A typical French city with incredible scenery, a brief recount of my September trip. This is my first proper blog post so expect some seriously lacklustre writing.

Why Grenoble?

I visited Grenoble to see a friend studying Chemistry at University Grenoble Alps (UGA) for their year abroad. I wanted to head out to see them …… and the appeal of free accommodation got too much to ignore. It’s not a place I’d previously come across, but it was one of the most scenic cities I’ve ever been to and would recommend it to anyone who likes spending time in the mountains.

Activities

If you’re a fan of sport, there is a lot to do in Grenoble. Ice Hockey is massive, and we went to watch Grenoble vs Marseille. The atmosphere was electric - I didn’t see a single Marseille fan - which was made even better when Grenoble won 7-2. The whole event was very Americanised, with fire breathing wolves, dance cam, kiss cam, someone to skate around the ice getting the crown going, and apparently, they even have cheerleaders (we got ice skating firemen). I can’t overstate how fun an event it was and it’s a must do activity if visiting.

*Above the clouds at the top of La Pin*éa

We also took the cable car up to the ‘Fort de la Bastille’ which was a great way to see the city. You start on the bank of the river and head up the mountain from there. It’s a bit worrying when it goes almost vertical so if you’re not a fan of heights maybe just walk up instead. There are a few great walks at the top; we went through a tunnel carved through the mountain so look out for that. There’s also a café if you’d rather just enjoy the views. You can climb higher up to the actual Fort, we didn’t but I’m sure it has an even better view of the city.

Finally, you have to climb one of the mountains surrounding Grenoble. We climbed La Pinéa in the Chartreuse mountain range and it was probably the best scenery I have ever experienced. At the summit we were 1771 m high, and above the clouds you could see the snow-capped peaks of the Alps. I visited in September so there wasn’t any snow where we were, just on the largest mountains in the distance. You can take a bus halfway up, but it gets VERY busy so make sure you’re early for it and near the front of the queue or there won’t be space. Once dropped off about halfway up, we took a muddy path up through a forest filled with clouds. The hike wasn’t too difficult, but I wouldn’t recommend doing it in shorts and trainers…… definitely wasn’t what I did.

Transport

Getting to Grenoble

I flew British Airways from Heathrow to Lyon; Grenoble does have an airport, but it only operates regular flights in ski season. From Lyon airport there’s a Flixbus direct to Grenoble for around £25 return. It was all very easy, and I can’t complain when I was flying BA.

In Grenoble

Like practically every city in Europe the public transport was miles better than the UK. First of all, the trams that take you around Grenoble are excellent, they are incredibly regular and took me everywhere I wanted to go in the city. I’ve already mentioned the bus that takes you into the mountains, and while busy it is a very convenient and reliable service. We even used the e-scooters that you can find around the city to get home at 2 am, what’s great is they don’t need a drivers license to set up an account unlike the Voi e-scooters I’ve used in the UK.

Nightlife

I found the French nightlife very different to the UK - in a good way. Clubbing culture doesn’t really exist, so you spend much more time sat in bars. This meant the bars closed much later (about 2 am for one we were in) and I was a fan. It was nice spend more time chatting with each other - particularly challenging when entirely in French - and we spend the evening playing a French card game called ‘President’. I like clubbing but I’ll be honest, it was refreshing to not feel the need to go.

One place I have to recommend was this beer cellar / bar called ‘Not A Beer’ that sold a massive array of craft beers. They had fridges chilling every single beer/cider they had which you could take outside and drink in their seating area on the main street. It was a perfect spot for people watching and my friend and I enjoyed a good hour there.

Food

I was in France so naturally the food was amazing. One of my favourite things to do is head to a boulangerie early in the morning to buy bread and croissants - I did it a few times and it always feels like I’m living the true relaxed French lifestyle. We took the bread we bought up La Pinéa with some cheese and I’ve never felt more French eating both on top of a mountain. We also went to a crêpe restaurant where I had an incredible pistachio and raspberry flavoured crêpe. It was so good we went back the next day for lunch! Even though they aren’t a regional food it’s still feels authentic to visit a crêperie, although I would say if you wanted to have the best crêpes in France - head to Brittany (a region in the West of France).

The final place I’d like to mention is a brilliant Italian we visited for dinner. I had two calzones stuffed with mozzarella and they were melt-in-the-mouth, while my friend had a delicious ricotta and tomato pasta. The restaurant had a relaxed atmosphere, and with the waiters speaking exclusively in French it felt like a very authentic experience. Drinks wise I ordered an amaretto Moscow Mule - if you see it and you like Disaronno you should definitely try it - very unique but worth having.

Language

I’ve been learning French my entire life and it’s been a long journey. I grew up visiting friends who live in Brittany and speak about as much English as I do French. That means I’m used to communicating with people whose language I don’t speak very well. Having said that, there’s not much I find more rewarding or enjoyable than speaking French. I would really recommend spending the time to learn a new language. You gain a much better insight of the culture and way of life the local people enjoy and speaking some of the language always makes a trip feel much more worthwhile. I’m still in the process of learning French (one day I hope to be fluent) and I’ll share my strategy for learning the language in a future blog.

Verdict

Every trip is made better if you have a local to show you around. I didn’t have to spend any time planning activities or thinking about public transport. Grenoble is a great place to visit, and I would recommend it to anyone who’s interested in climbing mountains when on holiday. What made this trip stand out to me was spending time with French people and having to find ways to understand each other despite the language barrier. I find this challenge so rewarding and for me, I’ll always seek out cultural experiences over any beach holiday.

Jake

108 Hours In Grenoble