Read more about the 10 best ski resorts in France. Indeed, France has some of the world’s greatest ski areas – and its best resorts are plonked right in the middle of them. Glaciers and sky-high pistes keep things brilliantly snowy, while the local tourism offices pour millions into making the whole experience slick and spectacular.
From state-of-the-art beginner runs and themed pistes for children, to World Cup level steep slopes and daring powder trails – not to mention oodles of intermediate terrain between them- these are the 10 best ski resorts in France for a smashing week on the slopes. Also, if you want to be advised by a professional guide working in the French and Swiss Alps: check out the portrait of Emmanuel.
Not many resorts come close to Val d’Isere, whether we’re talking about the pistes, powder, parties or how pretty it is. Hogging half of the Espace Killy, Val has it all: Olympic downhills like La Face, mind-boggling moguls like Epaule du Charvet, snow-sure glacier pistes on the Pissallas and mile after mile of blues and reds. Beyond the corduroy, the powder terrain’s immense and easy to get to – ask a guide to show you the Banane and Spatule. And when it comes to letting your hair down, nowhere parties quite like Val d’Isère. This is the home of the original Folie Douce, where Kely Starlight brings the wild and wonderful to the mountaintop, and champagne falls like rain. Institutions like Dick’s Tea Bar keep the tempo up back in town until late… Which with wood and stone buildings, postcard ready churches and billions of fairy lights is a feast for the eyes.
Meribel has won the hearts of countless British and American skiers, and also happens to sit in the heart of the 3 Valleys. There’s a lot to love about this resort: A sea of wooden chalets, it has alpine charm done perfectly, managing to host all kinds of accommodation without losing the cosy factor. But within a lift ride, you’re up and away in the world’s biggest linked ski area – 600km of green, blue, red and black groomers as far as the eye can see, with powder trails galore. The local slopes alone are marvelously varied, from the beginner ZEN zones to steep blacks like Bosses. And with après ski like Ronnie’s, not many resorts throw a party like Meribel…
One of the originals, ‘Cham’ hosted the first Winter Olympics back in 1924 and has remained at the very forefront of mountain sports. Being a proper town in a great valley, it’s a bit of a Marmite resort: Some don’t like the fact the slopes aren’t all seamlessly linked in one area, while others can’t get enough of the heady variety. We love it. The five local ski areas have 150km of pistes, which differ in gradient but share clear views of the Mont Blanc massif, thick forests and quaint hamlets. It’s also possible to cross the border to Courmayeur, for a taste of Italian skiing. But the real draw here’s the powder, and there’s good reason why Chamonix has more mountain guides than anywhere else. From the 20km of glacial gory that is the Vallee Blanche to the south facing fields of Flégère, you’ve got to ski it to believe it.
Sure the architecture and après don’t have the calibre of neighbour Val d’Isère, but that doesn’t stop Tignes from being one of the greatest ski resorts in the Alps. It’s all about the slopes here, which make up half of the mighty Espace Killy – the more intermediate-friendly half (oodles of blues stream down to resort) and often the snowier half, with the Grand Motte glacier staying skiable in the summertime. When you’ve had your fill of the 300km of corduroy and never-ending off pistse, there are more après-ski activities than you can shake a ski pole at: Ramping up the adrenaline on the Bun J Ride (ski jump meets bungee jump meets zip-wire), ice- diving in Le Lac, segwaying, snake-glissing, snowmobiling to name a few).
Oozing luxury from every pore, 1850’s Courch’ worked up a reputation of serious glamour. It’s crammed with designer shops, slick piano bars and properly posh lodgings, but also has the smoothest access to the skiing. And what a ski area – the 3 Valleys has more lift-linked slopes than anywhere else on the planet, with every type of piste tallying a whopping 600km. The local slopes are some of the best: beginners can learn the ropes on gorgeous tree-lined cruisers, while intermediates roam broad, rolling descents and experts shoot down powdery couloirs and hair-raising blacks. Back at base it’s not ALL glitz and glam. The smaller villages have the same choc box charm but with more chilled-out atmospheres, like 1650 which is always a big hit with families for its easy-going pistes.
Sometimes it helps to turn things upside down – and L2A does just that with its ski area. While the gentler slopes are usually at the bottom of the mountain and the steep ones at the peak, this place has the opposite. It’s the home runs that’ll have your mettle tested, while the top slopes are terrifically smooth and cruisey, letting you enjoy the views at a slower pace. This makes the resort a winner for beginners, who can enjoy the best snow conditions. And when we say best, we’re talking about some of the most snow sure slopes in the Alps. It’s all thanks to the Mantel glacier, which holds onto the white stuff so well it’s skiable in the summer. The freestyle scene here’s huge: No mere park, this one goes for freestyle LAND – with all manner of features big and small. Of the 223km of pistes, 70% are red, giving intermediates miles to roam, and for experts, the off-piste at La Grave simply can’t be missed. The town itself is no tiddler: One of France’s oldest ski resorts, all kinds of restaurants and shops can be found on the Avenue de la Muzelle – not to mention some of the best bars in the Alps.
Portes du Soleil’s the world’s biggest international ski area – and in size, character and location, Morzine’s its main resort. Easy on the eye, the town itself is a bundle of old-style chalets around a traditional village square and 19th century church. You’ll find oodles of restaurants, bars and shops to keep the keenest foodies, night owls and big spenders occupied. But compared to the ski area it’s tiny: go the whole hog with the full area pass and you’ll have access to hundreds of pistes across both the French and Swiss Alps. Even the local area’s a whopper – 120km of pistes are covered in the Morzine pass, which is shared with Les Gets. And Avoriaz is easily reachable for higher pistes and bigger snowparks.
Half of the mighty Paradiski falls under LP’s umbrella, putting 250km of pistes in the local area alone. Boredom rarely occurs here, whether you prefer easy-going blues, knee-deep powder or freestyle. Especially when you factor in the whole area pass, which totals a whopping 425km shared with Les Arcs. Even at the beginning or end of the season there’s plenty to ski, thanks to the Bellecôte and Chiaupe glaciers and 70% of the slopes being above 2000m. And when a resort’s made up of so many villages, you can ski home to the base that suits you: Right to the hub of it in Plagne Centre, straight to the ice rink in Bellecôte, or back to Aime in time to watch the sun set over Mt Blanc… And those are just 3 of the 11 villages you’ll find here.
The land of sunny skiing, Alpe d’Huez’s Grande Domaine has 250km of pistes streaming down from Pic Blanc at 3330m. Experts will have a ball – with a whopping 66km of black runs to conquer including the mogulled Tunnel and uber long (the longest in the Alps in fact) Sarenne. And intermediates can really roam, with over half of the runs graded red. Even beginners are fabulously provided for, with more greens than other resorts put together. The sunshine and snow certainly ramp up the feel-good factor, handing the baton to the buzzing bars when the lifts close: With Folie on the mountainside, and the likes of Sphere and Underground in town, the après is some of the best in France.
If this blog post on the 10 best ski resorts in France made you want to experience these great resorts, see our suggestions of itineraries that include the French Alps. Ask us for a customized snowy version, from winter to summer, if you’ve decided to try one of the 10 ski resorts described above.
This article was written with the help of www.sno.co.uk/.
