Val d'Isère ski | ski holidays in France

Afbeelding - val-d-isere_11 — © Val d'Isère Tourisme

Val d'Isère in short

Height: 1850 metres
Resort centre renovated in a traditional style
Extensive ski area with excellent lift system
Great hotels and apres-ski options

Val d'Isere has come a long way since opening its first hotel back in 1888. The ski scene developed in the 1930's and the resort centre was renovated in 1992 in keeping with the traditional mountain architecture style. Val d'Isere is now a charming ski resort with a reputation that extends well beyond France. Val d’Isère owes this reputation in no small measure to the vast ski area that it shares with Tignes. Tignes-Val d'Isère was formerly known as the Espace Killy in honour of Jean-Claude Killy, the famous Olympic skier who, along with other pro skiers Henri Oreiller and the Goitschel sisters, called the village home.

An incredible number of ski runs, good facilities for snowboarders and a spectacular choice of off-piste skiing also amply justify Val d'Isère's reputation. Skiers of all levels will find what they are looking for on the ski slopes of Tignes-Val d'Isère, particularly with the recent installation of areas dedicated to beginners and families. Val d'Isère enjoys a long ski season and often opens for skiing in the summer months as well. This venerable ski area near the border with Italy has hosted its fair share of international skiing events, including the Winter Olympics (most recently in 1992), the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships in 2009 and numerous World Cup races. All this comes at a price, and ski holidays in Val d'Isère require a higher budget than other ski resorts - but it's worth it! Thanks to its high altitudes, north-facing slopes and snowmaking equipment, Val d'Isère is all but guaranteed decent snow cover throughout the ski season. Val d'Isère is easy to reach from the UK on the Eurostar ski train via Bourg Saint-Maurice.

Review of Val d'Isère

Winter hiking
Cross-country skiing
Aprés-ski
Family/children
Price level

8.5

based on 6 visitor reviews

Latest review by Marius Sandker

“Best ski resort in Europe for advanced/expert skiers. Incredible off-piste terrain. Even Val Thorens, my #2 ski resort, has nothing on this. Nice town with good après-ski bars.”

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Skiing in Tignes-Val d'Isère

Between them, Tignes and Val d'Isère share 300km of pistes as well as some spectacular and easily accessible off-piste terrain. The ski area reaches an altitude of 3456m and has guaranteed snow cover thanks to the Grande Motte and Pissaillas glaciers. Off the Olympic gondola you'll find the infamous Face de Bellevarde, a long, winding black run with panoramic mountain views that joins the Rocher de Bellevarde to the village of Val d'Isère. This run is best done early in the morning, before the groomed piste gets skied out. For freestylers, Val d'Isère has a large snow park with boxes, rails, three boardercross routes and special areas for beginners and pros alike. Val d'Isère has invested in eco-friendly piste bashers, snowmaking infrastructure and electric cars in an effort to mitigate the effects of climate change on French ski areas.

At one with nature in Val d'Isere

If you love the snow and mountains but not the ski lifts and crowds, if you prefer peace and quiet and feeling at one with nature, a lot of options are available to you in Val d'Isère. The resort offers great hiking trails and several beautiful cross-country skiing trails at the bottom of the Manchet valley around Lake Ouillette. Professional guides offer snowshoeing hikes that reveal secret landscapes, with the chance to glimpse wild animals that often remain out of sight closer to the hustle and bustle of the downhill ski area. Or, simply take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. The resort also has an outdoor ice skating rink, a luge track and an ice climbing wall. If you want to take the excitement up a notch, you can try paragliding, luge, dogsledding, or speedriding - this last one combines skiing and paragliding for an adrenaline-filled experience!

Val d'Isère: Home to La Folie Douce

Ski holidays in Val d'Isere certainly don’t have to involve putting your feet up in front of the fireplace after a day of skiing – not unless you want to, of course! On the contrary, Val d’Isere is renowned for its lively après-ski and wide choice of events and festivities. If you're looking for lively après-ski, you've come to the right place. There's a wide choice for all tastes and budgets and even the wildest party animal won't be disappointed here in Val d'Isère. Venues such as Dick's Tea bar, Victors Bar and of course the legendary La Folie Douce. Located just off the Oreiller Kelly piste, this is the institution that kicked off the après-ski craze in France. RDV every day here for champagne, live DJs and partying with your ski boots still on!

Val d'Isère for everyone

The prestigious Famille Plus label guarantees a high level of dedicated services and facilities for families. The Children's Village and Le Petit Poucet nurseries welcome tots as young as age 3. The Centre Aquasportif offers swimming fun for the whole family, and is a great way to relax and unwind after a day on the slopes. As for skiing, the Val Kids programme introduces children to the ski area through a variety of innovative activities. These include a funslope with games, a toboggan run, a mini skicross and a playground where they can learn more about the roles of different figures in the ski area. There are three free ski lifts for beginners in the Solaise and Daille sectors, and special rates are available on ski passes for families with children under the age of 21. Every week at the Front de Neige, Val d'Isère puts on exciting activities for young and old such as "snake gliss", "yooner" and "airboard".