Activities
What to do in Valfréjus and around?
On the slopes, in the valley, in Italy or in the big Alpine cities: our ideas ranked by distance, season and mood. Indicative drive times from the apartment.
- 40 ideas
- 23 under 1 h away
- 8 in Italy
Photo : Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0
The must-dos
Our ranking, from absolute favourite to lovely outing. Ratings are our opinion, not a guidebook's.
All ideas
Filter by season, distance or mood.
1 h 45♥Turin: Egyptian museum, Mole Antonelliana, Baroque cafés, in 1 h 45
The capital of Piedmont is the nearest big city: 18 km of arcades, the world's second Egyptian museum, the cinema museum inside the Mole, the Savoy palaces, chocolate and aperitivo. An unforgettable day.
55 min♥Vanoise National Park: marmots, ibex and high-altitude lakes
France's first national park (1963), 53,000 ha of core zone between the Maurienne and the Tarentaise. From the Haute Maurienne: Bellecombe, Plan du Lac, mountain refuges and ibex. 1 hour away.
1 h♥Bonneval-sur-Arc and the Col de l'Iseran: the most beautiful village and the highest pass
A stone-and-slate village ranked among the Most Beautiful Villages of France at the head of the Haute Maurienne, and above it the Col de l'Iseran at 2,764 m, the highest paved pass in the Alps. 1 hour away.
1 h 45♥The Sacra di San Michele: the dizzying abbey that inspired "The Name of the Rose"
Perched at 962 m on Monte Pirchiriano, at the entrance to the Susa valley, the abbey that symbolises Piedmont overlooks the Turin plain. Stairway of the Dead, Zodiac Door, panorama. 1 h 45 away.
1 h 55Annecy: Europe's cleanest lake and the Venice of the Alps, 2 hours away
Canals, the Palais de l'Isle, a colourful old town and a turquoise lake for swimming and cycling: Annecy is the big day out of the stay, especially in summer. Allow 2 hours by motorway.
On site♥The Valfréjus ski area: 70 km of slopes, 1 pass for 2 resorts
Slopes, lifts, passes and the shuttle to La Norma: everything you need to ski in Valfréjus, 50 m from the apartment.
40 min♥The Esseillon forts: the King of Sardinia's barrier, 40 min away
Five 19th-century Piedmontese forts clinging to a rocky bar above the Arc, the Via Ferrata du Diable and panoramic paths. The great historic site of the Haute Maurienne.
55 min♥The Mont-Cenis pass and lake: the historic road to Italy
At 2,081 m, the Mont-Cenis pass overlooks a large turquoise reservoir, an alpine garden, forts and easy paths. Italy is on the other side. Open from May–June to October–November. 1 hour away.
On siteHiking from Valfréjus: GR5, Arrondaz plateau, Vanoise
Easy walks, day hikes and treks: where to start from the apartment, with or without the gondola.
25 minOrelle: the gateway to the 3 Valleys, from the Maurienne to Val Thorens by gondola
From the village of Orelle, 25 minutes away, two gondolas climb from 900 m to 3,200 m towards Val Thorens and the world's largest ski area. In summer, the panorama from the Cime Caron.
1 h 10The Col du Galibier and Valloire: the legendary Tour de France road
From Valloire, the climb to the Galibier (2,642 m) offers one of the great panoramas of the Alps, over the Meije and the Écrins. A summer road, cyclists, Valloire's sculptures. 1 h 10 away.
1 h 20Briançon and Montgenèvre: the Vauban citadel, the highest town in France, and its pass
The fortified town of Briançon (1,326 m), a UNESCO site, with its sloping Grande Rue, forts and views of the Écrins, via the Montgenèvre pass and resort. A France–Italy loop 1 h 20 away.
40 minVal Cenis: 125 km of pistes, the villages of Lanslebourg and Lanslevillard, Baroque art
The Haute Maurienne's big resort, on the same multi-resort pass as Valfréjus, with its villages, Baroque chapels and the longest green run in France. 40 minutes away.
1 h 35Fenestrelle Fort: Piedmont's "Great Wall", 3 km of ramparts
Europe's largest fortification, whose walls climb 3 km and 600 m of elevation in the Chisone valley, with a covered staircase of nearly 4,000 steps. A spectacular guided visit, 1 h 40 away.
On siteFamily skiing in Valfréjus: Kid Park, sledging runs, snowshoeing
A human-sized resort where children ski, sledge and play on the Arrondaz plateau, minutes from the apartment.
30 minThe Sardières monolith: a 93 m needle in the middle of the forest
A 93-metre limestone needle standing in the larch forest, reached by a 15-minute walk from the hamlet of Sardières. A family stroll and a climbing spot. 30 minutes away.
55 minBessans: 120 km of cross-country skiing at 1,750 m and the Avérole valley
Savoie's great Nordic ski area, on a snow-sure high plateau, with its carved devils and, in summer, the Avérole valley towards the glaciers. 55 minutes away.
On siteSummer with the family in Valfréjus: tree-top course, via ferrata, fishing, pool
Activities for all ages in the heart of the resort and in Modane, less than 15 minutes from the apartment.
On siteFreeride, speed riding and ski touring in Valfréjus
Why Valfréjus attracts powder skiers: retour d'Est snowfalls, the Punta Bagna couloirs, the Thabor hut, and the resort where speed riding was born.
25 minAussois: village, family resort and the Plan d'Amont and Plan d'Aval lakes
A Savoyard village at 1,500 m, a small ski resort on the shared lift pass, and in summer the Plan d'Amont and Plan d'Aval reservoirs, gateway to the Vanoise national park. 25 minutes away.
35 minBardonecchia: Italy 30 minutes away, just past the Fréjus tunnel
The first Italian town after the tunnel: a pedestrian old town, cafés and market, an Olympic ski resort (2006), a swimming pool and trails. The "espresso and gelato" outing of the stay.
1 hSusa and Novalesa Abbey: Rome and the Middle Ages at the foot of the Mont-Cenis
Arch of Augustus, amphitheatre, cathedral and market in Susa; a Benedictine abbey founded in 726 at Novalesa, on the old Mont-Cenis road. A day of history in Italy, 1 hour away.
1 h 25Sestriere and the Vialattea: 400 km of Italian pistes, 1 h 30 away
The Milky Way ski area links Sestriere, Sauze d'Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana, Claviere and Montgenèvre: one of Italy's largest ski areas, a 2006 Olympic venue, within day-trip range of Valfréjus.
On siteMountain biking, e-bikes and road cycling in Valfréjus and the Maurienne
Enduro from the gondola, electric mountain bikes, and the legendary Maurienne passes (Galibier, Croix de Fer, Mont-Cenis) within reach.
On siteSki schools and lessons in Valfréjus: ESF, kids' club, instructors
Where to take ski or snowboard lessons in Valfréjus, for children and adults, and how to book before the holidays.
Christmas and New Year in Valfréjus: fireworks, Santa and skiing
What the resort organises for the holidays, and how to book the apartment for Christmas or New Year's Eve in Valfréjus.
20 minLa Norma: the neighbouring resort, on the same lift pass as Valfréjus
A car-free, family-oriented balcony resort above Modane, included with Valfréjus on the same ski pass. Forest pistes, sledging, and in summer mountain biking and walks. 20 minutes away.
55 minExilles Fort: the fortress of the Susa valley and the Man in the Iron Mask mystery
A massive fortress on its rock, which guarded the Susa valley for centuries and held the Man in the Iron Mask. Museum, ramparts and medieval village. 55 minutes away.
1 h 25Chambéry: the castle of the Dukes of Savoy and the Elephants fountain
The former capital of the States of Savoy, 1 h 25 by motorway: castle, an old town with through-passages, the Elephants fountain, museums, and Lac du Bourget next door.
1 h 40Grenoble: the Bastille cable car and the capital of the Alps, 1 h 40 away
The "bubbles" that rise to the Bastille, the Musée de Grenoble, the old town and its squares, the Musée Dauphinois: Grenoble is worth a day in town, 1 h 40 away by motorway.
10 minFort du Replaton and the heritage of the Haute Maurienne
Border forts, baroque churches, valley villages: visit ideas for a grey day or a day off the slopes.
40 minSaint-Jean-de-Maurienne: the Opinel museum, the cathedral and the market
The capital of the Maurienne, 40 minutes away: the Opinel museum on the famous Savoyard knife, the cathedral and cloister, the Saturday market, and the start of the great cycling passes.
1 h 15Albertville and the medieval town of Conflans: Olympic city and fortified village
The 1992 Winter Olympics host city hides the medieval town of Conflans on its hill: ramparts, the Red House, a Baroque church and views over the Combe de Savoie. 1 h 15 away, on the road to Annecy.
20 minModane: Valfréjus's gateway town, its station and its Muséobar
10 km down the road, Modane has the shops, the market, the high-speed train station and the Muséobar, the Franco-Italian border museum. The shopping and culture stop of the stay.
Indicative drive times (OpenStreetMap) on clear roads: check pass conditions in winter.
The map
Every pin is a page. The star is the apartment.
Practical tips
Practical
A day in Italy from Valfréjus: Bardonecchia, Susa, Turin
The Fréjus tunnel is 15 minutes away: Italian markets, Bardonecchia, the Susa valley and Turin as day trips from the apartment.
Ideas and tips
What to do in Valfréjus in summer? 7 ideas for a week
A typical week at 1,550 m: hiking, gondola, mountain biking, Italy, pool, heritage, and evenings on the balcony.
Practical
Getting to Valfréjus without a car: TGV, Frecciarossa, S50 bus
Modane station 6 km away, direct trains from Paris and Italy, bus up to the resort: Valfréjus is one of the most train-friendly resorts.
Ideas and tips
Valfréjus with children: why it is easy
Pedestrian resort, slopes at the foot of the building, Kid Park, sledges provided, bathtub and travel cot: our tips as parents.
Winter
Ski rental and lockers in Valfréjus: 5 shops at the foot of the slopes
Where to rent skis, snowboards, sledges, snowshoes and mountain gear in Valfréjus, and where to leave your equipment in the evening.
Ideas and tips
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