Are the Alps a good spot for a summer vacation?

08.08.2023 - 13:09 / lonelyplanet.com / Lake Geneva

Any ideas for a snow-free Alps vacation? 

In this series, Lonely Planet’s team of writers and editors answer your travel problems and provide tips and hacks to help you plan a hassle-free trip. This week Lake Geneva–based writer, Alps expert and outdoor aficionado Nicola Williams shares her favorite spots for a mountain holiday sans snow.

Question: I’ve always been enamored with the idea of a holiday in the Alps, but I hate winter and don’t ski. Any ideas for a snow-free Alps vacation? 

Nicola Williams: With blistering hot temperatures and sardine-packed beaches in much of Mediterranean Europe right now, summer is a brilliant time to lap up cooler temperatures in the French and Swiss Alps. And don’t limit yourself to thinking that a vacation in a winter ski resort is limited to stiff hikes up big mountains. Now more than ever, you can pair soul-stirring walks at uncrowded altitudes with lazy beach days, close encounters with wildlife and family-friendly thrills-and-spills in spades.

There’s a silver lining to every cloud – including in the sunny Alps, where winter’s increasingly precarious snow cover is forcing ski resorts to rethink their options. I live by the vast Franco-Swiss Portes du Soleil ski area, and in season ski every weekend in Les Gets. But it’s snowless, pea-green July and August that shine the richest light on the alpine heritage of this mountain village in the rural Haute-Savoie region. You can easily spend a week here, drifting around geranium-strewn chalets, goat farms such as Chèvrerie des Félires that sell rounds of creamy chèvre cheese, and gourmet épiceries (groceries) bursting with artisanal saucissons (air-dried sausage) and craft beer (look for Bec Jaune from neighboring Morzine and brews by Brasserie du Mont Blanc near Chamonix). 

Les Gets has more hiking trails than you can shake a baguette at (sunrise with Mont Blanc view atop Mont Chéry is my favorite). A new toboggan run on rails has just opened, while Lac des Écoles, with its inflatable lake slides and obstacles, is an action-packed hot spot for cooling down in crystalline alpine water. A nighttime forest stroll along the Alta Lumina trail is magical for all ages.

I also highly recommend a couple of days mountain-biking (e-wheel alert!). Beginner or expert, Portes du Soleil is the top spot in the French Alps for cruising gnarly downhills, jump trails and flowy enduros: Les Gets bike park alone sports 128km (80 miles) of marked trails with three lifts, while a cross-border enduro trail (80km/50 mi) for electric-assisted mountain bikes takes in all 12 French and Swiss resorts in Portes du Soleil. Local sports shops rent gear; non-seasoned bikers will want to hook up with an MTB guide – try Bike Experience or Bike Morzine. If