France travel > Alpine ski centres

Take a winter break in a popular French Alps resort

The Alpine ski resorts mostly fall into a few very extensive regions, which combine several villages and ski areas in one large resort with interconnecting ski slopes and transport links. This has the advantage for the visitor that there are always new slopes and variety close to hand.

The main ski areas fall in the Rhone-Alpes region, in the stretch of mountains running south from Geneva along the border with Switzerland and Italy, and east of Grenoble, although Serre Chevalier falls further south - within the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region.

Moving broadly north to south through the Alps the main ski regions are:

Portes du Soleil ski region

the Portes du Soleil ski region, including Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz

Paradiski

The extensive Paradiski region in the Tarentaise Valley includes Les Arcs (at Bourg-Saint-Maurice), Peisey-Vallandry and la Plagne.

Espace Killy ski region

the 'Espace Killy' ski region includes the resorts of Val d'Isere and Tignes to the east of the Vanoise National Park

Avoriaz / Les-7-Laux

Chamonix Mont-Blanc

There is a very popular ski region around Chamonix, south of the Espace Killy region at the base of Mont Blanc. See also nearby Megeve.

Les Trois Vallees

this region - known in English as the Three Valleys ski-region, is focussed around the reorts at Meribel, Courchevel and Val Thorens to the west of the Vanoise National park. Valmorel is also in this part of the French Alps, en route for the Three Valleys region.

Close to hand for Grenoble, and popular with people who live in the town, are the resorts of Les-7-Laux and Deux-Alpes.

Serre Chevalier

Further south than the resorts above and in the Provence region, Serre Chevalier includes Briancon and also the towns of Villeneuve, Chantemerle and Les Monetier-les-Bains

Other ski resorts in France in the Alps

Another popular ski region a little to the south is at L'Alpe d'Huez and to the north near Annecy at La Clusaz.

Map of the Ski Resorts in the Alps



Summary

Each region has its own strengths and weaknesses - higher altitude, more dramatic surroundings, better beginner slopes, more off-piste routes, more apres-ski facilities, longer season etc.

The resorts also vary a great deal in themselves - from quiet Alpine chalet villages to crowded 1960's high-rise developments or even architectural achievements such as Avoriaz. Some french ski resorts are also entirely pedestrianised so you can ski straight from outside your chalet door.

As a result it is not possible to rank the resorts - it depends on your personal abilities, requirements, family, and so on...but you can be sure that whether you are a ski novice looking for lessons and a gentle slope, or a long time expert looking to travel for miles off-piste, there is the ideal resort for you somewhere in the French Alps - see winter ski holidays in the French Alps for a great selection of French winter ski holidays.

See related article : ski resorts in the Pyrenees, France