French Activities for Winter

Tourists flock to France every summer to experience its romantic architecture and picturesque countryside. The mild weather makes travel easier and the great outdoors more appealing. If you've been to Paris and other hot spots during the summer, you know what it's like to fight crowds and wait in line. During the winter you'll see another side of France that's just as charming; smaller crowds will make it easier to do what you want.

1. Ice Skating

   • If you're in Paris anytime between December and spring, immerse yourself in the romance of your surroundings with a trip to the stately Hotel de Ville. This hotel is the backdrop for a skating rink that appears every year and the setting couldn't be more romantic. Gorgeous Gothic and Baroque buildings are everywhere you turn and the beautiful Seine is nearby. If you have your own skates you can glide across the ice for free or you can rent a pair. It's an experience you'll never forget. Chamonix and other resort areas also offer ice skating.

   Ice Diving

   • Imagine plunging into a dark world where your bubbles dart across a shimmering frozen canopy like mercury. That's the world of ice diving; adrenaline junkies can get their fill under the ice of lake Tignes. The ice diving scenes in "The Big Blue" were filmed here but it's different when you experience it first hand.
     As you drop through a hole in the ice, you're protected by a safety line and expert guide. You're also wearing a dry suit so you don't feel the cold. This lets you enjoy an alien underworld where the ice glows and the fish are shadows in an inky blackness.

   Skiing

   • Skiing is one of the most popular winter sports and the Alps are an ideal place to experience skiing. Tourist hot spots like Chamonix offer trails for every skill and comfort level. Chamonix is also among the best places to ski in Europe since it sits at the base of Mont Blanc (the tallest mountain in Europe). With more than 30,000 acres and 145 trails, you'll never run out of places to go. Whether you prefer cross country skiing, downhill skiing or speed skiing with a parachute to control your descent, Chamonix has you covered.

   Igloo Building

   • For those with a taste for the unusual, the resorts of the southern French Alps borrowed this activity from the Eskimos. You can snowshoe to a site and build an igloo in half a day, or go for broke with an overnight excursion. The overnight excursion takes you to a high alpine plateau where you build an igloo and spend the night in it. Dinner and breakfast are included along with sleeping bags and mattresses. You won't forget the experience or the winter survival skills you learn.