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France has some of the world’s greatest ski areas – and its best resorts are plonked right in the middle of them. Glaciers and sky-high pistes keep things brilliantly snowy, while the tourist offices pour millions into making the whole experience slick and spectacular.
From state-of-the-art beginner runs and themed pistes for children, to World Cup steeps and daring powder trails – not to mention oodles of intermediate terrain between them: these are the ten best French resorts for a smashing week on the slopes.
France: Top 10 Ski Resorts
Not many resorts come close to Val d’Isere, whether we’re talking about the pistes, powder, parties or how stonkingly pretty it is. Hogging half of the Espace Killy, Val has it all: Olympic downhills like La Face, mind-boggling moguls like Epaule du Charvet, snow-sure glacier… + more
One of the originals, Cham hosted the first Winter Olympics back in 1924 and has remained at the very forefront of mountain sports. Being a proper town in a socking great valley, it’s a bit of a Marmite resort: Some don’t like the fact the slopes aren’t all seamlessly linked in… + more
Meribel has won the hearts of countless British skiers, and also happens to sit in the heart of the socking great 3 Valleys. There’s a lot to love about this resort: A sea of wooden chalets, it has alpine charm down pat, managing to host all kinds of accommodation without losing… + more
Sure the architecture and après don’t have the calibre of neighbour Val d’Isère, but that doesn’t stop Tignes from being one of the greatest ski resorts in the Alps. It’s all about the slopes here, which make up half of the mighty Espace Killy – the more intermediate-friendly… + more
Oozing luxury from every pore, 1850’s worked up a reputation of serious glamour. It’s crammed with designer shops, slick piano bars and properly posh lodgings, but also has the smoothest access to the skiing. And what a ski area - the 3 Valleys has more lift-linked slopes than… + more
Sometimes it helps to turn things upside down – and L2A does just that with its ski area. While the gentler slopes are usually at the bottom of the mountain and the steep ones at the peak, this place has the opposite. It’s the home runs that’ll have your mettle tested, while the… + more
Portes du Soleil’s the world’s biggest international ski area - and in size, character and location, Morzine’s its main resort. Easy on the eye, the town itself is a bundle of old-style chalets around a traditional village square and 19th century church. You’ll find oodles of… + more
Half of the mighty Paradiski falls under LP’s umbrella, putting 250km of pistes in the local area alone. Boredom rarely occurs here, whether you prefer easy-going blues, knee-deep powder or freestyle. Especially when you factor in the whole area pass, which totals a whopping 425… + more
European ski resorts don’t get higher than VT, which takes top spot at a giddy 2300m. Besides having glorious views of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps, the altitude makes for phenomenal snow conditions. This gives the local slopes the longest season of the 3 Valleys, which… + more
The land of sunny skiing, Alpe d’Huez’s Grande Domaine has 250km of pistes streaming down from Pic Blanc at 3330m. Experts will have a ball – with a whopping 66km of black runs to conquer including the mogulled Tunnel and uber long (the longest in the Alps in fact) Sarenne. And… + more
These French ski resorts are truly world class, with well-placed, modern resorts accessing some of the largest ski areas on the planet. If you want to widen your search to include other European nations, have a look at our Top 10 lists for Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
Or, take your trip up a level and book a week in one of the greatest ski resorts worldwide… Featuring our favourites from across the globe, our list of the world’s 10 best showcases bucket-list destinations everyone should ski at least once.
Best ski resorts in France
| Resort | Best features | Ski area |
|---|---|---|
| Val d'Isere | Pretty town, large snow sure ski area, super après ski | 300km |
| Chamonix | Historic mountain town, Mont Blanc views, multiple ski areas | 117km |
| Meribel | Huge 3 Valleys ski area, charming chalet resort, great après ski | 600km |
| Tignes | High altitude ski resort, glacier skiing, great value packages | 300km |
| Courchevel | High end ski resort, world’s biggest ski area, Michelin-starred restaurants | 600km |
| Les 2 Alpes | Historic ski resort, glacier skiing, great for beginners | 223km |
| Morzine | 2 country ski area, lively après ski, fantastic for families | 650km |
| La Plagne | Snow sure skiing, ski in/out accommodation, super family resort | 225km |
| Val Thorens | Europe’s highest ski resort, lively après ski, 5* hotels | 300km |
| Alpe d'Huez | Great mountain bars, sunny ski area, runs for all levels | 250km |
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