French Alps Ski Holidays
French Alps
Holidays
The world's largest linked ski areas, the highest resorts in Europe, Chamonix's legendary off-piste and the finest mountain restaurants in the Alps — the French Alps are skiing at its absolute best
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Flight Time
2h to Geneva; 1h 45m to Grenoble or Lyon; then 1–2h transfer to resort
Best Time
January–March for best snow; December for early season; April for spring skiing
Country
France
Suppliers
our travel partners ·
French Alps Holiday Guide
The French Alps are home to the greatest concentration of world-class ski resorts on earth — a 300km arc of mountains along the border with Italy and Switzerland, containing the world's largest linked ski areas, the highest ski resorts in Europe and some of the most famous names in skiing: Chamonix, Val d'Isère, Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Tignes, Morzine and Avoriaz.
The Trois Vallées (Three Valleys) is the world's largest linked ski area — 600km of marked pistes connecting the resorts of Courchevel, Méribel, Les Menuires and Val Thorens in the Savoie département. Val Thorens, at 2,300m, is the highest ski resort in Europe and has the most reliable snow conditions of any resort in the Alps. Courchevel is the most glamorous resort in France, famous for its luxury chalets, Michelin-starred restaurants and celebrity clientele. Méribel is the most popular resort with British skiers — a traditional Savoyard village with excellent skiing and a lively après-ski scene.
The Espace Killy (Val d'Isère and Tignes) is one of the finest ski areas in the Alps — 300km of pistes at high altitude (Val d'Isère at 1,850m, Tignes at 2,100m), with some of the most challenging and varied terrain in France. Val d'Isère is consistently rated one of the top five ski resorts in the world; Tignes is more purpose-built but has year-round skiing on the Grande Motte glacier.
Chamonix, in the shadow of Mont Blanc (4,808m — the highest peak in the Alps), is the most famous ski town in the world — the birthplace of alpinism, the home of extreme off-piste skiing and the Vallée Blanche (the most famous off-piste run in the world, 20km from the Aiguille du Midi at 3,842m to Chamonix at 1,035m).
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Average Temperatures
Jan
-6°C
Feb
-5°C
Mar
-2°C
Apr
3°C
May
9°C
Jun
14°C
Jul
17°C
Aug
16°C
Sep
11°C
Oct
5°C
Nov
-1°C
Dec
-5°C
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Call 01282 960 460Top 8 Things To Do in French Alps
The resorts, ski areas, off-piste runs and mountain restaurants that make the French Alps the greatest ski destination on earth.
Trois Vallées — The World's Largest Linked Ski Area
The Trois Vallées is the world's largest linked ski area — 600km of marked pistes, 180 ski lifts and four resorts (Courchevel, Méribel, Les Menuires and Val Thorens) all connected by lift. A single lift pass covers the entire area; you can ski from Courchevel to Val Thorens and back in a day. Val Thorens (2,300m) is the highest resort in Europe and has the most reliable snow; Courchevel (1,850m) is the most glamorous; Méribel is the most popular with British skiers; Les Menuires offers the best value. The Trois Vallées is the benchmark against which all other ski areas are measured.
Val d'Isère — One of the World's Greatest Ski Resorts
Val d'Isère is consistently rated one of the top five ski resorts in the world — a traditional Savoyard village at 1,850m with access to the Espace Killy (300km of pistes shared with Tignes), some of the most challenging and varied terrain in the Alps, and a vibrant village atmosphere. The resort is famous for its off-piste skiing (the Solaise and Bellevarde faces have some of the best off-piste in France), its World Cup downhill race (the Critérium de la Première Neige, held every December) and its lively après-ski scene centred on the Folie Douce and the Dick's Tea Bar.
Chamonix — The Home of Extreme Skiing
Chamonix is the most famous ski town in the world — a year-round mountain resort at the foot of Mont Blanc (4,808m), the birthplace of alpinism and the home of extreme off-piste skiing. The Vallée Blanche is the most famous off-piste run in the world — a 20km descent from the Aiguille du Midi (3,842m) to Chamonix (1,035m), through the Mer de Glace glacier, with extraordinary views of the Mont Blanc massif. The Grands Montets is the most challenging ski area in Chamonix, with steep couloirs and extensive off-piste terrain. The town itself is one of the most beautiful and atmospheric in the Alps.
Courchevel — The Most Glamorous Resort in France
Courchevel is the most glamorous ski resort in France — a collection of five villages (Courchevel 1850, 1650, 1550, Le Praz and Saint-Bon) in the Trois Vallées, famous for its luxury chalets, Michelin-starred restaurants (more per capita than almost anywhere in France), helicopter transfers and celebrity clientele. Courchevel 1850 is the most exclusive address in the Alps; the Cheval Blanc and Les Airelles hotels are among the most luxurious in the world. The skiing is excellent — access to the entire Trois Vallées area from the doorstep — but Courchevel is as much about the lifestyle as the skiing.
Morzine & Avoriaz — The Portes du Soleil
Morzine and Avoriaz are the French gateways to the Portes du Soleil — a vast linked ski area of 650km of pistes spanning the French-Swiss border, connecting 12 resorts including Morzine, Avoriaz, Les Gets, Châtel (France) and Champéry, Morgins and Champoussin (Switzerland). Morzine is a charming traditional Savoyard village at 1,000m — one of the most attractive ski resort villages in France. Avoriaz is a purpose-built resort at 1,800m, car-free and famous for its extraordinary architecture (all buildings clad in wood, designed to blend into the mountain). The Portes du Soleil is excellent for intermediate skiers.
Les Arcs & La Plagne — The Paradiski
Les Arcs and La Plagne are connected by the Vanoise Express — a double-decker cable car that crosses the Ponturin valley, linking the two resorts to create the Paradiski area (425km of pistes). Les Arcs is a collection of purpose-built villages (Arc 1600, 1800, 1950 and 2000) above the traditional town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice; La Plagne is a vast ski area of 10 villages at altitudes between 1,250m and 2,100m. The Paradiski is excellent for all levels — extensive beginner and intermediate terrain, challenging off-piste and the extraordinary Bellecôte glacier at 3,250m.
Mountain Restaurants — The Finest Food in the Alps
French mountain restaurants (refuges and restaurants d'altitude) are the finest in the Alps — a culture of excellent food, good wine and long lunches in the mountain sun that is uniquely French. The best mountain restaurants in the French Alps include La Folie Douce (Val d'Isère, Méribel, Val Thorens, Les Arcs — famous for its live music and party atmosphere), Le Signal (Val d'Isère — traditional Savoyard cuisine with extraordinary views), La Bouitte (Saint-Martin-de-Belleville — three Michelin stars, the finest restaurant in the Alps) and Le Panoramic (Courchevel 1850 — panoramic views of the Trois Vallées).
Tignes — Year-Round Skiing on the Grande Motte Glacier
Tignes is one of the highest and most snow-sure resorts in the Alps — a purpose-built resort at 2,100m with access to the Grande Motte glacier (3,456m), which offers year-round skiing. The resort is less charming than Val d'Isère (its neighbour in the Espace Killy) but has excellent skiing, particularly for off-piste enthusiasts and those seeking guaranteed snow conditions. The Espace Killy lift pass covers both Tignes and Val d'Isère (300km of pistes). Tignes is popular with British skiers for its reliable snow, good value accommodation and lively après-ski scene.
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Key areas, beaches and attractions across the island.
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