France

A quick look at pretty much any large ski tour operator’s brochure will show you that France has one of the very best selections of resorts to choose from in the world. There are different flight arrival points for different parts of the French Alps, (Grenoble and Lyon) and Geneva is very well located for a superb selection of resorts in France too. The range of altitude is staggering, and the country boasts a wide range of resorts to suit any level of skier or boarder, any group dynamic, any budget and almost any other ski holiday requirement you could name.

            For powder fans, France’s specialist freeride resorts include Chamonix with its spectacular back-country possibilities, Serre Chevalier with more lift-served off piste than pretty much anywhere else you could name, and La Rosiere, where the quiet mountain sides hold fresh powder for days after the last fall. Resorts like Meribel and Val d’Isere are almost entirely tracked out within 2 days, but you can make fresh tracks in these smaller resorts for far longer. As for the freeriders who prefer kickers, rails and jumps, Meribel boasts 2 large snowparks, and there are parks in the majority of other French resorts to. Avoriaz excels on this front, with the all-natural park, Le Stash, designed by Burton and hidden amongst the trees in the Lindarets sector. Pro riders flock to Avoriaz for its wealth of kickers and rails, and the monster-pipe has to be seen to be believed. There’s also a baby park for beginners to hone their skills.

            The gentle, tree-lined and sheltered slopes above Morzine and Les Gets are outstanding for beginners. Children are so well catered for there, it’s wonderful. The Altiport sector in Meribel is a wide, sheltered green piste and I struggle to think of a better slope in the whole of the Alps for beginner skiers. Courchevel offers a great deal to any type of skier or boarder, and beginners learning to ski or ride here are no exception. There’s a wealth of gentle slopes coming back down to 1850 which are perfect for beginners to learn on. Intermediate skiers have a wider choice of ideal resorts in France. Val d’Isere, for instance, is an intermediate’s paradise because there’s a good range of blues and reds with very easy progression over to the steeper slopes of Tignes. Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes offer wide, boulevarded runs which are perfect for speed-building practise and the ski areas, especially in Alpe d’Huez, are just superb. Resorts like La Rosiere and Les Arcs offer large ski areas with easy progression to the steeper slopes within the same ski area. Les Arcs, in particular, is notably good for this. Expert skiers in France can pretty much take their pick, because the majority of resorts have a lot to offer in gradient, piste-length and off-piste. But the resorts which excel for skiers of this level are Chamonix, Meribel, Tignes and Les Deux Alpes. Chamonix boasts the Vallee Blanche, one of the best back-country runs in the world. Meribel sits in the middle of the mighty 3 Valleys ski area, the largest you’ll find. Tignes’ pistes are steep and long, with a massive ski area to hit and some incredible off-piste potential. Like the Vallee Blanche in Chamonix, La Grave in les Deux Alpes has to be skied to be believed and attracts many very experienced skiers and boarders... with a guide!

            If it’s a mix of boozing and skiing you want, France has this covered too. Resorts such as Meribel and Val d’Isere have a buzzing nightlife, a great selection of bars and a big live music scene too. They also attract big name acts for piste-side festivals like Meribel’s Altitude festival and Little World festival. Val Thorens and Val d’Isere both have a piste-side Folie Douce bar, for the best Euro après ski you could hope for! The house music gets pumping from 3pm, the beers flow and the tabletops are full of happy, half-cut revellers enjoying themselves. Be careful of the ski back down to resort level though! Families need look no further than resorts like Les Gets and La Rosiere for their friendly, relaxed family atmosphere and minimal nightlife. The slopes are perfect for kids and the resort centers are pretty, and wonderful to stroll around.

       Early and late season skiers need to stay at good altitude. Again, France does not disappoint. Val d’Isere, Avoriaz, Tignes, Courchevel, les Arcs, la Plagne and Val Thorens are amongst the highest resorts in the whole of the Alps and full coverage through the season is pretty much guaranteed.