Down in the south of the region, the Drôme is more sun drenched and the hills of the Ardèche are full of chirruping cicadas during the summer months.
In the départements of Savoie and Haute Savoie - buffeting the Italian border - the snow capped mountains rule whatever the season.
Six natural parks, 28 nature reserves, some of the most prolific lakeside scenery in France and six thousand metres of ski runs all add up to make the Rhône Alpes one of the most diverse holiday environments in France.
Non skiers take heart, there are plenty of specialist touring itineraries to choose from - for a few days, to over a week.
Wine lovers will want to make for the Beaujolais route which takes in nearly all of the major Beaujolais wine producers in the Rhône - and you can take a detour to those that produce some of the crisp white Pouilly wines; the Bresse route for food lovers or the silk road around Lyon.