Val d'Isere
Val d’Isere Ski Resort France
Val d’Isere is a premium French alpine resort that oozes charm and panache. The calibre of the skiing is also world class, and the resort hosts numerous international skiing competitions annually. Along with nearby Tignes, Val d’Isere forms part of the "l'Espace Killy", the self-titled "Most Beautiful Ski Area in the World", named after Jean-Claude Killy, the former French champion alpine ski racer who dominated the sport in the late 1960s.
Val d'Isère Ski and Snowboard Terrain
Val d’Isere itself has three main ski areas on the side of the valley; Le Fornet, Le Solaise, and Bellevarde. They are well serviced, including a high-volume gondola and fun and quick “funicular” (an inclined cable railway in which a cable is attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles).
Val d’Isere aka Val provides 150 km of piste on wide highway-like runs, and a somewhat unique experience for beginners with high altitude runs that afford spectacular scenery. However beginners should note that beginner runs are often “dark” blue, so take care to avoid ending up black and blue.
Val d’Isere also has plenty of steep piste runs, an abundance of first class free-ride opportunities, and a snow park.
See the
Ski Val d’Isere page for more information on the ski areas and various lift passes available.
Espace Killy
Tignes is another world class ski area nearby and similar to Val d'Isère, Tignes has a funicular (inclined cable tram) shuttling skiers up through one of the mountains to the Grande Motte glacier. A free shuttle bus runs between the villages in the valley, providing free transport between the towns of Val d'Isère & La Daille.
Tignes and Val d’Isère combined make up the Espace Killy ski area that offers 300km of piste, 137 named runs, 94 ski lifts and 2 glaciers. It’s mega!
Where is Val d'Isere?
Val d'Isere lies in Tarentaise Valley in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France, 5 km (3 miles) from the border of Italy. Chambéry (144km) is the nearest airport to Val d'Isère (about 2.5 hours away by road), followed by Geneva (187km / 3.5 hours), and Lyon Saint-Exupéry (221km / 3.5 hours). There are regular buses serving all the airports and various airport transfers available.
Another common mode of travel to Val d'Isère is via train. The Bourg St. Maurice train station is 30km (20 miles) from Val d'Isère and is on the schedule of numerous train lines such as TGV and Eurostar. Bus services run regularly from Bourg St. Maurice to Val d'Isere, or you can take a local taxi.
Val d’Isere Hotels
Originally a small alpine farming village, Val d'Isere has developed into a modern alpine resort town whilst maintaining its village feel and sense of tradition. The 'Old Town' is undoubtedly very pretty, with quaint old stone properties lining little snow filled streets. "Val d'Isere" is made up of a number of small charming little hamlets, namely Le Cret, Le Joseray, Le Chatelard, La Legettaz, Le Laisinant, Le Daille and Le Fornet. More recently the area of Les Carats (millionaires’ row as it's locally known!) has developed its own luxury character and charm.
There are about 45 Val d’Isère hotels, most of which are 3 and 4 star hotels. Generally the hotel tariffs are high relative to other European ski resorts, but there are also a few 2 star hotels for those on a tight budget. Val d’isere accommodation also includes many chalets (including some very luxurious chalets) and self-catering apartments (condos).
Valdisere Activities
There is plenty for non-skiers to do in the valley including snow shoe walks, husky-sledding, ice-climbing, ice-skating, ice-diving, and indoor climbing. Less active entertainment includes visiting the wellness centres, the casino, taking the cable-cars to mountain restaurants and view points (including sun decks!), visiting the local Alpine history museum, or some serious shopping in the fancy pants shops.
Why Ski or Snowboard at Val d'Isere?
Val d’Isere is one of the world’s most famous, classically French ski resorts. The ski resort is large and the skiing is sensational. However this comes at a price as it’s probably one of the most expensive places in the world to enjoy the fresh white stuff.
Relatively easy to reach by train, plane and automobile, this traditional and Olympic class ski region has sensational après ski and plenty to offer all levels of ski and snowboard enthusiasts.