Summer in the French Alps: What to do when the snow has gone
Most visitors never see the Alps without snow. Here is what they are missing.
The snow softens, the pistes empty, and the resorts exhale. What follows, in the months between the end of ski season and the first snowfall, is a quieter version of the mountain entirely. Without a ski season to organise around, the villages return to something closer to their original character.
The French Alps in summer are greener, slower and more open than people expect. In Val d’Isère, Méribel and Courchevel, the snow gives way to hiking trails, alpine lakes, village festivals, cycling routes and long lunches on the mountain.
Val d’Isère in summer
Val d’Isère opens for summer on 4 July and runs through to the end of August. At 1,850 metres, the altitude brings cool mornings, clean air and a slower village rhythm that the ski season rarely allows.
The historic centre repays attention that winter rarely permits. Stone buildings line the older streets, and the church steeple, dating from 1664, stands as a reminder that Val d’Isère existed long before the ski lifts arrived. It is the kind of detail that passes unnoticed in January and becomes quietly significant in July.
Hiking in the Vanoise National Park
Val d’Isère borders the Vanoise National Park, one of the most biodiverse protected landscapes in France, home to nearly 1,700 plant species, around a third of the flora of France. At altitude, ibex and chamois are a reasonable expectation rather than a fortunate encounter.
The GR5 long-distance hiking route crosses the resort directly, while the Grand Paradis Vanoise Nature Trek connects the French park with the Gran Paradiso National Park across the Italian border. Free lifts operate through the summer season, giving access to higher trails without the full ascent from the valley floor. From the top of the Olympique cable car, the Rocher de Bellevarde is a 30-minute walk and offers a panorama most visitors only ever see from a ski run.
For those interested in an overnight on the mountain, the Prariond Refuge, fully rehabilitated in 2020 with sustainability at its centre, sits high above the resort with views over the surrounding peaks.
Summer activities in Val d’Isère
Beyond hiking, Val d’Isère offers a different way to understand the Tarentaise in summer. Evolution 2 operates microlight flights from the resort through the summer months, giving an aerial perspective on a landscape most guests have only ever experienced from the ground.
The same operator also runs evening programmes at Tignes Les Boisses, by the dam, an atmospheric setting that belongs entirely to the off-season.
Where to eat in Val d’Isère in summer
Among the restaurants trading through summer, L’Avancher is well regarded for Savoyard cooking and local produce, while Le 1789 is known for grilled meats prepared over an open fireplace.
Le Boui-Boui, which opened for its first summer in 2025, sits on the Le Fornet trails at 2,200 metres. It is a mountain restaurant with direct views over the resort below.
What’s on in Val d’Isère this summer
Summer also brings a series of village events. On 14 July, Val d’Isère marks Bastille Day with the traditional Firemen’s Ball, live music from the Thierry Midi Orchestra and a fireworks display at 10:30pm. From 25 to 26 July, the Fête du Vieux Val celebrates the resort’s village heritage, while 1 to 2 August sees the Foire Savoyarde Avaline bring together more than 100 local producers and craftspeople. Full programme here.
Méribel in summer
Méribel occupies the geographical centre of the Three Valleys. When the summer season opens on 4 July, running until 29 August 2026, that position offers access to one of the largest connected alpine landscapes in Europe, without the infrastructure, queues or noise of the ski season.
The resort comprises several distinct areas whose individual characters winter tends to obscure. Méribel Village is the quieter, more traditional end, with alpine forest, Savoyard architecture in wood and stone, a bakery and a handful of terraces. Méribel Centre carries more activity, with restaurants, bars and sports facilities that operate through the summer months.
Les Allues, the oldest settlement in the valley, sits below the modern resort and predates the ski area entirely. It was a working mountain community long before the lifts arrived.
Summer hiking, cycling and the Pass Explorateur
The trails above Méribel open progressively from late June, with routes leading through forest, alpine pastures and higher terrain within easy reach of the wider Vanoise landscape. The Three Valleys publishes a comprehensive summer map of hiking and mountain bike routes, a network substantial enough to occupy a week without repetition. Guided walks are also available for those who prefer local knowledge over independent navigation.
The Col de la Loze has featured in the Tour de France since 2020 and draws serious cyclists through the summer. Electric mountain bikes are available locally, opening up the higher routes to a wider range of riders.
The Pass Explorateur is worth knowing about, with options for three or six days and access to more than twenty activities across the valley, including pedestrian lifts, the pool and tennis courts. Many visitors arrive without realising it exists.
Alpine lakes near Méribel
The Plan de Tuéda Nature Reserve opens onto a chain of high-altitude lakes, from the lac des Fées, hidden just off the path to the Refuge du Saut, to the six Mont Coua lakes set in rock above 2,500 metres. The combination of clear water and mountain reflection is particular to these elevations and difficult to find elsewhere in France.
What’s on in Méribel this summer
Méribel’s summer calendar is built around village traditions, cycling and open-air events. From 15 to 17 July, the Surprenant Festival brings music and live performance into the mountain landscape, while 19 July sees the Col de la Loze Challenge return for cyclists taking on one of the Alps’ most demanding climbs.
From 21 to 23 July, Zen Altitude offers yoga, breathwork and wellness sessions in the open air, before the Fête à Fanfoué brings village traditions, parades and mountain horns to Les Allues over the weekend of 1 and 2 August. Full programme here.
Courchevel in summer
Courchevel opens for summer from 4 July. In the absence of the ski season, the resort’s more considered qualities become apparent: the architecture, the relationship between its six villages and the landscape that surrounds them.
Each of Courchevel’s villages has a distinct character that winter visitors rarely have the opportunity to appreciate at close range. Summer, and the slower pace it brings, makes the differences worth exploring on foot.
Summer hiking and alpine lakes
From Courchevel, the Vallée des Avals opens into a wilder alpine landscape of high-altitude lakes, waymarked trails and refuges, including Refuge du Grand Plan and Refuge des Lacs Merlet for overnight stays.
Routes range from family-friendly walks to more demanding high-mountain ascents. This summer, four waymarked loops include a night at a refuge, offering a structured introduction to sleeping in the mountains.
The Col de la Loze and Courchevel Bike Park
The Col de la Loze is one of the most demanding climbs in professional cycling and has featured in the Tour de France several times since 2020. In summer, it is open to road cyclists, e-bikes and mountain bikes, with routes across the Courchevel valley.
In the Bike Park, La Louza offers a red trail with a downhill profile, while Pradam, a new blue enduro route, links Courchevel Village with Courchevel Le Praz through forest and alpine meadow. L’Intégral offers a longer red enduro descent towards Courchevel Le Praz or Bozel, giving more experienced riders a more sustained route through the valley.
Swimming and outdoor activities in Courchevel
Lac du Praz and the La Tania pool offer open-water and pool swimming against the backdrop of the surrounding peaks, a counterpoint to the activity on the mountain above.
Aquamotion, open from mid-June to mid-September, adds a newly revamped outdoor area this year, with mini golf and beach volleyball alongside the pools, spa and climbing wall.
What’s on in Courchevel this summer
Courchevel’s summer programme ranges from village fêtes to sporting events, but the Red Bull 400 is one of the headline dates to watch: a 400-metre race up a 37.5-degree ski jump incline, and one of the toughest short-distance challenges in the world.
The wider village calendar changes through the season, so it is worth checking the resort programme before travelling. Full programme here.
What all three resorts share in summer
The altitude is the constant. All three resorts sit well above the heat of the valley floor, and on days when lowland France reaches 30°C, the mountains remain cool. The quiet is the other: the queues and crowds of a ski week are simply absent.
Summer offers a slower, more spacious way to experience Val d’Isère, Méribel and Courchevel.
For winter enquiries with Consensio, visit here.