Skiing/Wintersports

The Southern Alps has all the conditions required to satisfy the full range of snow lovers, irrespective of whether they wish to ski on or off slopes, whether they are fans of snowboarding or skating, whether they hike or snowshoe, and whether they are starting out or experienced campaigners.

Mother Nature will also enthral those of a more contemplative turn of mind who prefer to don snowshoes and set off, to see the wide range of scenery available in a mountain which can offer the experience of high-quality professionals e.g. ski instructors or qualified mountain guides ready to take you on some unusual outings, by day or night.

The Solid mass of the Jura offers great winter sports with more than 3500 km of marked out ski slopes. The Great Crossings of the Jura in the winter season is an exceptional ski slope that is continuous for more than 200km.

The regions large lakes become remarkable skating rinks in winter. The principal sites are the lake Saint-Point in Doubs, the lake of Russet-red or that of Combe.

The Rhone Alpes, with its 180 ski resorts and 18 linked ski areas, boasts the largest ski area in the world. Every winter millions of holidaymakers are drawn to its slopes, and in the summer its mountains become a magnet for enthusiasts of sports such as mountain climbing, rock climbing, glacier hiking and paragliding.

One of the most trilling and unique experiences in France awaits you in Rhoné-Alpes. Known as the most technical piste in the world, the run is really frightening as you reach speeds of 90km/h to over 100km/h. This isn’t just for adults as families can go in four-man bobsleighs.

Traditionally a paradise for all sorts of skiers, the Midi-Pyrénées has a whole range of snow sports for the enthusiast: downhill skiing, cross country skiing, sledging, and snowboarding. Dozens of skiing resorts and the hundreds of tracks are scattered over four departments of the Hautes-Pyrénées, the Ariège, the Haute-Garonne and the Aveyron.

The Vosges range offers winter sports lovers a huge choice of sporting possibilities including downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, dog sleigh rides and biathlon. 

Discover the Alsatian plain at first hand, get a bird's eye view of the Vosges Forest or glide across the vineyards... There are many excellent reasons to discover Alsace from the air.

Overlooked in the past in favour of more popular holiday spots such as Provence and Brittany, the rugged interior of France’s Grand Massif holds much appeal for tourists, whatever time of year you visit.

With the dawn of the new Eurostar, the continent has never been closer. Nick Trend lists ten historic places than can be reached in six and a half hours or less. While most attention has been on Paris and Brussels, it isn't just the Continent's big capital cities that have taken a step closer to St Pancras station this week. The new Eurostar also makes it quicker to get to provincial towns and smaller cities in France and the Low Countries.