France offers all the elements needed for a perfect winter vacation: charming mountain villages, spectacular alpine landscapes and sunny ski resorts with impressive slopes. In both the French Alps and the Pyrenees, many ski areas are known for their extensive trails and excellent lifts.
Many of the resorts are so vast that skiers can try a different route each time and enjoy the refreshing view of the rugged snow-capped peaks, often with stunning, bright blue skies.
After conquering the ski slopes, take advantage of the pleasant après-ski atmosphere and intensify the crowd of hospitable restaurants. Be sure to try traditional specialities such as fondue cheese, tartiflette (a rich potato casserole) and raclette (melted local cheese spread on loaves of bread and potatoes). Another pleasure for a ski holiday in France is staying in a beautiful little chalet or a rustic guest house, with traditional décor and a warm fireplace. And on days when you do not feel like skiing, you and your family will find many other things to do at these ski resorts.
Chamonix
The ultimate French ski holiday destination is Chamonix, in the French Alps, with its extensive ski area, a charming mountain village and rustic houses. Chamonix is located on the most legendary mountain in Europe, the snowy Mont Blanc, which reaches 4,807 meters. The mountain and glaciers that surround Chamonix create a cooling effect that ensures the best and most extended life of the Alps. This internationally recognized resort was the site of the first Winter Olympics and offered the opportunity to ski in some of the most demanding landscapes in the world. Chamonix includes many different ski areas.
Val d’Isere
The Val d’Isère, crossing the 53,000-hectare Parc National de la Vanoise, the oldest and most beautiful national park in France, stretches into a large valley between peaks of 3,000 meters. The ski slope, which is shared with the neighbouring resort of Tignes, is the huge Espace Killy, named after Jean-Claude Killy, an Olympic gold medalist who learned to ski here. Val d’Isère is a popular resort because of its 300 km of expansive terrain with more than 150 ski lifts. The ski area has excellent ski and cable car lifts and an incredible number of routes (from 1,550 meters to 3,450 meters) that offer plenty of variety. Skiers can try a new ski activity every time, even if they stay here for several days. Val d’Isère has a ski area with gentle slopes for children and beginners and offers many challenging landscapes, both on and off the piste.
Courchevel
Also in the Parc National de la Vanoise, Courchevel is the most famous and upgraded of the ski resorts of Les 3 Vallées. This is the largest alpine skiing sector in the world, with 600 km of interconnected ski slopes, four glaciers and ten peaks over 2,500 meters. Part of this group of exceptional ski resorts, Courchevel Ski Resort, includes 150 km of alpine ski slopes with 58 lifts, including a good mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced flights. The slopes and slopes are known for their exceptional snow conditions, the combined result of an average annual snowfall of four meters and excellent landscaping. In addition, some of the best slopes are located on the northern slopes that are protected from the afternoon sun.
Val Thorens
Visiting the highest ski resort in Europe, you will experience a scene of indescribable beauty. Located in the Les 3 Vallees area, its magnificent slopes are all connected by state-of-the-art lifts that take you comfortably and easily from one end to the other. Thanks to the location’s altitude, the quality of snow in the area are always the highest, offering skiers the opportunity to try their hand at 6 months a year. Also in its entirety are located all those modern facilities that are waiting to accommodate you in their spaces, with new graphic chalets and quality accommodation, as well as a considerable variety of apres-ski activities. All these amenities can now be enjoyed at discounted prices, choosing for your ski holidays the company Erna Low in the Val Thorens area, offering indescribable moments to every skier and visitor.