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Val Cenis Ski Holidays

At a glance

  • Part of Eski-Mo ski area
  • Traditional villages
  • Tree-lined north-facing pistes

Great for

  • Families
  • Intermediates
  • Value for money

Ski Holidays in Val Cenis

Two small villages huddled in the Maurienne valley, Val Cenis is pretty unknown but packs a punch. It’s a dream for beginners and intermediates with access to an area the size of Espace Killy. Topped with spectacular panoramas and buckets of Savoyard charm, it also has good-value accommodation at a fraction of the cost of other French resorts.

  • Flight Time
  • 1h 45m
  • From London
  • Nearest Airports
  • Geneva, Grenoble
  • Chambery, Lyon
  • Time zone
  • GMT + 1 hour
  • Language
  • French
  • Currency
  • Euros
  • Ski Season
  • Dec - April

Val Cenis Stats

Top Altitude
2800m
Bottom Altitude
1300m
Resort Altitude
1450m
Total Piste
125km
Longest Run
10km
Slope Orientation
N, W
Vertical Drop
1400m
Skiable Vertical
Night Skiing
Yes
Glacier Skiing
No

Val Cenis is the biggest resort in the beautiful Haute Maurienne valley, which sits on the French/Italian boarder with peaks as high as 3000m. Between the Iseran and the Mont Cenis passes, with the Vanoise National Park right on its doorstep, the whole area is a seriously impressive sight for the eyes.

The resort itself made up of two small, Savoyard villages, Lanslebourg and Lanslevillard which are 3km apart and were connected as one ski resort in 1967. The latter is slightly prettier and more compact as well as being livelier, with a greater selection of bars, shops and restaurants, whereas Lanslebourg is more stretched out. Both villages are knee deep in history, with Baroque art and architecture and charming old chapels. Ski buses regularly shuttle between them as well as the town of Termignon.

Located within 2 hour’s drive of 3 airports and easily accessible by train (the nearest station is Modane) this is an ideal base for mini breaks and family trips. The resort is relatively unspoilt and unknown, which means it’s usually quiet and uncrowded. This paired with massive investments in the lift system make it excellent value for money; lots of things are a fraction of the cost of popular resorts like nearby Val d’Isere.

The Val Cenis Vanoise ski area has a modern lift system giving easy access to 125km of largely beginner and intermediate pistes as well as a snow park, boarder cross and a wide range of alternative sports and activities on offer.

Those after even more skiing can upgrade to the Eski-Mo pass which combines the Vanoise ski area with 4 other resorts: Aussois, Bonneval, la Norma and Val Frejus. This gives you a 325km area: access to each of the other 4 resorts for a day and unlimited skiing in the Vanoise ski area.

Winter Sports Ratings

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboarding

Val Cenis Transfer Times

Chambery 1 ¾ hrs
Grenoble 1 ¾ hrs
Lyon 2 ½ hrs

The nearest airport to Val Cenis is Grenoble/St Geoirs at 80 km or about 1 hour 30 minutes by car

What's the ski area like in Val Cenis?

Val Cenis has about 125km groomed pistes, with 65 runs. Suitable for the beginner to intermediates level with a few options for experts.

Which other ski resorts are near to Val Cenis?

The nearest ski resorts to Val Cenis include Val d’Isere, Val Thorens, Bardonecchia, Sauze d'Oulx, Meribel, La Norma, Val Frejus.

Ski Area Facts

LocationFrance, Southern Alps.
Established1967
Downhill125km
Lift PassVal Cenis Vanoise: 165€
Eski-Mo Ski pass: 185€

Beginner Slopes

55km44%

Intermediate Skiing

52.5km42%

Advance & Expert Terrain

17.5km14%

Snowboarding Trails

125km100%

What is Val Cenis like for Beginner skiers?

Lanslevillard is ideal for beginners thanks to its collection of welcoming nursery slopes – Le Mollard is one of our favourite easy greens. In fact, the whole area is fab for beginner skiing – it has the longest green in Europe (L’Escargot at 10km) and if you take the Colomba or Le Haut lifts you gain access to even more greens.

There are lots of nice long blues to tackle when you get more confident, Girarde is great for practicing turns and Forestiere is a wide and forgiving descent winding through forest.

What is Val Cenis like for Intermediate skiers?

Intermediates have plenty of challenging reds, especially those above Termignon accessed from the Grand Coin draglift. Try the tricky MJ St Genix for a fun challenge or Solert with its big vertical. If you really fancy a test, ski the Goulet red where you can reach some relatively easy off-piste.

What is Val Cenis like for Advanced skiers?

Experts might find the options limited with only 6 short black runs – we think Michele Jacot is the best. Mogul fans should try the short but fun Moraine or make the most of the Eski-Mo pass and test out the long black Balmes in Aussois at 2750m. What’s lacking on piste is certainly made up for off the beaten track.

What is Val Cenis like for snowboarding?

There’s a good snow park with a natural half pipe, jumps and rails. You also have the boarder cross and plenty of natural hits and jumps on the sides of the lower forested runs, and the Snow Zone near Lanslevillard has a Big Air Bag.

What is Val Cenis like for off-piste skiing?

You can free-ride from top of Mount Jacot or Moraine which is an ungroomed mountain. Hire an off-piste guide, go heli-skiing or explore nearby Bonneval-Sur-Arc for tough challenges and awesome off-piste verticals. The best powder has to be near the Plan Cardinal chair where the rocky terrain and gullies make for plenty of thrills and spills.

What is Val Cenis like for cross country skiing?

There are masses of cross-country opportunities with around 200km of routes between the Val d'Ambin, Val Cenis Bramans and Bessans areas. Rated one of the best Nordic ski areas with spectacular views of the glaciers and mountains in Vanoise National Par

Val Cenis Restaurants

What it lacks in nightlife it makes up for in food, with heaps of amazing restaurants: Terroir’ does some delicious Savoyard cuisine and La Cordee is the top spot for a cheeky crêpe on the sun terrace.

Most restaurants have a cosy, inviting atmosphere and serve a range of regional delicacies and family favourites; L’Arcelle has a cheerful feel and tasty tartiflettes. For the all important lunchtime mountain break, La Fema and La Ranova have a wide range of food to suit everyone at affordable prices.

The little-known Le Dahut is a refreshing surprise that serves delicious food, perfect for a special occasion or if you’re a fondue fan, La Vanoise is unmissable!

If you’re in self-catered apartments and can’t face cooking, Valpizza is just one of several great places serving up tasty takeaway pizzas.

Val Cenis Après Ski

The nightlife in the two villages is pretty quiet with the vibe being very relaxed. While it certainly isn’t the place for party animals, there is a handful of fun, inexpensive bars to grab some drinks at après. Le Napoleon, with its pool table and drinks deals is the liveliest spot in Lanslebourg, but Lanslevillard has the bigger après buzz. The Sports Bar and Howard’s Pub (which serves up gigantic burgers and cheap beers) are the most popular joints in town and Bowling 1480 is where the younger crowd like to hang out. The renowned cinnamon mulled wine of Le Petit Chalet might hit the spot or for something a tad fancier, both Alpazur and La Vielle Poste serve up reasonably priced cocktails.

Val Cenis Activites for Non-skiers

Not everyone skis dusk till dawn and you’re certainly not short of things to do in either village. You’ll find an indoor pool, bowling alley, 2 ice rinks and 2 cinemas as well as several wellness facilities. For a relatively small resort, it definitely packs a punch; hosting a huge range of activities and alternative sports including ice climbing, canyoning, mountain biking and paragliding as well as the more unique ice-diving at 1700m. Kids will love the 900m long toboggan run, husky adventures and trampolining but it’s just not the little ones who are looked after... Those with a penchant for culture can visit numerous crafts shops such as La Pignotte, take in a pretty chapel or two, as well as try the local fromageries - you can buy delicious cheese for your own fondue and hire the kit free from Le Plaisir en Vanoise.

Clothing Food & Souvenir Shops

The two bases offer all holiday requirements including of course grocery and skiwear and equipment. Local arts and crafts are woth seeking out. La Pignotte in Lanslebourg offers traditional local Savoyard pottery and other artworks. In Lanslevillard La Bricole and La Grange Anatalie both offer loca arts, pottery and gifts.

Best Time to Visit Val Cenis

Val Cenis has a high top altitude of 2800m so is usually a great spot for late season skiing, whilst also benefitting from predominately north-facing slopes. A large volume of the slopes below 2100m have good snowmaking facilities with 200 snow cannons for any necessary topping up later in the season. A big draw of the skiing here is the beautiful tree-lined slopes below 2000m, which are a good when visibility is poor. The resort is quiet year-round in comparison to other French resorts and in past seasons has had barely any queues, even during peak times. This makes it perfect for families or beginners wanting lots of piste to practice on and for those who hate spending half their day queueing for lifts. January is a fun time to go as there is usually great snow coverage, as well as exciting events like the International Cross-Country Skiing Marathon and The Savoie Mont Blanc Grande Odyssee traditionally taking place at this time of year.

What's Val Cenis like at Christmas?

Christmas in Val Cenis is usually a truly alpine affair and what better than to celebrate a white Christmas in a beautiful mountain village. Glide down the slopes in the morning, ice skate in the evening and feast on Savoyard cuisine all week long.

What's Val Cenis like in the New Year?

Spend New year in Val Cenis where the priorities are great skiing, filling up on fondue, cosying up with a mulled wine and trying unbelievable activities like snow zorbing and ice-diving!

What's Val Cenis like in Half-Term?

February Half Term in Val Cenis is your answer for a top family holiday with great skiing, good-value accommodation and virtually no queues… sounds almost too good to be true!

What's Val Cenis like at Easter?

Easter in Val Cenis is a great choice because of its high, north-facing slopes that usually ensure skiing right till the end of the season - soak up the rays on a terrace whilst the kids bomb down the great selection of greens on offer.

Val Cenis Snow Conditions

Snow Report, History & Forecast

View our detailed Val Cenis snow report to see skiing confitions now. Our Val Cenis snow history shows you what snow depths have been in recent years month-by-month. If you're visiting soon, use the Val Cenis snow forecast to see predicted snowfall over the coming days.

  • Current snow depth at top
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  • Current snow depth at base
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If Val Cenis had one label to sell itself, it would be its family-friendly nature.

Superb childcare facilities and snow gardens in both villages make sure kids from 3 months - 12 years are well taken care of and have a fun time on the snow. With a traditional feel and lack of thumping bars, you shouldn’t have to contend with a loud party atmosphere come bed time, even in the centre.

The region is famous for its tasty cuisine - the abundance of great pizza restaurants, the pancakes and waffles at La Ramasse and the famous burgers at Le P’Tit Grenier are bound to keep the whole clan happy.

The ski area is almost as if it was designed for families, with a great selection of nursery slopes for children to learn on as well as heaps of reds, off piste and freestyle terrain to keep more advanced family members occupied. There are lots of easy greens and blues for the whole family to ski together - a family outing down ‘L’Escargot’, the longest green run in Europe is always good fun.

Little ones get tired easily and sometimes need a break from the slopes, and that’s where the great non-ski stuff here comes into its own - how do you pick from bowling, ice-skating, watching a film or swimming? If that wasn’t enough then the adrenaline activities on offer including climbing, ice-diving and mountain biking are sure to hit the spot, there’s even trampolining at the Ilot Bungee to have a go at! Val Cenis has an incredible 900m long toboggan run which provides endless fun for every member of the family and the Big Air Park at the Snow Zone is perfect to give the teenage crowd a fun place to spend hours jumping, trying tricks and meeting new people.

Val Cenis is a cracking resort for a group holiday; not only is it very good-value, but the range of opportunities opened up with the Eski-Mo pass means that every level of skier has some pistes to sink their teeth into.

Boarders won’t be left lacking with a snow park and a boarder cross and the ‘Snow Zone’ Big Air Bag on top of plenty of jumps, rails and a natural halfpipe. Advanced snow lovers can cruise the fantastic powder just off the ‘Plan Cardinal’ chair while beginners hone their skills on the quiet and wide greens above Lanslevillard; there’s limited boarding for intermediates who may find the high proportion of draglifts a bit restricting...

Val Cenis doesn’t have a wild night-life, but large groups can make their own fun - bars like Howard’s Pub and Napoleon stay open into the early hours if the clientele are keen (and the drinks are a lot cheaper than in other French resorts).

A big selling point for groups is the impressive range of alternative activities. If you fancy some time off the slopes, you have 2 cinemas, an indoor and outdoor ice rink, a bowling alley as well as more adrenaline pumping things like skydiving and snow zorbing. The Snake Gliss is great for groups as it involves everyone and is unbelievably fun. Those with a love of food and wine have a host of local fromageries (La Cheverie in the town centre is one of the best) and traditional craft shops to peruse for some of the region’s finest artisan work.

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Ski Extras

How much is a ski pass in Val Cenis

Maximum and minimum adult Val Cenis lift pass prices ranged from €175 to €175 for 6 days access to the Val Cenis ski lift system at the start of the 2025 winter season. Our lift passes are part of a packaged Val Cenis holiday with accommodation, so prices vary depending on chalet or hotel suppliers. Confirm price for the lift ticket before booking your holiday.

Lift Tickets Child Adult Senior
1 Day Price N / A N / A N / A
6 Day Price €146 - €146 €175 - €175 €158 - €158
Age Range 5 - 11 12 - 64 65+

Getting to Val Cenis

Most of our ski holidays to Val Cenis packaged with flights include airport transfers. We can also arrange private transfers to Val Cenis from nearby airports

How long does it take to fly to Val Cenis from the UK?

Flights from London take about 1h 45m to Geneva, Grenoble, Chambery, Lyon. This table shows approximate transfer times to Val Cenis from the nearest airports, smaller airports can be more prone to delays.

Airport Distance Transfer Time
Grenoble/St Geoirs 80 km 1 hour 30 minutes
Geneva 180 km 2 hours 30 minutes
Turin 80 km 1 hour 30 minutes

How long does it take to drive to Val Cenis from the UK?

Browse our self-drive ski holidays which include your car channel crossing, or go choose accom-only and book your car ferry or tunnel later.

How long is the transfer from nearest France train station to Val Cenis?

The transfer time from alpine train stations are generally shorter than from airports, Call us for details of Val Cenis transfers.

Station Distance Transfer Time
Modane 25 km 25 minutes

Val Cenis Maps

Val Cenis piste map
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Regional map
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Town Map
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Going to Val Cenis under your own steam

For independant travel to France, compare accommodation only with Val Cenis self-drive packages which include Eurotunnel or ferry.

Accomm-Only & Self-Drive

See driving directions to and from Val Cenis in France.

Enter your start location and click "Get Directions" to view the route:

Val Cenis Ski Holiday Resources

Need help choose your Val Cenis ski holiday? Call us on 020 7770 6888 or click Enquire - we love to help!

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Similar Ski Resorts to Val Cenis in France


Every Sno holiday packaged with flights is ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. All our suppliers are ATOL bonded, so your money is safe. In addition to this, payments for your holiday are held in trust, by NatWest bank and the Travel Trust, who insure every booking against supplier failure.

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