French Alps Family Road Trip Itinerary: A 10-Day Winter Route from England

This French Alps family road trip itinerary was our way of combining a winter family holiday from England with beginner skiing for me and my son, while my husband enjoyed the slopes.

We wanted a trip that let us try skiing for the first time, without committing to staying in a remote ski resort if it turned out not to be our thing. That’s why we booked our accomodation near Grenoble for flexibility and comfort.

Travelling during the Christmas holidays, we drove from England through Dijon, Grenoble, Villard-de-Lans, Geneva, and Orléans before heading back home.

For a broader overview of our journey through France and Switzerland, you can also read about our French Alps winter holiday from England to Switzerland.

Trip Overview

• Duration: 10 days
• Route: England → Dijon → Grenoble → Villard-de-Lans → Geneva → Orléans → England
• Travel style: Flexible winter road trip with skiing and city stops
• Transport: Eurotunnel + family car
• Best time: Late December during school holidays
• Total driving distance: Approximately 1,400 miles round trip

Choosing Eurotunnel instead of the ferry ended up being one of the best decisions for this route. During winter, fixed crossing times felt less stressful, and the journey was both faster and less pricey for our family.

Day 1: England to Dijon

After crossing into France via Eurotunnel, we headed towards Dijon for our first overnight stop. Breaking up the drive made the journey feel far more manageable, especially travelling during winter with an 11-year-old.

Dijon turned out to be much more than just a practical stop on the route south. Arriving in the evening, we wandered through the historic centre surrounded by Gothic buildings, softly lit streets and cosy cafés that immediately gave the city a welcoming atmosphere. The following morning, before continuing our journey, we stopped for breakfast at Toasty Brunch and spent a little more time exploring the city before getting back on the road.

Instead of focusing only on reaching the Alps as quickly as possible, we broke the journey with an overnight stop in Dijon, making the drive more relaxed and manageable.

Day 2: Dijon to Grenoble

The drive from Dijon to Grenoble gradually shifted from city scenery to dramatic Alpine landscapes, making the road itself feel increasingly exciting as we moved further south.

We chose Grenoble as our main base for our French Alps family road trip itinerary because we wanted flexibility. Since skiing was still new for part of our family, staying directly in a ski resort felt like too much pressure. Grenoble gave us the perfect balance — easy access to the mountains while still having restaurants, cafés, shops and city life around us.

That flexibility became one of the best decisions of the trip.

If skiing became too exhausting, if the weather changed suddenly or if we simply wanted a quieter day, we still had plenty to enjoy outside the slopes. Villard-de-Lans, where we skied, was only around 40 minutes away by car, making day trips manageable even during winter.

In Grenoble, we also had one of our favourite meals of the holiday at Chez Marius, a warm and family-friendly restaurant that felt especially comforting after driving.

Skiing in Villard-de-Lans as a Beginner Family

Villard-de-Lans was a key part of our French Alps family road trip itinerary, and it turned out to be an excellent choice for us as a family. Before our first lesson, we spent time exploring the resort, checking snow conditions, understanding the beginner areas, and organising our ski equipment and passes.

Compared to some larger ski resorts, the atmosphere felt calmer and much less intimidating, which made a huge difference as beginner skiers.

My son and I both took lessons with ESF (École du Ski Français). We quickly realised how much the right instructor can enhance the learning experience, especially for adult beginners. We initially had a trainee instructor, who was the one available at the time of booking and spoke English, which made the first lesson easier to follow. After that, we switched to a fully qualified (diplômé) instructor, and the difference in confidence and progress was noticeable.

Learning to ski as an adult was both exciting and intimidating at times, especially during those first lessons on beginner slopes. If you would like to read more about the experience itself, you can read my article about learning to ski as an adult.

The resort worked well for mixed abilities, allowing me to stay on beginner slopes while my husband, already an experienced skier, enjoyed longer runs either on his own or with our son, who quickly picked up skiing.

Most days followed a relaxed rhythm:

• morning ski lessons
• independent practice afterwards
• lunch breaks with mountain views
• and slower evenings back in Grenoble

Some days were physically demanding, especially as an adult beginner, but also incredibly rewarding.

A Spontaneous New Year’s Eve in Geneva

With no plans for New Year’s Eve and Geneva just a short drive away, we decided on a spontaneous trip across the border into Switzerland. It felt like a perfect opportunity to do something a little different and see the city’s fireworks by the lake.

We stayed at IntercityHotel Geneva, which worked particularly well for us thanks to its convenient location, parking and easy access to the nearby tram.

Watching the fireworks near the lake became one of those travel moments we’ll never forget as a family.

Days 8–10: Slowing Down in Orléans

Instead of driving straight back to England, we split the return journey with a two-night stop in Orléans.

After several days of skiing, winter driving, and moving between places, a quieter stop seemed like the perfect way to end the journey.

Orléans felt calm and almost storybook-like in winter, with cobblestone streets, traditional buildings, and peaceful evening walks. After days spent between mountain roads and snowy slopes, simply wandering slowly through the city and stopping in cafés became part of the experience itself.

This stop was a reminder that road trips are not only about major destinations, and that the in-between stops can stay with you just as much.

If you would like to see more photos from the journey, including the mountain scenery, winter streets, and some of our favourite moments from the trip, you can also browse our winter holiday road trip in pictures.

Winter Driving & Family Travel Tips

Driving from England to the French Alps during winter went smoothly, and preparation made a huge difference.

During our trip:

• temperatures dropped to around –7°C at night
• roads remained accessible
• and we did not need snow chains, although we still carried them as a precaution

A few things made the journey significantly more comfortable:

• thermal clothing
• waterproof winter boots
• extra blankets in the car
• snacks and drinks
• spare shoes for evenings

After a previous stay with a thermostat issue, we brought a small portable heater/fan for our accommodation in case we needed it.

Is Grenoble a Good Base for Beginner Skiing?

For families new to skiing, Grenoble worked extremely well as a flexible base.

Staying in Grenoble removed some of the pressure that often comes with ski holidays. We never felt trapped in a resort and having access to restaurants, shops and non-ski activities made the entire experience of this French Alps family road trip itinerary feel far more balanced.

However, if your family already skis confidently every day, staying directly in Villard-de-Lans would probably make more sense and reduce the amount of daily driving.

For us, though, the combination of city life and mountain access created the perfect balance.

Final Thoughts on Our French Alps Family Road Trip Itinerary

This French Alps family road trip itinerary became much more than simply a ski holiday. It reminded us that winter travel does not need to be rushed, overly ambitious or perfectly planned to become memorable.

By combining scenic drives, flexible city stops, beginner-friendly skiing and slower moments in places like Dijon and Orléans, the journey itself became just as important as the destinations.

Looking back, the best part was not skiing perfectly or following a strict itinerary. It was having enough flexibility to enjoy the trip naturally as we went, especially when travelling as a family and trying something completely new together.

Have you ever tried a winter ski holiday as a family for the first time? Let me know how it went in the comments.

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Our Winter Holiday Road Trip in Pictures

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