Gîtes and Villas in the French Alps

The French Alps offer some of Europe's most reliable snow, dramatic mountain scenery, and a network of world-class ski resorts within reach of British holidaymakers. From the interlinked runs of Les 3 Vallées to the glacier skiing at Tignes and Val Thorens, this is a region built around winter sport, though summer brings walkers, climbers, and cyclists to the same high valleys.

Self-catering here means proximity to the slopes in winter and to alpine trails in warmer months, with weekly rentals giving you a base to explore multiple resorts or simply settle into one. The scale of skiing is unmatched — many resorts sit above 2,000 metres, guaranteeing long seasons and the kind of vertical drop that makes a day's skiing feel earned.

About the French Alps

The French Alps stretch from Lake Geneva down to the Mediterranean, but the core skiing heartland lies in Savoie and Haute-Savoie, where purpose-built resorts sit alongside older mountain villages. Chamonix, Megève, and Annecy have histories predating the ski boom, but most of the high-altitude stations — Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Tignes — were carved out in the 1960s and 70s to meet demand from a new generation of skiers.

What defines the region now is infrastructure: gondolas that shift thousands uphill every hour, piste grooming that runs through the night, and interlinked lift passes covering hundreds of kilometres. Les 3 Vallées alone connects Courchevel, Méribel, and Val Thorens into the largest ski area on the planet. La Plagne and Les Arcs form the Paradiski network. Tignes and Val d'Isère share the Espace Killy.

Outside ski season, the Alps empty somewhat, though summer walking, via ferrata routes, and cycling cols draw a quieter crowd. The lakes — Annecy, Bourget — offer a gentler counterpoint to the high peaks, and it's here you'll find older Savoyard architecture, including the medieval Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard overlooking Lac d'Annecy. Staying in a gîte gives you the flexibility to self-cater after long days outside, stock up at valley supermarkets, and avoid the premium prices of resort dining every night.

Things to do in the French Alps

Val Thorens is Europe's highest ski resort at 2,300 metres, offering snow-sure skiing from late November through May and access to the full 600-kilometre Les 3 Vallées circuit. La Plagne spreads across multiple linked villages with terrain for all levels, while Les Menuires sits in the heart of the Trois Vallées and offers marginally better-value accommodation than its glamorous neighbour Courchevel, which remains the Alps' most upmarket station.

Les Arcs comprises five interlinked resorts with varied architecture and altitude, connected to La Plagne via the Vanoise Express cable car. Tignes Station de Ski provides year-round glacier skiing and a famously robust snow record. Domaine Les Sybelles, centred on Le Corbier, is a quieter, family-oriented alternative to the mega-resorts, with 310 kilometres of pistes and fewer crowds.

Away from the slopes, Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard is a turreted medieval castle above Lake Annecy, open for guided tours and offering sweeping views across the water. In summer, the same valleys that host skiing turn into walking and mountain-biking country, with lifts often running to carry you up to trailheads. The passes — Cormet de Roselend, Col de la Madeleine — are pilgrimage routes for cyclists.

Food & drink

Savoyard cuisine centres on cheese: raclette, fondue, and tartiflette all rely on Beaufort, Reblochon, or Tomme produced in the mountain dairies. Charcuterie — particularly dried sausages and cured ham — appears on every menu, along with polenta-like dishes inherited from the region's historical poverty. Wines come mostly from the lower Savoie valleys: crisp Apremont and Chignin whites, light Mondeuse reds.

Le Balcon du Lac near Annecy offers lakeside dining with regional ingredients and has strong reviews. For self-catering, the hypermarkets in Chambéry and Drumettaz stock decent cheeses, charcuterie, and wines at prices well below what you'll pay in resort. Expect to shop in the valleys and haul provisions uphill — mountain villages have small supermarkets, but selection is limited and costs rise with altitude.

Getting there

Geneva airport is 87 kilometres from the main resort clusters, with regular shuttles and car hire; it's the closest international hub and well-served by low-cost carriers from the UK. Lyon Saint-Exupéry is 113 kilometres away and offers another option, particularly if you're driving south into the Maurienne or Tarentaise valleys.

From the UK, reckon on a drive of around 900 kilometres if you're coming via Calais or the Channel Tunnel — a long day or an overnight stop. Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord (489 kilometres from the Alps) connects to TGV services reaching Chambéry, Albertville, and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, though you'll need onward transport to most resorts. Ferry routes to Normandy add another 660 kilometres minimum and make more sense if you're touring Brittany en route.