Air
Currently both Ryanair (from London Stansted) and Easyjet (from Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, London Gatwick and Stansted) have flights to Grenoble-Saint-Geoirs. Fly-drive arrangements are available via airlines and tour operators, but note that the minimum age for hiring a car in France varies from 21 to 25 years, depending on the hire company. Some companies levy a surcharge on drivers below 25 years of age.
For onward travel from Grenoble airport, a 30min transfer by bus brings you to the Gare Routière from where buses continue into the Écrins region. For further bus information visit www.transisere.fr
By Train
For anyone travelling direct from the UK the train is a convenient option. Eurostar takes 3hrs for the journey from London St Pancras to Paris (Gare du Nord) via the Channel Tunnel, and the high-speed (300km/h) TGV service connects Paris (Gare de Lyon) with Grenoble in 2hrs 55mins. There are also main-line services from Paris to Briançon. For up-to-date rail information get in touch with Rail Europe (
Local Bus Information
Local buses operate out of Grenoble (the Gare routière is conveniently adjacent to the main-line railway station) with the following destinations: Gap, La Mure, Bourg d'Oisans, Briançon, and so on. Connecting VFD buses for several other destinations such as La Bérarde and Alpe d'Huez have Bourg d'Oisans as their terminus (www.transisere.fr).
Grenoble-Bourg d'Oisans: VFD Gare routière de Bourg d'Oisans (
Grenoble-Briançon/Grenoble-Gap: VFD Gare routière de Grenoble (
Please note that services are greatly reduced outside the main summer holiday period – mid-July to the beginning of September.
By Car
The journey from the Channel ports to Grenoble is straightforward by autoroute via Paris, but note that these are toll roads and are therefore reasonably expensive to use. The road distance from Calais to Grenoble is about 830km. In France the minimum driving age is 18. Nationals of European Union countries need a valid driving licence, while those from non-EU countries require an international driving licence. The vehicle's log book should be carried, and insurance cover is compulsory. Front-seat passengers must wear seat belts, and children below the age of 10 are restricted to the back seat.
Accommodation
A variety of accommodation is on offer throughout the region, from campsites to all but the most elegant of hotels. Outline details are given within the main body of this guide, but for specific information you are advised to contact the local tourist offices who can usually supply printed lists of hotels, gîtes and campsites, and provide an idea of prices. (Details of tourist offices are given at the start of each valley section.)
Official Campsites
Campsites of varying sizes are located in most of the main valleys – but not in all of them. Every one used personally during research had good, clean and efficient facilities. However, as with other forms of accommodation, beware that they can be very busy during the main summer holiday period, which in France begins on 14 July and continues until late August.
Gîtes d'étape
Gîtes may be described as privately-owned youth hostels predominantly used by walkers. Although some have small bedrooms, most sleeping accommodation is in dormitories (take your own sheet sleeping bag). Bathrooms have showers, and there's a communal kitchen where guests prepare their own meals, but a number of gîte owners serve evening meals and breakfasts to supplement their income. There are more than 60 gîtes d'étape in the Écrins region.
Mountain Huts (Refuges)
Throughout the Écrins, mountain huts are often completely full during the French summer holiday period, and it is essential to phone ahead if you plan to use one for overnight lodging. There are many such huts within the National Park, and a number of routes in this guide lead to them, for almost every one has been built in an idyllic location. Sleeping arrangements are invariably in dormitories with large communal bunks with up to 30 places. There is no segregation of the sexes, and washroom facilities are usually quite basic and often without hot water. The gardien (where one is in residence) will normally provide cooked meals and sell bottled drinks, coffee and tea. Snacks and drinks are usually on sale during the day for passing walkers. Details of individual huts within the region covered by this guide are given in the appropriate sections.
Refuge de la Selle (Route 56)
Hotels
In the region covered by this guide, hotels are mostly small and modestly priced with a limited number of rooms. Although there are no major resorts, a number of unpretentious villages boast a one- or two-star hotel offering accommodation with a distinctly rural mountain atmosphere.
Weather
As with all Alpine areas, weather conditions here are changeable and walkers should be prepared for all contingencies. So far as walking is concerned, summer is limited to the period July to mid-September, but while daytime temperatures can be very pleasant during settled conditions, perhaps ranging from 25°C to 28°C, heavy rain and even snowfall can occur in midsummer. Even in high summer nights can be cool. Thunderstorms can occur during unsettled periods, and these can be sudden and violent. September is often marked by more settled weather than July or August, but with lower temperatures.
Always check the weather forecast (metéo) before setting out on a walk that will take you high in the mountains. The local tourist office or Bureau des Guides usually display a printed forecast covering a two- or three-day period. Alternatively, telephone 08 92 68 02 38.
Remember that what is a gentle breeze in the valley may be a piercing wind just 300m up the hillside, and as you gain height so the weather intensifies. Should a passing cloud hide the sun, the temperature can drop alarmingly. As a general guide, the temperature drops about 6°C for every 1000m of ascent.
Violent gusts of wind often indicate that a thunder storm is imminent. Lightning can be deadly and in the mountains the electrical atmosphere preceding a strike sometimes sounds like a swarm of bees. If there's any possibility of a storm, avoid ridges, metallic fixtures and prominent features that stand above open ground. Do not shelter beneath overhanging rocks or trees, and should you be caught in high open country discard meta objects (trekking pole or ice axe), and squat or curl up on your rucksack keeping hands and bare parts of your body away from the rock surface.
St-Christophe-en-Oisans in the Vallée du Vénéon (Routes 56–57)
Notes for Walkers
Walks
