Rhône-Alpes

From the French shore of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) the largest lake in western Europe, the Rhone to the west, the Mediterranean to the south and Italy to the east, lies the Alps, the most mountainous area of France.

The Alps are the biggest mountain range in Europe and are shared between France, Switzerland and Italy, the eastern area forming a natural barrier between Italy. The famous Mont Blanc road tunnel connects France to Italy as does the Tunnel du Frejus road and rail tunnel.

The Alps, with its majestic mountain scenery, is of course heaven for fans of nature and sport. With hang-gliding and paragliding, hiking and walking, cycling, rock climbing, abseiling, white water sports and of course, snowboarding and skiing. There are numerous top ski resorts, Chamonix, Courchevel, Val d’Isere. Grenoble, Alberville and Chamonix have all been venues for the Winter Olympic Games.

The breathtaking scenery of the Alps, summer and winter attracts visitors in their droves, the clear, pure mountain air makes a very pleasant change from city life, snow-capped mountains, glassy lakes and lush green mountains in the summer and Christmas card landscapes in the winter, this area has it all.

International flights to Grenoble and Geneva are available from most airports and a lot of the low-cost airlines fly there. The TGV runs from Paris to Lyon and Valance from where Grenoble, Annecy and Chambery are easily accessable.

The weather in the Alps is extreme, with hot sunshine in the summer and heavy snow in the winter. The most pleasant climate is in the spring and autumn.

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