 Poster: A snowHead
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So, no skiing this season for a pleb like me means I'm desperate for a mountain fix. I've long toyed with the idea of visiting one of my fave resorts in the summer, just to see what it looked like without snow, but also to hike and cycle. I'd really love to do a summer break in Les Arcs or the 3 valleys, as I know them well, and Les Arcs in particular is filled with happy memories, but I'm not wedded to either of those if someone comes forward and says " 'x' resort is much better in the summer, here's why.... " I've been to all of the major French resorts, so any of those would work for me, and also the Milky Way in Italy, but again, my mind is open...
Summer trips to the mountains are seemingly not a popular thing, as there are no package operators offering anything like it. It would be an obvious shoe in for someone like Crystal, given the network they have in place for winter, but they don't do it, so clearly the demand just isn't there.
Come at me with your recommendations!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 18-03-21 16:43; edited 2 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well I’ve only been to the alps once in summer (last year) - we went to Morzine, which seems to have oodles going on - walking, some great road biking, MTB (and the world cup downhill in Les Gets). Plus the Dauphinée comes through in June and the Tour is pretty close in July. The lake at Montriond for general lake-based tomfoolery then rafting, rock climbing, via ferrata etc. Plus Lake Geneva is only half an hour away.
We were there to buy an apartment, so to find so much going on even in a covid-affected summer was brilliant.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@greengriff, In summer you’d better avoid the purposebuilt resorts....
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Cheers! Where did you stay? Can't beat a personal recommendation.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Langerzug wrote: |
| @greengriff, In summer you’d better avoid the purposebuilt resorts.... |
Oh, ok. May I ask why?
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 18-03-21 16:41; edited 1 time in total
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We went with the kids last year to Morillon. Having been to the mountains many times for skiing holidays, it was nice to see it in a different way. Climbing, biking, rafting etc was great fun, but I wouldn't book a package to do it, although I don't in the winter either.
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If you come here, Les Deux Alpes, you can do all the things mentioned above plus ski on the glacier in the mornings.
The mountains are great in the summer. Last summer we were more busy than usual with mainly french visitors unable to travel abroad easily.
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| Claude B wrote: |
If you come here, Les Deux Alpes, you can do all the things mentioned above plus ski on the glacier in the mornings.
The mountains are great in the summer. Last summer we were more busy than usual with mainly french visitors unable to travel abroad easily. |
You can ski too? Gentlemen (and ladies!) I think we have a clear winner! Can anyone top that?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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There are package operators for summer resorts, both Inghams and TUI (Crystal) offer Lakes and Mountains holidays, they're just not as popular as the beach type ones.
Austria's lovely in the summer, and the villages have various festivals and events going on as well as walking, mountain biking, rafting, canyoning and yes, in some places there's also skiing.
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Thank you.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I love/ prefer Morzine in summer to winter now. Its heaven- even to someone who doesn't do mountain biking (i am a converted beach lover).
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Sitter wrote: |
| Austria's lovely in the summer, and the villages have various festivals and events going on as well as walking, mountain biking, rafting, canyoning and yes, in some places there's also skiing. |
Throw in downhill go-karting, SUP and swimming in lakes, many of which have drinking quality water. Attersee and Fuschlsee in the Salzkammergut have water that is almost Caribbean in its colour. There are fab beaches and it’s all very natural. Summer temperatures can often get into the 30’s.
I may be biased 
That said, Austria does genuinely have an awful lot to offer for Summer.
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@greengriff, I have been going to Les Arcs every year during the summer for the last 18 years and really enjoy it. There is, of vourse lots to do and the resort is very lively. Perhaps more lively than the quietest weeks of winer. During most summers our activites would include: hiking, via ferrata, sport climbing, mountain biking, rafting down the Isere and some years we also magange some mountaineering or canyoning. And of, course, sitting on the balcony of moutain huts having a beer. To me it's a close call whether I prefer the summer or winter in the resort. I think most mountain resorts are very similar.
Contary to many people's view I would prefer to stay high in a purpose built resort. Certainly, I find more to do in Les Arcs than Bourg st Maurice in the valley and a huge point in it's favour it is a lot cooler. 30 degrees in the valley is, to me, unpleasantly hot, whereas 25 in the resort is perfect.
I also go to the Dolomites every summer and find it fantastic. There is a similar set of activities available, but we go entirely for the rock climbing and the via ferrata. It is a very beautiful area.
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You know it makes sense.
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As mentioned above there are package operators like Inghams offering summer holidays with accommodation plus flights. Peak Retreats who we use for self drive ski holidays also have a wide range of French resorts on offer for the summer and the prices include ferry crossings. We have been to the following places with them in Summer:
St Gervais, Val Cenis, Samoens x 3, Montgenevre, Les Gets, Chatel and Les Carroz
Generally speaking the slightly lower resorts are more attractive in the summer as they are proper villages with flowers etc. It can also get cool in the evening at higher altitudes. I'd say the following are worth considering:
St Gervais - Beautiful walking in the evasion mont blanc area, nice thermal spa at the bottom of the hill, tramway de mont blanc leaves from the village, near Chamonix for a day trip but less busy than staying in Chamonix itself
Samoens - pretty village and excellent for scenic walks to mountain refuges, white water rafting nearby
Les Gets - pretty in summer and lovely walks..portes du soleil good for mountain biking too. 50m outdoor pool in nearby Morzine
Chatel - Forme d'O spa in village, can do day trips to Lac Leman eg Evian, excellent zip wire up the mountain.
I would definitely recommend self drive for the summer as you are likely to be doing a wider range of activities than on a winter holiday and some of them will be a few miles drive away. Eg. in Samoens the best walks start a few miles away from the village.
We have also done a Club Med summer mountain holiday. We went to Valmorel but they have a number of resorts to choose from. Activities like mountain biking and walks with guides are included. Easy to advanced level options. Nice to come back from an energetic activity and find a lunchtime bbq awaiting!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I think there are plenty of threads on here about people who got into the mountains for skiing and found summers just as good, so don't say you weren't warned if you also get hooked on summers in the mountains.
What sort of cycling? If that's really important then it can play into resort and accommodation decisions, depending on whether it's road (valley or mountain finish each day?) or MTB (do you want lift-served downhill?). Also hire or take your own bike?
Self-drive or hiring a car is probably more common in summer to explore and because transfer buses are fewer and further between, although if you're spending part of each day on the glacier then perhaps that matters less.
Switzerland is also worth considering. It's the only summer mountains holiday I've done without access to a car, including a trains-all-the-way trip to Wengen.
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Poster: A snowHead
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You can’t ski in Les Deux Alpes in (high) summer
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Langerzug, dangly bits, open from late June to the end of August. If that isn't high summer when exactly is it?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Gonto the Salzkammergut in Austria,it is just stunning, the Austrian Lake District, perhaps stay with @Cacciatore.
It is a magical place with so much to do, and just stunning.
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| Claude B wrote: |
| @Langerzug, dangly bits, open from late June to the end of August. If that isn't high summer when exactly is it? |
Ooooh, this sounds like an exciting possibility for a trip.
In your experience, do you know how busy the motorhome aire gets during this period. Either the one in LDA or Venosc (although I would expect you wouldn't know that bit)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@kiteman69, the one up here is normally pretty full, I think quite a few are here long term. I don't know about Venosc I'm afraid.
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Thanks Claude B, Just daydreaming of a future trip (possibly 2022) .......... think 2021 will be a no-go this year
Ferry crossing when the resort open up, slow meander down through the wine regions on the east of the country, 2 days mid weeks skiing, then finish off with dipping our toes in the med, before a return trip up the west coast and seeing if the wine tastes any different over there.
Bliss.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 19-03-21 11:45; edited 1 time in total
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@greengriff, I was pretty impressed with Tignes. Ski in the morning, lots to do in the afternoon. If road biking is your thing, Les Arcs (or that area) probably has a bit more choice but the climb up from the Dam to Tignes is a decent workout and you have Col d'Iseran too.
If you want to ski, I'd go as early in the summer as you can. I've been to LDA in June and been able to ski well below the glacier. Tignes can have a surprising amount open but it's also quite impressive how quickly the area shrinks during a hot spell
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We have our apartment in the Swiss 4 Vallées (La Tzoumaz-Verbier-Nendaz-Veysonnaz) and in many ways, we enjoy the summer more than the winter. Especially now that the lift company hands out free pedestrian passes (VIP Pass) for anyone paying the daily tourist tax (~£2) and gives a 50% discount on MTBs, which can be carried on the adapted chairs and gondolas.
In the last few years, Verbier has invested a lot in better summer activities and particularly MTB ('VTT' in French) trails. They are also hot on eBikes and have set up charging stations at many of the mountain cafés and restaurants. As well as the traditional challenging bike parks, there are a lot of mountain cycle routes which are much easier for non-nutter cyclists. An example is the Tour du Mt. Fort. You'll find a lot of the routes have a GPX/TML Download available as well.
We particularly like the walks based on the bisses - ancient waterways that brought water down from the glaciers to the farms in the valleys below. They have as very slight gradient and go through some spectacular scenery. If you're things is something a bit more challenging, the Swiss love their cable-walkways and there are loads of challenging routes across the high mountain passes and around the lakes.
More at the Official Swiss Tourism site MySwitzerland.com.
Anywhere in the Alps also offers a wide range of daytrips or one-night stop-overs. From our place, we've done a day trip in the car across the St. Bernard Pass into Italy and across to lunch below th Monte Rosa than back home by 7.30, and an overnight in Bern, and a day-trip to Interlaken, boat trips across Lake Geneva to Lausanne from Évian les Bains etc. As mentioned, taking the car expands the touring opportunities hugely. There's a Grand Tour of Switzerland (Video) and interactive map been set up for car and biker tourists with recommended scenic and sightseeing routes. We did just the bit from Neuchatel to St.Ursanne 2019 and enjoyed it.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Fri 19-03-21 17:45; edited 6 times in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I've booked into campsite in Landry at foot of climb up to Vallandry/Les Arcs. Never seen it in summer, although have been in other parts of Alps.
50/50 at mo whether we can go 
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@greengriff, never been in the summer and never used the company but I was looking at the summer page and prices for Tignes Chalet Company the other day and thought it might be nice to try one year in the future.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thank you everyone so much for your replies. I'm very grateful. I'm not into any particular kind of cycling - I just wanted to have an alternate activity to walking. We spent a week walking around mont blanc (through France, Italy and Switzerland), and wonderful as it was, it would have been nice to mix it up a little. There are more options here than I thought possible!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| johnE wrote: |
@greengriff, I have been going to Les Arcs every year during the summer for the last 18 years and really enjoy it. There is, of vourse lots to do and the resort is very lively. Perhaps more lively than the quietest weeks of winer. During most summers our activites would include: hiking, via ferrata, sport climbing, mountain biking, rafting down the Isere and some years we also magange some mountaineering or canyoning. And of, course, sitting on the balcony of moutain huts having a beer. To me it's a close call whether I prefer the summer or winter in the resort. I think most mountain resorts are very similar.
Contary to many people's view I would prefer to stay high in a purpose built resort. Certainly, I find more to do in Les Arcs than Bourg st Maurice in the valley and a huge point in it's favour it is a lot cooler. 30 degrees in the valley is, to me, unpleasantly hot, whereas 25 in the resort is perfect.
I also go to the Dolomites every summer and find it fantastic. There is a similar set of activities available, but we go entirely for the rock climbing and the via ferrata. It is a very beautiful area. |
Thank you. May I ask where/who you stay with in Les Arcs during the summer? Cheers.
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There's also the thermal resorts of various kinds in the Alps as well. They're not all 5-Star super-luxury places you arrive at by helicopter. Places like the Bains de Saillon between Martigny and Sion are more family-oriented and might make a good base for a few days, or just to visit for a change from all that hiking and VTT activity. The Saillon resort had a fire in the electricity substation, so it's not currently open, but smaller places up in the mountains, like Ovronnaz are.
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You know it makes sense.
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@greengriff, We stay in Arc 1600, where we have an apartment. From early July to the end of August a few lifts are open, the navettes are running and the funicular is easily available to go down to Bourg and of course bring your bicycle back up. Last year we rented electrically assisted mountain bikes which made cruising around very comfortable and easy.
Though our apartment faces across the Isere valley with fantastic views of Mont Blanc and the rest of the high Alps I would reccomend renting one south facing, ideally with a balcony.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Thank you!
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Poster: A snowHead
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The Engadin in Switzerland is pretty spectacular in summer, and works either by train or car. St Moritz is slightly odd, but there are lots of other great places, especially if you take the road from there through Samedan and on towards Scuol and the Austrian border.
Stop off at Guarda on that route, a beautiful village above the valley. And then on to Scuol, where the thermal spa isn't that expensive and is really good. Lots of hiking round there too. You're also well into Rumantsch territory there as well, which is intriguing.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
Gonto the Salzkammergut in Austria,it is just stunning, the Austrian Lake District, perhaps stay with @Cacciatore.
It is a magical place with so much to do, and just stunning. |
Thanks Frosty the Snowman 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@PrimroseAndBlue, oh Engadin is beautiful all year round. Im a big fan of Scuol.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Nadenoodlee wrote: |
| @PrimroseAndBlue, oh Engadin is beautiful all year round. Im a big fan of Scuol. |
It's a really underrated part of the world isn't it? I was lucky enough to do a teaching placement in Switzerland years ago and was sent up to Scuol for a few days as part of it. I'd love to go back and ski it.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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We've skied many times in Meribel/Courchevel and had 2 fabulous summer walking holidays there and therabouts. Different cable cars, chairlifts open several days a week to go up the mountains and brilliant walks either downhill or flat circular routes. We enjoyed seeing people playing golf on Verdons. We spent hours walking down pistes that take us a few minutes to descend on skis. We saw many chamois and marmottes, picked myrtilles, paddled in ice cold streams. The air can be chilly, especially in the evening but the sun is very strong and it's easy to burn. Would return in the summer for sure. Self catering is very cheap.
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That's great to hear.
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@greengriff, if you've done the Tour du Mont Blanc you already know the Alps are as exhilarating in summer as winter, though in a green rather than white way if you see what I mean. Anywhere where tourism is part of the economy (i.e. all ski resorts) will have a number of activities on offer as well as really good walks.
And I can also recommend the Engadine. I first went when I was 10 with some distant Swiss cousins to Guarda which is a magical village. And more recently we did a cycle tour down the Inn valley from St Moritz to Innsbruck - at the end we just wanted to go back to the beginning and do it all again. For our daughter (who with nice symmetry was also 10 at the time) it was when she appreciated mountains as a destination, though to be fair she already enjoyed the adrenaline of skiing in a way that scared her parents.
But I am sure you will enjoy anywhere. Personally I would favour a "real" village, but wherever you are the Alps are enjoyable.
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We bought our apartment for the summer season and the skiing was a bonus. I guess for most that would be the wrong way round but we're runners/hikers/cyclists who love skiing so we chose Thollon Les Memises, lovely local skiing but with access to bigger areas and the proximity to Lake Geneva is just magical.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Claude B, I believe you now live near Briancon, I remember skiing with you a few years ago on the Pre Season Bash.
I bet its great in the summer down there.
We stopped down near Braincon on a summer camping holiday many years ago when our kids were tots.
@snowymum,
I'm glad you mentioned St Gervais.
I had never heard of the place till my daughter booked a flat in the middle of the town.
When I saw this thread the first place I thought about was St Gervais.
Its well placed with loads of thing to do.
I think we'll go there again both in winter and summer.
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| Langerzug wrote: |
| @greengriff, In summer you’d better avoid the purposebuilt resorts.... |
Yes - best avoid places like Tignes, with its glacier skiing, stunning hiking, including hikes in the the Vanoise National Park, via ferrata down the road in Val D'Isere, great mountain biking (lift assisted if you want it) and a lake offering watersports. 
Or the 3 Valleys with deserted mountain trails for hiking and biking, with a liftpass that costs €60 per week...
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FAQ
