Postcards From The Alps: Here's How We Swapped Euro-summer Chaos For Mountain Magic

By the time my flight touched down at Geneva Airport, I could feel the excitement rising after nearly twelve hours of travel. While my feed was a blur of Aperol spritzes in Amalfi, sunsets in Santorini, and the same Eiffel Tower shot taken from three thousand different angles, I was glad I had chosen a different backdrop: the French Alps. 

I was trading cobblestones for clouds, city rooftops for rugged ridges, and the constant buzz of urban life for the slow, expansive calm of the mountains. My destinations? Valmorel and Tignes, two alpine gems promising something cities could never. Room to breathe. Especially in the off-season, the mountains felt like they existed just for me.

Valmorel: Where Time Slows Down

My first stop was Valmorel, a mountain village wrapped in greenery, peaks, fresh pine-scented air and soft, sombre rain. My base was a mountain-view room at Club Med, where mornings began wrapped in a blanket, watching sunlight spill across the slopes. From the moment I arrived, I was spoiled in all the best ways. Chalet-style rooms so cosy they could’ve been pulled straight from an A24 film.

My days began with something I never imagined myself doing: hiking at 7am. For many, it’s no big deal, but for this city girl, wielding a trekking pole and finishing a 5km hike felt like a triumph. The trail led me through silent yet vibrant slopes, and I found myself snapping photos of every waterfall and lake that greeted me along the way, as well as distant views of the Alps that reminded me how small (and lucky) we really are.

The best part of the hike was the breakfast spread served afterwards, which felt like a love letter to French comfort: flaky croissants, crusty baguettes, creamy cheeses, fresh fruit, and an excellent coffee station I frequented with gusto. Evenings meant one thing: fondue at La Laiterie. Paired with glasses of Savoie wine and flickering candlelight, the molten cheese offered ultimate comfort.

Tignes: Where the Altitude Matches the Adrenaline

The next stop was Tignes. If Valmorel is a poem, then Tignes is its icy remix. Perched higher in the Alps, this snow-meets-style resort blends glacier highs with an après-ski attitude, even in the off-season. Mountain zen by day and crisp, electric energy by night. The Club Med here felt like an alpine penthouse. My room came with a perfectly positioned mountain view and a balcony overlooking peaks that looked like a real-life postcard.

With glaciers that glisten even in July, Tignes was where my ‘never-seen-snow’ streak finally ended. The afternoon I arrived, soft flakes drifted outside my window—my first snowfall, in the middle of summer. Locals barely batted an eye (apparently it’s not unusual here), but for me, it was a moment etched in memory.

The cable car ride up to the Glacier de la Grande Motte, the following day, was an experience in itself. The glacier slowly rose above the rugged peaks until the world below felt like a miniature set. At over 3,000 metres, I stepped out into a world where the snow crunched differently underfoot and the sunlight bounced off the ice like a million tiny diamonds.

Afterwards, I rewarded myself with a dip in the Alps’ largest indoor pool at Club Med Tignes, all glass walls and mountain views, followed by, yes, more hot chocolate (at this point, I was probably 30% cocoa). Apart from the milky drink, Aperol spritz became my other late-afternoon ritual, especially as sunsets stretched past 8pm, painting the peaks in impossible shades of gold and rose.

One of Tignes’ most underrated charms is the river that runs through it, a turquoise ribbon gliding past the town like it knows it’s photogenic. On days I wasn’t chasing snow, I was perusing the Tignes markets, sampling local cheeses, and befriending what felt like half the region’s dog population. My phone gallery now has more photos of these canine celebrities than actual landmarks, and honestly, no regrets.

Alpine Magic

I came to the Alps to escape the rush of the city, but I didn’t expect to return so full. Full of fresh air and the kind of peace only found atop mountains. Thanks to Club Med, I was also full of cheese and chocolate.

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Cities can wait. I’ll be back to their boulevards and boutiques soon enough. But for now, the mountains have claimed a permanent corner in my heart. When people ask me, I tell them that if they want to truly feel the spirit of summer, they might have to go somewhere a little colder.