As any skier worth their powder will tell you, it’s hard to beat the French Alps and the Pyrenees for the quantity and quality of snow. Our top picks of the best ski resorts in France include resorts for both beginners and experts.
From luxury spa destinations to fresh alpine routes, these amazing ski destinations in France are a must-visit.
Best Ski Resorts In France
1. CourchevelÂ
Courchevel is based in Les 3 Vallées, the largest interlinked ski area in the world. It’s a stunning setting for skiing your heart out in a variety of landscapes : from perfect pistes, to forests high in the mountain… Plus, it’s suitable for all types of skiers no matter their ability.
The Alps’ most exclusive resort is also known worldwide for its extraordinary spas.
2. Val d’Isère
For partygoers, you can’t beat Val d’Isere. The hotspot for die-hard clubbers is of course La Folie Douce. Those with stamina can start at lunch in the mountain restaurant of the same name (easy to remember), accessible by the new La Daille cable car. It also boasts the highest cabaret in the world (2,400m) where DJs, dancers and musicians come to perform all season.
3. Grand Tourmalet
The largest ski area in the French Pyrenees, Le Grand Tourmalet actually two villages: Barèges and La Mongi. With its 69 pistes, extending over more than 100km, there’s beginner slopes and thrilling freerides.
Grand Tourmalet offers camps and lessons for complete beginners, as well as a fun freestyle area with snowpark. Want to be the first one to create those snow trails? You can have the opportunity to open the station with the ski patrollers!
4. Avoriaz
Avoriaz is a completely pedestrianised resort with guaranteed snowfall from December to April, Avoriaz is a hugely popular destination for a skiing holiday. Skiers here have easy access to a high-altitude ski area, with opportunities every day to enjoy the magnificent views on offer from the Portes du Soleil.
5. Saint Lary Soulan
Saint Lary Soulan is one of the most beautiful ski resorts in the Pyrenees. It’s a charming ski village where you can enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. One of the big advantages of Saint-Lary is in the way it was designed so that the whole family, whatever their skiing ability, can enjoy everything in the whole resort.
So, you can hop on pedestrian ski lifts to amazing high altitude restaurants if you don’t fancy skiing the whole way.
6. MéribelÂ
If you prefer cross-country skiing, this resort is a great place to go. 600 kilometres of pistes are connected via the summits of this popular resort, offering more than 62,000 vertical meters of skiing for experts, novices, families and keen sportspeople alike.
7. Chamonoix-Mont-Blanc
Cham’ is a destination popular the world over. In the streets of this high-mountain town you’ll hear languages from every corner of the globe. Chamonix-Mont-Blanc also has its own festival: the pop/rock-focused Musilac Mont-Blanc. Festival-goers can ditch their skis and poles to hear the biggest names on the current scene.
