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France is the most popular Alpine country for British skiers and snowboarders. It took advantage of being comparatively late to join the pantheon of ski nations. Unlike Austria and Switzerland, where skiing evolved gradually from mountain villages, France didn’t build many of its most famous resorts (such as Les Arcs, La Plagne and Avoriaz) until the 1960s, so it was possible to select the highest, most snow-sure places to ski in France. However the initial high-rise “space-age” architecture began to pall as the decades unfolded and during the 21st century there’s been a trend to build any new accommodation in a more rustic, sympathetic style alongside the original concrete towers.
There are of course some traditional French ski resorts, the upmarket resort of Courchevel is another area that blossomed early in the history of French skiing. Courchevel is a key gateway to the vast area of the 'Les Trois Vallées (The Three Valleys) which is arguably the biggest linked ski region in the world. Its only rival is the Portes du Soleil network of ski areas (with Avoriaz and Morzine at its heart) which spreads across the French border into Switzerland. The Three Valleys is dominated by four major resorts: Courchevel, Méribel, Les Menuires and Val Thorens – the highest ski resort in the Alps. Each of these four resorts has more than enough terrain to keep a skier or boarder happily occupied for a week or more during a skiing holiday in France, so the opportunity to ski all four provides unlimited permutations.
In the Portes du Soleil, neighbouring Avoriaz and Morzine are gateways to a dozen or more family ski resorts in France and Switzerland. Chamonix, dominated by the Mont Blanc Massif, is another major attraction with several resorts scattered along the valley, including Argentière, rated by some keen off-piste skiers and boarders as one of the best ski resorts in France - or the entire Alps for that matter. They will also be keen to try the Vallée Blanche – a classic off-piste descent - with a high-mountain guide. The traditional route is not seriously demanding, leaving skiers to concentrate on the outstanding scenery, but a guide will help negotiate the occasional crevasse. There are a handful of more demanding alternative routes including the Vraie Vallée Blanche and the Envers du Plan.
Another resort overlooked by the imperious Mont Blanc is Flaine, linked with a handful of sibling resorts, with some of the most extensive slopes in France. That’s even more true of the Espace Killy – the linked areas of Val d’Isère and Tignes - named after the celebrated Olympic triple-gold medallist Jean-Claude Killy. Together these neighbouring resorts provide some of the most exciting skiing in France, particularly for off-piste enthusiasts. Tignes has the added advantage of regular glacier skiing on the Grande Motte glacier.
Two more giants of the French skiing world which are joined at the hip and undoubtedly among the best family ski resorts in France are La Plagne and Les Arcs. They’re celebrating their 10-year-partnership as Paradiski, made possible by a huge cable car linking the resorts which opened in 2003. La Plagne has a dozen or so linked hamlets and villages spread across slopes in all directions, while Les Arcs too, like Courchevel, has a handful of ski villages and satellite resorts at various altitudes.
Further south in the French Alps are two more favourites: Les 2 Alpes and Alpe d’Huez. And in the same part of the world, just as those in search of culture and impressive architecture in Austria are drawn to Innsbruck and Kitzbühel, one of the big attractions for ski holidays in France is the Serre Chevalier ski network, linked with the UNESCO world heritage site of Briançon and enjoy the wonderful Roman baths in Montier.
We are very excited to include the resort of Montgenèvre this winter. Also taking advantage of flights into Turin, the transfers are short and our guests have the opportunity to ski in both France and Italy during their stay. Montgenèvre also boasts some of the best snow conditions in the French alps, collecting snow from both it's Italian and French neighbours depending on which way the weather arrives from!
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The combined resorts of Val d'Isère and Tignes produce a formidable ski area which stronger skiers and snowboarders will get the most from. The region is named after the celebrated Jean-Claude Killy, who grew up in Val d'Isère, dominated skiing in the late 1960s and won three gold medals at the 1968 Grenoble Olympics.
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Tignes is home to the stunning Grande Motte glacier, a stunning location for high altitude skiing. Together with Val d’Isère’s these two superb ski areas make up the world famous Espace Killy ski area, named after France’s best known Olympic skier, Jean-Claude Killy.
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Ski Val d'Isère! Even without its sister resort of Tignes, Val d’Isère would be one of the finest ski areas in the world. Together they are pretty much unbeatable, particularly for skiers and snowboarders searching for challenging off-piste terrain.
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Set high in the Tarentaise region of the French Alps, the slopes of Les Arcs and La Plagne – each already famously large areas in themselves - were joined a few years back to create one of the largest lift-linked ski areas in the world.
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La Plagne, is a skier’s paradise providing access to over 425kms of runs across the huge Paradiski domain. And with blue and reds making 80% of runs in the resort this is the ideal resort for beginners and intermediates with almost endless possibilities to explore the mountain.
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Les Arcs is a skiers and snowboarders paradise. There’s an astonishing variety of runs, from wide, long cruising reds and blues, to great off-piste. One of the longest and most challenging runs in the Alps, the Aiguille Rouge run, descends from the top of resort at 3226m to Villaroger at 1200m. Whatever you choose to do in Les Arc, it’s a thrilling ride!
As one of the largest ski areas in the world, the Three Valleys provides high altitude, world-class skiing, as well as a guarantee of great snow all season long, from November to May. The area links four fabulous French resorts - Europe's highest (Val Thorens), the ultimate chalet resort (Méribel), iconic Courchevel and New for winter 2017/18 Les Menuires.
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At 2300m, Val Thorens is the highest ski resort in Europe, contributing 93 miles of its own slopes to the vast Three Valleys system which it shares with Courchevel, Méribel, and Les Menuires – a total of 373 miles.
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Ski Courchevel! France's most prestigious and cosmopolitan resort.
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Skiing holidays in Méribel, one of France's most attractive ski resorts, are an absolute delight. Méribel is set in the heart of the famously beautiful Three Valleys ski area, one of the world's largest ski areas and justifiably renowned for its endless exciting terrain for all levels.
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There’s an air of change in Les Menuires. Whilst the original, purpose built buildings constructed in the 60s and 70s remain one of the resort’s distinguishing features, newer and attractive Savoyard style properties in the surrounding suburbs have helped to soften Les Menuires’ once harsh exterior.
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With claims to being the largest lift-linked ski area anywhere in the world, the huge Portes du Soleil area offers a seemingly endless expanse of runs and no less than 14 individual resorts to explore.
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Morzine is the unofficial ‘capital’ and gateway to the massive ‘Portes du Soleil’ ski region, which covers 12 resorts in France and Switzerland, with a huge variety of skiing to suit all abilities in an enormous region totalling 400km of pistes.
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Although it was purpose-built in the 1960s, Avoriaz still has an exciting space-age feel. The highest, and – with neighbouring Morzine - the most high-profile ski station in the huge Portes du Soleil region, the world’s largest international linked ski area, it has an excellent snow record.
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The Milky Way is an international ski area linking Montgenèvre in France with Sestriere, Sauze d'Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana and Claviere in Italy. Hosting the 2006 Winter Olympics here meant that the ski area was meticulously upgraded.
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This traditional French resort is a firm family favourite and has an enviable snow record and skiing over into Italy.
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Serre Chevalier stands apart from other ski resorts. One of the sunniest locations in the French Alps the area offers some of the most extensive and unique tree skiing in Europe – suitable for all levels. Friendly locals and picturesque, historic towns and villages add to the charming atmosphere of this incredible resort.
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With 225km of pistes between 1,300m and 3,600m, Les 2 Alpes is ideal for all levels of skiers and boarders. Unusually, the higher the altitude, the easier the pistes. In fact, the glacier is ideal for beginners and new for the 15/16 winter season is a blue run taking skiers from the glacier right down to the resort.
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You could hardly wish for a more eclectic ski network than Alpe d’Huez. The resort and its satellites are on a sunny, high plateau surrounded by an amazing snow bowl with mile after mile of varied on-piste and off-piste opportunities.
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With much of the terrain above 2000m, the skiing in Chamonix valley has for many years attracted skiers looking for good snow and who also want to ski the famous Vallée Blanche - or tackle the rest of the extensive off-piste skiing.
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The mighty snow-bowl resort of Flaine with its incredible snow record is one of the best villages in the Grand Massif ski area. In the Haute Savoie, close to Geneva and Mont Blanc, the Grand Massif is an impressive network of exhilarating skiing and charming villages.
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Set high above the picturesque Upper Tarentaise valley, La Rosière is a brilliantly well thought out resort. Big enough to have all the facilities any skier could wish for, it is also small enough to be known as one of the Alps’ friendliest resorts, and to have avoided ugly apartment blocks in favour of traditional wood and stone chalets.
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Registered office address: Mountain House, Station Road, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1EX
