When to go en Savoie ?

With an average altitude of 1,500 metres, Savoie has a mountain climate, although it is affected by oceanic, continental and Mediterranean influences, and spatial differences create many local climates, depending on the slopes, basins... The eastern part of Savoie experiences heavy snowfalls in winter. At Mont-Cenis the foehn blows. The Bauges and the Chartreuse are particularly humid, while the Maurienne valley is renowned for its sunshine.

The high tourist season in Savoie is undoubtedly the winter when skiers flock to the resorts. The department has large high-altitude resorts, which provide snow early in the season and during the off-season. If you want to take advantage of advantageous rates, rent your stay outside the school holidays in all areas. Find out about traffic conditions before you go to the resort in winter after heavy snowfalls. Some access is then difficult with the risk of traffic jams. You should also know that the major road passes, including the Galibier, Iseran or Petit-Saint-Bernard, are closed for several months during the winter due to the accumulated snow. In summer, the mountain pastures are lively and keep a freshness appreciated when the heat wave rages in the valley. Hikers cross the herds, marmots whistle, eagles swirl in the sky, it is a shared mountain that we enjoy. An atmosphere quite different from that of the white winter when you make your mark... Stock up on beaufort d'alpage, a seasonal cheese with a unique flavour. For the rest, all year round you can visit the Savoyard cities - Chambéry, Aix-les-Bains - to enjoy their casual atmosphere and rich heritage. In Aix-les-Bains, the thermal season is open almost all year round (closing in December and January).