Top Places To Go Skiing In France

OT Staff

Avoriaz

This French mountain resort in the heart of the Portes du Soleil was designed with pedestrians in mind. The shortcuts and public lifts allow you to get from one end to the other on foot in less than 15 minutes.

The chairlifts of Avoriaz | Shutterstock

Val-d'Isère

The Val d'Isère regularly hosts World Cup alpine events and lies on the border of Vanoise National Park. Its Face de Bellevarde has steep slopes and narrow sections that require mastery of technique and a cool head.

Backcountry skiing in the Val-d'Isère | Shutterstock

Les Trois Vallées

The high-end Courchevel ski resort is part of the Les Trois Vallées, the largest connected ski area in the world. There are 183 ski lifts here, which can transport 260,000 skiers per hour.

A section of the Les Trois Vallées | Shutterstock

Chamonix-Mont Blanc

Chamonix is situated in the French Alps just north of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics (1924) and is known for its pistes and backcountry skiing.

A view of Chamonix | Shutterstock

Alpe d'Huez

This place is famed for its snowy altitudes, abundant intermediate reds and one of Europe’s longest black runs. It is also known internationally as an iconic cycling venue and is used regularly in the Tour de France.

The resort of Alpe d'Huez | Shutterstock

La Plagne

The first of the resorts of La Plagne opened in December 1961. Its popularity earned it the title of the world’s most popular ski resort in 2014, with more than 2.5 million visitors a season on average.

Skiing in La Plagne | Shutterstock

La Clusaz

La Clusaz is an alpine commune in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Skiers can test their mettle on the extensive avalanche-controlled off-piste in the challenging Col de Balme area.

Sunset over La Clusaz | Shutterstock

Megève

Conceived in the 1920s as a French alternative to St Moritz by the Rothschild family, it was the first purpose-built resort in the Alps. It remains one of the most famous and affluent ski resorts in the world.

Hot air balloons over Megève | Shutterstock

Les Arcs

The ski area here consists of 106 runs, 54 lifts and 200 kilometres of descent. The ski domain provides a mixture of open runs (especially above Arc 2000) and wooded runs.

The chairlifts of Les Arcs | Shutterstock

Serre Chevalier

Encompassing a large skiing area with 250 kilometres of slopes and favourable weather, Serre Chevalier boasts 300 days of sunshine a year. The skiing here ticks all the boxes for every level of expertise.

Serre Chevalier at dusk | Shutterstock

Everything You Need to Know About Courchevel, The World’s Premier Ski Destination

Gondola lift at Courchevel in the French Alps | Shutterstock
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