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, 2010-2011 | Year | Christmas /New year
(national dates) | Winter break
(3 zones, 2 weeks each) | Spring break
(3 zones, 2 weeks each) |
| 2010-2011 | 18th December 2010
- 2nd January 2011 | 12th February - 13th March | 9th April to 8th May |
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