Five regions of the French Alps to discover by train

Whether for a weekend or a longer vacation, the French Alps are also very easy to explore by train. Moreover, some of the most beautiful regions of the Alps are very easily accessible by train and provide the change of scenery and landscapes you've been waiting for. So let's visit these five regions:

The country of Mont Blanc
The Upper Tarentaise
Briançonnais
Maurienne
The Alps of Lake Geneva

The train conductor is blowing his whistle on the station platform! Come on, let's get on board and explore each of these regions.

By train to the heart of the Mont Blanc region

Sallanches and its surroundings

Arriving in the Mont Blanc region by train is like crossing an invisible threshold: around a bend, the mountain looms supreme, with its hanging glaciers and white ridges scratching the sky.

From Sallanches, the first major station at the foot of the massifs, the gaze is already lost towards the massive silhouette of the Mont-Blanc range. The town, rebuilt in Piedmontese style after the fire of 1840 by the will of King Charles-Albert of Savoy, retains a lively center between alleys and green spaces. A short distance away, the heights of Passy open the way to a panoramic balcony: the plain of Sallanches is revealed between the Mont-Blanc massif, and the Aravis, framed by the Aiguilles de Warens and the Aiguille Verte. A few kilometers higher, the contemporary works of art of the church of the Plateau d'Assy dialogue with the mineral brilliance of the peaks. Opposite we see the gaps of Combloux et Megève on the one hand and on the Val Montjoie, on the other hand. Between the two, a string of churches and baroque chapels dot a beautiful hike on the heights of Sallanches to Saint Gervais and beyond.

By train to the glaciers

Precisely, continuing on the railway line, after Sallanches, you arrive at the Fayet station, at the foot of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, a unique railway junction. From here the Mont Blanc Tramway, a spectacular cogwheel train that climbs to the Eagle's Nest (2300 meters above sea level), the gateway to the roof of Europe. But still from the same station, also departs the Mont Blanc Express, a train that leads to Chamonix before descending into Switzerland, in Valais. Along this route, the valley narrows shortly after Le Fayet. Chamonix then arises, the legendary capital of mountaineering, nestled at an altitude of 1000 meters, in a deeply incised valley dominated by imposing glaciers. The Belle Époque facades line the impetuous Arve, and everywhere the names evoke the history of the climbs, the pioneers and the dramas of the Mont BlancThe views of the glaciers are impressive from the very center of the small town. But of course it is possible to gain altitude and discover incredible viewpoints: the Montenvers, Brevent Aiguille du Midi, at 3842 meters in the heart of the glaciers.

The railway line of the Mont-Blanc Express takes you even higher, towards Argentiere, a small authentic village from which you can return on foot along the Arve, taking advantage of the gentle descent, via a beautiful walk in the forest.

Easily accessible from Paris, Lyon, or Geneva, the train stations of Sallanches, Saint-Gervais-le-Fayet, Chamonix, and Argentière will allow you to discover the most beautiful landscapes of the French Alps. All that's left is to find beautiful accommodation at a reasonable price for go and breathe the pure air of the Alps with Voyage PrivéEg.

By train to the end of the Tarentaise

Terminus at Bourg Saint Maurice

This time the arrival point by train is Bourg-Saint-Maurice, at an altitude of just over 800 metres. It can be reached by TGV from Paris or by a local line that serves the entire Tarentaise Valley (the upper Isère Valley) to its terminus at the foot of the mountains. A walk through the small town will reveal a village with discreet charm in a strategic location at the crossroads of several roads leading to important passes: Cormet de Roselend to enter the Beaufortain, Col du Petit Saint Bernard to discover the Aosta Valley and pass of theIseran to reach Maurienne. Inevitably, given its position, a town like Bourg Saint Maurice had to be a crossroads for merchants and soldiers. And it was. But the most important fact for tourists coming by train: directly from the station, a funicular leads travelers to the station Arcs, (Arc 1600, precisely) where the peaks and the buildings with a very particular design intertwine above the larches. In summer, this balcony resort is a terrace overlooking the Beaufortain, the upper Tarentaise valley and the Mont Blanc massif, offering freshness, panoramas and paths to the mountain pastures where gentians and genepi abound. A mountain destination easily accessible by train, therefore, summer and winter.

Between Bourg Saint Maurice and Aime, you can take the local train line to admire the small villages with their beautiful baroque churches, in a sumptuous landscape. For example, you can stop at Landry or to Longefoy.

The Upper Tarentaise

On the mountain side, apart from going up to the Les Arcs resort, served by a funicular, you have to take regular shuttles from Bourg Saint Maurice. We will aim in particular the Chapieux valley, wild, silent, old transalpine transit route which leads to the Beaufortain and its endless mountain pastures, or towards the Italian side of Mont Blanc via the Col de la Seigne. To the south, towards the Iseran Pass, the road reaches Val d'Isere et Tignes, two exceptional resorts. Val d'Isère, at an altitude of 1850 meters, retains the pastoral grace (but today very luxurious) of its hamlets, while in Tignes (2100 meters), a modern resort located at an altitude of 2100 meters, a cable car allows you to climb to the top in just a few minutes. Large Motte (3400 meters), a veritable balcony overlooking the infinite glacier. As for the Iseran road, it personifies the vertical landscape, with its bends at the level of the snowfields, its legendary bike rides and the fixed gazes on the domes of the Vanoise, between shadow and light. Finally, towards Italy, the resort of La rosière, dominates Bourg Saint Maurice and the entire valley from its natural balcony at an altitude of 1800 meters. In summer you can reach the Little Saint Bernard Pass, at an altitude of over 2100 metres, its alpine garden and its former hospice, a testament to the perilous passages over the centuries.

Bourg Saint Maurice, located in the hollow of a valley overlooking the most beautiful peaks of the Tarentaise, is in itself already a beautiful destination in the French Alps, again very accessible by train.

By train to Briançon, a small town in the Alps

Briançon and its citadel

A Briançon, deep in the Durance Valley, we have turned our backs on the Mediterranean landscape of Haute Provence. Larches surround the town and the sun shines on high peaks. The landscape is undoubtedly alpine. The train leaves you at the foot of the old town, but also at the foot of a cable car that takes you to the Prorel at an altitude of over 2000 meters. Vast and silent landscape on the peaks surrounding the Briançon valley. Without a doubt, you are in the mountains, and in the heart of the Alps. The railway line that takes you there is the one that comes from Marseille and Aix en Provence. In Gap, travelers from Grenoble join the Provençals even as the train plunges into the mountains of the department of Hautes Alpes.

The highest small town in the Alps, Briançon is famous for its fortified citadel by Vauban suspended at an altitude of 1300 meters, surrounded by the forests and mountains of the Southern Alps. Once in the city center, the walk continues through cobbled streets, rustic staircases, and houses set in tiers on the slope. The military architecture interacts with the ornate balconies, water gargoyles, and Baroque chapels enclosed within the ramparts—a unique architectural universe, both a border town and an urban jewel.

The high valleys of Briançonnais

From there, the valley unfolds along the Guisane. Going up the valley towards the Col du Lautaret , we cross the authentic villages which make up the resort of Serre Chevalier and we exceed the 2000 meter altitude mark at Lautaret pass, with its magnificent alpine garden in place of the Meije glaciers, then that of Galibier, at an altitude of over 2600 metres, the standard of cyclists and the altitude of lunar landscapes sculpted by snowfields.

On the other side, towards Italy, behind the citadel of Briançon, the Montgenèvre pass combines bright alpine architecture and cross-border ski slopes, with a ski area partly traced through the heart of larch forests. We love the cool summer air at 1800 meters above sea level. But in autumn, it's the Clarée valley nearby, which attracts the eye with the golden foliage of its forests. In winter, silence reigns, and cross-country skiers have a great time on the trails around Nevache.

All year round, Briançon remains a lively little town from which you can enjoy magnificent landscapes, sunny, snowy or glowing, depending on the season.

By train to the heart of Maurienne

The TGV or local trains leave you at modane before crossing the Fréjus tunnel towards Italy. Modane is not a tourist town, far from it, but, 1000 meters above sea level, it is welcoming and very well located in the heart of the valley of the Mauritian. In a strategic position on the road to the Mont-Cenis pass, numerous military works protect the town, such as the Replaton Fort who always watches from the heights. A few kilometers away, the valley opens towards Also, a small village on a plateau where one of the most astonishing sets of Alpine fortifications is hidden: the forts of Esseillon. Five bastions, built between 1819 and 1834 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, form a defensive staircase facing France, an unsuspected network fixed in the rock, made accessible today to hikers and the curious. Having become obsolete since the construction of the Fréjus railway tunnel, just after the annexation of Savoy by France in 1860, it remains a major tourist attraction in the region. Aussois is also one of the arrival points of the crossing of the Vanoise National Park. Beautiful hikes in perspective!

In winter, this entire area becomes a skiing kingdom. A few bends from Modane, at an altitude of around 1500 meters, the ski resorts The Normaand of Valfrejus offer bright ski areas, designed for skiers who love larch forests and intimate panoramas far from the crowds. The slopes ofAlso descend onto south-facing slopes, well-sunk and opening onto distant panoramas of glacial horizons.

A little further on, after Aussois, from the small village of Termignon, begins the resort of Val Cenis also made up of other very traditional towns such as Lanslebourg and Lanslevillard. At the bottom of the Arc valley, it is the Haute Maurienne whose villages of Bessan and Bonneval sur Arc immerse you in the mountains of yesteryear. The entire valley takes on extraordinary colors in autumn when the sun of this luminous valley illuminates the larches with their fine golden needles flying in the wind.

modane is also very well placed for discover the Susa Valley in Italy until Turin which can be reached in just over an hour by train. This small town in the Maurienne and its more touristy satellites constitute a very nice base for a mountain stay accessible by train.

To Evian, by train, to discover the Lake Geneva Alps

Evian and its hinterland

The terminus of the railway line which runs along the French shore of Lake Geneva is located at Evian-les-BainsA pretty spa resort whose waters are known throughout the world and a pretty little port on the lake opposite Lausanne and the Swiss shore.

The hinterland of Evian, accessible after a few turns, is called the Gavot Country. Already at an altitude of over 800 meters, this balcony overlooking the lake also offers landscapes worthy of Alpine postcards. These are the first foothills of the Chablais, with soaring peaks but accessible to hikers. Here you will come across the traditional architecture of Savoyard farms, typical of the local architectural heritage, and you will experience popular festivals such as the "Boucle du Pays Gavot" or the Saint-Pierre fair which mark the seasons. The hikes here, between fir forests, small chapels and balconies above the lake, are a discreet call to the sweet escape. Small resort villages like Bernex (950 meters above sea level) at the foot of the majestic Dent d'Oche suggest a relaxing vacation.

In the land of chalets and postcard landscapes

Just above Evian, about ten kilometers away, Thollon-les-Memises reigns, perched at an altitude of 1000 m, perched on a balcony like a lookout. Here, paragliders launch themselves into the breeze while the view plunges over Lake Geneva and the Vaud Alps. In winter, you can ski on slopes that seem to disappear into the vast blue of Lake Geneva.

Much further inland, but requiring an almost obligatory visit when stopping for a few days in Evian, the valley ofAbondance allows you to discover the Haute-Savoie region of postcards, with its wooden chalets, old barns and farms that produce the cheese of the same name. Traditional villages such as Abondance, La Chapelle d'Abondance and Châtel spread their beautiful chalets at the bottom of the valley on the sunny slope while trails wind through the heart of the dense coniferous forests.

Back on the shores of the lake, two sites near Evian are particularly interesting.

Saint Gingolph, shared between France and Switzerland, presents itself as a cut-off, inspiring village. Divided since 1569, it brings the border to life differently: border residents who live on both sides of this town floating between two identities with its common anchorage in Lake Geneva.

In the opposite direction, to the west, the main town on the French shore of the lake, Thonon-les-Bains combines the thermal side with the port side by adding the liveliness of this town which was the capital of Chablais for centuries. The members of the Savoy family appreciated the place so much that they had a castle built there in the middle of the vineyards in the Middle Ages: the Ripaille castle.

Thonon and Evian are very easily accessible from Geneva et Annemasse by train. They combine the art of living on the lakeshores and in thermal spas with the alpine culture of the mountains. An ideal destination for a getaway on the edge of the French Alps.

AlpAddict in Evian-les-Bains — Evian-les Bains – Photo: ©MaruokaJoe – stock.adobe.com

Where to stay during your train trip to the French Alps?

This is a question that's often asked, but one that can only go unanswered in an article like this. The regions discussed are vast, and the reasons that motivated you to go on a getaway are numerous. There's something for everyone: camping, residences, homestays, chalet rentals, with varying degrees of luxury.

On the other hand, it's true that sometimes, when you go on a weekend or a stay in the mountains, you want to experience accommodations in exceptional settings, with careful architecture and luxurious services. Just to treat yourself once in a while. In this case, don't hesitate to unearth gems on sites specializing in special offers, often short-term or very short-term. For example, sites like Private TravelThere are real opportunities to treat yourself at very reasonable prices.

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