Work and Travel in Rhone-Alpes

WORK IN RHONE-ALPES ALL YEAR ROUND

Fancy working in the French Alps? The Rhone-Alpes region has it all - beautiful snowy capped mountains, traditional French villages, yummy French food. It's a great place to spend a season either working on the ski slopes in winter, or in valley during the summer. Rhone-Alpes not only has some awesome off-piste slopes during winter, it also has plenty of great hiking and biking in summer. Parts of Rhone-Alpes are even featured in the Tour du France cycle races.

SEASONAL WORK IN RHONE-ALPES

SPRING

What kinds of work are available in the spring time in Rhone-Alpes. Remember to keep work that is all year round in the section above and not mention it again here.

SUMMER

Work that is needed by hosts in the summer in Rhone-Alpes

AUTUMN

What kinds of work are there in Rhone-Alpes in autumn? Maybe it's harvest time, but do people need the help of foreigners for either cheap labour or expertise? This is the kind of thing we need to know here.

WINTER

Fancy doing a ski season in the French Alps, well there are plenty of winter jobs available in the Rhone-Alpes region of France. Jobs vary from lift operators, to chalet hosts, ski instructors, nannies (au pairs), bar attendants and shuttle bus drivers. Most companies are privately owned (unlike at the ski resorts in Canada), which means more opportunities to score a job. Most ski season jobs don't pay great, however they usually include accommodation, all meals, ski hire and a ski lift pass for the season, as well as a stipend and tips. Living at a ski resort can be pricey though, especially if you want to go out drinking with your new ski buddies, so bring some extra cash with you, to at least last you until your first payday (you'll usually only be paid once a month). Most companies will start hiring for their winter staff as earlier as August/ September, sometimes even earlier, so it's important to plan in advance - however, it is also possible to get a last minute jobs when the season has already started, as there will always be a few people that decide that the ski season is not right for them.

ATTITUDE TO FOREIGNERS WORKING IN RHONE-ALPES

Generally the locals are friendly and welcoming to seasonal workers, though there is the occasional local person that might be a bit "cold" towards the newbie.
Hot Tip: Learn some French, not only will this help you out in small villages and shops, the locals will appreciate it!