The mountains of
France
When it comes
to skiing, France is one of Europe's top destinations. It is on the
French-Italian border that the Alps, Europe's greatest mountain range,
reach their peak, in the eternal snows at the summit of Mont Blanc,
4,810 m (15,781 ft) above sea level.
The
French
Alps offer the broadest range of skiing
opportunities anywhere in Europe (see below), but they are not the only
mountain range in France with skiing facilities, and in some cases it
may be interesting to check out the opportunities available in the
Vosges, the Jura, the Massif Central and the Pyrenees (see below), all
of which have fully equipped downhill and cross-country ski resorts.
Skiing in the French Alps
It is the Alps that offer the broadest range of
resorts,
and - on account of the altitude - those where the snow conditions are
most reliable. Here are the main skiing areas in the French Alps.
Les
Portes du Soleil,
the northernmost area, includes a
dozen resorts, including
Avoriaz
- reputedly the capital of snowboarding - and
Morzine,
a long-established resort, at an altitude of 1000m, with plenty of
facilities for beginners. The Morzine ski pass includes the runs at
Les Gets, a resort
that includes ski-runs for children only. The resort at
Praz-de-Lys / Sommand
is popular for the large number of easy runs.
La Chapelle d'Abondance is
reputed to be a good family ski resort
Further south is the
Chamonix
- Megève sector;
Chamonix,
in the
Savoy Alps, lying at the foot of Mont
Blanc, was the original French ski resort, and for many years has been
very popular with skiers from all over Europe; it is also very
expensive. Today, the area around
Chamonix and
Megève
offers the fifth largest skiing area
in France. The resort at
Combloux,
near Megève, is reputed to have good opportunities for
beginners.
Les Carroz,
near
Flaine,
is a popular resort for families with children.
Les
Arcs / La Plagne
in the Haute Savoie offer plenty of high mountain skiing, so
can
usually guarantee good snow. Les Arcs is a resolutely modern ski
resort.
Tignes
/ Val d'Isèreis
a high mountain area, with some 300 km of pistes, many of them over
2,500 metres altitude. This area offers a good number of pistes for
beginners and relatively inexperienced skiers, as well as pistes for
the more intrepid. Val d'Isère is reputedly the most expensive ski
resort in Europe. With the highest pistes at over 3000 metres, this is
an area where some skiing is possible almost throughout the year. Note:
A major world ski championship event takes place at Val
d'Isère from 11th -20th December 2009.
The ski area of
Les Trois
Vallées (Les 3
Vallées),
including the
resorts of
Courchevel,
Val
Thorens and
Les Menuires,
is the world's largest ski area accessible with a single pass. With 183
ski lifts, the area gives skiers access to over 600 km. of pistes -
more than enough for even the most demanding of skiers. With almost
2000 snow cannons, the area is also able to guarantee that a fair
number of pistes will be open even if the snow does not come in
abundance.
Courchevel,
with its collection of Michelin starred restaurants, is reputed as one
of the most up-market resorts in the French Alps, on a par with Zermatt
and St. Moritz.
L'Alpe
d'Huez:
one of the largest resorts in the Alps, l'Alpe d'Huez offers a wide
range of facilities, including plenty of slopes for beginners, and also
opportunities for off-piste sking. the resort is the closest major ski
area to the city of Grenoble, and therefore attracts plenty of day
trippers as well as staying guests. Further west, in the Vercors area,
the resort of
Villard de
Lans, southwest of Grenoble, is reputed as the most
environment-friendly ski resort in the French Alps, and also a good
family resort.
With
120 km of pistes, the southern
Alpine resort of
Isola
2000
is reputation of being both one of the sunniest ski resorts in France,
one of the coldest, and also one of those that gets most snow. Damp
winter winds off the Mediterranean can dump large quantities of snow on
the high peaks of the southern Alps, while the northern Alps get little
or nothing. The resort is a classic 1970s development, lying at an
average altitude of 2000 metres - rising to 2,600 metres. This resort
is just an hour and a half by car from the Riviera, and is therefore
popular with people living in Nice and the surrounding area.
There are plenty of
other ski
areas in the French Alps,
but mostly smaller and for this reason often calmer, sometimes cheaper,
and more family-oriented. Resorts that are based on long-existing small
towns, such as
La Clusaz,
Aussois or
Serre-Chevalier,
near
Briançon, offer an authentic Alpine experience.
Flying to the Alps:
the main airports are Lyon, Chambéry Grenoble and Geneva. For
airlines serving these destinations, see the About-France.com
travel
to France
page. Before booking, beware of the possible extra charge levied for
skiing gear. One airline that does not charge extra for skiing gear is
Swiss
International.
Road travel: The big problem with Alpine skiing
areas
is knowing how to avoid the
crowds .
A great international reputation means that the
main Alpine ski resorts attract millions of skiers each winter, from
all over France, and all over Europe. Avoiding peak weeks can mean far
less time spent waiting in queues on the slopes, or waiting to be
served in the restaurant – not to mention better deals.
Dates best avoided: French school
holiday periods, 2009 - 2010
| Year |
Christmas /New year
(national dates) |
Winter break
(3 zones, 2 weeks each) |
Spring break
(3 zones, 2 weeks each) |
| 2009-2010 |
19th December - 3rd January |
13th February - 7th March |
10th April to 2nd May |
.
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