Hôtel Le Castillan
Why we like it: Three-star hotel opposite the La Grave cable car, with 32 rooms, half of them with a south-facing loggia towards the Meije glaciers, a summer pool and a sauna.
Duration2 nights
From LyonCar · about 2 h 45
BaseLa Grave, facing La Meije
Budget€350–550 pp
Best timeJul · Aug · early Sep
CarNeeded to move between valleys
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for July or August, Friday to Sunday, when the cable car, the garden and the Villar-d'Arêne restaurant open every day. Book the hotel, the via ferrata and both dinners beforehand.
Friday
- 19:30Leave Lyon
Via Grenoble and the D1091. Leave your suitcase at the Hôtel Le Castillan, facing the cable car.
- 215:00Jardin du Lautaret
A quarter of an hour by car to the top of the pass. About 2,000 species of mountain flowers at 2,100 m. €9, free up to age 12; free guided visit at 16:00.
- 319:30Dinner at Le Sérac
Traditional dining room in La Grave since 1978, with menus at €25, €31 and €37. Service is at a fixed time: arrive on time.
Saturday
- 18:30Cable car to the glacier
Two sections to 3,200 m, facing La Meije. Ice cave, glacier path and terrace. €37 adults, €25 up to 18 years.
- 212:00Lunch at La Cabine
At the top station: pizzas, tartiflette or La Grave's goat's cheese salad. Go down before 13:30.
- 314:00Arsine via ferrata
With the Bureau des Guides de La Grave: about 200 m up a shaded pillar, an introduction, from 1.20 m in height. €62 per person in a group.
- 420:00Dinner at Le Faranchin
In Villar-d'Arêne, terrace facing the Bec de l'Homme glacier. Trout from Châteauroux, local lamb or the €42 à la carte set menu.
Sunday
- 17:30Emparis lakes and return
From Le Chazelet, along the GR54 to Lac Noir and Lac Lérié, facing La Meije: 16.3 km, 845 m of ascent, about six hours. Back in La Grave around 14:00, and in Lyon around 17:00.
La Grave is a small village on the Lautaret road, with La Meije and its glaciers opposite and a cable car that climbs to 3,200 m. With two nights there you have time to do the best of the northern Écrins without rushing: on the arrival afternoon, the alpine garden at the Lautaret; on the second day, the glacier in the morning and a guided via ferrata in the afternoon; on the third, the hike to the lakes of the Emparis plateau before heading back.
Getting there from Spain
By car, take the A9 and the Rhône valley to Valence or Lyon, then Grenoble and the D1091 along the Romanche valley. From Lyon it is about two hours and three quarters. If you come by plane, the airport that fits best is Lyon Saint-Exupéry: hire the car there, because in the valley you will need it to get to the Lautaret, Villar-d'Arêne and Le Chazelet. Past the Chambon reservoir, the road from Grenoble follows a narrow emergency stretch, for cars only: with a motorhome, enter via Gap or the Fréjus tunnel.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Where | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Hôtel Le Castillan | Facing the cable car, three stars | Families and anyone who wants a pool, sauna and free parking |
| Auberge Edelweiss | Centre of La Grave, old inn | Couples who want to dine well; no lift or dogs |
| Alpe de Villar-d'Arêne refuge | At 2,071 m, an hour and a half on foot | A cheap night in the mountains, cash only |
How much does it cost?
Between €350 and €550 per person sharing a room: two hotel nights, the cable car, the garden, the via ferrata, one lunch and two dinners, excluding the journey. The figure rises with the half board at the Auberge Edelweiss and falls a lot if you sleep one night at the Alpe refuge, from €22.50 a bed.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Écrins National Park, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Écrins National Park
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
By car, along the Romanche and the Lautaret
The Écrins valleys cannot be crossed from the inside: each is a dead end, and the car is what lets you switch from one to another. From La Grave you have the cable car, the Lautaret, Le Chazelet and the Pont d'Arsine within half an hour.
90–180 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHôtel Le Castillan, in La…
- Getting aroundFrom Grenoble, beyond the Chambon…
- Where to eatLe Faranchin, in Villar-d'Arêne, on…
- ServicesWithout a car, the LER…
Where to sleep
- Hôtel Le Castillan, in La Grave, with free parking in front and two electric chargers
- Auberge Edelweiss, in the centre of La Grave, a few minutes' walk from the cable car
Getting around
- From Grenoble, beyond the Chambon reservoir, the D1091 follows a narrow emergency stretch, for cars only
- Motorhomes and trailers: via Gap or the Fréjus tunnel
- Trailhead car parks at Le Chazelet and the Pont d'Arsine
Where to eat
- Le Faranchin, in Villar-d'Arêne, on the same D1091, open every day in summer
- Le Sérac, in La Grave, with menus from €25 to €37
Services
- Without a car, the LER 35 bus links Grenoble, La Grave and Briançon, with advance booking
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hôtel Auberge Edelweiss
Why we like it: Former coaching inn in the centre of La Grave, now a small three-star hotel with every room facing the Meije, a terrace, a bar and a blackboard dinner.
From €150
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Mountain hut
Alpe de Villar-d'Arêne refuge
Why we like it: Staffed French Alpine Club refuge at 2,071 m, an hour and a half's walk from the Pont d'Arsine: 94 places, food for passers-by and a night from €22.50.
From €22
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Where to eat
Where to eat in Écrins National Park
La Cabine, the restaurant at 3,200 m on the La Grave cable car
What to order: the warm goat's cheese salad from the Ferme des Molières, in La Grave, or the tartiflette if it is cold
Reached only by cable car; open the same days as the summer ascent.
Le Faranchin restaurant, in Villar-d'Arêne
What to order: the set menu, or the fresh Châteauroux trout meunière; for dessert, the Ferme des Molières goat's cheese
In summer open every day for lunch and dinner; on Sunday, set menu at €28.
Hôtel Le Sérac restaurant, in La Grave
What to order: one of the three menus, the €25 one if you are coming off a full day's walking
Service at 12:30 and 19:30; book by phone or email.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the ferrata before you go
The group outing needs four people and fills up in August.
- 2Change the order if it is windy
If the cable car does not run on Saturday, do the ferrata in the morning and go up to the glacier on Sunday before heading back.
- 3Set out very early for Emparis
Afternoon storms are frequent in summer.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can it be done with children?
Yes, with changes: the cable car and the garden suit all ages; the ferrata requires a height of 1.20 m, and instead of Emparis, do the easy climb to the Alpe refuge.
Do you need a car?
Yes. There is a bus from Grenoble to La Grave, but to get around between the Lautaret, Villar-d'Arêne and Le Chazelet you need a car.
When is it best to go?
In July and August, when everything opens daily. In September the cable car only opens Thursday to Sunday until the 13th.