in summer and close to Morzine where there is a 50m outdoor pool. There is also a lake with an inflatable assault course in Les gets itself.

Avoriaz is on a cliff top and the Aquariaz pool was cold when we visited. I think you’d be better off staying lower down.

You know that you won’t be able to ski?

I came on to say that Morzine would be far better than Avoriaz, but I see it’s already been said! 😄

what are you hoping to do during your holiday? As you say you’re not a sporty family and this is a location which is all about sports. If you’re not into that I would choose a different location.