Tagged: france travel

Snowkiting In The Alps

SnowkitingFrenchAlps 1024x682 Snowkiting In The Alps

Snowkiting in Serre Chevalier. Photo credit: Agence Zoom.

Snowkiting will come alive at Serre Chevalier Vallée in the French Alps this January.

From January 8-16, 2011, mountain travelers can visit Serre Chevalier Vallée with Erna Low and experience the Snowkite Masters.

The annual event for local and international snowkiters attracts serious skiers and snowboarders.

FrenchAlpsSerreChevalier 1024x511 Snowkiting In The Alps

Serre Chevalier Vallée

The top snowkiters in France train in Serre Chevalier at Col du Lautaret.

A snowkiting school teaches beginners and experienced kiters how to let ” kite power glide you over snow and ice.”

“Learn handling skills and get ready for long excursions through the wooded mountains which are guaranteed to take your breath away,” says Erna Low.

Serre Chevalier is the name for 13 villages stretching 15km along the Guisane Valley to Briançon, France’s highest alpine town.

With the main ski stations at Briançon, Chantemerle, Villeneuve and Monêtier, the region features 250+ km of snow slopes mostly over 2,000 m.

For more info, visit the Erna Low site.

New Ski & Snowboard Guidebooks

SkiSnowFinderFranceGuides 724x1024 New Ski & Snowboard Guidebooks

Snowfinder has unveiled a range of new, pocket-sized ski & snowboard guidebooks.

Expert contributors to the 12 new guidebooks include Olympian snowboarder Zoe Gillings and British skier Pat Sharples who share their insider’s knowledge of the slopes.

The guidebooks cover ski areas in France, the USA and Austria with full color piste maps and individual descriptions of each run.

“Snowfinder is a proper series of guidebooks for people who love the snow, written by people who love the snow,” says Nick Rink, publisher.

Here are some of the guidebooks:

  • Snowfinder Portes du Soleil focuses on the four major resorts on the French/Swiss border: Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz and Châtel.
  • Snowfinder Les Trois Vallées covers the resorts of Courchevel, La Tania, Méribel-Mottaret, Les Ménuires and Val Thorens.
  • Snowfinder Paradiski highlights Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry and La Plagne.
  • Snowfinder Espace Killy focuses on the resorts of Val d’Isère and Tignes.
  • Snowfinder Alpe d’Huez, Snowfinder Les 2 Alpes, Snowfinder Megève, and Snowfinder Chamonix cover Chamonix, Agentière and Les Houches.

For more info, visit the guidebook site.

Image courtesy of Snowfinder

New Affordable Winter France

FranceAtoutSkiing 1023x722 New Affordable Winter France

Are you a British traveler planning a ski or board holiday?

Then you’ll want to check out Affordable France Winter Sports, recently launched by the France Tourism Development Agency.

British travelers have had access to discounted French travel rates on the website Affordable France.

The site features 235+ deals a year and direct links to book French holidays online.

AffordableFrancewebsite 1024x721 New Affordable Winter France

On the site’s new section are deals like “Learn to ski for free with the ASC’s Fresher’s Ski Week” and “Spend 7 nights in Tignes from £75 pp.”

Images courtesy of the France Tourism Development Agency

Top 10 Ski Chalets

SkiChaletNewZealand 1024x683 Top 10 Ski Chalets

Chic ski chalet in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Eurostar has opened ticket sales for its new services from London to the French Alps.  

Ski apartments and chalets in prime locations can book up quickly, says HomeAway Holiday-Rentals, and advises travelers to start looking for their perfect ski holiday home.

The company features 37,000+ ski properties worldwide.

HomeAway Holiday-Rentals has selected its favorite ski chalets to rent in popular ski destinations around the world.

Here is the company’s Top 10 Ski Chalets on its website:

 

 

 

1 Chamonix, France: Luxury ski chalet at the foot of Mont Blanc;

2. Serre-Chevalier, France: Architect-designed chalet with spa, home cinema and wine cellar;

3. Meribel, France: Traditional ski chalet a few minutes from Meribel centre;

4. Saas Fee, Switzerland: Luxury holiday chalet with sauna and whirlpool spa;

5. Zermatt, Switzerland: Modern and airy chalet with lovely mountain views;

6. Carinthia, Austria: Exclusive holiday chalet in dream location, Nockberge/Bad Kleinkirchheim;

7. Dolomites/South Tyrol, Italy:  Charming and cosy chalet in the Dolomites;

8. Whistler, Canada: Luxury townhome with private hot tub;

9. Farellones, Chile: Stunning rental chalet comprised of lower and middle level apartments and

10. South Island, New Zealand: Chic chalet in Queenstown with beautiful views.

 

For more info, visit the HomeAway Holiday-Rentals site.

Here are more scenes of the Top 10 Ski Chalets:

SkiChaletsWhistlerLiving area 1024x681 Top 10 Ski Chalets

Living room in luxury townhome in Whistler, Canada.

SkiChaletsZermattWellnessMassage Area 1024x681 Top 10 Ski Chalets

Wellness and massage area in ski chalet in Zermatt, Switzerland.

SkiChaletsChalet La MoraineChamonix 1023x747 Top 10 Ski Chalets

Outdoor dining, Chalet La Moraine, Chamonix, France.

Images courtesy of HomeAway Holiday-Rentals

France’s Best Travel Experiences?

AlpsFranceTourismDevelopmentAgency239100 2 1024x722 Frances Best Travel Experiences?

Are you planning a France holiday this winter?  You can plan an unforgettable Paris city break, stay at fine Paris hotels, dine out, visit museums and shop til you drop.

If you’re craving some adventure,  France is also offering some of Europe’s best ski festivals.  In the French Alps, Pierre & Vacances says these are the best 4 ski festivals this winter:

  1. Winter X-Games Europe, Tignes 10th – 12th March 2010. “Tignes plays host to one of the world’s biggest alternative and extreme sports events this March – Winter X Games Europe.”
  2. Little World Festival, Meribel 13th-19th March 2010. “Organized by top British act, The Feeling, Little World Festival combines five days of skiing and snowboarding in the largest ski area in the world with entertainment from Europe’s biggest bands and DJ’s.”
  3. Altitude Festival, Meribel 20th-26th March 2010. “Featuring some of the biggest names in comedy, the annual Altitude Festival offers the ultimate in après-ski entertainment and is one of the best-loved winter festivals in the Alps.”
  4. Three Valleys X-Wing Rally Finals, Three Valleys 5th April 2010. “The main resorts in the Three Valleys region, including Courchevel, Meribel, and Val Thorens join together for this one-day event in which the slopes are open to everyone, regardless of ability.”

The Pierre & Vacances group features 120 ski residences and hotels in 40+ major ski resorts across the French Alps and Pyrenees. The accommodation ranges from self-catering studio apartments to luxury chalets.

For more info, check out Pierre & Vacances online.

Image courtesy of France Tourism Development Agency