The French mountain ranges are a paradise for skiers, but it can be confusing to determine which resorts are the best based on your experience and whether you are skiing with children. You might also be passionate about many activities away from the slopes, or be more interested in spending all your energy off-piste, in snowparks, or on bold black runs than après-ski. Some of these choices offer family vacations in winter wonderlands, while others will attract the attention of serious off-piste skiers and snowboarders who need some exhilaration. If you’re eager to tackle red and black runs, or enjoy the freedom of unmaintained terrain, read on! Let’s take a look at the best ski resorts in France:
1. Avoriaz (Haute-Savoie)
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Source: flickr
Avoriaz
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A clever aspect of Avoriaz’s design, straddling the border with Switzerland, is that the slopes remain in the shade for almost the entire day, while the modern, purpose-built resort is bathed in sunlight. There are over 130 kilometers nearby, while the resort is also at the heart of the Portes du Soleil area with an additional 650 kilometers and 283 slopes. Most of the connecting slopes are at high altitude, suitable for skiers with a bit more know-how. But there is a superb ski school with lessons that fit around parents’ school schedules. Freestylers can express themselves in the super-pipe and in five snowparks, while those needing off-piste can enjoy the eight meters of fresh powder that falls each season.
2. Ski Alpe-d’Huez, Isère
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Ski Alpe-d’Huez
For people on group holidays, with companions at different skill levels, it can be difficult to find a resort where everyone is happy. Alpe d’Huez is a rare example that brings out the best for all, with one of the largest ski areas in France. Advanced skiers can head to the peripheral villages of the area where unique challenges like the famous Sarenne run are more accessible. This slope is considered the longest black run on the planet, weaving down the mountain from Pic Blanc over 16 kilometers. The lower slopes are intended for cruisers and newcomers on friendly green runs.
3. Tignes, Savoie
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Tignes
If you want guaranteed snow, this reliable resort in the Tarentaise valley should be kept in mind. There is skiing here for almost the entire year thanks to the Grande Motte glacier, served by a spectacular underground funicular. It is also closely linked to the immense Espace Killy as well as neighboring Val-d’Isère. What attracts winter sports enthusiasts is the promise of an unadorned skiing experience; simple snowy slopes, with a healthy choice of runs for beginners as well as experts who have an almost endless choice of powder fields accessible by lifts. Val Claret and Tignes-le-Lac are the highest villages here, offering easy access to the slopes.
4. La Plagne, Savoie
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La Plagne
Also in the Tarentaise valley, La Plagne consists of eleven small satellite resorts spread over an impressive elevation, from 3,250 meters down to 1,250 meters. It also offers easy access to the mammoth Paradiski area, perfect for advanced off-piste skiers and accessible via the Vanoise Express cable car. It’s an experience you must have at least once, as you soar above the steep Ponthurin valley. Naturally, given the variety of slopes available, La Plagne is suitable for all newcomers, but if you are here with children learning the ropes, the green runs of Plagne-Centre, Aime-la-Plagne, Plagne-Bellecôte, and Plagne 1800 will do the trick.
5. Chamonix (Haute-Savoie)
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Chamonix
Some people are not great skiers but want to come for the journey. And if you’re planning a holiday with someone like that, Chamonix should be at the top of your list. This is because skiing and snowboarding are just one aspect of the experience here. You have Mont Blanc for one, and the life-changing cable car that leads to the Aiguille du Midi, a mountain station at 3,842 meters, with the best view of the highest mountain in Europe. And if you’re a hardcore skier, you’ll be in heaven, with epic steep descents and unexplored powder slopes around the Grands Montets and the Vallée Blanche that you could spend weeks discovering.
6. Serre Chevalier, Hautes-Alpes
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Serre Chevalier
Composed of a group of villages in the Guisane valley, Serre Chevalier is nowhere near as fashionable as Megève and Val-d’Isère, but this adds to its appeal. It’s an affordable yet picturesque destination for serious skiing, for those less concerned about après-ski. The region includes six peaks, with most skiable slopes found around Villeneuve and Chantemerle halfway along the valley. These are mostly original old villages that have not lost their character: Briançon, for example, is a beautiful fortified settlement, built by the 17th-century military master Vauban to strengthen the region against the Austrians.
7. Val-d’Isère (Savoie)
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Val-d’Isère
This resort located at the end of the Tarentaise valley hardly needs an introduction; it hosted the men’s downhill event at the Albertville Olympics in ’92 and is a regular stop on the FIS World Cup ski circuit. It’s a high-end destination, with luxurious après-ski, abundant fashion emporiums, and some of the most demanding hotels in the Alps. Where it counts, Val-d’Isère is one of the best terrains to meet all requirements, seamlessly connecting with neighboring Tignes to form the Espace Killy with 300 kilometers of slopes. Many of them will be loved by intermediate skiers, while experts can conquer the vast off-piste areas, served by a fantastic lift system.
8. Peyragudes (Hautes-Pyrénées)
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Peyragudes
Peyragudes was born when the villages of Peyresourde and Agudes were combined. This one is not so much for beginners in the sport, but people with a few ski seasons under their belts will have the time of their lives on 20 blue runs and 20 red runs. The slopes have a variety of aspects, so some runs are ideal in the morning, while others have better conditions in the afternoon. The choice of slopes for the most confident skiers is the Vallée Blanche with an impressive vertical drop of 1,000 meters.
9. Méribel, Savoie
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Méribel
On the western slope of the Tarentaise valley, Méribel is a purpose-built resort that took shape in the 1930s. Perhaps due to its great age, it’s a charming place for villagers to be in the evening, preferring scattered chalets over high-rise apartments. Here, you will be in the gigantic ski area of the Trois Vallées, one of the largest in the world. The wooded slopes around are dotted with sub-villages, and this network of satellite resorts is easily accessible by a network of lifts and shuttles. Intermediates will find the most to love here, with 36 blue runs making up more than half of Méribel’s slopes.
10. La Grave, Hautes-Alpes
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La Grave
In La Grave, you can return to skiing as the pioneers of the region intended: this destination is exclusively for experts and off-piste. You can’t even call it a resort, as there are no groomed runs; rather, you take matters into your own hands, with the help of a guide, on slopes with a drop of over 2,000 meters. So, if you know your way down a mountain and hate crowds, this is for you, but expect to stay off-piste when there is dangerous weather. La Grave is also one of the “most beautiful villages” in France, a collection of stone and slate houses facing La Meije, the monumental 4,000-meter mountain above the slopes.
11. Valberg (Alpes-Maritimes)
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Valberg
Many snow enthusiasts prefer the more famous Isola 2000, across from Mercantour Park, but Valberg is just as convenient for Nice airport and has a larger ski area. There are 90 kilometers of slopes, 25 kilometers of Nordic tracks, and a brand new snowpark. What attracts many people is the feeling of warmth and approachability that you only find in less prestigious resorts. If you are on holiday with young ones, the evenings are taken care of: you have an ice rink, a cinema, and a large heated pool. And during the day, they can start skiing as early as three years old at the resort’s Boursin Park.
12. Megève (Haute-Savoie)
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Megève
Most people have heard of Megève, a favorite of European aristocracy for decades and designed by the Rothschilds after falling out of love with St. Moritz. It has a medieval core that was expanded in the 1920s and manages to be charming and picturesque, yet also up to date with the latest infrastructure. Just like any resort on this list, it’s a place to stroll around and feel at home when you come down from the slopes. And when you ski, you can glide through isolated areas as the lack of rocks means Megève only needs a thin layer of snow to be perfectly skiable.
13. Isola 2000, Alpes-Maritimes
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Isola 2000
On the edge of the Mercantour National Park and just minutes from the Italian border, Isola 2000 is one of those resorts you can easily reach by car from the Côte d’Azur. For a long time, it was part of the Kingdom of Piedmont and was Italian territory until it was handed over to France in the wake of World War II. What you will notice right away is the high altitude of the resort; at over 2,000 meters, it is one of the snowiest in the region. Isola 2000 is also known for its many easy green runs for cruising, meaning that younger ones, teens, and parents can all ski together. The only downside is that it’s not the prettiest destination; compared to somewhere like Megève, the 70s concrete resort buildings show their age.
14. La Clusaz (Haute-Savoie)
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La Clusaz
This resort is located in the Aravis massif and became a snow sports destination at the turn of the 20th century when the road from Annecy opened the steep terrain around the village to tourism. So don’t be put off by the low altitude of La Clusaz, as it’s not so easy to get to, and it won’t be crowded with day-trippers. And the high elevations around the village also ensure challenging slopes. It’s a resort for intermediates and experts, with 200 kilometers of varied terrain to explore. Seasoned skiers and boarders will love the reds, blacks, and free-riding opportunities in the L’Aiguille and Balmes sectors.
15. Saint-Lary Soulan, Hautes-Pyrénées
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Saint-Lary Soulan
On the western slope of the Néouvielle massif in the Pyrenees, Saint-Lary-Soulan hits the mark for families thanks to its varied facilities. In addition to over 100 kilometers of downhill slopes, one of the largest ski areas in the Pyrenees, this resort also caters to those needing a break. The village, long a popular spa destination for its healing waters, now has a Sensoria therapy center offering wraps, massages, a solarium, and pools to relieve those aches. There’s also Pla’ Adet, with a “Kidpark” and a nursery, so younger skiers up to 12 years old will have plenty of fun. Read more at info-du-web.net