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France

The Alps

The French Alps have long been a favourite holiday destination for British visitors. The grandeur of arguably one of the most beautiful mountain ranges on earth draws hundreds of thousands of skiers and alpiners to its lofty peaks each year. Even if you skied there every winter for the rest of your life you could not hope to discover all of its secrets.

From the picturesque rustic alpine hamlets to the mighty Chamonix the choices laid out for you are vast. There are more than one hundred fantastically groomed resorts. France is very safety conscious; the trails are all graded from easy greens, to blues, then reds with black being only for the very experienced.

They are all meticulously checked to prevent injury and the ski-instructors are of an incredibly high standard. It is perfect beginner ski and intermediate territory with some formidable off-piste.

At A Glance

  • Great for all levels of skiiers and snowboarders!
  • Great lift serviced off-piste for all levels (guides available)
  • Lots of good quality bars, nightclubs and shopping
  • Charming Alpine villages
  • Large Ski Areas
  • Tasteful village atmosphere in the resort centre
  • More to do than just ski!

Resorts in France

Morzine

France

An Alpine Original

Just fifty miles from Geneva, Morzine is so easily accessible it has become a favourite from the UK. But no matter how popular it is, this small former farming town has managed to maintain its Haute-Savoie picture-postcard look and intimate alpine village feel. Morzine has pretty tree runs around a full range of skiing. New starters and intermediates have miles and miles of perfect ground to discover at their leisure with plenty of space. The more advanced can get stuck in to the diversity and complexity of this vast terrain. Morzine gets a big thumbs up with families and has a good variety of après ski. You’ll find mouth-watering fondue and Savoyard tartiflette melting in all the cosy restaurants. Head back to bed fully satisfied, ready for the next perfect day on the slopes!
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Tignes

France

Europe’s leading high altitude ski area

Famous for its high altitude skiing and a snow record most other resorts can only dream of, Tignes coolly and comfortably rivals the world’s best ski and board destinations and is made up of 4 villages. It’s got glacier skiing all the way up to 3,456m on the Grande Motte, and long, wide slopes to suit every ability. Try its famous (and long) tree-lined runs down into les Brévières, excellent snow quality on the glacier and blues and reds to test your technique. There’s even nine free lifts dotted around the nursery areas to get first-timers started without having to buy a lift pass..

Tignes le Lac 2100
We have chalets in Tignes le Lac and Lavachey, all situated close to the slopes and nurseries by the Pacquis and Chaudanne Express ski lifts. So, beginners get to ski-for-free next to our chalets and everyone else can ascend up to Val D’Isere or Tignes’ famously long blues and reds, by either of these two Express lifts.

Tignes les Brévières 1550
Our exclusive 4* Tetras Lodge Hotel is in les Brévières - the original ‘old town’ of Tignes. Brev’ is fast becoming one of France’s most desirable ski villages. It enjoys doorstep access to all the best slopes, (with the famous la Sache run leading back to the village), and all in a pretty, chalet atmosphere that suits those who prefer to avoid the hustle and bustle of Tignes le lac - yet have the best skiing at their fingertips.

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La Tania

France

Quieter, Gentler with Superb Skiing!

With a prestigious 3 Valleys location, La Tania is sandwiched between Courchevel and Meribel in the heart of one of Europe's largest and finest ski areas (600+kms of piste!). It offers skiers the ultimate in choice with route 1 access to the best of the 3 valleys at their fingertips. With an altitude up to 3,200m and over 2,000 snow cannons, Les Trois Vallees will guarantee superb snow all season. La Tania further benefits with all its slopes being north facing, and will hold its snow until very late in April. The ski area is known for having some of the best snow conditions in the whole of the Alps!
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Meribel

France

At almost 80 years old she’s as stunning and even more lively than ever. Outstanding Méribel is a long-standing favourite, not least for her lively Aprés Ski scene. The first chalets popped up here in 1938 thanks to British skier Peter Lindsay’s vision of Méribel as a top resort. A lot of money has been invested recently on the ski lift system which is now faster and more efficient than ever before, reaching the 300m highest point in a matter of minutes for good snow throughout the season.
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La Plagne

France

Valley, villages and non-stop variety!

The exciting playground of La Plagne comprises ten villages with snow sure slopes from nursery to Black. Beginners and progressive riders have a huge number of ideal Green and Blue trails on the relatively flat topography of what is also an excellent all-rounder’s resort.
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Val DIsere

France

Experts and Kids Love Val d'Isère!

This leading location is not only for the experienced – children and beginners love it too! There are Beginner and Intermediate friendly Green and Red slopes across the area but with 300km of free-riding, steep descents, and plentiful powder, the more advanced can cover plenty of ground, motorway ‘cruising’ or carving down the Boardercross course series of banked corners and humps. Snowboarding in Val d’Isère is quite highly regarded. Le Fornet is absolutely magical in the powder and offers clean and open powder fields from high up on the glacier. In the main town, Val d’Isère offers boutique shopping and a vibrant café culture. After a cool day on the slopes, things start to hot up with an early après ski kick off about 4pm in over 50 bars and restaurants. Set in southeastern France just 5km from the Italian border, you can expect some excellent Italian cuisine and French fusion food.
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Choosing Your Resort

Choosing your resort can seem a bit of a minefield, although the traditional alpine working villages are very charming they weren't designed with the skier in mind. Purpose built resorts may not be so pretty but you will find everything at your fingertips with the majority of hotels and chalets ski-to-door.

If the kids are coming too, try and stay near the nursery slopes to escape those long arduous walks in ski boots. France is a very family ski friendly country, they are always welcome in restaurants whatever the time and the lift handlers will stop the lift if necessary for children to hop on with ease.

Information about the Resort

Morzine-Avoriaz is a brilliant all-rounder and also is part of the mammoth Portes des Soleil ski area which covers 400 square miles providing 650km of marked runs and limitless off-piste.

Avoriaz is also known as the snowboarding capital of the Alps and is also home to The Wall, a severely steep mogulled black run that will give you serious bragging rights in the bar later.

France has linked its resorts very well and you will find even the smallest resorts are still part of large ski areas.

The other two giant areas belong to Les Arcs and La Plagne which join to provide 425 km aptly named Paradiski and the world renowned Les Trois Vallees that unites, among others, Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens with 600km of piste.

When the winter season ends many people still head to the mountains for the unreal experience of glacier skiing in glorious sunshine. Tignes, Chamonix and Les Deux Alpes hold regular free-style competitions all summer long at their snow parks perched high on the mountainside.

Apres Ski

Apres-ski in France is wild; the cosmopolitan mix of visitors each year wanting to let their hair down contributes to a vibrant, lively atmosphere.

Have a couple of vin chaud (mulled wine) on your way back down where you'll find an eclectic choice of live music and energetic hoards of skiers and boarders dancing on tables quaffing down restorative beverages.

Even non-skiers will have heard of the infamous Dicks Tea Bar in Val d'Isere. Other top resorts for apres-ski include Chamonix, Morzine and Meribel.

About the Alps

Of course, the Alps weren't always the target of ski and snowboard fanatics. Before tourism was introduced to the peasant farmers of the mountains, the meadows were filled with livestock which was tended to see the locals through the hard winter months. Obviously when they realised how much money could be tapped from affluent skiers then it was down with the pitch-forks and up with the skis! Lift systems sprang up to link rapidly expanding ski areas.

The shepherd's cabins became mountain restaurants and enterprising wives converted their front rooms into bars and cafes. The traditional fare still influences the resorts restaurants today, potatoes, cheese, onions and pork seem to be the base for many of their dishes such as Tartiflette, Salade Savoyarde, Fondue Savoyarde, Raclette and Brasserade. It's not much fun if you're not a cheese fan as the smell of the local Reblochon cheese does tend to permeate most restaurants.

Ski Extras

Unless you own your own skis or boards, then you’re going to need to rent some!

Fortunately, the standard of rental skis is very good nowadays and we work with the best suppliers so your kit will be perfectly suited and set up for your skiing and you can go back and make changes as needed.

Our shops are also conveniently located to our properties, so you won’t waste time traipsing over resort looking for your shop. We can also help fast track our guests in busy periods, and use our influence to help you get sorted.

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