👉 When can you come and enjoy the wonders of the Southern Alps with your family?
The two departments of the Southern Alps can be visited all year round!
Winter is the best time of year for families to discover the Southern Alps. Discovering the snow, skiing, tobogganing and snowshoeing are all great family activities!
The ski resorts offer winter activities to suit all ages.
But the Alpes de Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes are also popular destinations in summer!
So for a pony ride, a short walk in the forest or in the region's many national parks, July and August are perfect.
🚌 How do I get to the departments in the Southern Alps?
The Alpes de Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes are easily accessible by road.
The main route serving the region is the A 51 motorway. This dual carriageway links Aix-en-Provence to Gap, serving Manosque, Sisteron and Digne.
From Grenoble, take the N85 road to Gap and the heart of the Hautes-Alpes in just under 2 hours.
If you choose to travel by train, the SNCF runs several services from Paris to Grenoble or Marseille Saint-Charles station.
From there, you'll need to take a TER to Manosque, Sisteron, Gap and Briançon stations.
By train from Paris, the journey to the Southern Alps takes between 6 and 7 hours.
The nearest airport remains Marseille-Provence, with Grenoble airport also accessible by plane from Paris.
🚌 How do you get around the Hautes-Alpes and Alpes de Haute-Provence departments?
The car remains the most practical means of transport for discovering small villages and the most outlying points of interest.
However, you can also travel by public transport.
The main towns are linked by the railway line that runs from Briançon to Manosque. Several towns and villages are thus served.
Local bus networks are also a good alternative to the car.
The Zou regional transport network of the Provence Alpes Côte-D'Azur region efficiently serves the departments of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes.
