FAQ
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Coliving is a concept of sharing your work and life space with a group of individuals who have similar lifestyles. We have set our coliving for people who value freedom and independence while having an active community at hand. Being surrounded with individuals who share your values but have a different life experience than yours is a great way to learn and develop yourself both professionally and personally.
Briancon is located in the south-east part of France, deep in the Alps, 20 km from the Italian border. There are different ways to get here. Closest airports are Turin, Grenoble and Lyon. During season there are different bus shuttles directly from these airports to Briancon. Another interesting option is taking a night train from Paris. Let us know from where you are coming, and we can advise you the best way to get here. Find out more here
The address of the house is “3 rue Louis Faure, 05100 Briançon, France”. It is a big pink building at the bottom of the old fortified town. If you come by bus from Italy (departure from Modane), make sure to get out at “CHAMP DE MARS” stop. It is the first stop in Briançon. From there, the house is 5 min walk going down through the old town. If you come by bus from Grenoble or by train, the easiest is to go until the final stop, the train station, and then take the city bus line 3 (green) from “GARE SNCF” to “PORTE D’EMBRUN”. From Porte d’Embrun, you are 3 min walk for the house. Here is the map of this line: https://pysae.com/info/#/bustub/map/route/3
Accommodation in either private or shared rooms, coworking, and fully equipped kitchen with everything you might need. AND towels and bedsheets, no joke, we provided them! But just bring one for outside, we don’t provide outside towels, only inside towels :D. Find out more here
Our main link is fiber (~500 Mbps), but in order to ensure uninterrupted service, we also have two back-ups, one 4G and one VDSL. The house is properly covered with Ubiquity access points, so that you can stay connected wherever you are seamlessly.
- 2 Private Room Double Bed (Ensuite Bath.)
- 3 Private Room Double Bed (Shared Bath.)
- 2 Private Room Single Bed (Shared Bath.)
- 1 Japanese-Inspired Quad Dorm (Shared Bath.)
Check out The House page for more details.
Everything you’ll need to survive is at walking distance (check the map of our favorite spots). However, if you own a car and can easily bring it with you, do it! The mountains are vast and there are many beautiful locations that are only reachable by car. You can use shuttles and bus services to go here and there (see here), but it will require you to be way more organized as they only run couple times per day (especially in summer). Alternatively, you can also rent an electric bike or rent a car once you are here!
Briançon has its own network called TUB. Four lines will bring you wherever you need around the town (see map here). The closest stop to the house is “Porte d’Embrun” (2 min walk). You will be able to use this network for FREE (as we are paying occupancy tax for you). If you want to travel a bit further, another company called Resalp deserves the valleys around. The closest stops to the house are “Champ de Mars” and “Lycée d’altitude” (both 5 min walk). With this same company, you can go until Grenoble, or Oulx in Italy. Last but not least, Linkbus can make your life easier as it connects Briançon to Lyon and Turin airport.
We ask all our guests to take a COVID-19 PCR test before coming here and cancel their stay if it comes out positive.
We also STRONGLY RECOMMEND THEM to limit their social interactions outside of the house once they are in Briançon.
NO VISITORS ARE ALLOWED IN THE HOUSE. Cloud Citadel is a tight community for which trust is paramount, especially in this Covid context. External access to the house during the winter season will be limited to both of us (Jelena + Joé) and one cleaning staff. Maria, our volunteer, is living in the house.
Bi-weekly cleaning of the house will be done by a professional, including specific Covid precautions. We will also put at your disposal hydro-alcoholic gel in several places around the house and single-use mask will be available on demand.
Masks are not mandatory anywhere in the house. Common spaces are accessible to everyone and we count on each of you to adopt a responsible behaviour.
If you develop Covid symptoms: please be responsible, quarantine yourself in your room, wear a mask, avoid close contacts with other colivers and let our team know. We will then organize testing for you as soon as possible, for other members if needed and implement other measures if necessary.
As a reminder: we ask all our guests to take a COVID-19 PCR test before coming here and cancel their stay if it comes out positive. That said, if you need, before moving to your next destination after you stay here, you can get tested in Briançon.
For PCR test: you can book online here: https://oriade-noviale.fr/prendre-rendez-vous/ (free for French nationals, 63€ for others, results in 24-48 hours). For quick tests: you can book an appointment with the following phamarcy (or directly go apparently): http://www.pharmacieizoard.fr/ (free for French nationals, 33€ for others, results in 30 minutes).
If you come in winter, after discovering the 250 km of slopes of Serre Chevalier, you can explore different closeby resorts or try something different like snowshoeing or ski touring to experience the less accessible areas of Ecrins and Queyras national parks. We also usually like to have a chill day or after ski recovery in the thermal baths directly accessible from the slopes. If you want more adventure, La Grave off-piste ski resort is 45 minutes’ drive, and Lautaret’s pass, one of the most famous European snowkite spot, is 30 minutes’ drive. If you come in summer, there is even more choice and ways to experience the playground we are surrounded with: rock climbing, via ferratas, alpinism, mountain/downhill/road biking, kayaking, rafting, canyoning, hiking, trail running, paragliding, wild camping, etc. We are right in the middle of the fun! See The Area page
Nop. We are first and foremost a community of remote workers. Of course, people coming here are interested in some sort of mountain adventures, but 95% of them are at a beginner/intermediate level. We usually try to organize one excursion per week that everyone can join with no specific skills required. Then, people interested in a particular activity, or a particular adventure, gather together, hire a guide or plan the trip themselves in autonomy.
Cloud Citadel only closes during the month of December. Each season is beautiful in its own way. Winter (January – April) is when we enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, watching huge snowflakes slowly fall, thermal baths, snuggling under a warm blanket with a hot chocolate and fire everyday in the coworking space. Spring (May – June) is when nature comes to life again. It is great for climbing, hiking, biking in a vibrant environment and feel the full strength of the mountain: loads of water, snow-capped peaks and lush green. The air is crystal clear, it is so nice to breath and you can see super far. Summer (July – September) is the most social time, the old town becomes very alive with many restaurants, bars, events, life music and festivals. It is time for barbecues, swimming in lakes, wild camping, picking wild berries, watching starry skies, hiking in alpine meadows or up to the summits, but also whitewater rafting/kayaking/canyoning, and biking around to high passes. It is also a great place if you want to escape from a heatwave. The old town lies at 1326 meters above sea level. Autumn (October – November) is the best for colors. All south slopes around here are covered with larsh trees, conifers that loose their needles during this time of the year. It starts with yellow at lower altitudes with broad-leaved trees, then orange, then larsh trees start to change color. While these shades of yellow, orange and red slowly climb the mountains, snow starts to appear at their tops. Truly beautiful. It is also mushroom season and the Alps are full of them!
There is a fully equipped kitchen with anything you might need at your disposal. There is a small supermarket in the proximity of the house and many other bigger ones and organic ones in the lower part of the town. Do not miss bi-weekly farmers’ market where you can find fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meat, fish, fresh pasta and pastries coming from both French and Italian vendors. If mountain food like fondue, raclette or tartiflette is in your interest, there is a whole selection of small restaurants just a street away from the coliving.
The official language of Cloud Citadel is English. This is a touristy town that is slowly becoming more visible to international tourists so English is making its way here. Do not trust the stereotype of French not liking English language and be surprised when you buy your eggs on the market. If you are interested in some French lessons while here, let us know and we can organize it for you. Also, there is a growing international group of people who came here for the unique opportunity of living in the mountains.
The weather depends on the season but it is sunny here 300 days per year. That means that even during the winter days you will be greeted by blue skies and ideal conditions for outside activities. At the same time there is a significant amount of rainfall per year and large snow falls during winter. The microclimate of this place makes it a unique destination.
We gather on monday evening and make a planning for the week with activties colivers are interested in. We usually have a family dinner on saturday, a movie/documentary night on sunday, and then a mix of outdoor and indoor short activities/events spread throughout weekdays and longer trips organized on weekends. See The Community page
We have a collaboration with local english speaking guides and plan to organise weekly activities for groups of people. These guides are also available if you are interested in doing something more independently.
Unfortunately, we cannot have dogs in our coliving. We are not sure all guests will be alright with sharing their space with dogs or won’t have any allergies (our previous community manager was severely allergic) and we feel the set up of the house is not ideal ambience for a dog.