Laura Corin Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 We are thinking about France next summer, perhaps 2/3 days in Lyon then 2/3 days in the French Alps. We normally book AirBnB and there seem to be places around Chamonix. Any places to seek out/avoid - better places to stay? Any tips? We like to walk but not climb too much. I can see us swallowing the cost and taking lifts to altitude, then walking. Tell me all - I haven't been to the Alps for almost thirty years, and then it was Switzerland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) I couldn't tell you from personal experience, but if I were going to that region, I would want to tour some castles! ETA: this is a neat idea; I did not know there was anything like this. https://www.toursbylocals.com/TBL/WebObjects/ToursByLocals.woa/1/wa/searchFindTourInPlace?wosid=EXERxDEqmuhObtRdkPHmZw Edited October 15, 2017 by Quill 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 15, 2017 Author Share Posted October 15, 2017 I couldn't tell you from personal experience, but if I were going to that region, I would want to tour some castles! Castles... Well, it sounds bad, but we've done a lot of castles. Lyon's silk trade history sounds interesting though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) Check out the link. Tours of Lyon by locals, including a silk trade tour. Although not inexpensive, I'm finding. Edited October 15, 2017 by Quill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 It looks gorgeous! I'd definitely take the gondola up and walk around and/or down. Spend the time and energy doing the fun stuff! ;) And being at high altitude is much more exhausting when you aren't accustom to it. It's going to be chillier up there, too. Are there any camping/cabins in the area? We love staying in these as they are so cheap, and you can make your own food. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) We did the Italian Dolomites when the dc were younger. We rode the gondola up to the top, then spent the day walking down (including stopping at a hut for lunch & letting the kids play on a playground) & plenty of time meander, stop & look at stuff, etc.... On other days, we also did other trails that weren't super steep -- could park, hike for awhile on a relatively level trail, stop at a hut for lunch, then hike back to the car. Have a wonderful time. It's so beautiful to be in the mountains. You're going to want to burst out into song, "The hills are alive with the sound of music..."! :D Edited October 15, 2017 by Stacia 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasons Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 We spent a month last summer (2016) in Switzerland and included a small side trip to Chamonix as well. We too spend our time walking rather than hiking and found it to be a nice region to explore. On a past trip we home based in Annecy and day tripped to Lyon and Chamonix. This year we stayed right in in the town of Chamonix and enjoyed it. The town was packed with tourists during the day when we were out on the alps and it emptied out in the evenings making it easy to dine and enjoy the street entertainment. We took in Mont Blanc-Aiguille du Midi, Mer de Glace (the glacier) in Montenvers, the Arve riverbank stroll and the Chamonix Amusement Park with it's luge ride, tree courses, and trampolines. We slept in town 2 nights and used trains and buses the entire month. The Jungfrau region of Switzerland is our favorite alp destination. We stay in Murren while we are there. The area near Zermatt and the Matterhorn is enjoyable but has cold and unpredictable weather. The Dolomites in upper Italy is less of an alp experience and more of a cultural experience (Italian Germans). The lifts in the Dolomites bring you up to meadows rather than the towering beauty of the mountains. The Appenzell area was new to us this year and a lovely area to explore. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 We stayed in Chamonix for a few days last year. We were there during the off-season which was nice because it was not crowded at all. We stayed in an AirB&B that was close enough to town to walk but still had a glorious view. We did spring for the ride up and it was worth every penny. I would go back in a heartbeat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 15, 2017 Author Share Posted October 15, 2017 We stayed in Chamonix for a few days last year. We were there during the off-season which was nice because it was not crowded at all. We stayed in an AirB&B that was close enough to town to walk but still had a glorious view. We did spring for the ride up and it was worth every penny. I would go back in a heartbeat. Do you remember which place you stayed in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 15, 2017 Author Share Posted October 15, 2017 We want to be in France because Hobbes' wants to use his French. I know we could probably get by in English in other places, but it's important to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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