Marie-Anne, one of the Peak Retreats team, picked Samoëns as the destination for her summer family holiday! Find out more about the trip below...
We went to Samoëns in the Grand Massif, my favourite resort, to celebrate my belated 60th birthday. We booked for a week in August with my 3 grown-up children (all in their 30's), their partners and our 4 grandchildren whose ages were 4, 6, 11 and Lily, who was to celebrate her 14th birthday during our stay!
My husband and I had already had summer holidays in Samoëns by ourselves, and loved the village and surrounding areas so much, we thought it would make the perfect family holiday. Being so well located, just an hour's drive from Geneva airport and 45 minutes from both Annecy and Chamonix, it meant there were other places to visit if we had non-sunny days or fancied something different.
Samoëns is a great family-friendly resort, easy to get around and we only had a short walk on the flat before we were in the village centre. It is a traditional village with the Village church and Square. A large and very good weekly market takes place on Wednesdays and runs from the large car park in the village through to the village square. Most days the middle of Samoëns is pedestrianised and safe for families to walk around. They also have an amazing botanical garden which was funded by a local girl, who became famous for opening and running the renowned Parisian department store 'La Samaritaine'. They also have the quintessentially French, little white tourist train, which the youngest of our group enjoyed. Plus it gives you a guided tour as you weave your way round the roads.
We decided to fly from Gatwick to Geneva, due to having young children in our party. We also booked hire cars for our large party, a 9 seater minibus and a saloon car.
However, be aware that you need to have the car tax 'vignette' to cross from France to Switzerland, and this is not provided on the French side. To avoid having to pay for it (approx. €40) you can travel around Geneva to the French side of the airport. A bit more complicated but very much worth it, and save around £400 on the car hire! When you fly into Geneva, you just have to follow the signs for the French side and show your passport at the desk, before continuing to the car rental desks.
We stayed in the privately owned and managed Chalet Rose, and booked out all 3 apartments. There is now a 4th apartment on the top floor with 4 en-suite bedrooms, but this wasn't available at the time we booked it! Each family had their own apartment and space, apart from my middle son and his girlfriend, who shared with his sister and her family. We made sure they had the apartment with the larger dining table to make it easier for them. Each bedroom, in each apartment, has an en-suite bathroom and the children who were in the bunk beds shared their parent's en-suite. It worked out well! My husband and I had the 2 bedroom ground floor apartment which faces the garden and pool at the back of the residence. The main draw of this residence is the private outdoor heated swimming pool, which we knew if the weather was kind, the children would love. We were very lucky, so the adults and children alike all enjoyed the pool. It's a very high-spec residence with larger than average apartments.
Chalet Rose is jut a 3 minute walk from the nearest 'Spar' mini-market with a large range of food and essentials that you might need for your stay. A bit further down the road there is a very good delicatessen & charcuterie shop, as well as a wonderful patisserie and other shops off the main square that sell regional produce. If, like us, you have a car then there is large supermarket with better prices on the outskirts of Samoëns, on the road to Taninges. My eldest son came out of the store and said "Mum, where at home would you get a view of amazing mountains all around, when you come out of the supermarket?" - he has a point! If you have time, you can also do a big shop at the huge supermarket in Cluses before you head up the mountain to Samoëns.
There a lot of activities to suit all budgets and abilities in the area. Nobody from our party was brave enough to try the parascending but it seems a very popular sport - the pretty sails floating about the late afternoon skies were great to watch and enjoy this quiet pastime.
As a family we enjoyed walking in the area. We all drove up to the 'Col de Joux Plane', passing many road cyclists on the way as they did the Tour de France. It's a steep climb around hairpin bends but easily done in our automatic vehicles. We parked, walking up the hill and followed others around the mountain side, we passed the cows who were munching the lush grass and passed comment there was more reblochon cheese to be made - yum! Then we turned a corner and the scenery blew us away - there in the distance was the majestic snow-topped Mont Blanc and what a sight it was! We returned the way we came nd had to visit the 'Le Relais des Vallees' café, to sit on the terrace and continue admiring the views, where the very elderly owner is as nimble on her feet, as I was 20 years ago! We enjoyed a plate of the local 'tartiflette', a traditional dish of reblochon cheese, bacon and potatom, with a side of lightly dress salad and finished with the locally picked home-made 'myrtilles tarte' (blueberry tart). The local light, cold beer called 'Les Cimes' is also very welcome after a good hour's walk. It wasn't a difficult walk, and most walks in the area are sign-posted with how long they take.
Do visit the Tourist Office in Samoëns, they're very helpful and you get the latest information about the 'animations' that are on offer for the week you are staying - you can also get these online. We signed up for a walk around the village with an English guide, who gave us a tour around the stone-masonry history of the village. This was an interesting hour and a half evening stroll, where our guide pointed out old chalets and points of interest along the way, ending in the village square - well worth the €4 per person.
Be sure to also take the 5 minute drive to Sixt to visit 'la cascade du Rouget' - a fabulous waterfall easily accessible from the parking. Then continue on to the 'Cirque-du-Fer-a-Cheval', the national park where you can park your car (for a small fee), and walk up to the most amazing natural area with waterfalls and two great walks. Both are easy, one for 30 minutes and the oher 'Balade du Bout du Monde' (translated as To The End of the Earth), where you can cross streams, stroll past waterfalls and stop for a drink/refreshment at the café en-route. Remember to look up to see the mountain Ibex skipping along the cliff face. There's also a larger café/restaurant at the entrance to the park.
We ate out 3 times in the week - in school summer holidays it's a good idea to book early to avoid disappointment, but as it happens, we managed to get a table each time in our favourite Bistrot which offers a good varied menu, located in the main square of the village.
My son and his girlfriend loved going to the Patisserie first thing in the morning to pick their pastries and stop off for a coffee. They brought me back a little pistachio tartlet that had a macaron type topping, and it quickly became my favourite!
We also enjoyed eating together at 'home'. The apartments were so well equipped with Bosh kitchen and laundry facilities, that it was easy to cook for the family! We asked Lily where she would like to eat for her 14th birthday dinner, and she asked to stay in and have Grandma's lasagne! I made a couple of large lasagna's and we had chicken fajitas one night too - both family favourites. We pre-ordered birthday cake for Lily from the local patisserie and they certainly didn't disappoint, even personalised it for her! I just needed to add a few candles and start singing...
There are plenty of bars, as well as restaurants, in Samoëns, and Covey's Irish Bar had live entertainment for those that wanted more than just a drink. Very friendly and welcoming too!
Most of our days were spent with each family 'doing their own thing' but the outdoor heated pool was a huge success with us all. The owner discreetly opens it for 9am and returns to clean and close it at 7pm - ideal.
Where's next for Marie-Anne and her family?
The holiday was a huge success with the youngest grandchildren, asking this year if we could do it all over again... better start saving!!