Val d’Isere Ski Resort France
Val d’Isere is a premium alpine resort in France that oozes charm & panache, plus also happens to have some of the best ski terrain in the world, providing fun & challenge for everyone that skis there. Along with nearby Tignes ski resort, Val d’Isère forms the French Alps self-titled "Most Beautiful Ski Area in the World". Tignes-Val d'Isere was formerly known as 'Espace Killy', named after Jean-Claude Killy, the legendary French champion alpine ski racer who dominated the sport in the late 1960s. Its friends just call it 'Val'!
Whilst we don't necessarily think it is the most beautiful ski area in the world, Val d'Isere is certainly one of the world's best ski destinations. The vast & challenging terrain holds a lifetime of skiing & snowboarding, you'll just need to push your way through the crowd to get to it! Elbows up, here we go.....
Pros & Cons for Val d’Isere Ski Resort
Pros
- Huge world class piste terrain for all levels of skier;
- Most reliable snow cover in France;
- Modern lifts and facilities;
- Massive off-piste freeride & backcountry terrain for all levels;
- Delightful resort village;
- Lift pass linked to Tignes;
- Very good après ski;
- Relatively easy to get to via train and bus.
Cons
- Busy to a point of being overcrowded;
- Expensive accommodation;
- Main piste trails become mogul fields by lunchtime;
- Off-piste gets tracked quickly.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Can be isolated in times of heavy snowfall and / or avalanche danger.
Skiing & Snowboarding Terrain
The Val d’Isere ski resort has three main ski areas; comparatively remote Le Fornet (includes the Glacier du Pissaillas), Solaise & Bellevarde. All are well served by modern high-speed lifts including high-volume gondolas and a funicular. The Bellevarde has no less than 5 lifts converging on its 2827m summit.
See the Val d’Isere ski trail map here.
On its own, Val d’Isere provides 150 km of piste on wide highway-like runs. However, it is what the 'highways' turn into through the day that marks down the ratings on Val's piste trails. Whilst beginner pistes make up nearly 60% of the resort's trails, skiers should note that many of these runs are 'dark blue' in the morning, evolving into 'dark red' or even black as the ski day progresses & the bumps start to appear in high traffic areas. Take care to avoid ending up black & blue!
An abundance of first class free-ride opportunities are throughout the resort. Val is an off-piste freeride skiing & snowboarding paradise.
See the Val d'Isere Skiing & Snowboarding page for more information.
Where is Val d’Isère France?
Val d'Isere lies in Tarentaise valley of the Rhône-Alpes region, southeast France, 5 km (3 miles) from the border of Italy. Chambéry (144km / 2.5hr) is the nearest airport to Val d'Isère , followed by Geneva (GVA)(187km / 3.5hr) & Lyon Saint Exupéry (LYS) (221km / 3.5hr). Regular buses serve all the airports and various airport transfers are available. Note that Chambery airport operates on a limited basis. Search & book direct private transfers to Val d'Isere here.
An excellent mode of travel to Val d'Isère is via train. The Bourg St. Maurice train station is 30km (20 miles) away and is on the schedule of numerous ‘fast’ train lines such as TGV and Eurostar from London & Paris. Book train tickets to Bourg St Maurice here. Bus services run regularly from Bourg St. Maurice direct to Val d'Isere, or you can take a local taxi. Buy bus tickets at the Bourg St Maurice train station.
See the Travel to Val d'Isere page for more information on the best ways to get to the ski resort.
Val d'Isere Accommodation
Originally a small alpine farming village, Val d'Isere the town 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 narrow snow filled streets. Val d'Isere the valley (!) is made up of several charming hamlets, namely Le Cret, Le Joseray, Le Chatelard, La Legettaz, Le Laisinant, Le Daille & Le Fornet. More recently the area of Les Carats (millionaires’ row as it's locally known!) has developed its own luxury character and charm.
Search & book all Val d'Isere Accommodation here.
There are about 50 Val d’Isère hotels with a range of rooms, suites & apartments, most of which are 3 & 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 a high number of self-catering apartments (condos).
Non-Ski Activities
There is plenty for non-skiers to do in the valley including snowshoe 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 viewpoints (including sun decks!), visiting the local Alpine history museum, or some serious shopping in the fancy pants shops.
Ski Rentals & Equipment
Ski rentals are available from our partners in seven Val d’Isere village locations & another at the La Daille valley station. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Val d'Isere Ski & Snowboard Rentals page.
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Interlinked with Tignes
In combination with the neighbouring Tignes, Val d’Isère offers 300km of piste, over 140 named runs, 102 ski lifts and 2 glaciers (both available in summer). It’s mega! The resorts are linked by lift, piste & lift pass, effectively creatively one massive ski resort - how typically French! See the Tignes-Val d’Isere ski trail map here.
Summer Skiing & Snowboarding at Val d'Isere
The all-round nature of the Val d'Isere ski resort continues into summer. From mid-June to mid to July (depending on snow), 2 lifts access 6 piste trails on the Glacier du Pissaillas.
Nearby Ski Resorts
Val d'Isere is part of the legendary skiing region called the Tarentaise. Whilst you may not feel the need to visit anywhere else, a festival of wonderful French ski resorts, from mega resorts to 'secret stashes', are within an hour’s drive of Tignes. The world's largest fully interlinked resort, the 3 Vallees (Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens), huge Paradiski (Les Arcs and La Plagne) plus the smaller La Rosiere (linked to Italy's La Thuile) and the fabulous Sainte Foy are all close by. So easily to get distracted in the Tarentaise.
Review
The Powderhounds reviewed Val d’Isere in 2018 & aside from the bumped-up piste & mega crowds, found it to be a fascinating ski experience that merits a longer stay than we could accomplish! Click on the review link on this page to read our sparkling repartee.
See how Val d'Isere compares to the rest of the European ski resorts on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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