Hautes-Alpes
Holiday Rentals France - Self catering Hautes-Alpes holiday rentals, France
Search the Rent in France directory for self catering holiday rentals in the Hautes-Alpes, France– Book direct with the owner. Named after the Alps mountain range, Hautes-Alpes is a department in southeastern France. The department consists of the southeast section of the former province of Dauphine and the north part of Provence. Bordering Italy on its east side, the department is also surrounded by the departments of Drome, Savoie, Isere and Alpes de Haute. Located within the Alps mountain range, the department is hugely dependent on the tourist industry during the winter months due to the magnificent skiing that the area offers. The summer months still bring in the tourists with it’s fantastic scenery and wide range of outdoor activities. Hautes-Alpes is a great place to take a summer self catering holiday rental chalet or apartment with hiking, climbing and sailing all on offer. For the extreme sports fans out there, you can even try your luck at a number of aerial sports such as gliding. Some say that the tourism market has missed Haute-Alpes and, due to this, the unspoilt countryside and the breathtaking Alpine scenery make the department an authentic holiday destination. The department has an extremely mountainous terrain, meaning the population in the area is sparse. The average elevation is around 1000m with the highest being over and impressive 4000m.
Places to visit in Hautes-Alpes, France
La Grave Known to many as the destination for the experts due to its extreme slopes and no limits skiing. Telepheriques will take you up to around 10,500ft in less than an hour from the little village. Many skiers and snowboarders only take to these slopes with a guide due to the fact that all the skiing is off piste where there are no groomed runs or marked out trails.
Embrun Situated between Gap crossroads and the city of Briançon, Emdrun is a pleasant small town with a market. A town that is full of old ancient buildings, a cathedral, narrow streets and a large fountain. Located on a cliff top plateau known as the Roc, the town overlooks the river Durance.
Gap Sitting up at around 733m above sea level on the banks of the river Luye Gap is known to many as the alpine crossroads as it sits at the intersection of the D994 and the N85. Gap is the capital of the Hautes-Alpes department and has recently announced that it is interested in hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics
Guillestre This tiny picturesque town is situated in a valley surrounded by some magnificent forests and mountains. The town takes its name from the river Guil that flows through the wild gorges and past the town into the river Durance. There are a large number of river activities that can be enjoyed in Guillestre during your self catering holiday rental in Hautes-Alpes.
Serres A wonderful village situated on a rocky hillside along the Buech river. An active village with its many outdoors cafes, these can often get rather busy due to the N72 road passing through the village and over the river Buech. Much of the town is made up of narrow streets with tiny passages along with a number of houses that date back as far as the 15th and 16th century.
Briançon At around 1350m above sea level the city of Briançon is in fact the second highest city in the whole of Europe behind Davos, Switzerland. The city was built on a flat plain where the rivers Durance and Guisane meet and is very close to the 100,000 hectare national park of Ecrin. A beautiful and picturesque town with a number of steep and narrow streets. Be sure to visit The Pont du Asfeld during your stay. Located east of the town, this magnificent bridge built in 1734 spans the Durance in a single arch 40m/ 130ft across and 56m/185ft high.
The department sees over 300 days of sunshine each and every year, which makes the Hautes-alpes a surprisingly sunny department of France. The temperature remains warm but not too hot, the summer months particularly July, August and September see the temperature hit around 20°C with the highest almost reaching 30°C. As we move into the winter months which see the Hautes-Alpes ski resorts overflowing with tourists, the average temperatures hover around just 4°C
Unfortunately, there are no airports in the Hautes-Alpes that receive direct flights from the UK. In order to get to your self catering holiday rental in Hautes-Alpes you need to fly to either Nice (NCE), Toulon (TLN) or Marseille (MRS). From there you can drive to your destination within the department or catch a train or bus. Some of the above destinations may require a change in Paris. Marseille, Valence and Grenoble are all served well by the French rail system and from these stations you can take a train direct to your holiday home in the Hautes-Alpes.
Overall taking a self catering holiday rental in the Hautes-Alpes department will offer you the ultimate authenic holiday. With its unspoilt countryside and bubbly atmosphere unlike much of France, Hautes-Alpes has avoided the beaten path of French tourism and your holiday property will offer you the perfect mix of sun and Alpine scenery.