The '''French Alps''' are part of the large European chain of mountains know as the Alps. They are primarily known for their outdoor activities, which include skiing and mountaineering. Lesser know but still popular sports in the region include white water rafting, golf and paragliding. The region is also noted for its stunning beauty, including many alpine lakes, the largest being Lake Geneva (Lac Leman), Lac d'Annecy and Lac de Bourget; these lakes are year-round attractions for their beauty and access to numerous water sports.

The French portion of the mountains are also home to famous resorts towns Chamonix, St. Gervais, Albertville, Grenoble where the Olympic Games took place in 1968, and Annecy with its old city and lake.

Regions

<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em">Image:french_alps.jpg<br>''French Alps during summer''</div>

  • Rhone-Alpes
  • Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
  • Mountains

  • Mont Blanc
  • Vanoise
  • Ecrins
  • Chartreuse
  • Vercors
  • Belledonne
  • Departements

  • Haute-Savoie
  • Savoie
  • Isere
  • Drome
  • Hautes-Alpes
  • Alpes maritimes
  • Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
  • Get in

    The French Alps are well connected to the rest of the country. It has an international airport nearby of Grenoble [http://www.grenoble-airport.com/-GENERAL-PUBLIC-AREA-.html (Grenoble Isere Airport)], also Lyon and every cities has a direct TGV (fast train) to Paris. Many towns are also connected by TGV or ordinary trains. There are also highways in many valleys. There is also the international airport of Geneva (Switzerland) nearby.

    Cities

  • Albertville (Winter Olympic Games in 1992)
  • Annecy
  • Chambery
  • Grenoble (Winter Olympic Games in 1968)
  • Other destinations

    Ski resorts

  • Alpe d'Huez
  • Chamonix (Winter Olympic Games in 1924)
  • Isola 2000
  • La Clusaz
  • Le Grande Massif
  • Les Arcs
  • Les Deux Alpes
  • Les Trois Vallees {Winter Olympic Games 1992}
  • Megeve
  • Portes du Soleil
  • Tignes/Val d'Isere
  • Val Thorens (part of Les Trois Vallees)
  • Water sports

  • Lake of Aiguebelette (World Rowing Cup ? in ?)
  • Lake of Annecy
  • Lake of Bourget
  • Lake Geneva - Currently the Societe Nautique de Geneve and the mercenary team of Alinghi holds the America's cup.
  • Understand

    Talk

    Get in

    Get around

    See

    Itineraries

    Do

    The beautiful terrain around the French Alps means that there is plenty to do all year round and that people can try a range of diverse and exciting activities. The area is of course most famous for its [http://www.undiscoveredalps.com/pages/Skiing-and-Snowboarding skiing] however visitors flock to the area for a variety of other activities including mountain biking.

    Eat

    The French Alps have also great many restaurants and are especially famous for its numerous varieties of cheese.

    Drink

    In recent years the over popularity of the Alps, particularly for skiing has led to very high prices, especially for drinks. It is not unusual to pay more than ?4 for a small glass of beer in a mountain bar.

    Stay safe

    Get out