There is a variety of skiing to suit all levels. However, this magical resort truly excels is in the service that it provides to families.

Les Gets is an attractive, sunny village of traditional chalet-style buildings.

It’s on the low pass leading to Morzine with a very French feel to it. Appetizing food and wine shops line the main street. Alongside this charm, it also affords access to the huge Portes du Soleil ski area. The resort has a great selection of non-skiing activities to keep kids and families occupied. It also offers nursery and kindergarten options.

Pretty, charming and unspoiled, Les Gets has something special to offer every visitor.

There is a variety of skiing to suit all levels. However, this magical resort truly excels is in the service that it provides to families. The resort is a proud owner of the ‘Famille Plus Montagne’ label. This means that the needs of younger guests have been carefully considered. Facilities include a medical service for minor injuries and events. One of the popular events are carpentry workshops where children are taught to make wooden models, are geared towards providing them with a safe and exciting stay.

The area of slopes it shares with Morzine is the most extensive local network in the region. In some respects Les Gets is the better base for that shared area.

If you have a car, you can quite easily access the main Portes du Soleil circuit by driving to the gondola at Ardent. If you don’t, the circuit is much more easily accessed from Morzine, with its quick access to Avoriaz.

The local pass saves a fair bit on a Portes du Soleil pass and makes a lot of sense for many visitors. One factor to bear in mind when planning trips is that, alongside Morzine, Les Gets sits at a lower altitude than many resorts and as such suffers from a shorter season and deteriorating snow as spring arrives.

Eminent for everything from wooded beginner runs to high-altitude skiing, variety is behind the enduring popularity of Les Arcs.

Linked with La Plagne to create the Paradiski area, its varied villages offer access to 265 miles of piste for all abilities.
Les Arcs is a purpose-built ski resort. It consists of a number of different villages, each at slightly different altitudes and each with their own character and ambiance.

Les Arcs a family-friendly resort. It has a good selection of beginner and intermediate pistes. However, there is genuinely something for everyone.

There are hundreds of miles of pistes:

• high-altitude beginner’s areas
• huge swathes of off-piste
• internationally-renowned freestyle park
• one of the longest continuous runs in Europe (the Aiguille Rouge is 5 miles long with 1.5 miles of descent)

Since 2003, Les Arcs has a connection with La Plagne by the valley-spanning double-decker Vanoise Express gondola. This creates the Paradiski ski domain and provides adventurous skiers with access to 265 miles of pistes.

Les Arcs was the first resort of its kind in Europe. It is in the heart of a 300-year-old Swiss stone pine forest.

Arcs 1600 was the original village which opened up as a ski resort in 1968. The concept was very innovative at the time. The accommodation was built specifically for convenient skiing. Doorstep access to the slopes. However, this is a concept that other resorts have since replicated many times over, across the Alps and beyond.

Today four modern, purpose-built resorts create La Plagne:
Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950, Arc 2000

Each offers direct access to the slopes.

Every one of the resorts is largely pedestrianized, and they all have their own bars, restaurants, supermarkets and a range of activities. You can take a shuttle bus that is free with your lift pass and runs every 20 minutes. It will take you between villages so you can easily enjoy the entertainments in each resort.

There are also three outlying villages within the ski area – Plan Peisey, Vallandry, and Peisey Nancroix.

A big draw for families is the new entertainment complex Mille8 in Arcs 1800. It includes fun ski areas for all ages, dedicated snow play areas for small children and a swimming pool complex.

La Rosière holds the key to a French-Italian ski area with 99 miles of pistes. It boasts long and gentle, sunny slopes on the French side and more challenging skiing on the north face of the mountain in the Aosta Valley.

La Rosière is perfect for all types of skier.

Families and beginners can meander around the sunny southern side of the mountain while pleasure-seekers set off on a quest to sample some Italian delicacies across the border. Resting on a mountain balcony overlooking the Tarentaise Valley, La Rosière offers wraparound views and glorious sunshine from dawn to dusk!

La Rosière is still undergoing development and boasts a selection of new projects that blend seamlessly with the resort’s traditional wood and stone chalets. The commune and its inhabitants strive to ensure that these new buildings adhere to the resort’s carefully-planned expansion and tie in with the spirit of the village.

Easy-living, sunshine, and snow are all on the menu in La Rosière!

At the start of your day, from the snow front, savor the breathtaking 180-degree views of the Tarentaise Valley. La Rosière truly has one of the most spectacular views in the Alps. Best of all, to finish off your day, take a moment (or two) to enjoy one of the most the stunning sunsets anywhere. From dawn to dusk, La Rosière’s slopes are bathed in sunshine!

In addition to sunshine, La Rosière is also famous for snow! With the Mont Blanc and Petit-St-Bernard pass just a stone’s throw away, the Espace San Bernardo has unique weather conditions. This ensures that the resort receives excellent snowfall from December to April. It has some of the best snow levels in the Northern Alps.

As the only international ski area in the Northern Alps, the Espace San Bernardo has linked La Rosière with the Italian resort of La Thuile since winter 1983-1984. Grab your skis and set off on an adventure to explore new horizons and another culture! With slopes on both the north and the south faces of the mountain, excellent skiing and varied terrain are the order of the day. You might even want to brush up your Italian while on the slopes (though most Aosta Valley inhabitants speak excellent French and English)

A French ski area on the alpine valley of Tarentaise in the Savoy region, La Plagne, together with nearby resorts Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry, makes up the vast ski area of Paradiski, the 2nd largest ski area in the world!

La Plagne is an intermediate and expert paradise, with a hugely diverse ski area, spread over 140 miles of pistes.

For experts, it has huge areas of off-piste that don’t get skied out too quickly. This is an impressive feat given that La Plagne is recognized as the world’s most visited ski resort. Additionally, you need to consider the links to Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry via the impressive Vanoise Express. It makes the Paradiski area, a massive 264 miles ski and snowboard area, served by no less than 128 lifts.

The lift network has gradually improved over recent years. It’s increased the efficiency of access to the expansive ski area, with overcrowding not only an issue in peak weeks. La Plagne also offers extraordinarily reliable snow coverage because more than 70% of the terrain sits above 6,560ft,

La Plagne consists of no fewer than 11 separate ‘villages’.

Each village is a self-sufficient mini-resort. Though they vary widely in character, with a massive variety of accommodation, they can suit every need. They divide into two groups: seven units purpose-built at altitude in a broad bowl, on or above the treeline; and four real villages, adapted and expanded for skiing, at lower altitude on the fringes of the area. The diversity of these villages also means there will always be options suitable for families. The only drawback of this separate village layout is the resort lacks some cohesion that you would expect for a more unified resort.

As one of the resorts hosting events for the 1992 Albertville Olympics, La Plagne also hosts a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track.

A cable car from Montchavin links to Les Arcs via Peisey-Vallandry. Day trips by car to Val d’Isere-Tignes or the Trois Vallees resorts are possible.

The main town of Alpe d’Huez sits at 6,132 ft above sea level at the center of the Oisans region in the French Alps. It is the main resort in the Grandes Rousses Massif and is around two hours 30 minutes drive from Geneva airport. At its highest point, the resort reaches up to 10,827 ft on the Pic Blanc glacier. It has the most days of sunshine on the ski slopes in a year so it earned the nickname “l’Isle du Soleil”, the Island of the Sun.

The ski area here has something for every level and ability of skier or snowboarder, including great snowparks.

The resort is particularly suitable for family holidays so it got the ‘Famille Plus’ label by the French Tourism organization. In the summer months, the resort transforms into a haven for cyclists. It features as a regular stage on the Tour de France. It is also a great attraction for hikers and mountain bikers.

The gentle slopes on the outskirts of the resort provide the perfect terrain for beginners to build their confidence.

Intermediate skiers will find plenty to entertain themselves with on the network of blues and reds.
Alpe d’Huez forms part of the fabulous ‘Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine Ski Area’ combining the resorts of Alpe d’Huez, Auris-en-Oisans, Huez-en-Oisans, Oz-en-Oisans, Vaujany, and Villard Reculas into one giant, heavenly playground. The weekly lift pass also includes two days in Les 2 Alpes and a day in each of the Grande Galaxie resorts of Serre Chevalier, Puy Saint Vincent, Montgenevre, the Italian Milky Way and 25% reduction on a lift pass at La Grave.

The Sarennes ski run (labeled black mainly due to the length rather than difficulty) is the longest in Europe at 10 miles, joining the Pic Blanc to the Sarenne Gorge. As well as being the starting point for many off-piste itineraries, it can also be skied by moonlight as part of a monthly organized excursion.

The Pic Blanc is the highest point of the ski area and offers breathtaking views of the Alps including Mont Blanc, Mont Cervin, and the Meije. On a clear day, it is said that a fifth of France can be seen from this point.

Life away from the slopes is pretty exciting too, with just as much variety in terms of nightlife.

If you’re up for some more relaxing activities you can take a dip in the outdoor swimming pool, or take a turn around the resort’s ice skating rink. Once the sun goes down, head out to the bars and restaurants, where you’ll find a great variety of venues to suit you and your mood.

Val Thorens is the highest resort in Europe (7,564 ft).

At the top of the 3 Vallées, Val Thorens opens out onto the largest ski area in the world. It has 373 miles of slopes, 320 signposted runs, and some 174 ski lifts.

There are clear benefits to being at such a high altitude.

Val Thorens is famous for the incomparable quality of its snow. The snow is certain between November and May. Its site boasts remarkable sunshine and snow cover. 6 glaciers surround it.

Also, it has 6 mountain peaks at altitudes of more than 9,843 ft. Enjoy unique panoramic views over more than 1,000 peaks in the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps.

Between powder snow fields and perfect slopes, the huge Val Thorens ski area offers every kind of snowsports to every kind of person. There is something for every taste, ability level and even mood (relaxing, sporty, musical, festive…):

• Alpine skiing
• cross-country skiing
• snowboarding
• telemark skiing
• the longest toboggan run in France: 4 miles for 45 minutes of pure descent!

Val Thorens promises ease for fans of “mind-blowing skiing”, a laid-back approach for beginners, and enjoyment for everyone, whatever your skiing ability level.

Val Thorens offers easy access to the slopes from hotels and residences. That makes it perfect for the “doorstep skiing” label than anywhere else.

Val Thoren’s pioneer spirit is evidenced by its ski lifts. They are at the peak of innovation. Comfortable, modern equipment guarantees fast, completely safe journeys. Waiting time is kept to a minimum, even at peak times and during difficult weather conditions. Safety and speed make all the difference for ski lovers. A diverse range of lifestyles, accommodation, and leisure activities complements the wide choice of skiing.

Val Thorens offers a wide range of accommodation

• from 5-star hotels to charming 2-star hotels
• from the most affordable, to top of the range, luxury apartments in 5-star residences

For over a decade, the resort has developed a wealth of chalets and residences offering the latest equipment in terms of comfort, as well as hotel services, ideal for families, couples, or groups of friends.

Val Thorens is home to entertainment and leisure activities.  It’s laid-back, lively, and vibrant. Discover everything you’d expect from a town with all the atmosphere of a village:

• sports center
• shopping
• 40 bars
• 60 restaurants
• the largest nightclub in the Alps
• live concerts every week

Ice-driving, tobogganing, and snow mountain biking complete this melting pot of activities for visitors from all over the world.

Val d’Isere is the gateway to the Val d’Isere – Tignes area. It’s in the center of the Savoie region in South-Eastern France. Val d’Isere is an internationally renowned destination. It has retained its charm and authenticity. Val d’Isere is a genuine winter wonderland from the end of November to the beginning of May each year. The snow is sure because the town is standing at an altitude of 6,070 ft.

Val d’Isere is an authentic Alpine village with the facilities and comfort of a large resort. Its baroque church, traditional houses, the surrounding mountains and the Isere river flowing through its center have long been the inspiration for local architects. The village today consists of an elegant mixture of luxury hotels, holiday residences, traditional alpine chalets. They are built from stone and wood, and some altogether more contemporary structures.

With two-thirds of its ski inside the heart of the Vanoise National Park, nature and the rhythm of the seasons govern Val d’Isere. The resort is working hard to preserve the biodiversity of the planet. It’s socially responsible and respectful of the environment.

The Val d’Isere – Tignes ski area is not only legendary because of its exceptional setting. Furthermore, it’s also famous because it is a place that springs ski legends. At the Winter Olympics in 1968, the resort watched the first stars who had grown up on its pistes. The Goitschel sisters and Jean-Claude Killy emerged as champions.

Val d’Isere – Tignes ski area is much more than the sum of its parts. You are skiing on ‘legendary’ snow.

• 187 miles of pistes
• 6.332 ft of vertical drop
• more than 152 pistes
• endless off-piste runs
• two glaciers
• two snowparks
• ski area that hosted the Olympic Games and the World Championships

What’s Great

• Huge area linked with Tignes, with runs for all standards
• Some of the best lift-served off-slope runs in the world
• High altitude means snow is more or less guaranteed
• Wide choice of schools, especially for off-slope lessons and guiding
• Wide range of package holidays and accommodation
• For a high resort, the town is attractive, very lively at night, and offers a good range of restaurants
• Slope grooming and staff attitudes have improved noticeably

For keen slope-bashers who dislike tacky purpose-built resorts, Méribel is difficult to beat.

It is slap in the middle of the Three Valleys – the biggest inter-linked winter sports area in the world. With 200 lifts and 600 km of slopes, and endless off-slope possibilities, it is difficult everyone would enjoy a fortnight here. Fans of Courchevel and Val-Thorens sniff at Méribel’s local slopes. However, since Mont Vallon and the top of the valley opened up some years ago, Méribel can stand comparison on most counts.

Méribel is built entirely in tasteful chalet-style, with wood siding everywhere.

The center is very pleasant with raised walkways by the shops above the one-way road. The village has grown rapidly in recent years and now spreads widely over the mountainside. It is very popular with British visitors. Many of them own chalets here.

On the slopes and in the bars, you will hear English more than French. It remains decidedly upscale and it’s not cheap. But regular visitors love it and wouldn’t be seen anywhere else.

Nestled in the beautiful Alpine valley of Les Allues, Meribel is a renowned ski resort where you can experience that quintessential ski holiday.

Stay in a traditional wooden chalet, admire stunning mountain scenery, ski one of the biggest domains in the world, and let your hair down at one of the famous apres-ski bars.

The Meribel Valley is one of the most popular destinations for British skiers (the resort was, in fact, founded by a British Colonel, Peter Lindsay, in 1938). Consisting of picture-postcard chalets and chalet-style apartment buildings and hotels, Méribel has retained all the charm of a traditional mountain village with its wood and stone buildings and forest setting.

Fast, modern ski lifts offer easy access to the Méribel ski area (150km of pistes from 1450m up to 1700m) and the 3 Valleys (Meribel is linked to Courchevel and Val Thorens, giving you access to 600km of pistes). Méribel Centre is the largest of several villages in the resort and is home to the main shopping area and the greatest selection of restaurants.

Meribel hosts a number of events throughout the summer and winter months, some of which span the entire three valleys. Two such events are Les 3 Vallees Enduro event in April with every type of snowboard, ski and telemark racing imaginable, and the 3 Vallees Addict Tour mountain bike festival every July. The Tourist Office also organizes children’s events and activities during the school holidays.

What’s Great

• In the center of the biggest linked slope network in the world – ideal for intermediates who love covering the miles, but plenty for experts, too
• Modern, constantly improved lift system means little waiting and rapid access to all slopes
• Good slope grooming and snowmaking
• Village purpose-built in pleasing chalet-style architecture

What’s Great

• Extensive slopes, with miles of easy slopes, ideal for intermediates
• Scenic setting, with splendid views
• Charming old village center, with very swanky shopping
• Some lovely luxury hotels
• Gourmet mountain lunches in attractive surroundings
• Excellent cross-country trails, including some at altitude
• Mont Blanc lift pass covers many other worthwhile resorts nearby
• Great for weekends – cooperative hotels and close to Geneva
• If it snows, deserted mountains
• Plenty to do off the slopes

Chamonix Mont Blanc has been at the sharp end of Alpine adventure since 1760. That’s when Genevois scientist offered a prize for the first ascent of the highest Alp. It had its first growth spurt in the Victorian era. It hosted the first Winter Olympics in 1924 and has re-emerged on the freeride wave as the capital of all-mountain skiing.

Ski instructors and mountain guides come here to qualify.

Every dedicated skier and snowboarder puts it on the bucket list to see how they’ll measure up to the challenge of what Chamonix calls simply “le grand ski”. Of course, there are nursery slopes and blissful fast-cruising pistes as well as all the rough stuff. You don’t need to be an expert to enjoy the famous 13 miles Vallée Blanche glacier run. But this resort town, with its ski areas spread out along the valley, is never going to deliver an effortless holiday.

Queues and bus rides are part of the package and call for patience plus planning. The reward, when you emerge from the lift, is an empty mountain and a long descent. They will leave you grateful for the chance to recover in a queue. The numbers give a clue as to Chamonix’s stellar pedigree.

This is a landscape built on a heroic scale that makes other resorts seem tame by comparison.

No two days are the same in this hugely varied ski area. Chamonix’s smaller neighbors offer the same top-quality slopes but a quieter holiday.

Les Houches, Argentière and half a dozen smaller resorts all count as Chamonix, for lift pass purposes, if not after dark. Close to the Swiss border in a no-mans-land between road passes, Vallorcine is a more remote satellite.

Chamonix resort itself is a busy town of 10,000 permanent residents at the foot of Mont Blanc. It’s just below the French entrance to the Mont Blanc road tunnel, a major transalpine freight route.

It’s not a tranquil Alpine retreat.

However, Chamonix’s setting beneath the cliffs and tumbling glaciers of the Mont Blanc massif is tremendous. The bustling town doesn’t lack charm. Its old buildings have kept their sedate Victorian and more fanciful Belle Epoque look. Now that the center is traffic-free, it offers pleasant strolling, with cafés overhanging the river Arve’s torrent and a wealth of interesting shops – galleries, bookshops, and specialty food, as well as souvenirs and the latest technical snow-sports clothing and hardware.

At the center of it all stands the statue of the young hunter and collector of crystals Jacques Balmat showing de Saussure the way up Mont Blanc. Proximity to Geneva and its all-around, year-round active lifestyle appeal has made Chamonix a popular place to settle and set up shop, creating a uniquely cosmopolitan, colorful and dynamic entrepreneurial scene.