Summer Holidays in the Alps Just Get Better and Better with A&K

The scenery may be as old as the hills but it's all change in the Alps with ever more fantastic opportunities for outdoor fun. In combination with those gorgeous landscapes, great weather, a vast array of exhilarating family-friendly activities and an Abercrombie & Kent luxury chalet as a base, the opportunities for unforgettable holidays in the great playground of the Alps are boundless.

Zermatt's legendary appeal is set to become even broader.

In June a sleek new Sunnegga Funicular will replace the much-loved ‘boneshaker', gliding smoothly and silently up the mountain and, for the first time, taking mountain bikes on board to open up the whole stunning area to fans of two-wheeled fun. Runners and hikers, too, will be in heaven with three brand new trails around the base of the Matterhorn. Ranging in difficulty and distance from 16km to 46km, the longest trail is part of the challenging Skyrunner World Series circuit, one of Europe's finest and most revered races.

Zermatt itself is charming; liberally scattered with restaurants and shops and surrounded by stupendous scenery. As well as the usual mountain pursuits, full on entertainment during the summer months includes Tarzan-esque adventure at the Forest Fun Park and the Gorner Gorge and an eerily beautiful Glacier Palace approached via a tunnel 15m below the icy surface. The Zermatt Classics and Arts Festival at the beginning of September packs a mighty, often open-air punch with world class performances at high altitude whilst numerous other activities range from marmot spotting and cheese making demonstrations to celebrating surreally beautiful dawn on the Matterhorn.

Our recommendations for fab family luxury chalets in Zermatt include Chalet Zermatt Peak which sleeps up to 13 and offers a pool, Jacuzzi, spa and panoramic views across the village and mountains, Chalet Les Anges caters for up to 14 lucky foodie fans, courtesy of its Michelin star trained chef, which has a pool and spa and the central, cosy and traditional Savoyard haven of Chalet Heidi for just 6.

From £396 per person per week.

The perfect family playground awaits in Chamonix
This year's hot summer activities include family packages offering 4 non-consecutive day Mont Blanc passes for endless fun up the mountain and a wide choice of adventures ranging from summer luging and rafting to parapenting. The recently opened Parc de Loisirs is a guaranteed hit for children of all ages with brilliant slides, nautical jets, motorcycle go–karts and water pistols of the powerful variety whilst there's also a beach (yes, really!) and watersports at Lac de Passy just 25 minutes down the valley. Ultra golf, music and jazz festivals, wine and cheese tasting, day trips to the Aosta Valley and a magnificent wildlife park with four legged beauties ranging from chamois to ibex, deer to llamas are just a taster of the many other entertainments on offer nearby.

Our chosen Chamonix chalets include the gorgeous Chalet Amazon Creek for up to 10 guests, with a pool, Jacuzzi, spa and cinema which can be rented in conjunction with the equally gorgeous nearby Chalet Baby Bear and Chalet Baloo which sleep 4 and 8 respectively.

From £650 per person per week

Super cool Verbier

Verbier is another supercool destination with a great programme of summer camps for children. This season's offering includes basketball, tennis, football and hockey camps as well as language courses for all standards. In addition, the usual feel-good mountain activities are here in abundance - sensational walking and climbing, paragliding and quad biking. For the thrill of challenges new, there's also ice karting, bungee jumping and river rafting. Plus guided canyoning; a sensational, adrenalin-charged adventure that has all ages safely abseiling down cascades, scrambling across natural waterslides and generally messing about in the water. For those who just can't resist the snow there's glacier skiing, excellent theme parks for the young at heart and on a more sedate level, great shopping and the superb music festival at the end of July.

Verbier's chalets are renowned for luxury and glamour and the team at A&K Villas has picked out three perfect pads that are particularly family friendly. Chalet Norte for up to 16 guests, has a pool, Jacuzzi and the largest spa in the Alps whilst Victoria II, which sleeps up to 13, also has a pool and lies in the centre of the village. Chalet Nyumba, for up to 14, has a pool, Jacuzzi and spa as well as a self-contained annex ideal for nannies.

From £700 per person per week

For more information please visit www.akvillas.com