Savoy

Exclusive guide to the best holiday destinations in Savoy, independent reviews from award-winning travel writers

Mont de Grange Summit with Hiker

Walking the High Alps in France

I’m always looking for a challenging walk but find that many self-guided walks offered by the hiking companies are not tough enough for me. Since you always get thrown out of your hotel after breakfast, you need a good few hours walking if you’re not going to arrive at your hotel too early. My perfect […]

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Hotel Blanc Pool

Hotel Blanc

The three star Hotel Blanc in France is located in a quiet village between Lake Annecy to the North and Chambery to the South. It’s ideally placed to explore the Albanais region and venture into the alpine mountains of the Bauges National Park.

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Hotel Les Cygnes and lake

Hotel Les Cygnes

Surprising as it seems, the three star Hotel les Cygnes is the only hotel situated on the Lake Geneva waterfront in the French resort of Evian les Bains. Of course the town is famous for its bottled water of the same name, but the hotel has its own spring and was once the bottling plant for the rival Graziella brand.

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1024px Samoens

Samoens. The French Alps’ little secret

Mention the French Alps and a few famous names spring to mind; Chamonix, Val d’Isere and Courchevel perhaps, but there is one village tucked away in the Giffre Valley which has been a firm favourite with those in the know for many years, in both winter and summer. Yes, Samoens is the French Alps little secret.

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alps 3

Chamonix for Non Skiers

It is not often the French thank the English for anything, but in the case of Chamonix for non skiers and good skiers alike, they cannot thank us enough. It was a bunch of intrepid Englishmen in the 1800s, men like Whymper, Kennedy, Ball, Wills and Tyndall, who, armed with precious little equipment, first explored the Alps and Mont Blanc in particular. They formed The Alpine Club and returned many times to climb the peaks.

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Villa Rose Boutique Hotel

The good people of Samoens, a charming little village tucked away in France’s alpine Savoie Mont Blanc region, have been doing daily life the same way for centuries, whether it be stonemasonry, cheese making or skiing. So when the local taxi driver is at a lost to find Villa Rose, the town’s new luxury boutique hotel, I’m not really surprised. New things clearly take a while to register here in Samoens.

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