Val d'Isere Ski Holidays

Description

Val d’Isère is a world famous ski resort, attracting visitors from all over the world. The resort sits at 1850m with the majority of its slopes at a higher altitude than this. This grants the resort an incredible snow record, with a season lasting from early December until late April. Its height also makes it one of the most snow sure resorts in the Alps.

In addition to its incredible snow, the resort offers a wide range of slopes with lots of pistes for all abilities. Val d’Isère is connected with the neighbouring resort of Tignes, combined they house over 300km of piste. In addition to the 22 greens, 61 blues, 46 reds and 25 black runs, there is a large amount of off-piste and 2 glaciers, one in both of the resorts.

The village of Val d’Isère was founded in 1664, but it wasn’t until the first lift was installed in the 1930s that people began to visit. At this time the resort was just a few chalets and hotels. The 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville put Val d’Isère on the map. People watched with awe as competitors hurtled down the Face de Bellevarde in the men’s downhill and slalom. Visitors flocked to the resort to try their hand at such a challenging run.

It is not only the skiing that attracts visitors to the area, it has a wide range of nightlife and après ski. The resort hosts the legendary venues of La Folie Douce and Dicks Tea Bar. This is only two of the many fantastic places that they have for visitors to enjoy. There are also several reputable restaurants both on and off the slopes as well as a wide range of accommodation from self-catered apartments to luxury chalets. Val d’Isère is one of the few resorts that can please everyone, from families to couples to groups of friends, there is no shortage of experiences.

Getting There

Unless you have booked a package with flights and transfers included, then you will need to think about the best way for you to get to and from the resort.

Fly

Val d’Isère is in easy reach of several International airports. There are 4 local airports to the resort:

Geneva- 223km- 3hrs
Chambery- 220km- 2hrs30
Grenoble- 217km- 2hrs45

Lyons- 221km- 2hrs45

During the winter season, all of these airports operate a large number of flights in and out on a daily basis. Geneva is the biggest airport of them all, offering the largest array of flights from British airports. They are also well set up for the winter weather and handling winter sport equipment. However this means that it is a busy spot. Chambery is the closest airport but is also the smallest of the airports. It can appear to be quite hectic and does sometimes suffer from bad delays if the weather comes in.

Transfers from the Airport

There is a lot of choice of companies who offer both shared and private transfers from all of the major airports mentioned above. The right transfer for you will depend on a few factors; the time of your flight (shared transfers are less regular and you do not want to be waiting at the airport for a long time), the number of people in your group, budget and how much luggage you have (this will greatly impact the amount of space, so you might have to get a larger vehicle if you have lots of winter sports equipment).

Here are a few options to look at:

Alti Bus are one of the more reasonably priced companies, with shared transfers, sometimes in a large coach, from Geneva, Chambery and Lyons.

Bens Bus offer low cost shared transfers from Geneva, Grenoble and Lyons.

Europe Transfer provide an option of private or shared transfers from all of the major airports, Chambery, Geneva Grenoble and Lyons.

Snowdrone are quite a luxury company, with a fleet of vehicles ranging from VW Caravelle minibus to an Audi A6 to a fully electric Tesla. All of the vehicles have Wifi Hotspots, Ipads available, neck pillows for early mornings, chilled water and a USB charging port for every seat. This is all available in their shared transfers as well as their private ones. Despite this high level of luxury, they aim to keep their prices down and as affordable as possible.

Train

The nearest train station to Val d’Isère is Bourg St Maurice. It is about a 45 minute journey by road from the resort. It is a very well connected station with the Eurostar going directly from London St Pancras International or Ashford in Kent to the station. This route runs on Saturdays between December and April. There are also direct night trains following this route, every Friday from January to April. Many people choose to catch this, nicknamed the ‘snowtrain,’ as it allows for 2 extra days skiing, arriving early into Bourg early on Saturday morning and departing late on Saturday night.

Many people are also attracted to the train by the lack of charges for luggage. This is a real help if you have multiple suitcases or winter sport equipment.

When to Go

Val d’Isere is one of the most popular and visited resorts in the Alps. It is busy all year round, and does get particularly crowded during school holidays. Val d’Isere has a consistent snow record combined with some of the world’s best piste grooming facilities meaning that conditions are good all season long! It is one of the more premium resorts and this does come at a price tag especially over school holidays however the vast selection of accommodation available means you will always be able to find yourself something suitable.

Where to Stay

Val d’Isère is made up of several distinct villages. They are all located within easy access of each other with a network of buses linking them. However it is also very easy to walk between them, particularly as La Daille, Laisinant and Le Fornet are all located along one long, main road.

La Daille

La Daille is the first village that visitors arrive into when travelling to the resort. It is not the prettiest part of the resort, with many purpose built complexes but also some stand-alone chalets. One of the most attractive parts about this area is the great access to the piste that many of the properties boast. For the 18/19 season, a brand new bubble lift will whisk guests up the mountain and directly into the world famous Foile Douce. It also provides wonderful access to not only the rest of the Val d’Isère ski area, but also Tignes, being just one lift away. In fact some more luxury companies, specifically choose to have chalets in La Daille, due to the quieter nature of the village and the rare piste-side location that the area offers.

La Daille is located about a 20 minute walk from the main resort centre, or a 5 minute bus ride away, making it very easy to get around. There are a few shops including a supermarket and several bars and restaurants, so it might not be as necessary to go into the centre as you might think. Val d’Isère can be a very expensive holiday, with many pricey properties. If you are looking for some lower priced options, then La Daille is worth considering as it has all the facilities and piste access that you might need at a fraction of the price of more central

accommodation choices.

Le Cret

Le Cret is just a stone’s throw away from La Daille, located just slightly further up the hillside. The majority of chalets here are all converted farmhouses making them very attractive and traditional. Many luxury chalets are located here and most will include a driver service as Le Cret is about 10 minutes’ walk to the lifts and resort centre.

Resort Centre

This is where the majority of shops, bars and restaurants are. There are a few chalets located just off the main street, which provides wonderful access to all the facilities, but can be slightly quieter. Also just off the main street is the old town of Val d’Isere. Here the windy streets are lined with traditional stone chalets, cosy restaurants and a stunning church. The piste access is easy wherever you are located, but the majority of the properties do require a walk which can be laborious carrying ski gear, so many people choose to use the bus service. This drops people off right outside the main ski lifts, the Olympique and Solaise bubbles, this is also where all the ski school meet.

Le Chartelard/Le Legettaz/ Le Joseray

These areas are all small clusters of properties, located through the tunnel from the Resort Centre. The 3 small sectors are positioned on either side of the Isere River and boast some of the most beautiful locations that Val d’Isère has to offer. These areas have quite a few ski-in/ ski-out properties onto the Bellevarde and Solaise pistes. They also have their own bus routes, making it even easier to get to the resort centre in about 5 minutes, alternatively it is possible to walk across the piste and arrive in the centre in 15 minutes. Many of the companies who operate here do offer a driver service which is handy. As the areas are so small, they are mainly residential with no shops, bars or restaurants. The easiest place to get to which has these is the Ront Point des Pistes, about a 10 minute walk.

Les Carats

This has become a somewhat iconic area of the resort due to its location on the edge of the infamous La Face black piste. The area can even only be accessed via a coded tunnel which curls up the mountain. Many of the chalets are built into the mountainside, giving them incredible views over the village. However due to its location, monitored access and stunning vistas, it is a highly sought after area, making it expensive. It is even referred to as ‘Millionaire’s Row,’ due to the number of valuable chalets and famous faces that it attracts. Although it does have excellent piste access for those confident enough to ski the Face, it is tricky for beginners and is a 15 minute walk to the main lifts. But many of the chalets here offer a driver service to make this easier for their guests.

Le Laisinant

This is located in between Le Fornet and the Resort Centre. It is a tiny cluster of chalets, with no shops or nightlife. However it is very easy to get to either La Fornet or the Resort Centre via the bus network, alternatively it is easy to walk into the centre. Despite this, it has its very own high speed 6 seater chairlift to whisk people up into the Espace Killy ski area. Also here is one of the areas Nordic Ski Circuits. As it is such a small area, there are plenty of ski-in/ ski-out chalets which offer direct access to the pistes.

Le Fornet

This village is located at the very far end of Val d’Isère, near to the Col d’Iseran Pass into Italy (only open in the summer months). It is much quieter than the resort centre due to its location. However it has its very own cable car which give access to Val d’Isère’s glacier. From here it is possible to get into the rest of the resort’s ski area. The bus service does extend out here, and it only takes 10 minutes to get to the bustling high street of the resort centre.

The village is one of the more attractive parts of the resort with many of the buildings being built from traditional Savoyard wood and stone, a very classic alpine style. Due to the village’s quieter atmosphere, many families choose to stay here. It is important to consider that there are no shops here, but there are a few restaurants.

Getting around

There are several free bus routes which links all the different villages and various ski areas. The red line is the most popular, running from La Daille all the way through to Le Fornet, including a stop at the Rond Point des Pistes, for the ski school meeting point. This line runs approximately every 5 minutes throughout the day and at a reduced frequency into the night. There is also an additional 2 lines which go in circular routes up to Le Joseray/ Le Leggetaz and then in the direction of the Fall Line Bar.

Another key feature of getting around the resort is the ski lifts. Over the past few years, the resort has been slowly updating the lift system, most notably the Solaise bubble up to the beginner area was built for the 16/17 winter and the new La Daille bubble opened in the winter of 18/19. In addition to these, the Olympique gondola is the world’s largest sit-down cable car. There are also other lifts from Le Laisinant and Le Fornet which transports visitors up into the mountains.

The most common way of getting around Val d’Isère is on foot. The resort is relatively flat and is not too large so it is possible to get all around the resort centre in about 20 minutes. Val d’Isère operates a white road policy to be as environmentally friendly as possible so the roads can be icy and sturdy shoes are a necessity.

Apres

Val d’Isère is known world-wide for its bars and nightclubs. There is definitely no shortage of places to choose from. This is just a small selection below!

Barillon de La Rosée Blanche is a small and intimate restaurant and bar next to the La Daille bus terminal. It has a roaring log fire throughout the day and some wooden stools to perch on. There is also a large terrace when the weather is good. The atmosphere is great, with all the staff shouting ‘Merci,’ in unison when anyone leaves a tip. They also do a fantastic Croque Monsieur, some locals even ring up in advance to reserve one, just in case they sell out!

La Folie Douce is Val d’Isère’s only mountain top après bar. It has earned a world-wide reputation for wild cabaret performances and extravagant themed parties. It is also attached to the La Daille bubble lift, so many people choose to come up in non-ski clothes and it is possible to take the lift back down if skiing back down at the end of the day seems a bit too much.

Cocorico is located at the bottom of the Solaise and Olympique lifts, just next to the Ront Point des Pistes. It is becoming increasingly popular due to its easily accessed location and fantastic après ski. There is a large outdoor terrace which often has a live band on and then a DJ towards 20:00.

Doudoune is the sister nightclub to Cocorico. It is actually based in the basement of the après bar. This is the only true rival to Dick’s Tea Bar, with fantastic decoration, world class DJs and extravagantly themed nights. On the 21st of every month throughout the winter, they host the largest party in Val d’Isere, Club 21. They also host famous bands and DJs sporadically throughout the season, housing names such as David Guetta and Sigala over the past few years.

Le Coin des Amis, sometimes known as Chez Jules, is a vibrant French bar in the centre of the resort. It has a cracking reputation amongst locals and you will probably see your ski instructor hanging out here. It is a cosy venue, with a few tables crammed in at the back and downstairs. However if there is enough snow, then the owner, Jules, builds an ice bar in the square outside the bar with hay bales to sit on.

Le Blizzard Hotel is one of Val d’Isère’s most expensive luxury hotels. It also holds a rustic bar serving delectable cocktails. There is a roaring fire with deep comfy sofas to sink into. It might be a pricey drink, but is definitely worth experiencing.

The Fall Line is a cosy and relaxed bar just above the main street, near the Ferme de Val complex. It is a go to for lots of different things with delicious cake and coffee during the day, reasonably priced drinks and excellent value happy hours at après time, and then fun themed nights, live music and DJ’s to dance the night away to.

Dicks Tea Bar is one of Val d’Isère’s iconic venues. It no longer opens immediately after the lifts have closed, but you will definitely find many people partying the night away here. From 10pm, there is am after dinner club with live music from an electric violinist and a sax player. At 12:30 it changes into a full nightclub and stays open until 5:30am. Over the next few years it will be relocated due to a redevelopment plan, but it will remain open.

The Moris Pub is a seasonnaire favourite, with inexpensive drinks, even cheaper happy hour at après time and regular live music, it is easy to see why it has so many fans.

Pacific Bar is the go to if you are an avid sports fan. They have 9 giant TVs to show all the top sports matches from across Europe. Football and rugby are always on show! It is a popular spot for the locals and tourists. It does get a little rowdier in the evenings with open mic nights, live music and DJs.

Le Petit Danois comes to life at après time, with pool tables, bar games and live bands most afternoons. If you’re feeling the effects of the night before, then the Scandie bar can also provide the cure, with a good old fry up.

Eating out

Val d’Isère has a wide range of restaurants from burger takeaways to Michelin starred fine dining establishments. Therefore regardless of what your budget is, there is no shortage of choice. Many of the venues are open for both lunch and dinner, and many of the mountain restaurants also offer access for pedestrians via the ski lifts. Many of the restaurants do get busy, especially in peak weeks, it is always advisable to book even for mountain lunches in the table service
establishments. Here is a small selection of what the resort has to offer:

Mountain Restaurants

Peau de Vache is located on the Bellevarde section of the ski area, midway down the infamous Face black run. If you don’t fancy skiing this, then the Bellevarde Express chairlift will let pedestrians use it to get up and down to the restaurant.

La Fruitiere is situated above La Daille, next door to the Folie Douce bar. This eye-catching restaurant offers wholesome dishes such as pasta, grilled fish and burgers, as well as more unusual items like oysters. This is one of the pricier mountain venues and for those wanting some privacy, the restaurant occasionally opens up their air-conditioned wine cellar for exclusive use for large groups.

L’Edelweiss is positioned on the blue Mangard piste just above Laisenant. This venue becomes particularly popular in the summer months due to a large outside terrace. When the weather is not so good, space inside is limited, but the food and roaring fire more than make up for this. Their highlights include the casse-croûte du berger and a delicious tartiflette.

Le Signal is just at the top of the Le Fornet cable car. There is a self-service restaurant on the bottom floor and a table service venue above this. The walls are adorned with artwork from local artists, making for a bright and cheery atmosphere. The menu is mostly traditional French cuisines which make the most of seasonal, fresh ingredients
.
Mountain restaurants in this area can be very pricey, for those wanting a more causal and better value affair, there are a few good options which are worth heading to. A favourite in the spring and summer months is Bar de l’Ouillette. They stock a selection of sandwiches, quiches and other light snacks from the Chevallot bakery, in the resort centre, as well as a BBQ in the warmer weather. Another good option is Le Datcha offering self-service, traditional, delicious cuisine.

In the Resort

Les Tufs is the main restaurant in La Daille, next to the Funival funicular station. It is a large venue with both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a selection of deck chairs. There are 2 parts to this venue, a table service and snack bar. The snack bar offers some delicious sandwiches, chips and hot dogs, perfect for a quick stop off. The restaurant part has a wide menu, from salads to pizza to grilled meats. Both are very reasonably priced and enjoyable which is why it is a local favourite.

Le Lodge has for many years hogged the middle market for eateries in Val d’Isère. It is a peculiar place, accessed through a small, almost hidden door, then continue past the curtains and up into the restaurant. Once you make it up there, the venue is cosy, with lots of large tables, ideal for groups of all sizes. The menu is excellent value and offers many traditional fares such as fondue, as well as pizzas. But many are tempted by the succulent steak, at one of the best prices in the resort.

Chez Paolo is a go to for pizza! It has a central location at the Ront Point des Pistes, making it easy to get to throughout the day and on the bus at night. It is a popular venue for families due to its child-friendly atmosphere and menu. They also do pizzas to takeaway if this works better for your group.

L’Étable d’Alain is a more unusual restaurant. It is attached to the La Ferme de l’Adroit dairy on the outskirts of the main resort centre. It is located in a converted stable and serves many of the farm’s own products. This means that this is often heralded as the best fondue and raclette in the resort. They even have 7 varieties of raclette for you to choose from.

La Taverne d’Alsace specialises in a combination of French and Alsatian cuisine. Located underneath the Hotel Kandahar, right in the heart of the resort centre, it is a popular restaurant. Highlights include the duck shepherd’s pie and rack of lamb.

La Grande Ourse was originally opened in 1936 as Val d’Isere’s fine dining restaurant. The resort had just one lift, which was conveniently just outside the restaurant’s door. For some, it is still considered to be the finest restaurant in the resort. The menu features dishes such as lobster ravioli, duck foie gras and grilled Dover sole.

L’Etincelle is one of the newer restaurants, opening in the winter of 17/18. It is positioned on the slopes at the foot of the Solaise. It can be accessed easily by foot or on skis. The modern decoration is simple but pretty, and has a menu specialising in pizzas and barbecued meats.

Val d’Isère is home to 2 Michelin starred restaurants. L’Atelier d’Edmond is situated in Le Fornet and holds 2 Michelin stars. There are various menus to choose from, including several different tasting menus and the a la carte menu. For larger groups, they often take a deposit and ask the group to order in advance. The other venue is La Table de l’Ours, inside the Barmes de l’Ours hotel. Highlights include the ginger and line roasted scampi and the rack of lamb. This one of the more formal establishments that Val d’Isère has.

Good for Couples

L’Atelier Edmond

Le Fornet, 73150

Val d’Isère

+33 (0)4 79 00 00 82

Good for Couples

La Peau de Vache

Piste de Bellevarde, BP 19

Val d’Isère

+33 4 79 06 11 29

Good for Couples

Le Lodge

Rue du Parc des Sports, 73150

Val d’Isère

+33 4 79 06 02 01

Good for Family

La Baraque

Immeuble Iseran, 2000

Val d’Isère

+ 33 (0)4 79 06 18 19

Good for Family

L'Avancher

Route du Prariond 73150

Val d’Isère

+33 4 79 06 02 00

Good for Friends

Alex Bar

Hotel La Galise

Rue de la Poste, 73150

Val d’Isère

+33 4 79 06 00 83

Good for Friends

Moris Pub

Rue Principale

Val d’Isère

Good for Friends

Petit Danois

Chalet Le Coin, 73150

Val d’Isère

+33 479 06 27 97

Activities

If you are travelling in a large group or with your family, it might be an idea to see if there are any activities other than skiing and snowboarding. There might be people who do not fancy spending all day on the mountain or do not ski at all.

Val d’Isère has a wide range of activities for all ages. There are some activities such as parapenting which have an age limit and do require some basic ski knowledge. However this is the minority.

Dog sledging is a lovely experience that everyone can enjoy. It is often something that couples or families choose to do together. The sledges can an adult and 2 children or 2 adults. There is also the opportunity to drive the mush of dogs, as well as be a passenger. This is a popular activity and does get booked up quickly, so it is best to book in advance.

Winter Walking and snowshoeing are some of the more peaceful activities. It is possible to go winter walking without a guide, however it is advisable to collect a piste map from the tourist office with the different trails marked on it. For snowshoeing, many companies offer a guide. This a calming experience as they take you on the best paths and tell you about the area and the nature of the resort.

Nordic Skiing is completely free in Val d’Isère. There are several circuits totalling 21km, throughout the resort. The longest being around the Manchet Valley near to the Le Joseray accommodation area. Some of the trails are up around the Ouillette Lake at the top of the Solaise lift, for this you will need a pedestrian pass. If you have never tried Nordic skiing, many of the ski schools do have lessons to show you the best techniques, or even to learn more about the different trails in the area.

Ice Skating is a popular winter activity for everyone. Val d’Isère has a small, outdoor rink located near to the Banana bar, just on the main snow front. It is open every day if the weather is good and the ice is in good condition. A pass for the rink and the ice skates are about 8 euros for adults with a small discount for children.

Spa and massages are ideal for unwinding and relaxing those muscles after a long day on the slopes. There are multiple spas throughout the resort. They range from expensive but stunning ones such as the Hotel Barmes de l’ours to a travelling masseuse who will come to your accommodation.

Ice Driving is an unusual activity that is only available in a few resorts. The circuit is 800m long with various technical features such as hairpins, fast bends, curves and climbs. You are able to ride as a passenger in a more luxurious vehicle with a trained driver or you can opt to drive a quad bike or go-kart.

Snow shoeing

Avenue Olympique, 73150

Val d’Isère

+33 (0) 6 62 45 89 94

Snowmobiling

BP110 Galerie des Cimes, 73153

Val d’Isère Cedex

+33 (0)4 79 41 99 58

Sport and Leisure Centre

Route de la Balme 73150

Val d’Isère

+33 4 79 04 26 01

Ski School

Ski Schools are abundant in Val d’Isère with many options, all specialising in something different. Ski Schools across the Alps have developed drastically over the past few years offering all sorts of different sessions for all abilities.

Most people choose between group and private lessons. Group lessons are more sociable with up to 8 people in a group (this can change per ski school) and can also work out cheaper. However because there are more people, group lessons are less intense than private lessons. Private lessons allow clients more freedom as they can choose what they would like the lesson to focus on.

Oxygene run courses for all levels including a steep and deep clinic for those who are comfortable on all slopes. They have a large team of over 80 instructors teaching anything from snowboarding to telemarking and Nordic skiing.

New Generation offer both private and group lessons for all ages and abilities. They also have a lot of flexibility with their private lessons, allowing visitors to choose their lesson length from 2 hours up to 6 hours. They offer a special Pro-Rider group for teenagers where they have a different discipline every day.

ESF is the biggest ski school in the area, with around 250 ski instructors over the Tignes and Val d’Isere area. They have a wide range of lessons, but this is especially true for children with lunch time classes, competition days and freestyle courses. They also have a large snow garden for children over 3. They also provide care for children over 3 in their Club Piou Piou.

Evolution 2 aim to see progression in the shortest amount of time across all their lessons. They have particularly strong children’s tuition with several academies tailored to help progression. During the peak weeks they also offer a Teen Xtreme session, this is sure to keep any adventurous teens on their toes! Check-up clinics are also a popular feature, they are shorter but more intense stints.

Progression focus on tailor making their ski lessons to their clients. They have a range of lessons for all ages and abilities. In addition to group and private lessons, off-piste clinics, telemarking lessons and taster clinics are also available.

Getting around

Family ski

Val d’Isère is a popular resort for families, due to its long snow season and height, allowing skiing from early December until late April. The slopes are family friendly, with a dedicated beginner area at the top of the Solaise bubble lift. There is also a piste tranquil at the top of the Borsat lift. This is an area made up completely of beginner friendly green and blue pistes. This attracts those who are learning or want to take it a little slower, which is great for those ready to progress on from the beginner slope.

Val d’Isère offers a range of accommodation types from self catering apartments to luxury chalet hotels so offers something for every budget. Due to it being a high resort, families who are restricted to school holidays and looking to keep a hold of the budget can travel at the cheaper early and late season weeks and still have guaranteed snow.

For families who might need childcare, there are multiple options in the resort. There are 2 crèches, Village des Enfants and Le Petit Poucet. Village des Enfants takes young babies from 18 months up to 13 year olds, whereas Le Petit Poucet care for those above 3 years. Both of the crèches operate between 09:00- 17:30 daily. They also try to combine indoor and outdoor activities so the children do get the chance to enjoy being in the snow.

Alternatively there are several tour operators who offer additional charges for childcare throughout your stay. This is more of a hassle-free approach as the nannies will come to your accommodation to either look after them inside the property or transport them to a childcare group. This level of care also sometimes include taking children to ski school and in one case, accompanying the ski instructor on the lesson, to make sure that the children have a high level of care.

Operators who offer this include:
• Esprit Ski – Chalet Hotel Ducs de Savoie
• Mark Warner- Chalet Hotel Le Val d’Isère

For those who might be after personal care exclusively for their children, there is a large selection of companies who offer private nannies who come to your accommodation and take care of your children. These companies include:

Jelly and Ice Cream provide childcare from private nannies throughout the day and into the evening through their babysitting services.

T4 Nannies handpick their staff to ensure that they have the highest quality nannies. They are able to work in the evening for babysitting rates as well as during the day.

Little Chicks offer professional, private nannies for children of all ages. They are able to strictly follow your child’s routine and tailor any activities to what they enjoy doing. They also work alongside Oxygene Ski School to offer a supervised lunch club for children who have ski lessons throughout the day.

Group Ski

Val d’Isere is one of the most popular resorts for groups of holidaymakers visiting the Alps. The all-round resort has something for everyone from its beginner friendly slopes to its wild apres parties. Val d’Isere offers a host of different accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets from self catering apartments to luxury chalets and hotels.

Childcare

The French ski resort of Val d’Isere attracts families for its learner-friendly slopes, numerous non-ski activities, and diverse childcare options, and the resort works wonderfully well for parents taking the kids to the snow. It’s been accredited with the ‘Famille Plus’ label, which asses the resort’s suitability for parents with young children. With entertainments to suit youngsters of all ages, diverse activities to enjoy, shops and services close by and local childcare professionals in resort, Val d’Isere excels for families.

Accommodation options like the chalet hotel Ducs de Savoie or the Club Med Val d’Isere offer in-house childcare programmes such as nursery, ski play, morning or afternoon ski lessons, supervised lunches, and evening entertainments – offering a hassle-free and reassuring way of enjoying the mountains as a family. With services like these, parents can book the kids into childcare and relax knowing they’re cared for and entertained.

Val d’Isere also offers a range of independent childcare companies, where parents can enjoy a little added flexibility on the programmes and packages they book into. Trained nannies and child-carers come to your accommodation to care for your children, offering a slightly more bespoke approach to the work. For examples of Val d’Isere’s external nanny services, take a look at Jelly and Ice-cream and Little Chicks Childcare.

In terms of services and facilities aimed to children in Val d’Isere, the resort offers sports centre with swimming pool, climbing walls, and plunge pools, plus a multi-sport hall with plenty of space for badminton, table tennis, indoor football, basketball, volleyball and more.

The Piste

Val d’Isère and Tignes are naturally joined together to form the Espace Killy ski area. Together they have a massive 300km of pistes so there is no worry that you will run out of choice! With 67 blue runs, 40 red runs, 20 green runs and 26 black runs, all abilities can build up a lot of mileage. It is also one of the easiest connected ski areas to get around. Tignes can be reached in just one lift, the Tommeuses.

Val d’Isère is split into 4 distinctive sections, Solaise, Bellevarde, Fornet and La Daille. Both Solaise and Bellevarde can easily be reached from the centre of the resort, whereas La Daille and Le Fornet can be accessed via the red bus line. Due to their being 7 different lifts which escort visitors up the mountain, the resort does not suffer from overcrowding and even in peak times the queues for the lifts remain very reasonable.

Beginners

What was thought of a couple of years ago as unsuitable for beginners, has drastically changed with the redevelopment of the Solaise lift in 2016. This has created a completely new beginner area with a magic carpet. They also regraded all the slopes at the top of this side of the ski resort. Once you are ready to progress off the nursery slopes, the gentle runs around the Madeline Express are a good place to start. Another good place is the Piste Tranquil area, located at the top of the Borsat lift, this is made up solely of blue and green runs.

Intermediates

The Espace Killy is the ultimate playground for intermediates all the way from the glacier in Le Fornet to the Grande Motte in Tignes and then all the way down to Les Brevieres, the lowest village of Tignes. All of this can be done just by skiing on red and blue runs! Compared to skiing some of the more gentle Austrian resorts or lower resorts, the grading can seem a little severe, with some of the blues here being more similar to reds elsewhere. The best areas to head to are the top of the Solaise, where the Col de Madeline offers a wide range of blue runs with the occasional red such as Cunai and Arcelle. From here catch the Leissieres over to the Le Fornet side of the mountain. There are more red runs here, some of which are quite testing.

Advanced

Experienced skiers often struggle to find an area which has enough challenging pistes to keep their interest for a whole week. La Face de Bellevarde is the resorts steepest black run, running all the way down into the resort centre. It was also the venue for the 1992 Men’s Olympique downhill. It is also a regular feature on the Downhill World Cup circuit. Also in the Bellevarde area is the Epaule du Charvet piste. Although slightly shorter than the Face this normally features large moguls and has a particularly steep section. Some even consider it a tougher challenge than the Face.

The Espace Killy also has Pistes Naturides. These are patrolled runs that are not pisted. This leaves the run to develop some very challenging elements. One of these is the Foret. As well as having a few narrow sections, it is usually covered in moguls. They also helpfully normally fall on the steepest parts of the run! Piste S is another narturide running into the village from the Solaise lift. This is a slightly easier way down to the village than its neighbouring black, Rhone-Alpes.

Off-Piste

Tignes and Val d’Isère both boast amazing yet challenging off-piste couloirs, and one of the most famous areas is the Fingers - 5 couloirs running from the Toviere lift directly to the lake. With a combination of large amounts of snow and such steep pistes, comes an increased risk of avalanches. Year on year the area is plagued by several large avalanches, making it imperative to hire a trained avalanche guide and carry all the necessary avalanche kit if you are ever thinking of going off-piste. A guide will be able to find not only the best pitches but also the safest.

Ski School

Equipment Hire

There is a large selection of stores in Val d’Isere so it is good to choose one that is convenient to your accommodation.

It
is worth booking ski hire in advance as many of the stores will have
good online deals and savings. Our recommended stores in Val d’Isere
are:

Oxygene has a large rental shop located in the Galerie des
Cimes, on the main high street. There is an additional discount if you
book both your ski hire and lessons with Oxygene.

Ski Set is an
established shop in Val d’Isere. They have quite a few shops across the
resort. All the shops offer state of the art equipment. They are also
very good if you need to change your equipment at any point.

Intersport
have a number of rental shops, including one in La Daille. Their main
one is situated opposite the bus station on the main high street. They
are also very good at swapping any equipment throughout your stay at no
extra cost.

Ski Republic have one shop located next to the slopes at
Rond Point des Pistes. This makes it very easy to collect your
equipment and then head straight out onto the slopes. They have very
good online discounts and offers for anyone who books in advance.

Snowberry
specialise in rental equipment and take great pride in this. They have
well-trained staff with a high level of technical knowledge. They only
stock good quality equipment and reputable brands. There are 2 Snowberry
shops, one next to the Ront Point Des Pistes and the other on the high
street, near to the Tourist Office.

Both Snowberry and Oxygene have a
luxury in-chalet fitting service. This must be booked in advance with
all weights, heights and ability of the group being sent to the company
beforehand.

Lift Passes

The main lift pass in Val d’Isère covers the entire 300km Espace Killy. This gives visitors access to 2 glaciers, over 300km of pistes as well as a large array of off-piste skiing. The Espace Killy is great for all abilities with a wide variety of runs so everyone can enjoy it equally. This splits out at 15% green, 42% blue, 26% red and 17% black.

The pass is available for multiple lengths of time. The right one for you will be slightly different if you are a beginner as you may not progress up the lifts straight away. They tend to start on the nursery slopes which have free lifts. These are aimed at complete beginners and offer a great starting point. The free lifts are the Lanches drag lift in La Daille, the Legettaz lift, Savonette lift, Rogoney and Village lifts all on the Solaise. If you are unsure then it is advisable to wait to buy a pass until you have met your instructor. They can then advise when the best day to buy a pass will be and for how long, this will save you money.

The prices below are a rough guide, they are based on the most recent costs, however they could change before the start of the 18/19 winter season.

Day              Chid (5-13)    Adult (14-64)    Senior (65-74)
Weekday      € 46.00         € 57.00            € 46.00
Weekend      € 46.50         € 57.00            € 46.00
Half Day       € 35.50      € 44.00           € 35.50
2-day pass € 80.00      € 99.00           € 80.00
6-day pass € 228.00        € 285.00           € 228.00

Lift passes are free for those under the age of 5 and over the age of 75. Although the lift pass is free, there is a 3€ charge for the actual card that the lift pass is loaded onto.

For families the resort offers the Family Pass. This is for at least 2 adults and 2 children (anyone aged 5-17 for this pass), it allows all members to be charged the child price, providing a saving. All the passes must be for the same length of time, either 6 or 7 days, and proof of ID for all the family members is required. Extra children can be added on to the pass, which is great for teenagers who would normally have to pay adult prices. This offer is only available for children and their parents or grandparents.

If you have members of your group who do not ski, it is possible for them to purchase a pedestrian pass. This allows them access up some of the ski lifts and to return on the lifts too. They can meet the rest of the group for lunches and drinks up the mountain, or even go for a gentle stroll around the top to experience the views.

                          Adult (14-64)    Child/ Senior (5-13/ 65-74)
1 Return Trips   €13.50              €11.00
1 Day                 €20.00              €16.00
6 Days               €54.00              €43.50

Discounted passes are not widely available throughout the season. Groups of 20 or more will be eligible for a discount and it is likely that those travelling at the very beginning or end of the season will benefit from a reduced price.

It is possible to pre-book your lift passes before travelling, but they are also widely available from several lift pass centres located throughout Val d’Isère. Some accommodation companies also offer lift passes at the same rate as the centres, but they will deliver it directly to your chalet or hotel.