Trying to decide where to spend two weeks in France in 2004. We like to travel in May to avoid summer crowds. In doing research I'm not sure if the Alpes cable cars etc.and other means to get to the top of the mountains are even open in May. Crowds I want to avoid but having everything closed is another matter. Would moving our trip to June give us more choices in activities? I want to avoid July and August. Thanks for any help. Deborah Ann

By googling Aiguille du Midi I found out that it was open to tourism in May and June. June might be safer because it is warmer, yet not overwhelmed by other tourists.

Thanks Michael, I'm still trying to decide which area in the Alpes we should stay in a gite for a full week. My research for the L'Alpe d'Huez (I'm a Tour de France fanatic) didn't look very promising for May or June. I've done searches on Google for alpine towns but will check out "telepheriques" as I don't know all of the possibilites available. Thanks for the help. Deborah Ann

Check out Briancon, in the Hautes Alpes, in the Serre Chevalier ski domaine. We were there during ski season but learned that it is a very popular during the summer also. Briancon has a wonderful fortified old town. The whole area is lovely, not well known to Americans, generally speaking.

Thanks Grandmere,Briancon is on my wish list for this trip. I'm trying to decide how to divide up a two week trip to the Alps that include Annecy, Grenoble, Chamonix plus the area around l'Alpe d'Huez.My thought right now is 4 days around Annecy/Chamonix and a week in a small village gite that gives good opportunities for day tripping. Just not sure what is a central location because of driving times. Help from anyone who has stayed in this area would be great. There is not much information specific to the Alps in guidebooks at the library and google doesn't at first glance have what I am looking for regarding summer activites in general. We are not going for hiking but more like walking!!! Deborah Ann

The Chambery-Aix les Bains-Albertville area includes several gites. Problem is, I don't know names to give you. I assume you have gone to different web sites such as www.gite.com and have looked. My choice would be to find a place near Aix-les-Bains and preferably right on the Lac de Bourget.

Annecy and Chamonix are two of my favorite spots. You might also try Les Deux Alpes. Good luck.

Thanks Wayne, yes, I have the gite website saved on my favorites as we have used them on almost every trip. I am so glad they are on the internet now, our first experience with contracting a gite was in the early 90's with a book donated to a Minnesota library. What a world it opened to us!!I liked what I read about a small village called Vaujany but it seems many things are closed in it during May and even early June. That got me wondering if this is a good time to visit. Do you think that is what we will find in this region in May or June? I had a French professeur from Annecy and she thought it was one of the most beautiful places to live. I can't wait to see it. Deborah Ann

The wonderful little 2 star inn that we stayed at in Briancon is closed from May 1 until June 1. Leads me to believe that much may not be happening in that area in May.

Grandmere What was the name of the hotel in Biancon? I would appreciate your recommendation.It looks like June might be better. Thanks, Deborah Ann

DeborahAnn, Auberge le Mont Prorel, which is right across the street from the Mont Prorel ski station (cabine telepherique), was a great, but simple, little place when we and our adult children stayed there for a ski vacation in March of '00. It was owned by a French family ( and had been for a long time), who were very friendly and helpful. Their whole family was involved with running the place, and our son and son-in-law hired their son as a guide for one day on the very treacherous La Meije at nearby La Grave. There are only 18 rooms at the rustic auberge, and most, if not all, have private baths; we had demi-pension, and the hearty, regional food was designed for people expending lots of energy on the slopes! ( I was eating like the skiers, but was only a spectator, alas!)

And here's the rest of the story : we learned the next year that the French family had sold the place to a couple of Englishmen. I have no idea what it's like now; it was hard for us to imagine it being owned by anyone other than the family we got to know. I can only hope that it still retains the friendly, homey ambience that it had when we were there.

Thanks Grandmere for your help. I see that the Auberge Le Mont Porel is still listed with the Logis de France and I appreciate the information about the change in ownership, which can certainly make a difference in the hotel. Briancon sounds like a great place to spend some time in the Alpes, our good fortune is that there are just too many such places. It will be great fun for me to plan this trip. Deborah Ann