5 Best Ski Resorts in France

Did you already decide on your ski vacation spot? Check out our France’s guide for Best Ski Resorts in France

France is home to seven stunning and diverse mountain ranges stretching from the country's east to the southeast. Ranges of France from the all-mighty Alps to the Pyrenees.

The best ski resorts in France offer the world's most exciting ski and snowboard experience.

Besides skiing and snowboarding, there is a huge range of other exciting sports activities, like paragliding, ice skating, or ice driving in Val Thorens, and many more.

Additionally, these areas offer plenty of opportunities for sightseeing and photography.

I also created a public google map that you can enjoy. The map is updated with ski resorts, airports, best restaurants in the resorts, and excellent sports and spa hotels:

Les Trois Vallées - Courchevel and Val Thorens

Val Thorens

What I like about Val Thorens

One of the most snow-sure regions of the French Alps is the high elevation ski area.
The snow quality on the terrain that is mostly north-facing is amazing.
The lift system is ultra-modern, wind-tolerant, efficient, and is considered the best in the 3 Vallees.
On-piste trails are fabulous and suitable for all levels, except for advanced on piste.
The more you explore, the better the off-piste freeride and backcountry terrain gets.
There is a wide variety of lively après ski options available in and around the village.
The village is almost entirely ski-in and ski-out accommodation.
In comparison to other major world-class ski resorts, the lift pass is reasonably priced.
Day trippers can find ample free car parking close to the ski lifts.
You can access the ski area by public transport by taking a train to Moutiers and then a bus to the village.

What I don't like about Val Thorens

Extreme weather conditions, including heavy snow and strong winds, make the area extremely cold and exposed.
During peak hours the village can become overcrowded.
On-piste trails near the village may become a bit too crowded and worn out by the end of the day, so it's best to explore other areas.
Driving up to the village can be challenging in icy conditions and poor visibility.
Val Thorens is located in a relatively remote high alpine region, making it a more expensive ski resort compared to others in the world.
Accommodations in Val Thorens can be relatively expensive and tend to fill up quickly throughout the season.

Val Thorens ski resort, located in France's famous Three Valleys (Trois Vallées) linked ski area, is renowned for being the highest ski resort in Europe and the highest village in the region. It has reliable snow conditions throughout a long season and offers a great range of local and linked slopes, ample amenities, and a lively nightlife. It is no wonder that Val Thorens makes a strong case for being one of the best ski resorts in the world.

Val Thorens is situated at a stunning location at the head of the Belleville Valley, occupying a cirque crowned with six separate glaciers. However, the treeless landscape can make it a bleak and exposed place when the weather is bad, with no sheltered spots. The lifts may have to be shut down for periods due to high winds and heavy snowfalls.

Despite its remote location, Val Thorens is a world-class ski resort that offers plenty of terrain to suit skiers and snowboarders of all abilities. It has some seriously luxurious places to stay and is surprisingly big and busy. Much of the accommodation is ski-in/ski-out or only a short stroll away from the pistes, and the heart of the village is focused around the top of a short slope equipped with a canopied conveyor-belt surface-lift, which enhances the ski-in/ski-out convenience.

Val Thorens' ski area fans out over seven distinct sectors, including the mostly blue-classified slopes of the Col de la Chambre and the high Peclet sector directly above Val Thorens, offering a handful of good long reds plus a glacial black. The principal twinned Rosael and Cime de Caron sectors form the bulk of the area, filled with wide high-altitude blues and reds plus some testing mogulled blacks. The 'fourth valley' sector of Orelle boasts the highest lift-served point in the entire Three Valleys, while the Boismint sector overlooks the Vallon du Lou and runs down to Plan de l'Eau at 1,800m, the lowest point in the Val Thorens ski resort.

Val Thorens is an ideal destination for early or late-season ski holidays due to its dependable snow conditions and long season. Depending on your ski level, there are different ski pass combinations available for the three ski areas accessible from the resort: Val Thorens - Orelle (150 km), La Vallée des Belleville (300 km), and Les 3 Vallées (600 km).

For off-piste skiing and ski touring, Val Thorens is one of the most stunning areas in Europe, offering seemingly endless fields of powder snow in breathtaking surroundings (when the weather is good). Experienced off-piste skiers should try the descent from the Gebroulaz glacier towards Méribel or Pralognan and explore some beautiful off-piste skiing on the Maurienne side. Other popular off-piste routes include Lac du Lou from the Combe de Rosael black run from La Masse and down the Vallée des Encombres. All of this is best explored with a mountain guide or through the many ski schools offering excursions.

Val Thorens, a purpose-built resort village, offers a pedestrian-friendly environment despite its size. It has a range of facilities to cater to visitors' needs, including shops, supermarkets, cafés, restaurants, bars, and pubs, all of which are spread throughout the wide streets and covered walkways. These facilities are mostly located in or around the Galerie Caron complex, a central hub that houses a shopping mall and leisure centre.

The leisure centre at Galerie Caron is a popular option for visitors, featuring a spa, swimming pool, gym and fitness suite, squash courts, a multi-sports hall, and a children's fun-park area. Visitors can also enjoy spa facilities at several hotels that are open to non-residents.

For those seeking entertainment, Val Thorens offers various options such as ten-pin bowling, games arcades, and a cinema. For the more adventurous, there's snowmobiling, mountain biking on snow, paragliding, paintball, an ice driving circuit, and a thrilling 6km toboggan run from the top of the Peclet gondola.

Courchevel

What I like about Courchevel

Skiing is reliable in a resort with north-facing slopes and most terrain above 1,800m elevation.
The lift system is mostly modern and efficient, with only a few outdated gondolas in Courchevel that are being gradually replaced.
Wait times at lifts are generally low to non-existent, except for few lifts exceptions.
There are long skiable verticals available.
The resort offers a range of fun and varied groomed piste trails for all abilities, with a particular emphasis on beginners and intermediates (which are the best in the 3 Vallees).
The off-piste freeride terrain is world-class and surprisingly under-utilized.
High-quality backcountry terrain is easily accessible via the lifts and is often deserted.
There are five resort villages to choose from to suit all budgets and preferences.
Connections between the villages and to Meribel ski resort are well sign-posted and seamless.
There are plenty of lively après ski options and delicious dining available throughout the resort.
Ski-in ski-out accommodation is plentiful throughout the resort.
Given the overall ski experience, the local lift pass price represents great value for money, or alternatively, a Saturday 3 Vallees pass can be purchased online.

What I don't like about Courchevel

During peak times, the crowds can become overwhelming.
Food and drink prices in the ski resort are generally high, which can discourage many visitors, but this is not necessarily always the case.
The road from Moutiers to the resort can be chaotic during the morning and evening, particularly on weekends.
85km or 57% of the on-piste trails are rated 'easy' or suitable for beginners.
Although all the villages are well integrated into the resort, they vary greatly in style and can be quite divisive, depending on your tastes and expectations. So choose wisely.
Restaurants and bars throughout the resort vary widely in price and quality. Brown-bagging on one of the many picnic tables provided throughout the resort is an option to avoid this problem during the day.
The resort's terrain parks are only trying to cater to their clientele, and are considered to be subpar.
Accommodation in some villages, such as Courchevel 1850, can be among the most expensive in the world, and gets booked out quickly during high season.

Courchevel is the largest and most famous resort within Les Trois Vallées, the world's largest alpine ski domain. It's interconnected with other ski resorts and has a total of 600 kilometers of runs and 10 summits above 2,500 meters. Skiers of all levels will enjoy Courchevel's 150 kilometers of alpine runs, groomed to perfection thanks to the four meters of snowfall annually and expert grooming. Three new 10-person gondolas are being added to increase lift capacity within the domain.

Beginners will find plenty of areas to practice their skills at any of the resort's five separate villages, as 23 percent of Courchevel's pistes are green, and 35 percent are for intermediates. Free chairlifts are always located near beginner areas, and children can wear magnetic vests on lifts for added safety.

Expert skiers are drawn to Courchevel for its challenging off-piste terrain and the steep and mogul-studded couloirs and black steeps. Tree skiing is also a highlight, with Jockeys and Jean Blanc pistes offering superb runs. Visitors can also test their skills on the former World Cup downhill run, Jean Blanc. The average pitch of the new Eclipse slope, which will host the 2023 World Championships, is 30 percent.

Courchevel is renowned for its luxurious atmosphere, upscale lodges, five-star and luxury boutique hotels, and Michelin-starred dining. The resort is a celebrity hotspot, with some of the biggest names in entertainment and sports frequently skiing here.

Les Trois Vallées domain is continually expanding, with the '3 Vallées Express' link between Orelle and Val Thorens opening this season, allowing skiers to reach the 3,200-meter point on Cime Caron from Orelle in just 20 minutes.

Val d'Isere

What I like about Val d'Isere

The ski area is enormous and caters to skiers of all levels.
Snow coverage is the most reliable in France.
The lifts and facilities are modern and up-to-date.
There is a vast amount of off-piste freeride and backcountry terrain suitable for all skill levels.
The skiable vertical drop is immense.
The resort village is charming and enjoyable.
The lift pass is linked to Tignes and provides fantastic value for money.
The après ski scene is fabulous.
The resort is relatively easy to access by train and bus.

What I don't like about Val d'Isere

The crowds can be overwhelming and the resort can become overcrowded.
Accommodation, food, and drinks are costly.
The primary on-piste trails can turn into mogul fields by lunchtime.
The off-piste terrain can be tracked-out remarkably fast.

Val d'Isere, located in France's Savoie department, is a world-class ski resort with a long-established reputation and is considered one of the most prestigious winter-sports destinations globally. It is known for catering to expert skiers and snowboarders, but it also has high-quality accommodations and services that make it popular among mainstream visitors. The resort is best suited for intermediate to advanced skiers, but it can cater to all ability levels due to the wide range of terrain in its extensive ski area.

Val d'Isere is part of the Espace Killy, one of the world's largest linked ski domains, named after local ski champion Jean-Claude Killy. The domain covers the combined ski areas of Val d'Isere and Tignes. The village sits at a snow-sure altitude of 1,850m, at the head of the Tarentaise Valley. The local microclimate consistently delivers an accumulated snowfall total of over six meters most winter seasons, making Val d'Isere a sound choice for anyone planning early and late-season ski trips.

The resort's lively upmarket apres-ski venues, chic boutiques, top-class hotels, and deluxe chalets can make a holiday here very expensive. However, visitors on more limited budgets can still find value for their money. The quantity and quality of lift-accessible off-piste terrain are one of Val d'Isere's prime attractions. The resort offers high-altitude glacial zones, super-steep couloirs, and powder-filled bowls.

Val d'Isere's pisted ski area has three distinct sectors, each with its own characteristics. The Pissaillas Glacier/Le Fornet sector, at the highest and easternmost perimeters of the domain, has the quietest and most reliably snow-sure slopes. The central Solaise sector is Val d'Isere's original local ski hill, offering motorway-wide blue and red pistes. The Bellevarde sector is draped over an expansive snowbowl above Val d'Isere and La Daille and houses the resort's two famous downhill courses.

Val d'Isere is quite a sizeable village, with lots of hotels, restaurants, bars, and clubs, serving a year-round community. During the winter season, a diverse international clientele populates the resort, driving a very cosmopolitan and vibrant apres-ski scene. Live music sessions are a frequent and popular feature of many of the resort's bars, most of which remain very lively until late into the night.

Val d'Isere supports more than 60 busy restaurants, ranging from simple snack-food bars to swish Michelin-starred establishments, with lots of good quality venues somewhere in between. The range of off-slope activities is also good, with adventure activities such as ice circuit driving, ice climbing, sightseeing flights, tandem microlite aircraft, and paragliding. There are also more sedate attractions such as scenic walks, plush spas, and a cinema. The municipal sports center houses two swimming pools, saunas and steam room, and a fitness suite and climbing walls. There is also a small outdoor ice rink on the base-area slopes.

Les Arcs and La Plagne (Paradiski)

What I like about Paradiski

The ski area is huge and interconnected.
The piste trails are ideal for beginners and intermediate skiers.
There are many lifts, terrain features, and facilities that are child-friendly.
The views and scenery are breathtaking.
There are numerous options for ski-in ski-out accommodations.
The off-piste terrain can be challenging in some areas.
Most of the ski terrain is located above 2000m elevation and on a north-facing slope.
Skiers can enjoy tree skiing and high alpine freeriding.
The snow quality and reliability are top-notch.
There are excellent après ski options available.
The resort is easily accessible by train and funicular from Bourg St Maurice.

What I don't like about Paradiski

The resort can get incredibly crowded at times.
The on-piste terrain for expert skiers is limited.
Off-piste areas can get crowded on days with fresh powder.
Snowboarders may struggle with the many long, flat piste trails.
To reach the higher parts of the resort from the lower villages, skiers must navigate five or six complex lift connections.
There is no single central village for après-ski activities, services, and restaurants in the resort.
The on-mountain accommodation options can be pricey.
Most of the available accommodations are apartments.
The nightlife in the resort is limited.

La Plagne and its neighboring resorts of Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry make up the Paradiski area in the Tarentaise Valley, which is France's third-largest linked ski domain. This combined terrain offers 425 kilometers of runs that range from 1,200 meters to 3,226 meters altitude.

La Plagne is known for being a resort that caters to intermediate and beginning skiers, making it a popular choice for families. The upper slopes are gentle and sit on a plateau, gradually becoming steeper as they enter the forest on both sides.

Les Arcs, on the other hand, is geared towards experienced intermediate skiers, as there are few runs for beginners. The high open runs and sheltered woodland trails at lower altitudes provide a paradise for skiers with more experience. For experts, there are long black runs and off-piste terrain, but inexperienced skiers should be prepared for long narrow catwalks on blue runs, and some of the reds are straight fall-line runs.

At the top of the mountain is the Bellecôte glacier, where experts can find more challenging terrain in steep couloirs and long off-piste runs. Roche de Mio offers more black pistes, and off-piste skiing here requires a guide.

In La Plagne, the Funiplagne base station has been completely redesigned for the 2022/2023 season. Additionally, a new chairlift from La Lovatière to La Plagne provides a link between La Plagne Center and Champagny en Vanoise.

La Plagne is a popular choice for families due to its wide slopes, gentle descents, and ski-in/ski-out lodgings in its 11 villages. The Fun Slope is a great place to gain confidence in a non-threatening environment, as it is a well-groomed and sculpted run with jumps and challenges that develop skills without instilling terror.

There are two terrain parks in La Plagne, each designed for different levels of experience. Le Petit Park is perfect for novices, while Le Grand Park at the top of Belle Plagne offers more advanced features, such as rails, tables, an airbag, and a boardercross course.

Chamonix

What I like about Chamonix

The location and surrounding mountains are magnificent.
The resort offers a variety of piste trails suitable for all levels on all aspects.
The off-piste terrain is exceptional, including glaciers and tree skiing.
Generally speaking, the resort offers good value for a large French ski area.
The après ski and restaurants are excellent, and the town has a wonderfully vibrant atmosphere.
It is easily accessible by bus or train from Geneva airport.
Chamonix and all the surrounding villages are lively, genuine towns rather than just ski resorts.

What I don't like about Chamonix

The ski areas are not interconnected by lifts.
There is limited ski-in ski-out accommodation available.
Transportation between the different ski areas can be extremely busy during peak times.
In some sectors, the lift infrastructure is becoming quite dated.
The lift pass options can be needlessly complex.
The valley elevation is relatively low and often has little snow.
The ski areas are spread across a wide area, but they are connected by train and free bus.

Chamonix, a historic valley town located at the foot of Mont Blanc, is one of the most famous Alpine ski resorts in the world. Its surrounding ski areas are known for attracting thousands of advanced-level skiers, snowboarders, and ski-mountaineers from all over the world each season. Chamonix has been a year-round Mecca for serious Alpinists since the first successful ascent of Mont Blanc in 1786. There are five ski areas in total in the Chamonix Valley, but only the linked Le Brevent and La Flégère areas are directly accessible by ski lift from Chamonix itself, and getting around without a car can be challenging. However, the town also has a well-deserved reputation for lively nightlife.

From a snowsports perspective, Chamonix is best known for its outstanding off-piste terrain and for being the defacto capital of European big-mountain freeriding. The Aiguille du Midi is the area's iconic lift-served highpoint, and is the starting point for the well-documented and much-hyped Vallée Blanche descent. The Grands Montets ski area at the resort village of Argentiere, 8km up the valley road from Chamonix, is the other principal playground for serious freeriders and fans of steep-&-deep terrain. Beyond Argentiere, at the village of Le Tour at the head of the Chamonix Valley, is the more conventional La Balme ski area, which offers the most suitable slopes for novices and intermediates.

Chamonix's own local pisted ski slopes are found on the lift-linked Le Brevent and La ski areas, directly accessible by gondola from Chamonix (for Le Brevent), and by cable car from the neighbouring village of Les Praz (for La Flégère). A further major ski area is located at Les Houches, 6km down the valley from Chamonix, and is generally much less busy than Chamonix's other more adrenaline-stoking sites.

Chamonix is one of the best ski resorts in the world for off-piste terrain, but skiers should ensure they know what they're doing or hire someone who does to show them around. There are many crevasse and avalanche zones off-piste in the Chamonix valley, so it's important to get proper insurance, avalanche equipment and training, and know how to call upon the emergency services should they be necessary. The famous Vallée Blanche off-piste ski route is 20km long with a vertical descent of 2,700m and offers stunning views and a real sense of wilderness. Some of the best off-piste is to be found in the Grand Montets sector, while Le Tour's off-piste is popular and accessible. The Vallée Blanche is covered with crevasses, and the avalanche risk is often high, so only advanced skiers with extensive off-piste experience should attempt the more difficult routes.

Les Gets-Morzine and Avoriaz (Portes du Soleil Ski circuit)

What I like about Portes du Soleil Ski circuit

This is a large snow holiday destination that offers a wide range of terrain and activities on both the French and Swiss sides of the border.
The region receives high levels of snowfall, especially at higher altitudes.
The lift pass for the entire resort is a great value, as are the options for local sectors like Morzine-Les Gets, Espace Liberté, and the Swiss CLCF pass.
The resort offers excellent beginner and intermediate piste trails.
There are many options for off-piste and freeride terrain, ranging from beginner to expert level, and you can find untracked snow several days after a snowfall.
The resort is conveniently located near Geneva and Montreux, and can be easily accessed by train, bus, or car.
There are ski-in accommodation options in several resort villages such as Les Crosets, Champoussin, and Avoriaz.
There are a variety of resort villages available to suit different tastes, all in beautiful surroundings.
Après ski is lively in the French sectors of the resort.
Although you can ski in two countries, the language spoken is primarily French since the Swiss sector is located in the French-speaking part of Valais.

What I don't like about Portes du Soleil Ski circuit

During peak periods, this snow holiday destination can be very crowded with many visitors.
The upper alpine has a relatively low top elevation and a skiable vertical of only 400-600m.
The major piste trails in Avoriaz and the Linga-Pre la Jouz sector of Châtel can become crowded with skiers, resulting in challenging slope conditions.
Warming winter trends are posing a challenge to several low-elevation resort base areas.
The lifts in the northern sector, particularly in Torgon, Châtel, and Morgins, are outdated, although there are new chairlifts in Chatel.
Accommodation in some of the resort villages is in high demand and may book out quickly.
The large number of surface lifts in the Espace Liberté sector may pose a challenge for beginner snowboarders.
It is easy to get lost in this huge interlinked ski area, so pay close attention to signage.
With such a vast ski area, it can be difficult to decide where to stay and ski.

Located in the Savoie region in the Northern French Alps, Les Gets is a traditional-style village that shares slopes with Morzine and is part of the huge Portes du Soleil circuit. The resort is perfect for intermediates, beginners and families, and has plenty to offer off the slopes.

Les Gets is an attractive 12th-century farming village, with stone and wood buildings built in the Savoyard chalet-style. The lively center is pedestrian-friendly, with plenty of food shops and restaurants lining the main street. The ski resort shares challenging runs with Morzine on the Nyon-Chamossiere area and the more intermediate-focused sector of Les Chavannes. Don't miss the chance to see the great views of Mont Blanc when you go up high.

On the other side of Les Gets village, there's Mont Chery, the resort's own mountain, which has runs to challenge both advanced and intermediate skiers and boarders. The resort is unique in that its slopes are grassy, which means that it doesn't require much snow to give good ski cover. There won’t be any nasty rocks peaking out in a sparse snow year.

Les Gets is linked to the mega Portes du Soleil circuit via neighbouring Morzine, which includes 12 linked ski resorts straddling the French-Swiss border, making it a great choice for mileage-hungry intermediates who love to travel. Regardless of your skill level, you will have a great time on the linked slopes of Les Gets-Morzine, which is the largest sector in the Portes du Soleil circuit.

The expert skiers will love the thigh-burning blacks on Mont Chery, while the Nyon-Chamossiere sector towards Morzine has a good selection of challenging runs. There is also loads of off-piste terrain available when the snow is good. Mont Chery’s red runs and the easy blacks and relaxing reds of the shared Chavannes sector will suit intermediates.

Complete beginners will find Les Gets perfect for their needs. Nursery slopes in the village and a larger, snowsure area at Chavannes cater to skiers of all levels. Even in snowy or white out conditions, the tree-lined blues and reds of Chavannes and Mont Chery are ideal.

Les Gets may be a village, but there are plenty of amenities to keep visitors busy for a week. There are some good, varied cross-country ski loops for those who want a change from pounding the pistes or a good workout, and snowshoeing is a fun option too. A family evening at the outdoor ice rink in the centre of town is a must-do, as is a visit to the Mechanical Music Museum, which features amazing clocks, musical boxes, organs, and mechanical pianos.

Although Apres ski tends to be quiet during the week, there are around half a dozen bars to visit, including the Black Bear. The Igloo club has a good vibe, with its resident DJ and theme nights. Pizzas and Savoyard specialties are popular in Les Gets, but the Quatre Saisons is a new gastronomic restaurant worth trying for a change of pace.