A summer holiday in the French Alps is a guarantee of wide open spaces, breathtaking scenery and a welcome escape from the heat of the plains. Temperatures are pleasantly cool even in July and August, with crisp mornings and fresh mountain air throughout the day. That said, not every ski resort translates well into a summer destination — some are simply too high, too remote, or too firmly built around winter sports to feel truly alive in summer. Here are our 15 favourite French Alps resorts for a summer holiday: authentic mountain villages, mostly at mid-altitude, with real character, local life and exceptional surroundings.
1/ Chamonix — The Iconic Summer Destination in the French Alps
Chamonix is the spiritual home of alpinism and the most internationally renowned resort in the French Alps. The town draws a cosmopolitan crowd year-round — climbers, hikers, trail runners and curious travellers alike. It sits in the shadow of Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s highest peak at 4,808 metres, and its two flagship attractions — the Mer de Glace glacier and the Aiguille du Midi cable car (reaching 3,842 m) — are genuinely unmissable. Chamonix is also one of the most climate-conscious resorts in the Alps, with ongoing initiatives to reduce its environmental footprint as glaciers visibly retreat. Beyond the mountains, the town itself offers great restaurants, independent shops and a lively après atmosphere that carries through to summer.
2/ Briançon & Serre-Chevalier — The Best Summer Resort in the Southern French Alps
Briançon is a UNESCO-listed fortified town, the highest city in France at 1,326 metres, and an ideal base for exploring the northern Hautes-Alpes. Its Vauban-designed citadel, largely intact, is one of the finest examples of 17th-century military architecture in Europe. Just above the town, Serre-Chevalier is a cluster of traditional villages linked by ski lifts in winter and hiking trails in summer. Expect handsome wooden chalets, upmarket hotels and one of the finest wellness centres in the French Alps. A good option for accommodation is the recently opened Terresens Cristal Lodge residence at Chantemerle, at the foot of the slopes.
3/ Hauteluce & Les Saisies — An Authentic Mountain Village in the French Alps
Hauteluce is a beautifully preserved village clinging to the hillside in the Beaufortain massif — compact, characterful and quietly chic. Its baroque church is one of the finest in the region, and the village has retained a genuine local identity largely untouched by mass tourism. From here, Mont Blanc peeks over the Col du Joly, offering a spectacular view of Europe’s highest summit and its permanent snowfields. A free shuttle links Hauteluce to Les Saisies above, where you’ll find a larger resort with a swimming pool, rail sledge run and open ski lifts for summer sightseeing. For accommodation, Les Chalets du Mont-Blanc offer well-priced apartments with a shared pool and sweeping views.
4/ Samoëns — One of the Most Beautiful Mountain Villages in Haute-Savoie
Samoëns is, for us, one of the most beautiful villages in the French Alps. Set at 800 metres in the magnificent Giffre valley — in the Haute-Savoie department, in the northern French Alps — it is a pedestrian-friendly village of stone houses and traditional chalets, overlooked by the Col de Joux Plane and its panoramic views of Mont Blanc. Just beyond lies Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, a dramatic mountain cirque of sheer rock faces and waterfalls. Between the two, the Giffre river is ideal for white-water activities: rafting and hydrospeeding are popular with both families and thrill-seekers. Accommodation here tends to be a notch above the average in price, but the quality matches.
5/ Saint-Gervais — Thermal Charm at the Foot of Mont Blanc
Saint-Gervais is a wonderful summer destination in the French Alps, and one that often surprises visitors expecting a purely ski-focused resort. The town has a graceful Art Nouveau centre that speaks to its long history as a spa retreat, and its recently renovated thermal spa is among the best in the Alps. There’s also a fine outdoor swimming pool, a rack railway that climbs towards the Mont Blanc massif, and access to some of the best hiking in the region — from easy family walks to the classic ascent of Mont Blanc itself. Hotels worth considering include the Saint-Gervais & Spa, La Féline Blanche and L’Armancette. Self-catering apartments are available in the town centre and at altitude in Le Bettex, often at very reasonable prices.
6/ Montgenèvre — A Cross-Border Summer Resort Between France and Italy
Perched on the French-Italian border in the Hautes-Alpes, Montgenèvre is a genuine mountain village with excellent infrastructure and a sun-drenched aspect. It makes a superb base for day trips in both directions: Briançon, Névache and the Vallée Étroite on the French side; Bardonecchia and Susa across the border in Italy. Several residence-style holiday complexes remain open throughout summer, including the MMV club residence with pool — a solid choice for families.
7/ Le Grand-Bornand & La Clusaz — Charming Aravis Villages for a Summer Holiday
In the heart of the Aravis range — in the Haute-Savoie department of the northern French Alps — Le Grand-Bornand and La Clusaz are two of the most appealing resort villages for a summer stay. Both are genuinely attractive, with large timber chalets scattered across green slopes grazed by the Tarine, Montbéliarde and Abondance cows whose milk is used to make Reblochon cheese. Both villages have a good range of shops, restaurants and summer facilities including swimming pools, rail sledge runs and biathlon stadiums. Good accommodation options include Les Grandes Alpes and the Auberge Nordique.
8/ Molines & Saint-Véran — Authentic Villages in the Queyras Massif
Molines-en-Queyras and Saint-Véran are two outstanding examples of authentic French Alpine village life, tucked into the Queyras massif close to the Italian border. Saint-Véran holds the distinction of being the highest permanently inhabited village in Europe, at around 2,040 metres. The skies here are among the clearest in France — the village has a dedicated astronomical observatory. The Queyras regional nature park surrounding both villages offers extraordinary summer landscapes, big mountain scenery and excellent walking.
9/ Arêches-Beaufort — Mountain Villages Perfect for a Summer Break in the French Alps
Arêches and Beaufort are two quietly wonderful villages in the Beaufortain massif, in the Savoie department of the French Alps. Green, authentic and surrounded by unspoilt mountain terrain, they offer views of Mont Blanc, the spectacular Roselend lake, via ferrata routes, cycling roads and a vast network of walking trails. This is also the home of Beaufort cheese — known as the “prince of Gruyères” — and visitors can watch the great wheels being made daily at the local cooperative. For a full-board family stay, the MMV club residence at Arêches-Beaufort is a reliable and well-priced option.
10/ Bonneval-sur-Arc — An Unspoilt Mountain Village in the Haute-Maurienne Vanoise
Bonneval-sur-Arc has the feeling of somewhere genuinely at the end of the world — and that is very much part of its appeal. A member of the prestigious “Most Beautiful Villages of France” association, it is built almost entirely of local stone and feels little changed from a century ago. From June to October, the Col de l’Iseran — the highest paved mountain pass in the Alps, at 2,770 metres — connects Bonneval to Val-d’Isère in the Tarentaise valley, making it far more accessible in summer than in winter. The surrounding Vanoise National Park offers some of the finest wilderness walking in the French Alps.
11/ Vallouise — A Hidden Gem in the Écrins National Park
Nestled in the Écrins National Park, close to Briançon, Vallouise is a charming village paired with its neighbour Pelvoux. The surrounding peaks are among the most dramatic in the French Alps, and the valley still holds several living glaciers. The most celebrated is the Glacier Blanc, reached from the Pré de Madame Carle car park at the head of the valley — a spectacular half-day hike that requires no technical equipment. The village also has a Huttopia campsite offering comfortable tents and modern cabins in a beautiful natural setting.
12/ Aussois — A Sun-Drenched Village with Exceptional Heritage in the French Alps
Aussois sits on a south-facing hillside above the Vanoise National Park, blessed with sunshine and a remarkable concentration of things to see and do. Just below the village, a series of spectacular waterfalls and a unique 19th-century fortified barrier — the Esseillon forts — make for fascinating exploration. Aussois is also home to the largest via ferrata and high-ropes complex in France. Above, the Vanoise glaciers and the twin EDF reservoirs of Plan d’Amont and Plan d’Aval provide a stunning backdrop. Wildlife is abundant: marmots, ibex and chamois are regularly seen. The Goélia Les Flocons d’Argent residence offers good-value self-catering throughout summer.
13/ Valloire — A Summer Resort at the Foot of the Col du Galibier
Valloire sits on the road to the Col du Galibier — one of the most celebrated mountain passes in the French Alps and a legendary stage of the Tour de France — nestled between two high passes at around 1,430 metres. The village combines traditional stone-and-timber architecture with some typically functional 1970s resort buildings, but the overall impression is lively and welcoming, centred on a beautiful baroque church and a busy commercial street. Summer activities are plentiful: an outdoor swimming pool, via ferrata, high ropes, cycling and hiking to mountain lakes and summits.
14/ Névache — An Unspoilt Valley Near Briançon in the French Alps
Névache is primarily a summer destination that happens to offer Nordic skiing infrastructure in winter. Spread across a series of hamlets along the Clarée valley, just a few kilometres from the Italian border, it offers some of the most unspoilt mountain scenery in the southern French Alps. The valley is dominated at its head by peaks exceeding 3,000 metres — Mont Thabor, the Cerces massif and the Grand Galibier. Briançon is easily reached from here, as is Bardonecchia on the Italian side. A Huttopia campsite at the head of the valley provides comfortable glamping in an exceptional natural setting.
15/ Pralognan-la-Vanoise — A Mountain Village at the Heart of the Vanoise National Park
At the foot of the Vanoise glaciers, Pralognan-la-Vanoise is a starting point for some of the finest mountain walks in the French Alps: the Col de la Vanoise, Lac Blanc and the Mont Bochor plateau are among the highlights. The scenery oscillates between high mountain and truly alpine wilderness, with the Grande Casse (3,855 m) dominating the skyline. The village produces Beaufort cheese — the “prince of Gruyères” — and remains relatively compact and authentic despite its ski resort status. For a full-board stay, the Miléade village club is a well-organised option for families.
Also worth considering for a summer holiday in the French Alps
Les Contamines-Montjoie, Megève, Morzine, Praz-sur-Arly, La Clusaz, Vars, L’Alpe d’Huez, Villard-de-Lans, Autrans-Méaudre, Les Saisies, La Rosière, La Féclaz, Val Cenis.