Excellence Luxury Villas · Isère
Luxury Chalets in Isère
Chalets and apartments above the Oisans valley, from the sunny slopes of Alpe d'Huez to the glacier at Les Deux Alpes
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Sun, glaciers and twenty-one hairpin bends
Isère is the old heart of the Dauphiné, a department that runs from the university city of Grenoble up into some of the highest ground in the French Alps. Grenoble hosted the Winter Olympics in 1968, and the mountains above it have been drawing skiers ever since. Its two great resorts sit on either side of the Oisans valley: Alpe d'Huez on its south-facing plateau, and Les Deux Alpes beneath its glacier.
Our Isère collection runs to 44 properties, most of them in and around Alpe d'Huez. They range from apartments in chalet-style residences, several with heated pools and saunas, to family chalets with hot tubs, and the largest has 8 bedrooms. There are also a handful in Les Deux Alpes and the old village of Vénosc below it.
Here is how the resorts compare, what lies beyond the pistes and when to come.
Isere at a glance
- Chalets
- 44 chalets and apartments, mostly in Alpe d'Huez, with up to 8 bedrooms
- Guide prices
- Typically £2,100 to £6,900 a week, from around £1,700
- Ski areas
- Alpe d'Huez Grand Domaine, with around 250 km of pistes; Les Deux Alpes and its glacier
- Highlights
- The 16 km Sarenne black run, the Tour de France hairpins and Grenoble's Bastille cable car
- Getting there
- Grenoble airport, around 90 minutes to two hours from Alpe d'Huez; Lyon a little further
Browse all 44 properties in Isere
Villa numbers and guide prices are updated daily from our live collection.
Rent Chalet Simone France5 bedrooms
Chalet Lambourne France7 bedrooms
Rent Chalet Desiree France7 bedrooms
Chalet Mutsu France8 bedroomsWhere to stay in Isère
Alpe d'Huez for sunshine, a big linked ski area and the widest choice of chalets, Les Deux Alpes for glacier skiing and a lively village, and Vénosc for an older, quieter base below it.
The island in the sun
Alpe d'Huez sits at 1,860 metres on a south-facing plateau in the Grandes Rousses, which is why the French call it the Island of the Sun. Its Grand Domaine links the resort with the smaller villages of Oz, Vaujany, Auris and Villard-Reculas, giving around 250 kilometres of pistes that suit every level.
The lifts climb to the Pic Blanc at 3,330 metres, the start of the Sarenne, a black run of around 16 kilometres that is one of the longest in Europe. It is long rather than fierce, and good intermediates can manage it on a clear day. Most of our chalets and apartments are in and around the resort itself.
A glacier on one side, an old village on the other
Across the valley, Les Deux Alpes is long, sociable and high. Its glacier gives some of the most reliable snow in France, and an underground funicular carries skiers to 3,450 metres, with views stretching to Mont Blanc on a clear day. The glacier also opens for summer skiing, usually from mid-June to the end of August.
Vénosc, far below in the Vénéon valley, is a cluster of stone houses and cobbled lanes with a gondola straight up into the resort. It suits anyone who likes to ski by day and come down to an older, quieter village at night.
Grenoble, the Chartreuse and the Vercors
The road up to Alpe d'Huez is a story in itself. The climb from Le Bourg-d'Oisans takes 21 hairpin bends, each named after a Tour de France stage winner, and in summer it fills with cyclists trying their legs on it.
Grenoble repays a day out of the mountains. The cable car, with its glass bubbles, rises from the river to the Bastille fort, and the Musée de Grenoble has one of the best collections of art in France outside Paris. To the north, the Chartreuse massif is home to the monks who still make its green liqueur, and to the west the Vercors plateau offers walking and cross-country skiing.
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Gratin, walnuts and a long winter
This is the Dauphiné, home of the gratin dauphinois, made properly with cream and never with cheese. Grenoble walnuts carry their own protected name and turn up in cakes, salads and liqueurs, and a glass of green Chartreuse is the local digestif.
The ski season in Alpe d'Huez usually runs from early December to late April, and its altitude and sunshine make March a particularly fine month. In summer the resorts are given over to cycling, walking and lakes, with glacier skiing at Les Deux Alpes. Our concierge can arrange transfers, ski passes, mountain guides and tables in the best restaurants.
Ask our conciergeFeatured properties in Isere
Chalet Caroline | 6-Bedroom Chalet with Hot Tub in Huez6 bedrooms · sleeps 12From £6,849 a week
Rent Chalet Pauline France4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £5,782 a week
Chalet Latifa | 7-Bedroom Chalet with Hot Tub in Huez7 bedrooms · sleeps 14From £5,699 a week
Rent Chalet Corinne France3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £5,131 a week
Chalet Ecrins Alpe-d’Huez: Luxury 3-Bedroom Apartment with Sauna & Pool – The Three Valleys3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £4,963 a week
Rent Chalet Paolina France4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £3,878 a week
Chalet Le Tilleul France6 bedrooms · sleeps 12From £3,763 a week
Chalet Le Saule France7 bedrooms · sleeps 14From £3,763 a weekWhy book your chalet in Isère with Excellence Luxury Villas
The right house, not the nearest one
Isère's chalets and apartments range from residences in the heart of Alpe d'Huez to houses in the valley villages, and we know which are closest to the lifts, the ski school meeting points and the restaurants. With 44 properties in Isère, we can usually find the house that suits you rather than the one that happens to be free. Search by size, pool, location and price, or tell us what you have in mind and we will put together a shortlist.
Book direct
You book with us directly, with no booking fees. Questions about access, parking, pool heating or how far it really is to the nearest beach go to people who can find out the answer.
A concierge who knows the territory
Private transfers from Grenoble and Lyon, ski passes, mountain guides for the Sarenne and off-piste, restaurant reservations, and bike hire and guided rides on the Alpe d'Huez hairpins in summer. Our concierge team arranges all of it, leaving you free to decide which terrace to sit on.
A house for every kind of party
Couples, families with small children, three generations together or a crowd of friends celebrating a birthday: we match the house to the group, down to the number of bathrooms and whether the pool is fenced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to stay in Isère for a ski holiday?
Alpe d'Huez has the widest choice of chalets and apartments, plenty of sunshine and a large linked ski area. Les Deux Alpes suits those who want glacier skiing and a livelier village, and Vénosc offers a quieter, traditional base with a gondola up to the slopes.
When is the best time to visit Alpe d'Huez?
The ski season usually runs from early December to late April. January is quieter, and March brings longer, sunnier days on the south-facing slopes. In summer the resort is popular with cyclists and walkers.
Why is Alpe d'Huez famous in the Tour de France?
The climb from Le Bourg-d'Oisans to the resort takes 21 hairpin bends, each named after a stage winner, and it has been one of the best-known climbs in the race for decades. In 2013 the Tour climbed it twice on the same day.
Can you arrange a private chef at a chalet in Isère?
Yes. Our concierge can arrange a private chef for a single dinner or your whole stay, along with cookery lessons, guided visits, transfers and restaurant reservations.
How much does a luxury propertie in Isere cost?
Across our 44 properties in Isere, weekly rates typically range from £2,100 to £6,900, with the most affordable from around £1,700 a week and the largest estates well above. Prices depend on the size of the property, its location and the season, with July and August the most expensive. These are guide prices based on current listings; each property page shows its own rates for your dates.
Which airport is closest to Alpe d'Huez?
Grenoble airport is the closest, around 90 minutes to two hours by road depending on traffic and weather. Lyon Saint-Exupéry is a little further, and Chambéry is another option. Our concierge can arrange private transfers.
Are there chalets in Isère for large groups?
Yes. Our Isère collection includes properties with up to 8 bedrooms. Tell us the size of your party and the occasion, and we will send a shortlist that suits it.
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Find your chalet in Isère
44 chalets and apartments in Isère, booked direct with our concierge on hand