6 days Ago By [email protected] (Hilary Mitchell)
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info There are a lot of famous destinations in France.
Paris, Nice, Toulouse, the Côte d'Azur and Monaco spring to mind. However one much less well-known place that you might not have heard of is the stunning, snow-covered French county of Savoie within the beautiful Auvergne-Rhône- Alpes region. What's more, budget airline Jet2 is offering cheap flights to Chambéry-Savoie airport - known as the "gateway to the Alps" - from Edinburgh in December.
Prices start at just £59 for a return , so its the perfect time to explore this enchanting part of France. Savoie is famed for its many ski resorts , but you don't have to be a fan of zooming down sheer slopes at high speeds to get a lot out of a trip to the region, especially at this time of year. One of the closest mountain towns to Chambéry-Savoie airport is Chamonix, which just 90 minutes away.
From there, you can easily travel to the equally gorgeous towns of Argentière, Les Houches, Servoz, and Vallorcine using the reliable Mont Blanc express train. Chamonix is popular with hikers and mountaineers, but if you'd rather save your shoe leather, you can take a a cable car ride to the top of Aiguille du Midi, a 3,842-metre-tall mountain. When you get to the top you can (if you're feeling brave) take a walk along the glass skywalk, or just enjoy the view from the panoramic terraces.
You can also visit the incredible Mer de Glace (sea of ice) - the largest glacier in France, and go inside an ice grotto. Within the cave, you'll find ice sculptures and an enchanting Gallery of Crystals, which features a collection of the finest crystal specimens in the Mont Blanc massif. Another nearby mountain town just 90 minutes from the airport is Courchevel.
Although its best known as a ski resort, there is plenty there for non-skiers to do and the lively winter season kicks off at the beginning of December. One particularly popular activity is to hire a snowmobile and take a once-in-a-lifetime trip through the beautiful winter scenery. Alternatively, if you're an animal lover, why not try your hand at dog sledding ? You don't need to drive yourself - just sit back and relax while you're driven by a professional "musher" while you admire the snow-covered countryside.
The lesser-known but equally snowy village of Megève is also just 90 minutes away from the airport, and it too has a wealth of fun winter activities on offer. For a truly epic experience (just imagine the amazing Instagram pics you'll get!) you can even go hot-air ballooning over the mountains . The starting point is Praz Sur Arly which is a few kilometres from Megève.
There's a fantastic outdoor ice skating rink in Megève as well, then afterwards you can head to nearby restaurant Spaggiari to warm up with a glass of mulled wine. Like Courcheval, Megève also offers dog sledding. There's also the option to go sledging, in fact the village is often described as a "tobogganer's paradise.
" The Megève tourism office explains : "Toboggan enthusiasts are kings in Megève! These toboggan areas, completely secure, marked out and delimited by nets, are perfect for introducing the little ones to the first sensations of sliding while the older ones have fun racing. "After dark, several service providers organize night toboggan runs. A magical slide beneath the stars.
" Sounds pretty darn enchanting to us. You can find out more about travelling to Chambéry-Savoie airport from Edinburgh on the Jet2 website. Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
.
