Are you looking for the perfect location to play in the snow?
If your answer is, oui, France is just the place with its reputation as the one of the prime skiing destinations of the world. The French Alps is the breathtaking location of the best ski resorts in France and the options are endless for choosing your snowy paradise. Take a look at our picks for the top French Alps ski resorts to help you find the perfect fit.
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Top French Ski Resorts
While the Alps is full of unmissable skiing locations, three of the biggest ski areas in France are Espace Killy, Portes du Soleil and Les Trois Vallées (The Three Valleys). Each valley has their own stunning options for a skiing getaway.
Espace Killy
Val d’Isère
This picturesque town sitting high above the cloud line is one of the most historical ski areas in France, as the original village was built in the 13th century. It is located in the middle of the valley, offering guests a peaceful atmosphere and breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains.
Its location guarantees easy access to green pistes (marked ski runs) and, with record snowfall, there are perfect skiing conditions from late November to May. The pride of Val d’Isère is its gorgeous backcountry, which consists of unmarked or unpatrolled areas of the valley. For the experienced skiiers among you, it is one of the best ski resorts in France for off-piste skiing.
For kids, there is an exciting children’s area with lots of activities including the exhilarating tubing run. The little town also has an excellent après-ski scene (the socialising and festivities after a day on the slopes) with some legendary nightlife. It is the perfect blend of a snowy haven and sunny terraces to toast the day.
Portes du Soleil
This area of the French Alps is one of the best places to ski in France. It promises the trip of a lifetime with a name that means Doors of the Sun.
Morzine
This skiing resort has more of an adventurous flair with activities such as heli-skiing, speed-riding and night skiing available to guests. Mur Suisse or Swiss Wall is an excellent choice for experienced skiiers, and is fantastically located on the French/Swiss border.
It is only an hour’s drive from Geneva Airport, which makes it the ideal location for corporate groups as well as families, as they also offer excellent kid-friendly activities.
The village has a classic feel to it, however it still has a lively town centre with plenty of off-slope options. Morzine has an ice rink, swimming pool and a weekly market to explore.
Les Gets
Les Gets is nestled between Mont Blanc and Lake Leman, making for an idyllic setting for your skiing holiday. It is generally a quieter spot than some of the larger resorts and villages, making it a great place for a getaway.
It caters for all skiing levels, from groomed pistes for beginners to amazing powder skiing. There are also a number of kid-centric activities like sledding and ice-skating.
This snowy oasis is a favourite among French locals and the resort is a member of the Alpine Pearls, an association that protects the natural wonders of the Alps.
Les Trois Vallées
This area is the largest skiing domain in the world. Its amazingly high altitude also means a reliable snow season that extends from early December to late April.
Courchevel 1850
The resort is the crown jewel of Les Trois Vallees and one of the best French ski resorts. It is at the height of luxury (and the Alps) with excellent facilities and is very popular with A-listers.
Courchevel 1850 has access to the largest lift-linked ski area in the world, with over 600 km of pistes and more than 170 lifts. Reaching the rest of the Three Valleys is easy and the snow season is long and reliable.
The resort offers a variety of skiing options to suit all skill levels including excellent blue runs for the more inexperienced and technically challenging routes for experts, such as the famed Les Suisses.
Courchevel 1850 also maintains its excellent reputation as a celeb hot spot with its world-class cuisine, including four Michelin-star restaurants. They also have exciting activities on offer such as a day at Aquamotion, which offers guests the option of relaxation and action-packed fun.
Val Thorens
This skiing wonderland is the highest ski resort in Europe. It is one of the best ski areas in France because the snow conditions are always perfect. Val Thorens is the first resort to open and the last to close as skiing is available into early May.
Apart from skiing, the village is a hive of activity, including ice-diving, snowshoeing and ziplining. The VT Fun Ride also provides skiers with a 900 m course with more than 50 game modules and obstacles to conquer.
This resort is perfect for families as they offer guests childcare as well as skiing lessons and the toboggan run for children. For anyone missing the city, they also have some great indoor shopping arcades as well as the highest dancefloor in the Alps.
Meribel: One of the Best Ski Resorts For Beginners in France
Just north of Val Thorens is the gorgeous alpine village of Méribel. As part of the Three Valleys, it has access to a huge amount of snowy terrain for an epic experience on the slopes.
The entire area is connected by ski gondolas, which gives easy access to each valley with amazing ski runs across the area. It also has a wide zone of green runs for beginners.
The town has a warm, dynamic vibe with an amazing apres-ski environment and luxury ski chalets to enjoy after a day on the slopes.
Mont Blanc Massif
While it’s not part of the ‘big three’, this skiing spot is big enough as it’s the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe.
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Nestled at the foot of Mont Blanc, this skiing destination is ideal for anyone. They offer four gentle slopes for beginners but have also earned a reputation for challenging and adrenaline-fuelled runs. Chamonix is also one of the top French skiing resorts for powder skiing.
For activities off the snow, there is paintballing and you can pay a visit to the Alpine Museum (Musée Alpin). After hitting the slopes, head over to Ancey Chocolatier for a well-earned sweet treat.
Megève
Megève is the first purpose-built resort in the Alps, designed to achieve ideal comfort for guests. The town has a classic charm to it with its cobbled streets and peaceful, tree-lined pistes.
However, it is still quite large with a lot of skiing terrain to explore. The freestyle options cater more for beginners and intermediate-level skiers and is a great place to find your feet. The Evasion Mont Blanc skiing pass gives you access to over 400 km of unfiltered wonderland to explore.
Guests to the resort have stunning views of Mont Blanc and the environment is dreamy. There’s not a lot of opportunity for après-ski but the local jazz bar comes highly recommended for a chilled evening. There is also ice skating and bowling for guests to enjoy.
Paradaski
This piece of paradise sits in the Tarentaise Valley and is the home of Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry and La Plagne. Its altitude guarantees excellent snow conditions and its reputation guarantees a good time.
La Plagne
One of three stunning resorts in Paradaski, this area is great for intermediate skiers. However, it still has good options for beginners and experts. La Plagne is actually made up of 11 villages that are sprinkled across a plateau.
The area has some exciting features including a 1500 m bobsled run where individuals and groups can go on the ride of their life. It is also the home to the Funslope – Europe’s longest boardercross. The boardercross is part of La Plagne’s Snowparks which includes a snowboarding halfpipe as well.
Across the French Alps, there’s fresh snow, idyllic villages and ski runs that each offer something different. For the family on holiday, a couple on their honeymoon or the group of friends looking to have the best time, it’s important to find the best ski resort in France that suits you. See you on the slopes!
