Things to Do in Châtel, France with Kids {in Summer}

If you’re considering a trip to the French Alps, Châtel must be on your list of destinations.  It would make a great home base from which to explore all that the spectacular Alps have to offer.

Chatel has the Famille Plus Accreditation, meaning that parents can rest easy knowing there are accommodations, restaurants, activities and hospitality services designed just for families.  This endorsement is based on continual examinations, so you know the  resort makes a concerted effort to uphold the high standards required.

If you want to stay connected in France and throughout Europe, eSIM cards will save money while allowing you access to call, text and browse the internet.

Things to Do in Châtel, France with Kids:

Ride the summer lifts – In summer, the ski lifts are in operation to transport visitors up and down the mountains.  There are four lifts open, providing access to various points on the peaks.   Riding these turned out to be one of my kids favorite activities.  They loved the aerial views of Châtel and the surrounding countryside.  Plus I think it was just something new for them, so they wanted to ride up and down as many times as we would allow.  What kid doesn’t love rides?!

Ride the lifts (as many times as you want) for no additional fee with the purchase of a Multi Pass.

Hiking – There are hiking trails all over Châtel and in the surrounding villages, giving you access to dramatic views of the mountains.  Families can enjoy the four thematic paths specifically designed with kids in mind.  These include the Morclan path, Water path, Birds path and Rivari path.  The Rivari trail has stopping points for kids to learn about mountain wildlife through puzzles and hands on activities.  These trails are all “easy” in difficulty and some even accommodate strollers.

Hiking trails that  present a little more challenge are also available and may appeal to your older kids. We took advantage of some of these. All trails are well marked and easily accessible by foot, car or lift.  During one of our trips up the lift, we got off and just wandered around, finding a spot for a picnic lunch with a view of Lake Geneva!  It’s a great way to take in the beauty of the Alps and let the kids run around exploring nature. And it even qualifies as exercise!

Fantasticable – No visit to Châtel would be complete without a ride on the zip line, Fantasticable.  It’s an breathtaking sensation to fly through the air at approximately 100km/hr or 62 mph!  Read all about our experience and see the video K put together.

Discount with the purchase of a Multi Pass.

Mountain Bike – In summer, you can access extensive bike trails along the sides of the winter ski slopes.  This gives mountain bikers and families great places to explore. We didn’t get a chance to bike the trails, but it’s something K said he wants to do on a future trip.  We could have rented bikes and even gone to bike school to prepare us for this challenge.

There are 21 biking trails (21 are downhill).  The trails are marked by difficulty, just like  ski slopes, with green  for beginners and black for the most advanced.

Safety is also a priority.  The ski patrol from the winter season also watches and maintains the trails as bike patrol in the summer.

Walk the Lake – Lac de Vonnes is in the middle of town and is worth a stroll.  You can feed the ducks (bring crackers or bread) and play at the little playground nearby.  There is a climbing wall and mini zip line for the kiddos to enjoy.

Can’t see the video? Click HERE

Mini Golf – I don’t think I’ve met a kid who doesn’t like Putt-Putt.  Play 18-holes of mini-golf for a fun and relaxing activity.

Free admission with the purchase of a Multi Pass.

Skating Rink – Skate on the artificial ice skating rink near Lac de Vonnes in summer.  Sadly, this hadn’t opened yet when we visited. Happily, I didn’t have to demonstrate my skating skills and spills!

Free admission with the purchase of a Multi Pass.

Old Customs House – The Smugglers museum is appropriately located in the Old Customs House.  It’s a great museum for adults and kids alike.  We learned a lot of history and interesting facts you wouldn’t normally associate with smuggling, although now it makes total sense for the time period.

In the 18th century, the salt tax was 90% of the taxes paid to the King of Piedmont – Sardinia.  As usual, it was the poor who suffered the most. Salt was required to preserve meat and cheese, so it was a necessary staple in all households.

It’s interesting to see the sought after items from residents of each country.  The Savoyard (French) had cheese, eggs, butter and ham while the Swiss had chocolate, bacon and coffee.

During the period 1860 – 1923, there was a “free zone” where goods between France and Switzerland were traded freely, usually by the barter system.  That stopped starting in 1924, when customs officers were sent to the frontier, usually at night and in bad weather to catch the smugglers. During the time of free trading, a relationship had formed between the Savoyard and Swiss which made smuggling easier.

Smuggling was due to poverty, profit and the thrill of the ‘cat and mouse’ game.”

Winter sports in the 1940’s lead to the end of smuggling as tourism became more profitable.

Discount with the purchase of a Multi Pass.

Summer Bobsled – At Pré-la-joux, kids can try out bobsledding, without snow.  Ride down the 650 m (2132 ft) downhill run with 7 bends to increase the fun.  We were a week early for the kids to try it out, but it looked like it would be a blast.

Discount with the purchase of a Multi Pass.

Devalkart- Ride in unpowered go-karts down the Rubis piste.  The activity is reserved for kids ages 10 and up.

Play Tennis – There are 8 tennis courts plus a volleyball court where families can “get their game on.”  Racket rental is available for a fee.

Free admission with the purchase of a Multi Pass.

Pool – Splash in the newly renovated Forme D’O Water Park in the heart of Châtel.  Kids can play in the indoor or outdoor pool to cool off after a day of hiking and exploring.  Parents might enjoy a break by visiting the spa or aquagym.

Free admission to the pools with the purchase of a Multi Pass.

Tourist Train – My kids always get a kick out of tourist trains.  This one hadn’t started running by the time of our visit, but would have been a nice way to see the village and learn more history.

Free admission with the purchase of a Multi Pass.

Eat cheese – The region is renowned for their Abondance  cheese.  You’ll see Abondance cows grazing in the fields and might even catch a glimpse of a stray cow walking the streets!  There are many Abondance cheese sellers in the area and you can even experience a product tasting right on the farm.  I have to say, it’s quite a tasty cheese!

If you’re looking for a rainy day or activities to give kids a break, there is also a cinema and a bowling alley.

Portes du Soleil Multi Pass:

I highly recommend purchasing the Multi Pass.  You get into many attractions FREE or at a discount rate plus have access to the lifts in Châtel as well as other Portes du Soleil villages.

The Multi Pass will provide unlimited access to a total of 23 ski lifts in 12 villages, 4 lifts being in Châtel.  The other 19 lifts connect you to the other villages of the Portes du Soleil.  Passholders can enjoy over 50 activities withing the Portes du Soleil, making it a great value for the money.  You can see above that many of the activities I suggested are accessible with the Multi Pass.

Price guide:

If you are staying in a Multi Pass accommodation, pay just 2€ per person per day*.  A family of 4 will pay 8€ per day.  Just to show you how much of a savings the pass can offer, we will take a look at the lift prices only for a return trip.

Family Rates:
Adult = 5.10€ each
Child (ages 5 – 15) = 3.80€ each

A family of four would pay 17.80 € for just one day of lift use!  The Multi Pass saves you 9.80€, and we haven’t even factored in any of the attractions yet!

*Price per person is 8€ (per day) if you’re not staying at a participating accommodation.

Day Trips From Châtel:

Châtel is perfectly placed as a starting point from which to visit other areas of France and Switzerland.  It’s also cheaper to stay on the French side than the Swiss side, so keep that in mind when planning your visit to the Alps.  Châtel is close to the border with Switzerland.  You can actually be on top of the mountain and have a foot in France and a foot in Switzerland.  Pretty cool, right?

:: Switzerland – As I mentioned, the Swiss side is close enough for a day trip.  We went up to Zermatt during our stay with more about our trip to come soon.

:: Evian – Yep, like the water.  Evian is a village about an hours drive from Châtel.  Below are a few things we did during our short time here.

– Boat ride: Directly across from the casino, you can jump on the Gavotnaute boat to explore Lake Léman and get pictures from a new perspective.  It’s pretty cool that the lake is half French and half Swiss.  Due to weather and time restraints, we opted out of the garden tour, but I wish we had extended our visit and included that.

– Market:  Every Tuesday and Friday morning, you can visit the fresh market.  Find produce, meats, fish, cheese, crafts and clothing.

– Evian Exhibition Hall: We wanted to visit the Evian Exhibition Hall during our visit, but it was closed for lunch when we came by.

Read more about Evian on their tourism website.

:: Abondance and other villages – There are a ton of quaint villages to visit during your stay in Châtel.  We spent a morning in the village of Abondance which is about a 15 minute drive away.  We wandered through town and went to the local fresh market.  Can you guess what a lot of vendors were selling?  Yep – CHEESE!

Châtel is one of the friendliest places we’ve visited. There are a lot of English speaking residents, so you don’t have to worry if you’re French isn’t great. Interestingly, there is a large expat community, but no Americans.

Our waiter from the first night saw us at the local pub and came over to chat. We also met many other locals and enjoyed learning more about their lives and the area.

My family has already talked about how much we would love to come back and visit during the winter.  They have new luxury chalets that will be open around Christmas.  If you can’t make it to Châtel during the summer, I have no doubt that the village will be a winter wonderland in just a few months.

Make sure to see the Châtel Tourism website for more things to do with kids as well as summer events.

What other things to do in Châtel, France with kids can you suggest?

Disclosure:  Many activities we experience were courteous of Châtel Tourism.  As always, all options are 100% my own and may differ from others.