France’s Best Ski Resorts To Visit In Summer
France is one of the world’s great ski nations, home to many of the biggest and best ski regions on the planet.
You can still ski or board there in early summer too, with glacier or high-altitude skiing scheduled in 2026 at Les 2 Alpes from 4 May to 5 July, although from 1 June to 5 July it is described as a partial opening focused on training for competitors, ski clubs and federations; Tignes from 20 June to 19 July; and Val d’Isère from 13 June to 12 July, all subject, of course, to snow and weather conditions. There’s also year-round indoor snow at SnowWorld Amnéville, near the Belgian border, on one of the world’s longest indoor snow slopes.
There’s a huge range of things to do, with hundreds of kilometres of hiking and biking trails for all tastes and abilities, and the ski lifts still doing the hard work of getting you up the slopes so you can walk, run or ride back down — unless you like the uphill bit too, in which case there’s plenty of that available.
The ski resorts also host competitions, festivals and fun events right through the summer, with activities of all kinds. The bigger resorts have their sports and leisure facilities, including swimming and spa complexes, open in summer too.
Or you might just want to do nothing for a week — an increasingly attractive idea — and the French mountains are a pretty good place for a complete escape.
Here are some of the best French ski resorts to visit in summer and some of the activities each offers.
Les Gets – Europe’s Largest Bike Park and Much More Besides
Les Gets has plenty going on in summer, just as it does in winter. The resort, part of the vast Portes du Soleil region, has a particularly strong reputation with families in the ski season, and while that’s true in summer too, it is also regarded as one of the top mountain biking destinations in the world, with Europe’s largest bike park, including more than 128km of marked trails for all levels.
The resort regularly hosts the downhill and XCO editions of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, with the 2026 edition due to take place from 20th to 23rd August. The Mountain Bike World Championships also took place here in 2022.
There are, though, dozens and dozens of activities on offer that don’t involve two wheels. This summer, a new four-season toboggan run opens at Les Perrières. The rail-mounted ride is 1,100m long, with a 104m height difference, an average gradient of 14.5%, speeds of up to 40km/h and steeper sections reaching a 46% gradient. It is part of Les Gets’ wider move to offer more year-round attractions and sits alongside the existing Alta Lumina Park.
There’s also a new barefoot walk through the peat bogs of the Chablais UNESCO Global Geopark — water-saturated land where visitors can feel the mass of energy accumulated since the last ice age. Les Gets is teeming with these little-known, multi-faceted wetland areas and sensitive peat bog ecosystems.
In town, there are hotels ranging from four-star to two-star, as well as numerous chalets and apartments. There are around 40 restaurants, on and off the mountain, and the village is just an hour’s drive from Geneva.
Annecy Mountains – Lake and Mountain Activities in Harmony
Encompassing the turquoise waters of Lake Annecy and the picture-postcard villages of the Aravis, including La Clusaz and Le Grand-Bornand, Annecy Mountains offers a summer holiday that combines the best of both lake and alpine life. Avoid the busiest times in Annecy itself by heading off the beaten track and there is a great deal to discover.
Try Alex with its soap-making workshops, enjoy high-alpine hiking at Col des Annes, where you are likely to see more cows than people, taste local Reblochon cheese at the Caves du Paccaly in Manigod and learn more about how this famous local cheese is made and stored.
The area is renowned for the Tour de France, with its famous cols — Aravis, Colombière and Croix Fry — attracting road cyclists from across Europe. New coffee shops, including Le Shed in Le Grand-Bornand and Lo Garâjo in Manigod, are becoming must-stop coffee breaks for cyclists en route.
Megève For Donkey Trekking & Barefoot Hiking
Set in the heart of the stunning Mont Blanc massif, surrounded by lush flora and crystal-clear waters, Megève is a traditional winter sports and summer village that has been popular with skiers, artists, intellectuals and holidaymakers for more than a century.
The traffic-free, cobbled medieval centre features an abundance of artisan shops and galleries, so it should be no surprise that the resort is increasingly popular with British holidaymakers seeking a charming summer mountain escape without the winter price tag. That comes thanks to a growing number of chic and affordable accommodation and dining options alongside the resort’s four- and five-star hotels and three Michelin-starred restaurants.
It’s all just an 11-hour drive from the UK or about an hour from Geneva airport.
Besides strolling through the sun-dappled alpine village, with its elegant boutiques, lively streets and inviting large terraces, there are lots of activities on offer in summer as in winter. Megève has everything from outdoor swimming, mountain biking and hiking to jewellery making, starry film screenings and treetop adventure courses.
A family activity this summer is a five-day trek walking alongside a group of donkeys, who lighten the load by carrying the luggage. Accompanied by a mountain guide and instructor, hikers stroll along mountain trails, picnic in green pastures and spend the night in a cosy mountain refuge.
Or you could reconnect with nature on a sensory hike, designed to awaken all the senses. Feel, smell, discover and learn through barefoot workshops, blindfolded tastings and much more. Participants are encouraged to go on a journey of personal exploration designed to encourage openness and improve general wellbeing.
There’s much more too, with a full events calendar including the Megève Jazz Contest, which marks its 30th edition from 10 to 12 July 2026, international sporting events such as the MB Race, and the Toquicimes festival, when Megève’s famous foodie culture serves up delicious local dishes.
Arc 1950 – Family Fundays in Car-Free Village
Arc 1950 is set in the foothills of some of Europe’s best terrain for hiking, biking and high-alpine lakes. Its car-free village centre, with pedestrian piazzas and brightly coloured Savoie facades, is well suited to a family summer holiday in the Alps.
Throughout the summer, Family Fun Wednesdays provide a day of festivities each week dedicated to family entertainment. Art and graffiti workshops, mountain biking festivals, themed pirate and voyager days all bring Arc 1950 to life.
You can also let the professionals take care of the mini adventurers with the Yeti Camp kids’ club, which welcomes children aged 3 to 11. Activities include archery, mountain survival skills, hiking, zip wiring, mountain biking, golf and scooting. Older children and teenagers can also try outdoor sports weeks with activities such as rafting, climbing, electric mountain biking and downhill mountain biking.
Les 2 Alpes – Mountain of Hell to Family Favourite
Offering one of the world’s 10 biggest lift-served vertical drops in winter, Les 2 Alpes is an increasingly popular summer mountain destination too, with a summer resort season running from mid-June to the end of August.
Located in the southern Alps not far from Grenoble, this is one of the French ski areas still offering early-summer snowsports. In acknowledgement of the impact of climate change and to help protect the glacier, Les 2 Alpes has shifted its high-altitude ski season earlier. In 2026, the first period runs from 4 to 31 May for skiers and snowboarders, followed by a second period from 1 June to 5 July focused on race training and competitors.
So while there is no longer public skiing and snowboarding through July and August, pedestrians can still access the glacier in summer and enjoy the breathtaking views and cool temperatures up high.
Les 2 Alpes has in fact had an increasingly busy summer season for 50 years now. It attracts a sporty clientele keen to try the main adrenaline activities on offer, including paragliding, downhill biking, white-water sports and much more.
This is the home of the world-famous Mountain of Hell downhill mountain biking race, with the 2026 edition running from 18 to 21 June. Hundreds of experienced mountain bikers line up at one of the highest start lines for an MTB competition, at 3,000m, and ride down a 2,500m vertical descent, starting over snow and ice.
From mid-July to the end of August, there is also a more relaxed, buzzing, family-friendly atmosphere. There are more than 30 accommodation options to choose from in summer, twice that number of restaurants open, more than 90 shops to peruse and over 40 activities available.
Portes du Soleil – Mountain Biking Heaven
For skiers and snowboarders, the vast Portes du Soleil region straddling the French-Swiss border needs no introduction. It’s one of the world’s largest ski regions, linking the terrain above a dozen resorts, eight French and four Swiss, most of them well known in their own right, including Avoriaz 1800, Châtel, Les Gets and Morzine.
In summer too, the Portes du Soleil’s location delivers a vast variety of landscapes in the heart of nature, providing access to a natural playground ideal for both sporting and relaxing holidays.
Although perhaps best known in summer as an internationally recognised mountain biking area, almost everything is possible here, from cycling and hiking to yoga and culinary experiences.
For biking, though, the Portes du Soleil has few equals, with a vast array of options for everyone from complete beginners to the most demanding pros. Cross-country, freestyle, freeride and e-biking are all options, with 80 mountain bike trails totalling 600km, accessed by 24 ski lifts. As a pioneer in electric mountain biking, the Portes du Soleil has been using electrically assisted bikes since 2014 and the area now offers more than 35 routes specifically marked out for this type of riding.
If you’re going for two feet instead of two wheels, summer visitors can choose from a wide range of walking and trekking routes, with over 470km of signposted paths across the region catering to all abilities.
Thrill-seekers are equally spoilt for choice, as the region is a mecca for canyoning, via ferrata, white-water rafting and ziplining.
Those looking for a slower-paced holiday can opt for forest bathing, jewellery making in the forest or a step back from the hustle and bustle in a secluded mountain cabin.
The Belleville Valley – Flower Laden Meadows & Snow-Capped Peaks
From the village of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville to the high ridges of Val Thorens and the crystal-clear waters around Les Menuires, there has never been a better time to discover the flower-laden mountain pastures and snow-capped peaks of the Vallée des Belleville in the French Alps.
Hike on the glaciers at Val Thorens, bike the huge 3 Vallées loops, fish for local trout, or taste the homemade ice cream at Chez Pépé Nicolas. The Belleville Valley offers a host of activities, many available via the Pass Ascensionnel, which gives pedestrian access to the 3 Vallées lifts, including Cime Caron and Pointe de la Masse, along with options including pools, guided hikes, sports activities and partner discounts, depending on the chosen pass.
Discover the new Brava Vela microbrewery, just outside Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, or take a gentle walk to Nant Brun, an old refuge rejuvenated for summer, where you can stay overnight or enjoy a coffee and homemade cake.
If comfort is more your thing, the four-star Higalik or the luxury Le Hameau du Kashmir Residence are open for summer.
Image Copyrights:
Pic top: copyright Portes du Soleil and Sylvain Cochard.
Les Gets – trail running pic copyright OT Les Gets & Manon Guenot.
Annecy Mountains – top pic Copyright Royer
Megève pictures copyright Commune de Megève.
Arc 1950 pictures copyright Andy Parant
Portes du Soleil pictures copyright Portes du Soleil.
Belleville Valley top pic copyright Jeremy Berard
Goat pic credit: Vincent Lottenberg
We have a regular Podcast called The White Out where we review the latest gear, talk about the latest snow forecast and updates on where is best to ski now, as well interviews with absolute ski legends AND we spotlight a resort every week and so much more. You can check out our regular podcast here Apple | Spotify | Podcasts or search The White Out on your chosen podcast directory.