Over the holidays, we made a dream come true!  I’m excited to share with you the travel guide for Skiing in the French Alps: Megève, France today.

As you may know, we traveled to France over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday. It has been a dream of my husbands and mine to ski in the Alps and we were so excited to finally make this happen.  I shared with you a few weeks ago what I wore and I’ve finally finished putting together every detail on what we did in Megève!  These take me a long time but I love to relive the experience and share it with you!

Megève

Megève is a quaint village in the Haute-Savoie area in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France with a population of about 3,000 in the shadow on the famous Mont Blanc peak.  Founded in 1920 by the Rothschilds as the French alternative to St. Moritz, Switzerland, it is a bit glamorous with a rustic charm. Hints of it’s medieval roots are evidenced in the winding cobblestone streets. This hidden gem is filled with pretty little shops in beautiful stone buildings and the jingle bell sounds of horse-drawn sleigh rides through the village.  It is magical in the winter!  I’m sure it is the same in the summer with lush green mountain views.

We chose Megève on the recommendation of our travel agent, Lisa Primmer.  We also considered Chamonix but really enjoy discovering smaller places from villages to hotels. I would compare them as Aspen is like Chamonix and Telluride like Megève for a US reference and we love Telluride.  Proximity to the airport and ski lifts were also a big consideration for us.  Megève has a cozy feel but is very sophisticated.  The shopping is pretty amazing!

Getting There

Because we spent the Christmas holidays in Kansas City with my family, we left from there. We flew Delta through Detroit and Amsterdam to Geneva. Megève  is about an hour drive from Geneva. The hotel arranged a car to pick us up. Holiday travel can be tricky so if you book early enough in advance, you most likely will not have two connections. Leaving from DFW you can fly through London and then to Geneva. I only booked this trip about two weeks in advance so our possibilities were a bit more limited! We had the hotel arrange transportation to and from the airport for us. We did not want to figure out the car rental return on the way back since our flight was an early one on the way home.

Where to Stay

There are several five-star and amazing boutique hotels in Megève. We stayed at the Hotel Mont Blanc Megève, part of the Maisons et Hôtels Sibuet. Maisons et Hôtels Sibuet has four properties in Megève that are all unique and beautiful, as well as hotels in other fabulous French destinations.  The Hotel Mont Blanc Megève is perfectly situated a few steps from the main plaza in the village and about 100 yards from the ski lift. I love a hotel that is luxurious and convenient! The rooms were beautiful and cozy.  We had connecting suited both with a small living room, bath and bedroom.  The hotel staff could not have been more gracious and helpful.  This was a huge plus since we’d never been to Megeve before!

Activities

Snow skiing, of course!

The ski mountain in Megève is a large mountain with two peaks, and a cable car connecting them. It’s amazing to ski in the shadow of the famous Mont Blanc.  You can see it behind us to the left a bit.  There is a good mix of beginner, intermediate, and expert runs. We skied a total of three days. They had a bit of a warm-up right before we arrived, but supplemented very well with man-made snow. Wouldn’t you know it three days after we left it was almost a white out for days!?!?!

We got our ski rentals at Chamois Sports. My husband commented that we had never received such warm and helpful help at any ski shop with ever been to. They are extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and kind. I highly recommend this ski shop. They will also store your ski gear overnight, and boots while you’re on the mountain.

Sightseeing and Day Trips

Chamonix

We celebrated my birthday while in France. That morning, we rented a car and drove to the famous neighboring town of Chamonix. The drive was easy especially since you drive on the same side of the road as in the US. The views during the 1 hour drive were stunning! Charming towns and incredible views of the mountains.  Chamonix was beautiful although cloudy and a little rainy. Unfortunately, the cable car to the top of Mont Blanc was closed that day, but this is a must to do activity and Chamonix or when visiting the area.

We had lunch at a beautiful, underground restaurant: Atmosphere. It was another suggestion from the concierge at the Hotel Mont Blanc Megève. Everything we had was absolutely delicious!  More on Atmosphere below.

Helicopter Tour

I never thought I would do a helicopter tour but I have to say it was one of the highlights of the trip and the most amazing thing I’ve ever done! We booked a flight with Mont Blanc Helicopters through our hotel concierge. The pilot was a great guide as well as an extremely accomplished pilot. The views were absolutely incredible! Seeing Mont Blanc from the air and all the glaciers was truly awesome.  We booked a 30 minute flight and I wish that we had done it longer!  You can see video on Instagram Stories under Alps.

Pure Altitude Spa

Imagine, relaxing and rejuvenating spa treatments in an ice cave. That’s exactly what the Pure Altitude Spa at the Hotel Mont Blanc Megève feels like. Crisp, white painted rock and cool gray granite create peaceful, serene treatment rooms. I had the Zen Altitude treatment which included a body scrub, body wrap, massage and rejuvenating hydrofacial.

And, of course, shopping!

From Hermès to local luxury boutiques from fashion to home you can fight any think you’re looking for in the shops in the center of Megève .

Where to Eat

There is no shortage of fantastic restaurants in Megève.

We had breakfast each morning at our hotel, but there are a lot of wonderful pastry and coffee shops around. Our favorite was Noeme located behind the Hotel Mont Blanc Megève. They have fabulous hot chocolate and Vin Chaud!

Speaking of Vin Chaud, if you are in Megève on New Year’s Eve, they have a sweet tradition of making this hot mulled wine for the entire village. They build a big fire and place the largest cauldron I’ve ever seen in the center of the plaza, and serve everyone about 6pm.

Le Relais Mont Blanc

This is the restaurant at the Hotel Mont Blanc Megève. We ate here our first night as well as enjoyed their New Year’s Eve party. Don’t miss the fantastic fondue! If you were there over the holidays, the New Year’s Eve party is one we will never forget!  The food was great, and the atmosphere could not have been more special and festive!  The host/assistant manager, Benjamin, led the dance party!  My girls still talk about Benji!

Les Enfants Terrible

This is the bar in the lobby of the Hotel Mont Blanc Megève. It is a perfect place to warm up with authentic thick, rich French hot chocolate or a cocktail après-ski.  This is quite the place to be and be seen, too!

Nano Trattoria

Benjamin recommended Nano Trattoria, a lively Italian café around the corner from the hotel. He even called and ensure that they had gluten-free pasta for us! Everything we had was amazing! Don’t miss their pasta or pizza.

Le Refuge

We celebrated my birthday with dinner at Le Refuge, which is a Michelin starred restaurant a few miles up the slopes from Megève.  The view in the daytime is said to be beautiful.  There are so many photos of this night because it may have been the best meal we had there and that is saying a lot!  Each of these restaurants were wonderful but the food, service and atmosphere at Le Refuge was special.  And, they made my birthday special as well!

Chalet Caboche

There are several restaurants on the mountain. Chalet Caboche restaurant was a great stop one day.  I rode the gondola up and met my family here for lunch after a spa day. It is a quaint bistro with a cozy, feel and great service.  We enjoyed a traditional french lunch with ratatouille, nicoise salad, a hot box (warm brie and charcuterie) and even great fish and chips and burgers!

Le Petit Crêperie

We enjoyed another very traditional French lunch at Le Petite Crêperie including some of the best French onion soup I have ever had! We also enjoyed several styles of traditional French crêpes, and they even had gluten-free options!

Le Hibou Blanc

The last night we had dinner at this chic bistro in the center of the village. The seats are covered with sheepskin and the contrast with the beautiful white pine wood is simply gorgeous. When you’re here, be sure to try their amazing guacamole, and the Paris Megève Spritz! For dinner, we enjoyed, sole, meuniere, fabulous burgers, and shepherds pie.  We sat on the cozy tented patio and watched the bustling night in

I’ve saved video of this trip on Instagram stories under Alps. I hope this gives the inspiration to travel to this beautiful village. I know you will love it as much as we do! I am already scheming for a return!

I hope you love these travel guides as much as I love putting them together for you. Next week I will be sharing our travel guide for San Miguel and after that the long awaited Santa Barbara travel guide. Be sure to check out all of my other travel guides and packing lists on the menu above.

Cheers to travel!

XO

Alicia

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