Summer is on its way, and you may be wondering how to combine a holiday with work. In this article about remote working in the mountains, we’ll fill you in on shared and private workspaces in the resort, activities to discover with your family or friends during your breaks, how to make the most of the summer, and much more!
Where can you work in the mountains?
Shared workspaces in Alpine resorts
When you stay in the mountains, you can obviously work from your chalet, but there are also co-working spaces, collaborative or shared workspaces.
These spaces are becoming more and more popular with the growth of remote working, and as city dwellers realise they can work while they enjoy a break in the Alps.
This is good news for those of you who want to spend some time working in the mountains this summer: there are workspaces in many of the resorts. Here are just some of them…
La Clusaz : Le Pêle Coworking
Excellent connection, beautiful view, friendly, bright and quiet, Le Pêle opened its doors in the centre of La Clusaz in December 2017.
It’s convenient for shops, services, bars and restaurants. Built in the style of a wooden chalet, it fits into this mountain resort well. There are several rental options, depending on your situation: online meetings, training, and meetings between professionals. It is not just a workspace, it’s a way of life!
Address : 97, route de l’Etale – 74220 La Clusaz – France (town centre, near the cinema)
Summer opening times: From April 6, 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday
Cost: from 6€ per hour, with the options of full or part-time subscriptions – see the “Promenade” or “Randonnée” packages.
Discover chalets in La Clusaz
Morzine: Go to BÜRO
BÜRO’s coworking space in Morzine is modern and comfortable. There are seven individual workstations and a meeting room (which is also the kitchen). Individual workstations are equipped with:
- An ergonomic chair.
- A box with drawers.
- A laptop stand.
- A low-profile keyboard.
- A wireless mouse.
- A desk lamp.
- A footrest.
There’s also a communal kitchen where you can help yourself to coffee and tea, as well as a combination oven and a fridge.
BÜRO offers several packages for various situations. For example, the opportunity for two or three people working in the same company but not on the same days to share a workstation. There are also weekly or monthly packages.
Address: 388 Route de la Plagne, 74110 Morzine, FRANCE
Summer opening hours: Depending on your package, there is secure access 24/7, or 9 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday.
Cost: 35€ per day, from 130€ per week and 300€ per month.
Find a summer chalet in Morzine
Chamonix : The Skilocker
Just 100m from the cable car to the Aiguille du Midi, the Skilocker is right in the heart of Chamonix. So if you want to be able to divide your time efficiently between walking in the mountains and working, you’ll find dedicated workspaces as well as a meeting room and a kitchen with free coffee and tea.
Address: 18 Pl. Edmond Desailloud, 74400 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Summer opening hours: 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday
Cost: 35€ per day, from 135€ per week and 330€ per month, full time.
Discover our partner properties in Chamonix
Remote working chalets with OVO Network
Other than coworking spaces, perhaps the best place to work this summer is your chalet!
That’s why OVO Network offers partner properties with dedicated workspaces and all the conditions you need:
- High-speed wifi
- Sunny terraces
- Quiet spaces and places where you can relax
Here are some chalets that fit the bill perfectly:
La Ferme de Mila, La Clusaz
If you’re looking for peace and quiet to work in the mountains this summer, you’ll find it here: La Ferme de Mila is at the end of a quiet road, just at the foot of the mountains.
This chalet can accommodate 14 people, so if you come with family or friends, you can alternate between work and well-deserved rest. It’s summer, and you can still enjoy the sun, even if you’re working!
You’ll have all the space you need to relax in this chalet, with a private pool, hot tub, sauna and a well-equipped gym! It’s perfect for remote workers who need exercise to clear their minds or want to stay fit.
And of course, this chalet is in a great location, not far from the main road to La Clusaz or Le Grand Bornand. Finally, it will take you just 30 minutes to drive to Annecy and 15 minutes to walk to the village of Saint-Jean-de-Sixt, with all its shops and restaurants.
Chalet Alyssum, Le Grand Bornand
Enjoy some unforgettable moments with friends or family at Chalet Alyssum! With six bedrooms, this 5-star chalet can accommodate up to 12 adults in comfort.
When you’re working, you can sit in the sun on the covered terrace, and during your breaks, you can enjoy the massage table, the sauna and the hot tub.
If you’d rather shut yourself away to work, there’s an office on the mezzanine, where you can make your calls in peace.
At the end of the day, relax in the living room or the garden with the rest of your group, where you can chat, watch a film or play board games.
Chalet Bolay, Montriond
Located in Montriond, near Morzine and Les Gets and a five-minute walk from Lake Montriond, Chalet Bolay sleeps eight guests in four bedrooms.
On the ground floor, there’s a living room with an office area, for those who would like to work while enjoying the peace of the mountains. If you’d prefer, you can also work from the sun terrace.
In the evening, after a hard day, you can curl up with a book in the living room, chat with the rest of your group or enjoy a barbecue in the garden.
On your days off, you could also take a walk around Lake Montriond, swim, kayak, go horse-riding or try paddleboarding. Other activities are also available to fill your time at the weekends, such as mountain biking, hiking, water parks, summer sledging, golf, climbing, quad biking and fishing.
Useful information on remote working resorts in summer
Summer opening hours
Businesses
As summer is high season, local shops in the resorts will all be open, wherever you go. However, these businesses could have different opening hours in the summer and may close earlier or later.
Mountain lifts
The great thing about working in the mountains is that you can still use the lifts during your time off. Here are some of the summer opening hours:
Le Grand Bornand, 1 July to 3 September:
- Cable car Le Rosay: 9 am – 3 pm
- Chair lift Le Lachat: 9.15 am – 5 pm
La Clusaz, the start of July to the start of September:
- Ice rink cable car (summer sledging): 9 July to 28 August, 10 am – 6 pm (with a midday break) and from 2-8 July and 29 August to 4 September from 2 pm – 5.30 pm. Open during the afternoons at weekends in June and September.
- Beauregard cable car: July 2- 4 September from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm. Same hours for weekends in June and September.
- Crêt du Merle chairlift: 9 July – 28 August, and at weekends in June and September9.30 am to 5.15 pm.
These hours are subject to change
Restaurants and bars after work in the summer
Do you want to let off steam after your day’s work in the mountains? Why not check out some of the bars and restaurants in the resort. Here are some of our recommendations:
Going out
There are plenty of places in La Clusaz where you can go out after work to listen to some music and have a drink or two. Here are some places you could try:
- Le Bachal, a popular and traditional bar in the centre of La Clusaz, is open from 5 pm to 2 am every day;
- Throw some shapes on the dance floor at Le Club 18, which is open all day every day.
There are plenty of places to enjoy yourself in Le Grand Bornand, too:
- Le Cellier du Chinaillon is a bar with a great selection of drinks as well as cheese and charcuterie plates. There’s even a grocery store, where you can pick up something delicious for your dinner.
- Bar-restaurant Movida is a cosy French and Spanish bar which serves food and alcohol late into the evening. What more could you want? It’s open from 10.30 am to 1 am every day.
Eating out
- Le K2 Palace, Courchevel 1850: with two Michelin stars and three white toques at Gault and Millau, this restaurant is worth a visit to taste these delightfully fragrant and delicate alpine dishes.
- Le Clos des Sens, Annecy: a local, sustainable and responsible approach in a luxurious setting, this restaurant offers a wide choice of dishes made with produce from the kitchen garden or from neighbouring producers. This gourmet restaurant has five white toques from Gault and Millau and is part of the very select Grandes Tables du Monde.
- La Dame de Pic – Le 1920, Megève: run by Anne-Sophie Pic, the most-starred chef in the world, this restaurant combines Savoyard and global flavours. Come and taste dishes full of complexity and eccentricity, you won’t be disappointed!
Remote working in the mountains: concierge services
Concierge services could make your stay in the Alps a whole lot easier. For example, Les Services d’Aline offers the following services:
- Shopping deliveries
- Breakfast deliveries
- Daily cleaning
- Rental of equipment such as a travel cot or a pushchair
- Contacts for babysitters, home chefs, hairdressers, massage services, beauticians, yoga teachers, sports coaches etc…
The services offered vary according to the agency. Alpes Conciergerie offers:
- Linen hire and baby equipment (cot, highchair etc)
- Airport/station transfers
- Ski equipment packages
- Grocery and breakfast deliveries
- Home chef
Remote working in the mountains: taking a break
So you’ve done as much work as you need to and you want a break? Here are some activities that will recharge your batteries:
Walks
What’s better than a good walk and beautiful scenery to clear your mind after work? After all, working in the Alps means you get the advantages of the mountains! Here are three walks you might want to try:
Le Mont Chéry, Les Gets
Duration: Two hours
Level: Easy
Distance: 4.7km
Grand Balcon Nord, Chamonix
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Level: Medium
Distance: 5.7km
Start/finish: Chamonix
Lacs des Cheserys, Argentière
Duration: 5 hours
Level: Difficult
Distance: 9.6km
Start/finish: Argentière
If you want more information, try these articles:
Mountain biking in the Alps
Fancy hurtling down a mountain on your bike? Here are some great suggestions:
Morzine
Morzine is famous for its bike descents, so you’re sure to find downhill slopes to suit your level! You can also make the most of the ski lifts for a large part of the climb and then come down at full pelt if that’s what you like.
The mountain bike trails in Morzine are suitable for children from five years old, and the trails near Lake Montriond are a great choice for a gentle or family ride. You could also book your children in for lessons with a professional, to help them gain confidence.
La Clusaz
La Clusaz is also an ideal place for mountain biking, with at least 20 possible biking trails. The internet and the komoot app can help you plan your itinerary.
Chamonix
If you’re staying in the Chamonix area, you’ll have a great choice of mountain biking trails to explore! It’s also worth checking out the bike parks of Balme and Les Houches, which are open only during the summer!
Whether you are looking for great scenery, thrills or just want to clear your head, you will find something in Chamonix to satisfy you, whether its steep trails, downhill runs in the forest or waterside paths. Visit this website for more information.
Other activities to try
If you’ve already tried hiking and biking and fancy something different, here are some ideas:
Wellbeing activities
- Book a massage.
- Find a spa in your resort and enjoy a day of pampering.
- Go for a swim – swimming is excellent for your health as it preserves your flexibility and reflexes, boosts blood circulation and movement in water can have a massaging effect.
- Take a yoga class.
Discover summer chalets with pools
Sporting activities
- Book an afternoon on a tree-top assault course with your family and friends.
- Try parachuting, paragliding, hot air ballooning or even taking a helicopter flight.
- Visit an escape room with your friends and family.
- Discover the thrills of water skiing, paddleboarding or wakeboarding.
- Enjoy some summer sledging or “luge”.
- Try go-karting if you’re into cars, speed and fun.
You’ll find plenty of ways to get out and have fun after a day working in the mountains!
Working remotely from the mountains is a good way to spend the summer: a combination of work, relaxing breaks, sporting fun and time with your family or friends, all in beautiful chalets with everything you need. What more could you wish for? Except perhaps, to do it all again next year!
If you enjoyed this article, here are some others that might interest you:
- The best watersports to try on Lake Annecy
- Summer activities in Samoëns
- Top 5 things to try in Morzine this summer
