Rhone-Alpes

Self Catering Rhone-Alpes Ski Holiday Chalets and Apartments to rent, France 

Search the Rent-in-France directory and contact owners directly to find the ideal Rhone-Alpes self catering holiday rental chalet or apartment in this diverse and beautiful part of France. Rhone-Alpes is located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south and is named after the Rhone River and the Alps mountain range.

Rent a holiday chalet in the French Alps, world famous for having arguably the best ski resorts in the whole of Europe including: Val d'Isere, Tignes, Meribel, Courchevel, Val Thorens, Les Menuires and the Portes du Soleil ski resorts which include Les Gets, Morzine and Avoriaz. Other popular resorts in the region are Alpe d'Huez and Chamonix. Chamonix is the ideal starting point to explore Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps. 

Stay in a Rhone-Alpes holiday rental apartment and experience the huge variety of outdoor leisure activities on offer throughout the summer months. For all of you golf fans out there, you will find a number of exceptional golf courses to play during your holiday in Rhone-Alpes. Several spas in the area offer fantastic walking, hiking, climbing, cycling, mountain biking and riding through the wild and natural countryside of the region.

The Ardèche and the Bourg St-Maurice in the Alpes offer some excellent rafting and there is some fantastic fly fishing, angling and casting on offer in one of the many lakes and rivers and the mountain streams.

The region is one of the most scenic areas of France with its huge lakes, deep gorges, dense forests, lush pasture land  and spectacular mountains. Stretching from the border between Switzerland and Italy to the east of the region, Mont Blanc dominates the French Alps. The spectacular landscape and the challenging peaks have drawn walkers and climbers here for years during the summer months where as the winter months see the area transformed into a paradise for all the winter sports enthusiasts out there.

For a relaxing stay in self catering Rhone-Alpes holiday chalets or apartments, the region is ideal for a wine-tasting holiday break. Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone and Savoy wine are some of the more famous wines that are produced in the region.

Enjoy their delicious local cheeses and traditional dishes such as fondue and raclette. Lyon is particularly well known for its fine food, and is home to some very typical and traditional restaurants.

There are a large number of markets throughout the region in the towns and villages that open on different days of the week. Food lovers will be offered a wide range of traditional dishes during their stay in the region. One of the most popular snacks served in many of the bistros is Machon, a salad made up of potatoes, lentils, or dandelion leaves and bacon with garlic sausage, slices of brawn, cevelas truffe, a lightly cured pork sausage with truffles, served with jugs of Beaujolais. 

Places to visit during your holiday rental in the Rhone-Alpes region                               

Haute-Savoie  Home to the world famous resorts of Chamonix-Mont Blanc and around 110 other ski resorts. Most of these resorts all offer luxury self catering skiing accommodation in the Rhone-Alpes.

Although skiing is the major attraction to the department Haute Savoie is also known for its spectacular scenery and world class spa facilities. Mountaineering, golf, hand gliding and sailing are also available and have kept the department very busy especially during the summer months.

Chamonix - The town is both a mountain climbing centre and a ski resort situated where the Mont Blanc Tunnel runs through the Alpes to provide a direct link to Italy. Along with the towns Megève, Morzine and Val d'Isère, Chamonix enjoys an international reputation, as do the spa towns of Evian, Aix-les-Bains and Thonon all of which are situated on the south shore of the magnificent Lake Geneva. 

Val d'Isere and Tignes - Popular ski resorts in the Savoie department. Part of the l'Espace Killy, also known as the "Most Beautiful Ski Area in the World."

Les Trois Vallees  - The ‘Three valleys’ popular ski destination is in the Savoie, near the Vanoise National Park and the Tarentaise. The largest ski area in the world with more than 600 km of ski slopes. Courchevel, Les Menuires and Val Thorens are among some of the ski resorts.

Portes du Soleil ski region – this large region in the Alps is made up of 12 main resorts. Avoriaz is the ‘capital of snowboarding’ and considered to get the best snow. Morzine is an attractive market town in the heart of the Portes du Soleil.  

Grenoble Once the site of the Winter Olympics, Grenoble is situated in the Isère Valley and surrounded by mountains.

Grenoble is a busy and modern university town with a pleasant old quarter, great shopping, a number of gardens and parks and excellent ski facilities. The new Museum is home to a fantastic collection of contemporary art.

Lyon. The third largest French city behind Paris and Marseille, Lyon is the capital of the Rhone –Alpes region.

Centered with its main commercial and entertainment district on a peninsula between the Rhône and Saône rivers, Lyon spreads onto the steep hills of the river bordered by many warehouses and docks. The rivers have separated the city into three parts and are spanned by a number of bridges.

Today the city is an important inland port and industrial centre and is connected with Marseille by both rivers and canals. Lyon also boasts two Roman amphitheatres and many fine museums and buildings.

Annecy. This ancient town is located on the north-western shores of Lac Annecy approximately 32 miles south of Geneva and 65 miles northeast of Lyon. This charming town is made up of a network of canals and arcaded streets, its major tourist attraction is the Palais de l’Île, situated between two branches of the Thioux River

Climate in the Rhone-Alpes region

The Rhone Alpes region is situated in the south east of France and the climate is known for being variable. The summer months see the temperature remain hot where as the winter months see the temperature drop and can be relatively cold due to the presence of the mountains.

The region is located close to the Alps but it also close to the Massif Central Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Due to this location, the inland areas see certain warmth compared to the cold, long snowy winters seen in the mountains. The Mediterranean influences the summers to be pretty hot and the region benefits from approximately 1976 hours of sunshine each and every year. Although the region can be very dry down in the south it is still a relatively damp area.

In General the long summers see the temperatures reach around 30 degrees (cooler in the Alpes). There is great snow cover in the winter with a reasonable amount of sun and in the Drome spring tends to come early with long hot summers and mild winters. 

Travelling to the Rhone-Alps region

Getting to the Rhone-Alpes region isn't too much of a problem, there are three main international airports within the region that you can fly to, and these are Lyon (LYN), Grenoble (GNB) and Saint Etienne (EBU). Both Easyjet and Ryanair offer some very cheap services to each one of these airports from approximately 24 airports across the UK. Saving money on cheap flights will make sure your self catering holiday rental in the Rhone Alpes is great value for money.

Alternatively you can take the train and many areas within the region are only 2 hours from Paris on the TGV train service available. Some of the main stations within the Rhone-Alpes that are serviced by the TGV (High speed train service) include Saint Etienne, Grenoble, Lyon Perrache, Lyon Part Dieu, Lyon Saint Exupéry airport, Chambéry, Annecy, Montélimar and Valence TGV.