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TOURISM

From high altitude to family friendly: 15 of the best French ski resorts

Home to thousands of kilometres of slopes, France has options for all types of ski holiday - whether you want a family-friendly resort, one with great nightlife, the best slopes or a place with some options for non-skiers, here's a look at the best places to go.

Published: 19 December 2022 11:18 CET
From high altitude to family friendly: 15 of the best French ski resorts
Skiers sit in a chairlift at the Val Thorens French resort on its 2022 opening day. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP)

France is home to more than 250 ski resorts and 10,000 kilometres of slopes, so there really is something for everyone – from expert to beginner, family-friendly resorts to party towns.

The French ski regions

The most popular ski destination is the Alps, located in southern France. This mountain range stretches for hundreds of kilometres, culminating in the summit of Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in western Europe. From the northern alps in Savloie to the famous Trois Vallées, it is home to 600km of runs. 

You might also consider the Pyrenees mountains, located on the border with Spain. The ski resorts in the Pyrenees are known for being more modern, and they are typically less expensive than those in the Alps. 

There’s also the Vosges mountain range, the Massif Central, or the Jura mountains. The Vosges are located in north-east of France, between Alsace and Lorraine. While lower in altitude than the Alps or the Pyrenees, the Vosges have lots to offer, including many runs for cross-country skiers.

The Massif Central are the largest stretch of volcanoes in Europe and remain largely unknown to non-French skiers. The highest peak in the Massif Central is Puy-de-Sancy at 1,885 metres in height. As for the Jura mountains, altitudes go up to 1,720 metres, with several ski resorts for those looking to enjoy a winter vacation right next to Switzerland. 

Keep in mind that warming temperatures have led to some later start times for French ski resorts and even some closures, particularly among those at lower altitude. If you are booking a trip early in the ski season, be sure to do your research on the elevation and expected snowfall ahead of time.

Best options for families

When looking for a family-friendly ski resort, you can always check to see if the resort in question has the label “Famille Plus” meaning it has taken certain steps to ensure that family-friendly options and activities are available for people of all ages.

Avoriaz – Home to three “beginner zones” and 37 green runs, there are plenty of options for new skiers. Children under the age of five ski for free, and the child ski-pass rate applies up to 15 years old, rather than 12 years old which is the limit at many other resorts. The resort also offers English language ski lessons, and is home to a children’s village at the centre of the resort. 

Les Ménuires – Located in the Trois Vallées, the ski resort “Les Ménuires” has held the “Family Plus” label for several years. From snow mazes to sledding, there are plenty of non-ski activities for children to enjoy. The resort also offers childcare for children from three months and older, and chairlifts are equipped with special safety systems (gard-corps). 

Le Grand-Bornand – located in Haute-Savoie in the Alps, the ski area offers day-care centres and ski schools. It has also received a “Green Resort” label for offering a wide selection of environmentally friendly activities. 

Les Karellis – This small ski resort is located in Savoie, and is a great way to avoid the crowds you might find at other more well-known resorts. Also holding the “Family Plus” label, there are children’s ‘clubs’ – a baby club for infants and toddlers, the children’s club (ages three to 11), and the teenager’s club from 12 to 17 years old. Childcare is also available at certain villages in the resort, like Arc en Ciel and Carlines.

Best for high altitude

If your party is made up of experienced skiers and/or snowboarders, then you probably want to head to the high-altitude resorts for the best snow. The other benefit is that these resorts are more likely to have runs open, even if there is a warm spell.

Val Thorens – the highest ski resort in France, and one of the highest in all of Europe. The resort itself is huge, with over 600 kilometres of trails. Much of the ski area is between 2,000 to 3,200 metres in altitude and it can generally guarantee snow from November to May.

Tignes – this ski area is located in Haute-Savoie, with altitudes above 2,000 metres, Tignes has some of the highest skiing in the world, with over 300 km of runs. The ski area is also connected by lift links to another well known resort – Val d’Isere. It also boasts several off-piste options too, as well as ice diving and paragliding on skis for those looking for an extra burst of adrenaline. 

Val d’Isère – with the village sitting at 1,850 metres, the highest ski lift goes up to 3,456 metres. Known for off-piste skiing, the area links eight resorts and 600 kilometers of runs, from valleys to glaciers. Val d’Isere is known for being a luxury ski resort (daily passes average at €63 for adults) with a long season.

Most affordable

While the high-altitude resorts listed above tend to be more expensive, there are several choices for those looking to enjoy winter sports in France on a budget.

Aussois – Ranked as one of the most affordable ski resorts in France, Aussois is located in Savoie and offers over 50km of slopes. The average price per day was €34.50, with accommodation coming out to approximately €400 per week to share a four-person apartment. 

Chamrousse – This resort is located in Isère and it is known for being one of the ski stations of the 1968 Olympic Games. The budget friendly resort offers 90 km of slopes, with daily passes averaging at €36 per day.

Cauterets – Found in the Hautes-Pyrénées, this resort is ideal for those looking for both a resort and a spa. It also offers proximity to nature, being right on the edge of the Pyrenees National Park. Daily ski passes start at €34.85 the day.

Most nightlife

Once the skiing ends there is the après-ski, and there is quite a wide variation in the type of nightlife on offer in French resorts.

Tignes – the Tignes resort, already listed above as one of the top high-altitude resorts in France, is also known for throwing an unmissable New Year’s Eve party each year, and it is home to many bars and nightclubs. The ski area comprises of five villages, so visitors have plenty of après-ski options.

Les 2 Alpes – Known for having a young and festive reputation, this ski resort located in Isère is well-known for its soirées. One of its popular bar/ clubs offering DJ sets and live music is the Pano Bar, located at 2,600 metres in altitude.

Méribel – Also known for its après-ski scene, the Méribel ski resort is popular amongst French people and foreigners alike. Some popular destinations for your night out on the slopes are La Folie Douce, the Le Rond Point, and Doron Pub. The ski area itself is offers plenty of green runs, so it is a good place for beginners, but it is also well-connected to other resorts in the Trois Vallées, like Val Thorens which offer more advanced slopes.

Best for groups with non-skiers

If you are heading off with some non-skiers in the mix, it is important to find resorts that offer other activities besides skiing and snowboarding.

La Clusaz – Located in Haute-Savoie, this resort is known for offering many restaurants, bars, and stores. It is also under an hour away from the Geneva international airport, so it is not too difficult for the non-skiers to get away for a day if they need a break from the mountains. The resort is also home to a warm, outdoor swimming pool. 

Les Arcs – This resort, located in Savoie, is known for having many non-ski related activities. From an ice rink, sledding, yoga classes, an ice village, and aquatic centre with saunas, hammams, and jacuzzis, there are plenty of non-winter sports options for the non-skiing members of your group.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Rail sabotage: What to expect if you’re travelling in France this weekend

France's rail network was on Friday hit with an apparently coordinated series of arson attacks with rail bosses saying disruption will continue over the weekend. Here's a look at the latest, plus updates on road and air travel.

Published: 26 July 2024 16:08 CEST
Rail sabotage: What to expect if you’re travelling in France this weekend

Friday saw enormous disruption on the railways after a series of arson attacks on France’s key high-speed rail lines – find the latest here.

SNCF said that the travel plans of at least 800,000 passengers have been disrupted on Friday alone, while the transport minister announced that up to 50 percent of services on affected lines would have to be cancelled.

A quarter of Eurostar services between Paris and London were cancelled on Friday.

And the disruption is set to continue over the weekend – the arson attacks involved setting fire to “conduits carrying multiple (fibre-optic) cables” that relay “safety information for drivers” or control the motors for points that change rails.

SNCF’s CEO said: “There’s a huge number of bundled cables. We have to repair them one by one, it’s a manual operation” requiring “hundreds of workers”.

SNCF says services are expected to return to normal by Monday on most lines, but disruption will continue over the weekend.

Anyone planning to travel should check the latest on the SNCF information site here, or download the SNCF Connect app.

On Friday two in three trains were being cancelled on certain lines, and cancellations are likely to continue over the weekend. Services could also be rescheduled or delayed.

The disruption is mostly affecting the high-speed TGV routes in and out of Paris. Local lines are not directly affected but may suffer knock-on disruption.

West and south-west France – this is the most severely affected with no trains out of Gare Montparnasse at all on Friday morning.

Services restarted in the afternoon but only with around a third of the normal trains. Cancellations will continue but at least some services will run on this route over the weekend – although passengers who can postpone their journey are advised to do so. Those services that do run are expected to be very busy.

This affects services to the south-west including Bordeaux and Toulouse, and also the west including Brittany and Normandy lines.

East – trains between Paris and Lille and Paris and Arras are severely disrupted, including the Eurostar which uses the Paris-Lille high-speed tracks.

There are fewer cancellations on this line as trains are being diverted onto the slower local lines, although this is extending journey times by around two hours. On Friday a quarter of Eurostar services between London and Paris were cancelled.

South-east – the TGV Sud-Est axis, running between Paris and Lyon and onwards to Switzerland and Italy was not affected by the sabotage as an arson attack in this area was foiled. Services are running largely as normal with some knock-on disruption.

READ ALSO ‘Sabotage’ on French rail network before Olympics: What we know

Paris public transport is not affected by the sabotage although some services in the city centre are closed or diverted due to Olympics security protocols – more details here.

Roads

Sadly, things might not be much better on France’s roads this weekend – and the rail disruption seems certain only to make an already difficult travel weekend even worse. The French ride-share app BlaBlaCar said it had seen an 88 percent increase in bookings on Friday as people scrambled for an alternative to the train.

This weekend is France’s traditional ‘cross-over’ weekend for 2024. The chassé-croisé happens each year during the final weekend in July, is the annual moment when July holidaymakers start to return home while the August holidaymakers head off for their big summer getaways.

France’s traffic watchdog, Bison Futé, predicted that traffic will be heavy on Friday, with extremely difficult traffic conditions on the roads on Saturday, while Sunday will be slightly calmer.

READ ALSO Traffic: What to expect during the 2024 ‘chassé-croisé’ weekend in France 

Airports

The worst of the global IT outage appears to be over, but no one’s even going to attempt to deny that French airports are very busy at this time of year – it’s the world’s most popular tourist destination at the most popular tourist time of the year.

And airports in the Paris region, in particular, are gearing up for an especially busy period, with thousands of Olympic Games fans expected over the next couple of weeks.

From 6.30pm until 12 midnight (CET) on Friday, July 26th, a no-fly zone will be in place within a 150km radius of the French capital for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games.

This will mean flights will be interrupted at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG), Orly airports, and Beauvais airports – this should have little effect on travel plans as airlines have adapted their schedules, having been notified of the no-fly security perimeter in 2023.

Flight resume as normal at 00.01am on Saturday and there are no expected disruptions over the weekend.

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