3 Fantastic French Ski Resorts You Have To See To Believe!

Some places on Earth are blessed by an embarrassment of natural riches, and the French Alps definitely fall into this rarefied category.

With majestic snow-capped mountains that are mother nature’s skyscrapers, lush meadows bursting with wildflowers, rushing streams of ice-cold water, scented steepled pine forests, and deep valleys peppered with chocolate box chalets, this idyllic landscape is truly inspirational.

To top it off, if you’re a fan of snowsports, there’s simply no better pristine-powdered playground, so with that in mind, here are three fantastic French ski resorts you have to see to believe.

Val Thorens

The highest resort in Europe, at an altitude of over 2300 m, is car-free Val Thorens is the premier attraction in the Three Valleys ski area, which has a 600-km skiable area of well-groomed pistes and outstanding off-piste areas, with something to offer skiers and snowboarders of every stripe. There are lots of blue and red runs here for intermediate skiers and an extremely efficient lift system that will zip you along to panoramic viewpoints with mountaintops as far as the eye can see.

Snowboarders also love the 70,000 square metre snowpark, which has quarter pipes, tabletop jumps, and a big air bag. The kid’s toboggan run is Europe’s longest, and the apres-ski is legendary, with hotspots like La Folie Douce, Crewzer and The Malaysia.

Avoriaz

Part of the Portes du Soleil ski area, Avoriaz is a snow-sure high-altitude ski resort with ample north-facing shaded slopes to suit beginners, intermediates, and advanced skiers. If you’re yearning for authentic old-style Alpine charm, you’ll find it in plentiful supply here, with romantic horse-drawn sleighs and celebrated architecture that combines contemporary silhouettes with traditional wood, slate, and stone materials.

There’s plenty of off-slope entertainment for children, with activities like snow scoots, laser quests, and tag archery, while the Village des Enfants teaches kids aged 3 to 16 to enjoy the slopes with peer groups at their own pace. If Avoriaz sounds tempting, ski package guru Erna Low can create the perfect customised break here.

Val d’Isère

One of the world’s most popular ski resorts, Val d’Isère, sits at an altitude of 1850m in the Haute Tarentaise, with high-altitude skiing available on slopes just under the Pointe du Montet summit at 3400 m or more. Part of the Espace Killy ski domain, there are 300km of pistes here linked by 78 lifts, with runs to suit skiers of all styles and abilities, and a huge arsenal of snow cannons to top up natural snow cover on the rare occasions it’s necessary. 

The apres-ski is lively, with vibrant venues like Bananas, which serves strong cocktails and tasty Tex-Mex food, and Doudoune Club, where you can party until 5 a.m. But this is a family-friendly resort too and the innovative Val Kids adventure programme combines novice ski lessons and fun but educational activities that teach youngsters about Alpine culture and ecology. 

The French Alps is certainly a special place to visit. From Geneva to Les Gets or one of the three French ski resorts mentioned above, if you’re planning to visit for your next holiday you’ll be sure to leave a bit of your heart behind when you leave!