France
The Country
Over the past 20 years, France has established its self as the dominant nation in world skiing with bigger ski areas, bigger verticals and more lifts than in any other country. Unlike other countries, the French planned ski resort development as part of their post-war reconstruction and prosperity programme.
They also had the advantage, having 'peaked late', of not being lumbered with archaic lift systems and infrastructures which modern skiers, used to queue-gobbling high-speed quad chairs connecting perfectly with piste stops, find increasingly hard to accept.
Today the Ski France organisation, which promotes the leading 100 resorts in France, is the most effective national ski-resort promotion body in the world. Similarly the dominant French national ski school, the Ecole du Ski Francais, has increasingly mounted effective promotions of its own. French resort development has been particularly associated with purpose-built ski stations - huge apartment block complexes erected in the middle of nowhere.
These developments are generally recognised as belonging to three phases, with the majority of planned apartment block complexes making up the second phase of the 1960s. Some such centres have a reputation for extreme ugliness, resembling inner-city tower-blocks, blighting magnificent mountain scenery.
The third generation of purpose-built resorts, personified by design award-winning modern resorts such as Valmorel, have taken the ambience of the traditional alpine village far more to heart in their planning, and offer the best of both worlds.
Good Points
Most of the world's biggest lift-linked ski areas are here. The world's biggest non-lift-linked pass, the Savoie Olympic Pass, covers 1500km of trails in some of the world's biggest lift-linked areas at no additional cost. Excellent for skiers with their own transport.
Whilst lift passes are not cheap, the amount of lifts per pass does mean they are good value on a 'lifts to franc' ratio.
A good range of both traditional resorts and ultra-modern resorts.
The French are pioneers of 'doorstep skiing', offered in many resorts.
Families with younger children will find that most resorts have day-care facilities for very young children, and that the ski school has a special children's 'snow-garden'.
Most top resorts have well-designed modern lift and snowmaking systems.
Most of the drag lifts are button lifts, not T-Bars.
French créperies, patisseries and haute cuisine is generally regarded as some of the world's best.
The world's best road and rail access to major resorts.
Bad Points
Despite recent and on-going 'make overs' some of the resorts are ugly and soulless, with little to offer except fantastic skiing.
Apartments, the primary forms of accommodation, can be very cramped. Staff working in some of the wholly French-owned resorts seem to have little motivation to be courteous, friendly or helpful.
French Ski School sometimes produces negative reports of unsympathetic teaching of young children.
The success of French skiing can lead to crowding and a deterioration in quality of service and materials, with a disproportionate increase in local prices and a production-line feel in some restaurants, kindergartens and similar facilities.
From Paris and Geneva, the motorways to the French Alps are notoriously crowded on Saturdays and at the start and end of school holidays. The National Tourist Office can provide detailed advice on travel times.
Petrol and motorway tolls are expensive when driving to the Alps.
Heli-skiing is illegal (although many resorts are close to the Italian border and offer heli-skiing trips to Italy, where this is not the case).
Resorts in France
Abriès - Ristolas en QueyrasHeight: 1,550m
Largely rebuilt since 1945 having suffered wartime damage, Abries is located at the meeting of t...
Aiguilles en Queyras
Height: 1,450m
Albiez - Montrond
Height: 1,500m
A picturesque ski centre little known outside France but offering a genuine escape from the mass-...
Alpe d'Huez
Height: 1,860m
One of the world's top resorts, Alpe d'Huez offers one of the greatest unbroken verticals in the ...
Ancelle
Height: 1,350m
Annecy - Le Semnoz
Height: 1,400m
Arêches - Beaufort
Height: 1,030m
Arêches and Beaufort are picturesque and traditional Savoyard villages below the Beaufortain Mass...
Arette - la - Pierre-Saint - Martin
Height: 1,500m
Argentière
Height: 1,272m
The glaciated section of the Chamonix valley, historically linked to the famous resort. A small ...
Artouste - Fabrèges
Height: 1,400m
Arvieux en Queyras
Height: 1,680m
Ascou - Pailhères
Height: 1,500m
The small ski centre of Ascou-Pailhères in the French Pyrynées, operated since 1987 by the local ...
Auris - en - Oisans
Height: 1,600m
A mix of new and old, the modern development is made up of wood-clad buildings in a pleasant chal...
Auron
Height: 1,600m
An historic ski centre within easy driving distance of the Mediterranean. Good variety of terrai...
Aussois
Height: 1,500m
A year round Savoyard resort in the Maurienne Valley, 7km from Modane and near to the Vanoise Nat...
Autrans
Height: 1,050m
A small mountain town on the western fringe of the Alps. A major cross-country centre and a home...
Avoriaz
Height: 1,800m
Built on a sheer granite cliff and well placed on the Portes du Soleil circuit, arguably the worl...
Ax - les - Thermes
Height: 1,400m
A thermal spa resort in the Pyrenees range with a bed base of over 9000, there has been a ski res...
Ballon d'Alsace
Height: 850m
Barèges
Height: 1,250m
Part of the largest ski area in the Pyrenées, known for its reasonable prices. Lift-linked to La...
Bellefontaine
Height: 1,000m
Bellevaux
Height: 1,100m
There are two ski regions on either side of Bellevaux, Hirmentaz is lift-linked to Habère-Poche a...
Bernex
Height: 1,000m
Bessans
Height: 1,750m
Besse - Super - Besse
Height: 1,350m
The Auvergne in central France is the first region to receive the winter snow brought in by weath...
Beuil - les - Launes
Height: 1,400m
Known for it's pretty tree-lined trails and good sunshine record, Beuil-les-Launes is linked to V...
Bolquère Pyrenées 2000
Height: 1,700m
Linked to skiing at Font Romeu
Bonneval - sur - Arc
Height: 1,800m
Bourg d'Oueil
Height: 1,350m
Bozel
Height: 900m
Located close to some of the major resorts of the French Alps, including Courchevel and the world...
Bramans - Val d'Ambin
Height: 1,230m
Brameloup
Height: 1,200m
Brides - les - Bains
Height: 600m
A traditional village beneath the Trois Vallées ski area, linked by a three stage telecabine to M...
Bussang
Height: 620m
Camurac
Height: 1,300m
Cauterets
Height: 900m
Historic Pyrenéan spa town with a relatively new ski area located in a sunny bowl in the Cirque d...
Ceillac - en - Queyras
Height: 1,700m
Céüze Gap
Height: 1,530m
Chabanon - Selonnet
Height: 1,550m
North facing slopes and night skiing with snow making cover for excellent conditions.
Chaillol 1600
Height: 1,450m
Chalmazel
Height: 1,130m
Loire's only downhill ski centre has a recently refurbished gondola at its heart.
Chambon des Neiges
Height: 1,150m
Chamonix - Mont Blanc
Height: 1,035m
An historic ski and climbing town on the picturesque side of Mont Blanc, by the entrance to the M...
Champ - du - Feu
Height: 700m
A little ski area, close to Strasbourg and the German border, with a big history! Winter sports h...
Champagne En Valmorey
Height: 800m
Champagny en Vanoise
Height: 1,250m
A traditional village linked to the La Plagne ski area since the early 1970s and now in a key loc...
Chamrousse
Height: 1,700m
Family ski centre close to Grenoble with two bases offering sheltered slopes and doorstep skiing....
Chastreix - Sancy
Height: 1,000m
Châtel
Height: 1,200m
An old Savoyard village with a long farming tradition and today a strong tourism infrastructure. ...
Col d'Ornon
Height: 1,350m
Col de l'Arzelier / Château-Bernard
Height: 1,154m
Col de Romeyère
Height: 1,074m
Col-de-Rousset
Height: 1,250m
Family Resort
Combloux
Height: 1,100m
A pretty mountain village, well linked to the resorts of St Gervais and Megeve, as well as being ...
Cordon
Height: 1,000m
A small rural village from which there are good views of the Mont Blanc Massif. Small but highly...
Corrençon en Vercors
Height: 1,160m
A pretty, traditional village and year-round resort, rich in folk art and culture, but with a mod...
Courchevel
Height: 1,850m
Arguably France's most exclusive resort, well located in the world's largest truly inter-connecte...
Crevoux
Height: 1,600m
Crevoux is an authentic village resort offering a variety of activities for the family to enjoy a...
Crozet
Doucy-Combelouvière
Height: 1,300m
Doucy Combelouvière is part of the Grand Domaine ski area shared with Valmorel is located with sl...
Drouzin - Le Mont
Height: 1,200m
Eaux - Bonnes Gourette
Height: 1,400m
Gourette in the Ossau valley at an altitude of 1400m has been completely overhauled over the past...
Err Puigmal 2900
Height: 1,850m
Espace Cambre D'Aze - Eyne
Height: 1,550m
A tiny ski centre with a population of around 30, all dedicated to the ski holiday experience! T...
Espace Val d'Arly
Height: 1,230m
Crest Voland gained its first lift in 1951 and has grown steadily ever since, linking to Les Sais...
Flaine
Height: 1,600m
Popularly regarded as an ugly, but functional, purpose built resort, Flaine has infact been desig...
Flumet
Height: 1,000m
A genuine rural resort combining the multitude of farms and chalets scattered around the St Nicol...
Font d'Urle
Height: 1,250m
A small ski centre, purpose built in 1959, with a huge amount of cross-country ski terrain acces...
Font Romeu
Height: 1,750m
A lively and popular border resort attracting weekend crowds from Spain as well as France. It ha...
Formiguères
Height: 1,700m
Popular cross country ski centre-
Gavarnie
Height: 1,850m
A small traditional centre with skiing five kilometres from the village, beneath Pic Des Tentes. ...
Gérardmer
Height: 770m
A modern centre with full resort facilities and tree-lined slopes, Gérardmer boasts the longest s...
Graix
Granier-sur-Aime
Height: 1,250m
Greolieres - les - Neiges
Height: 1,400m
Gresse-en-Vercors
Height: 1,250m
A tiny resort in a beautiful location beneath the highest point in the Vercors Region, Le Grand V...
Guzet Neige
Height: 1,400m
Popular centre with a variety of terrain to attract all abilities and an annual snowfall average ...
Haut Jura Sud
Haut Plateaux Ardechois
Hautacam
Height: 1,500m
Hauteluce
Height: 1,150m
Hauteville
Height: 800m
Two small ski areas promoted as one resort. Hauteville-Lompnes has four of the six surface lifts...
Isola 2000
Height: 2,000m
Isola claims to have a good snow and sunshine record but if so they're not helped by a depressing...
L Desert d'Entremonts
Height: 1,200m
The larger of two ski areas above Entremont-le-Vieux, the other is Le Granier. Saint-Pierre-d'Ch...
L'Alpe du Grand Serre
Height: 1,400m
The latest great skiing area, located close to Grenoble, at the meeting point of two massifs, Ois...
L'Areilladou Mézilhac
Height: 1,300m
L'Audibergue
Height: 1,400m
La Bresse - Hohneck
Height: 900m
The biggest ski area in North Eastern France, La Bresse claims to have the largest night skiing a...
La Chapelle d'Abondance
Height: 1,000m
A picturesque and authentic Savoyard village with both a local ski area served by a modern teleca...
La Chapelle-en-Vercors
Height: 1,255m
A traditional ski resort in the Vercors national park. Limited resort facilities and ski area bu...
La Chaux de Gilley
Height: 900m
La Clusaz
Height: 1,100m
Traditional Savoyard village, regarded by some as one of the most picturesque in France. Large s...
La Colmaine
La Cote d'Aime
La Croix de Bauzon
Height: 1,250m
La Giettaz
Height: 1,100m
One of the smaller resorts in Savoie with a comparatively modest bed base of 2500. However the s...
La Grave - La Meije
Height: 1,450m
Incredible 12th century village with legendary off-piste skiing and snowboarding, now linked to t...
La Joue du Loup
Height: 1,500m
Linked to larger Superdévoluy by lift ( 10km by road ), the building design is rather less severe...
La Loge des Gardes
La Mongie
Height: 1,800m
La Mongie is not only the site of a famous mountain-stage of the yearly "Tour de France" bicycle ...
La Norma
Height: 1,350m
Established in 1971, La Norma has a reputation for reasonable prices and great views over the Mau...
La Plagne
Height: 1,800m
La Plagne came top in a computer assessment of 3000 ski resorts world-wide. It has 10 different ...
La Rosière
Height: 1,850m
Purpose built in 1961 on a south-facing plateau to an attractive design sympathetic to Savoyard t...
La Savoie Grand Revard
Height: 1,350m
La Tania
Height: 1,400m
Purpose built to house journalists at the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics, this attractive new c...
La Toussuire
Height: 1,800m
One of the oldest ski centres in France (although with plenty of modern development) situated in ...
La Vallee Verte
Lac Blanc
Height: 830m
A mid-sized Alpine skiing centre, but by far the biggest cross-country ski destination in the Vos...
Laguiole
Height: 1,250m
Lamoura
Height: 1,150m
Most famous as the starting of the Transjurassienne race. Facilities include an indoor swimming ...
Lans - en - Vercors
Height: 1,400m
A lovely old centre in the beautiful Vercors 'parc naturel'. Excellent ski and other sports faci...
Laye - en - Champsaur
Height: 1,300m
Le Bleymard
Height: 1,350m
Le Chatelard Maronne
Height: 1,460m
Linked to the Alpe d'Huez ski area.
Le Chazelet
Height: 1,800m
Le Collet
Le Collet - Retournemer
Height: 1,000m
Le Collet d'Allevard
Height: 1,450m
A year-round resort with thermal springs established as a ski centre in 1956. Skiing for all abi...
Le Corbier
Height: 1,550m
Rectangular shaped purpose-built resort in the huge and uncrowded Les Sybelles Ski Area. Long po...
Le Désert - Vallée des Entremonts
Le Grand Ballon
Height: 1,000m
Le Grand Bornand
Height: 1,000m
Large, traditional French village 6km from La Clusaz with which it shares the Aravis Lift Pass. ...
Le Grand Puy
Height: 1,300m
Le Granier - Vallée des Entremonts
Height: 1,000m
Le Lioran
Height: 1,250m
The ski area stretches over several peaks and valleys and has a reputation for good powder skiing...
Le Markstein
Height: 1,030m
Le Mont - Dore
Height: 1,200m
One of the few ski centres in the Auvergne, Mont-Dore offers mid-range skiing backed by a wide ra...
Le Mourtis
Height: 1,350m
Le Mourtis has a larger vertical than some of its bigger neighbours, as well as a good range of c...
Le Reposoir
Height: 980m
A pretty village with its own small ski area and located only 50km (31 miles) from Geneva. Large...
Le Revard
Height: 1,450m
Le Revard is one of the oldest ski resorts in France and remarkably is one of the most visited in...
Le Sappey
Height: 1,000m
800 metre night skiing slope.
Le Sauze/Super Sauze
Height: 1,400m
Le Sauze and Super Sauze offers skiing on open meadows without obstacles and wide, treelined runs...
Le Tour
Height: 1,462m
A small satellite village of Argentiere and on the huge Pays Du Mont Blanc pass. Small separate ...
Les 2 Alpes
Height: 1,300m
World class resort with one of the largest ski areas, summer ski areas and maximum verical drops ...
Les Aillons
Height: 1,000m
The largest resort in the Bauges district of Savoie, where all 14 towns and villages are official...
Les Angles
Height: 1,650m
Built on a sunny plateau, Les Angles is a compact, lively centre with plenty to do beyond the ext...
Les Arcs
Height: 1,600m
There are four 'Arcs', at 1600, 1800, 1950 and 2000 metres. Les Arcs pioneered the Ski Evolutif ...
Les Avanchers
Height: 1,250m
Les Bossons
Height: 1,020m
Close to Chamonix, the main red run was the 1962 Alpine World Championships Giant Special Slalom ...
Les Bottières
Height: 1,300m
Les Brasses
Height: 900m
les Carroz
Height: 1,140m
Traditional family resort, centred on the village square, and linked in to the huge Grand Massif ...
Les Coches
Height: 1,250m
Designed in the style of a traditional Tarentaise village and located above Montchavin, Les Coche...
Les Contamines - Montjoie
Height: 1,164m
Pretty and compact Savoyard village with a long history, extensive skiing and a good range of sho...
Les Estables
Height: 1,250m
Les Fourgs
Height: 1,100m
Les Gets
Height: 1,172m
A pleasant farming village which has grown into one of the world's top resorts without noticing. ...
Les Habères
Height: 930m
Les Houches
Height: 1,008m
Small and spread out traditional village at the foot of Mont Blanc. It has a famous World Cup ru...
Les Karellis
Height: 1,600m
A purpose built centre, not dissimilar in design to Arc 1800. The skiing is mostly below the (hi...
Les Menuires
Height: 1,850m
Purpose-built altitude resort cursed by much disclaimed architecture but nicknamed 'The smile of ...
Les Mont d'Olmes
Height: 1,500m
Les Orres
Height: 1,550m
A local forester, Emile Hodoul, dreamed up les Orres in 1935, but the first lift was not installe...
Les Plans d'Hotonnes
Height: 1,050m
Les Rousses
Height: 1,120m
Offering skiing in a rural setting, surrounded by lakes and forests close to the Swiss border, Le...
Les Saisies Hauteluce
Height: 1,650m
An excellent Nordic ski centre facing Mont Blanc and overlooking Beaufortain and Val d'Arly. Ther...
Les Sept Laux
Height: 1,350m
Well-equipped ski centre with two base stations, Le Pleynet (1450m) and Prapoutel (1350m). Most...
Les Verneys
Lus / La Jarjatte
Height: 1,140m
A small but well equipped ski area with some of the world's most affordable lift tickets. The ar...
Luz Ardiden
Height: 1,730m
Established as a ski resort in 1974, Luz Ardiden has grown to offer 32 pistes and also has snowma...
Manigod
Height: 1,480m
Medium-sized centre (6000 tourist beds) with a good ski altitude range and a full range of tuitio...
Méaudre
Height: 1,000m
Multi winter sports centre established in 1961, attracting clientele from all backgrounds for the...
Megève
Height: 1,113m
One of the largest towns in France (third biggest bed base after Chamonix and La Plagne), with th...
Menthières
Height: 1,050m
Méribel
Height: 1,450m
In 1938 a British Officer created a ski resort, Méribel, in an almost abandoned mountain valley. ...
Métabief Mont d'Or
Height: 1,000m
Right on the Swiss border and serving six traditional villages in the locality, this is a year-ro...
Mieussy
Height: 1,300m
A small village sharing the ski domaine of Sommand, Praz de Lys.
Mijanès - Donezan
Height: 1,530m
Located four kilometres (two-and-a-half miles) from the village of Mijanès, on the sides of Canru...
Molines en Queyras
Height: 1,750m
Under-developped ski area little known outsuide France and close to the Italian border ( 22km, pa...
Mont Aigoual
Height: 1,200m
Probably the only ski area in the world to have a website leading in with a Woody Allen quote, Mo...
Mont Saxonnex
Height: 1,000m
A small and rather low-level centre, but a good choice for a less demanding ski holiday, with eas...
Mont Ventoux
Height: 1,400m
1912m high Mont Ventoux is the biggest mountain in Provence, its height meaning it normally has g...
Montagne de Lure / St Etienne Les Orgues
Height: 1,600m
The closest resort to Marseille.
Montchavin - Les Coches
Height: 1,250m
Genuine Tarentaise village below Les Coches. Linked to La Plagne's huge ski area since 1972. Su...
Montgenèvre
Height: 1,860m
Lively, charming mountain village with lots of sunshine; a mix of traditional architecture and a ...
Monts Jura
Height: 1,000m
Skiers have a breathtaking view of the Alps from one of the the three key Jura ski centres, locat...
Morillon
Height: 700m
A small traditional resort below Flaine, lift linked in to the Grand Massif circuit, with a great...
Morzine
Height: 1,000m
One of the world's major ski centres and a sizeable, picturesque town with a good range of shops,...
Mouille
Mouthe le Risoux
Notre - Dame - du - Pré
Notre Dame De Bellecombe
Height: 1,130m
A lovely old Savoyard village with a long tradition of year round tourism. Skiing in the lift-li...
Orcières 1850
Height: 1,850m
Unfortunately the 15-floor buildings at this purpose built centre have won little critical acclai...
Oz-en-Oisans
Height: 1,350m
This tiny hamlet is the 'base' of the huge Alpe D'Huez 'maximum vertical'. So long as the lift w...
Passy
Height: 1,400m
A spa village beneath Mont Blanc and close to many famous ski areas in the region including Chamo...
Payolle
Peisey - Vallandry
Height: 1,300m
Located at the heart of the 1992 Savoie Olympic Region, and at the entrance of the Vanoise Nation...
Pelvoux - La Vallouise
Height: 1,250m
A typical traditional village of the Haute Alpes with some beautiful buildings, a weekly market a...
Peyragudes
Height: 1,600m
Sunny paradise, especially for intermediate skiers. Area pass Haute-Garonne takes in Le Mourtis ...
Piau Engaly
Height: 1,420m
Purpose built in the early '70s on a border plateau facing Spain in the Pyrenees National park. ...
Plaine Joux
Height: 1,400m
A ski station above Passy, with which it is generally packaged.
Porté Puymorens
Height: 1,700m
A large unlinked ski area with a high percentage of chair lifts for a comparatively small bed-bas...
Pra Loup
Height: 1,500m
Pra Loup is one of the major ski areas in the Southern Alps with a friendly, laid back reputation...
Pralognan - La - Vanoise
Height: 1,410m
A traditional, quiet mountain village set among fir and spruce trees at the gate of Vanoise nati...
Praz de Lys - Sommand
Height: 1,500m
Traditional but little known resort with attractive wood-clad buildings above Taninges, ski area ...
Praz-sur-Arly
Height: 1,036m
Praz sur Arly, a village resport in Mont Blanc country, has all the requirements for a successful...
Puy Salvador
Puy St Vincent
Height: 1,400m
Located in the largest park in France, the 92000 acre 'Les Ecrins', Puy Saint Vincent is a year r...
Puyvalador
Height: 1,700m
Réallon
Height: 1,560m
Risoul
Height: 1,850m
Very pleasant for a purpose-built centre, Risoul has the largest doorstep skiing area in the Sout...
Roubion - Les Buisses
Height: 1,400m
Rouge Gazon
Height: 950m
Privately operated ski area run by the Luttenbacher family who have operated a tourism business i...
Saint - Jean Montclar
Height: 1,350m
Located in an area of outstanding natural beauty this is one of the best equipped ski resorts in ...
Saint - Lary - Soulan
Height: 1,600m
A large but typical and traditional Pyrenéan village linked by road or cable car to altitude stat...
Saint - Léger - les - Mélèzes
Height: 1,260m
Saint Martin de Belleville
Height: 1,450m
An authentic Savoyard village which upholds its culture and traditions, but is lift-linked to Les...
Saint Nicolas de Véroce
Height: 1,180m
A small pretty village, well linked to the skiing of larger neighhbours St Gervais and Megève, an...
Saint Pierre de Chartreuse / Le Planolet
Height: 900m
A traditional village, dominated by it's monastry, yet vibrant all year round, Saint Pierre has o...
Sainte Foy Tarentaise
Height: 1,550m
Sainte Foy sits nestled in the French Alps, close to the Italian border, at a height of 1550 m ri...
Samoëns
Height: 720m
Nestled at the heart of a great glacial valley, Samoëns has for centuries been the focus of impor...
Schnepfenried
Height: 990m
Serre Chevalier
Height: 1,200m
"Serre Che" is made up of thirteen villages (three main ones) spread out for 6km along the Guisan...
Seythenex
Height: 1,150m
Located between Annecy lake and the surrounding mountains, just minutes away from the most famous...
Sixt - Fer a Cheval
Height: 850m
Pretty old village on the Grand Massif but not actually lift-linked to it. Once you've taken the...
Soleilhas - Vauplane
Height: 1,600m
North facing slopes and night skiing with snow making cover for excellent conditions.
Sollières - Sardières
Height: 1,300m
Source du Doubs
St - Gervais - Mont Blanc
Height: 1,403m
An old spa town, busy with tourists since 1806 but dating back to Roman times. Linked to Saint Ni...
St - Jean - d'Aulps
Height: 900m
A purpose built development 3km above the historic village of St Jean d'Aulps with its 10th centu...
St - Maurice - sur - Moselle
Height: 900m
A small ski centre without snow-making but with a good reputation for cross-country skiing. Down...
St Andéol
Height: 1,000m
St Bernard-du-Touvet - Les Petites Roches
Height: 1,060m
St Colomban - des - Villards
Height: 1,100m
St François-Longchamp
Height: 1,450m
Made up of small hamlets, St-François-Longchamp is next to a sizeable ski area shared with newer ...
St Hilaire de Touvet - Les Petites Roches
Height: 1,000m
St Honoré
Height: 1,500m
St Jean d'Arves - Les Sybelles
Height: 1,600m
Made up of 22 small hamlets in the Sybelles region offering year-round relaxation in a genuinely ...
St Pancrasse - Coq du Coq
St Pierre dels Forcats
Height: 1,640m
A small traditional village with lifts just outside its boundaries linked to those of Eyne 2600 a...
St Sorlin d'Arves
Height: 1,550m
Station de Ski Remy Loisirs
Ste Anne La Condamine
Height: 1,830m
An altitude resort near the Italian border and sharing a lift ticket with Pra Loup and Le sauze S...
Superbagnères
Height: 1,800m
The purpose built centre Superbagnères was linked by gondola lift to the old spa town of Luchon i...
Superdévoluy
Height: 1,500m
Sunny, high-rise purpose-built centre linked to La Joue du Loup. It is a so called "station vill...
Termignon La Vanoise
Height: 1,300m
Termignon is a traditional village in the Haute Maurienne region at the heart of ther Parc de la ...
Thollon - les - Mémises
Height: 1,600m
Year-round destination resort in a lovely position overlooking Lake Geneva (Lac Leman). Close to...
Tignes
Height: 2,100m
Tignes shares the huge and wonderful Espace Killy with Val D'Isere, but the underground funicular...
Val Cenis
Height: 1,400m
Located in the heart of the Maurienne region, bordering the National Parc de la Vanoise, Val Ceni...
Val d'Aillon
Height: 1,000m
Val d'Allos - La Foux
Height: 1,800m
La Foux D'Allos is one of the most southerly French ski resorts with much of the accommodation in...
Val d'Allos - Le Seignus
Height: 1,400m
Le Seignus is a small purpose built development linked to the original village of Allos by gondol...
Val d'Eze
Height: 1,600m
Val d'Isère
Height: 1,850m
Val D'Isère ranks alongside St Moritz, Stowe and Cortina in the "famous names of skiing" category...
Val de Morteau
Height: 970m
Val Thorens
Height: 2,300m
Situated at the top of Les 3 Vallées, the largest ski area in the world, in the heart of a natura...
Valberg
Height: 1,700m
Just an 80 minute drive from Nice, Valberg has a reputation for sunshine and a Mediterranean feel...
Valdrôme
Height: 1,300m
Valezan
Valfréjus
Height: 1,550m
One of the newest resorts in the Alps, established in 1983, Valfrejus was built on a skiing area ...
Valle du Louron / Loudenvielle
Height: 900m
A mix of old and new, with an attractive purpose-built development in local wood and stone-built ...
Valloire
Height: 1,430m
Developing from a small farming community of the 1930s, Valloire has branched out across the Maur...
Vallorcine
Height: 1,260m
A conglomeration of small mountain hamlets. There's a small local ski area with skiing mostly qu...
Valmeinier
Height: 1,800m
Small traditional village linked into the huge Valloire ski region since 1974. Purpose built off...
Valmorel
Height: 1,400m
Valmorel is 30 years old, and very tastefully designed, gaining widespread admiration for having ...
Vars
Height: 1,650m
Vars has been a predominantly domestic destination resort until recently, it shares the largest s...
Vaujany
Height: 1,100m
This sleepy hamlet derives much of its income from having a major (but unobtrusive) hydro-electri...
Ventron
Height: 870m
Located in a quiet wooded valley, Ventron is one of the smaller centres in the Vosges region. Ho...
Villard - Reculas
Height: 1,450m
A charming, traditional village with minimal tourism infrastructure, linked to the huge Grand Rou...
Villard de Lans
Height: 1,050m
Pleasant, large, traditional resort with extensive skiing reached from the Cote 2000 ski centre a...
Villaroger
Height: 1,200m
Small station lift linked to Les Arcs, now lift linked to La Plagne in turn. Massive vertical po...
Villers - le - Lac
Height: 1,000m