France Travel Guide

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French Ski Resorts

The most famous ski resort in the French Alps is Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. Chamonix is both the oldest and the biggest French winter-sports resort. Site of the first Winter Olympics, held in 1924, Chamonix boasts the world’s highest cable car (12,000 feet). From the top, the view of Mont Blanc, at 15,700 feet, is stunning.

Chamonix Ski Resort

Visitors to Chamonix can do more than ski, though. There are conferences, a science fair, fishing and hunting, various music and folk festivals, and an alpine museum. An 18-hole golf course will delight golfers, and three movie theaters provide enough viewing entertainment for even the dedicated film buff. Five dancing spots, or discotheques, will keep the under-30 entertained, while the health-conscious adventurer can indulge in day-sports like cycling, mountain climbing, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, tennis and ice skating.

Chamonix is part of the Ski Pass Mont Blanc Area, and provides access to more than 140 individual pistes, or dedicated ski runs covering more than 94 miles. A dedicated Ski Pass will provide access not only to Chamonix, but Argentière, Combloux, Cordon, Le Tour, Les Contamines, Les Houches, Megève, Passy Plaine Joux and St. Gervais Mont-Blanc as well. A good portion of the dedicated runs are above 8,200 feet, so year-round skiing is guaranteed. Chamonix also has 54 snow machines to provide adequate base and good terrain, and 49 lifts capable of transporting more than 52,000 passengers per hour.

Megève Ski Resort

Megève is built around a medieval heart, but boasts the kinds of amenities all travelers and ski enthusiasts will appreciate. Expensive and stylish, Megève was built in the 1920’s as a resort alternative to St. Moritz, and has continued to upgrade and attract discerning travelers ever since. Fortunately, you won’t need star status to enjoy one of the luxurious hotels or chalets, though you will need a sizeable vacation fund; Megève is not cheap.

The ski area, 185 miles of marked trails, has 81 integrated lifts – no T-bars for luxurious Megève. If you get there in the right year, you may even be able to witness a World Cup race, hosted on a regular basis (Chamonix was the site of the 2007-2008 race). If you get off on snowboarding, Megève also has two snow parks and a half-pipe (for the unfamiliar, think of a skateboarding park with snow). Megève gets 80 inches of snow a year, making for good to very-good base, and supplements Nature with 175 snow-making machines. Méribel, located in the center of the Three Valleys (the biggest, linked winter sports area in the world), has 200 lifts and 372 miles of dedicated trails.

Méribel Ski Resort

Méribel used to be an intermediate site, but opening up Mont Vallon and the top of the valley have made it a destination-must for extreme skiers as well. The wooden chalets, many owned by British tourists who favor the ski slopes, are tastefully rustic, the language more often English than French. A very popular resort for France skiing holidays.

Morzine Ski Resort

Morzine has easy road access, and is ideal for beginning skiers. Its gently inclined, tree-filled slopes and pleasant atmosphere are non-threatening to those unfamiliar with French customs, cuisine, or skiing. The weather is also typically mild – no need to worry about getting lost in a snowstorm. The one drawback to Morzine is its non-central location and lack of adequate transportation to other ski sites. Morzine makes snow, but not in sufficient quantity to overcome localized snow conditions, which can be disappointing. This makes it ideal for cautious beginners, but a bummer for more advanced skiers, who would prefer Serre Chevalier, with its 50 runs designed specifically for advanced or expert skiers.

About the city

The crowd is attracted to sparkling ski slopes of the Alps, sunlit vineyards and sun-baked beaches of this beautiful country. France is a country which draws more tourists than any other country. It is easy to see why this is the case given France’s great reputation for fine wines, good food, high fashion and relaxed lifestyle. But while France is undoubtedly a place to eat and drink till your heart is content, there’s much more to this fascinating country than only cutting-edge cuisines. Spring is the best time to be here, and those interested in winter sports can drop at the Alps and Pyrenees with some polar gear. The summers are very hot and winters are moderate. An all-weather coat and pair of comfortable shoes are a must. Women, especially, should carry cocktail dresses as some of the restaurants ask for it. When visiting any religious site, refrain from wearing sleeveless shirt and shorts, as they are disliked at such places.

Culture

English is widely spoken here, although French is the official language. Handshaking is
customary greeting and women should be kissed on both cheeks and should be addressed
as Monsieur or Madame. French people are popularly known for their like for stylish sportswear
and of course perfumes. Nudism is allowed on some beaches only. Social functions, fine
restaurants, and clubs call for more formal dressing. When at a formal dinner, wait till the host
gestures to start the dinner. Smoking is banned in public places.

Site Seeing

Paris, the city of love, is a massive city with many attractions in reachable distance thanks to the
highly efficient public transport system. It boasts of more than 80 museums and 200 arts
galleries. A trip to Disney land and the magnificent Eiffel tower will make the trip worthwhile.
The attractive tourists spots are the Arc de triomphe which spans over the tomb of an
unknown soldier, the forbidding gothic architecture of the Notre Dame cathedral, the picturesque
Sacre Coeur, to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Moulin Rouge and boat tours along the
Seine. Get the Carte Musees-Monuments pass, which gives access to 70 monuments and
museums.

Shopping

Although service tax is included in the bill, a humble tip won’t cost much. An extra dollar can be given as tip to the waiter. A tip of $2 can be left for the bus drivers.
Electricity

220-volt, 50-cycle AC current.
Getting There

The national airline that operates here is Air France. Many low-cost airlines, too, provide services from UK. Paris-Charles de Gaulle also known as Roissy-Charles de Gaulle is the major airport of France, which is 23km away from the city. Coaches, taxis, limousines services are provided at the airport. The railway facility provided by the airport, claims to reach all the terminals within eight minutes. These trains run 24 hours. The other airports that offer flight services are Paris-Orly, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Toulouse.

Ferry and cruise trips can be made from ports such as Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean, and Havre.

Duty Free Items

1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco
2. 1liter of spirits over 22 per cent or 2liter of alcoholic beverage up to 22 per cent
3. 2liter of wine
4. 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette
5. 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract
6. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract

Food and agricultural products should be avoided.