Serre Chevalier
France · Europe
The water
122 mg/LHard
Source: Ministere de la Sante, SISE-Eaux via Hub'Eau API (reseau CHEF LIEU MONETIER LES BAINS) · Official figure. Hardness counts dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water; it is the number your hair meets in the shower.
What hard water does to hair
Hair washed here picks up a mineral film that flattens shine and makes lengths catch and knot. Colour-treated hair shows it first. Chelating (detox) washes belong in the rhythm, not as an occasional rescue.
The washing routine for Serre Chevalier
Plan on a chelating (detox) wash every fourth wash or so, gentle shampoo for the washes between, and thorough conditioning each time. The rhythm, kept up, prevents the dullness and tangling this water otherwise causes.
Climate, from recent records (Open-Meteo, ERA5 2015-2024): July is the warmest month, averaging 24°C by day, and humidity peaks in May at about 77% on average. Day to night swings reach 13°C, which dries hair out between washes; the plan adds moisture and a sealing leave-in when a stop spans those months.
Local note: Figure is for Le Monetier-les-Bains (top of the Serre Chevalier valley); hardness varies strongly along the valley, see notes.
Plugs and power for your tools
Sockets: Type C and E. Supply: 230 V, 50 Hz.
Full sockets by the sink are standard (kept outside the 60 cm splash zones around the bath and shower, and RCD protected, under the IEC 60364 zone rules).
A 120 V only dryer or styler (North American) will burn out on this supply, and a plug adapter does not change voltage. Check the label for dual voltage (100-240 V) before you plug in.
Plug, voltage and frequency: IEC World Plugs and national standards.
Plan Serre Chevalier properly
The trip planner turns this water profile into a wash plan for your hair type, a chosen kit and a packing list, month by month.