Val d'Isere ski resort guide Apres-ski, ski area, things to see & do in Val d"Isere
Resort Review
Ski holidays in Val d'Isere are full of fun especially if you like touring as Val d'Isere is part of the superbly linked ski area called L'Espace Killy with over 300km of pistes and a serious amount of very good off-piste. It's less expensive neighbour, Tignes, is also linked to the same lift system which allows some serious touring days. Due to its altitude, Val d'Isere has a very reliable snow record and on the rare occasion when the snow is thin on the ground, there is always snow on the glaciers.
Val d'Isere borders Italy sitting at the top end of the Tarentaise Valley which is home to some other world famous ski resorts, including those in the Les 3 Vallees and the Paradiski sector covering the linked areas of Les Arcs and La Plagne.
Après-ski
Val d'Isere has a vibrant party scene with very lively bars and night clubs. There are over 100 restaurants that serve a wide variety of cuisine ranging from hearty local specialities to fine gourmet cuisine from Europe and around the world. There are also plenty of cafés and pizzerias.
Childcare
Val d'Isere looks after the youngsters extremely well with some kindergartens providing day care for babies from just 10 weeks old! .
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1850m |
| Top lift | 3550m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 300 |
| Longest run | 10 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 40 km |
| Season | Dec - April |
| Snowboard parks | 1 |
| Heli Skiing | ✘ |
| Summer skiing | ✔ |
| Glacier skiing | ✔ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Lively & Fun |
Ski area guide
The Espace Killy Tignes / Val d’Isère ski area offers you 155 runs stretched over 300km between 1550m and 3450m and is an incredible winter sports playground for skiers and boarders.
As well as immaculately groomed pistes, the Espace Killy area has:
- 9 slalom courses
- 1 mogul field at sache towards Les Brevieres
- 2 snow parks
- 1 gliss park
Beginners
There are separate nursery areas in the resort with free lifts for first timers to learn the basics. On the mountain, there are some super gentle green slopes at Bellevarde and Solaise to get some high mountain experience.
Intermediate
One of the best places in the Alps for intermediate skiers with stacks of long cruising blues and reds. For excellent views of the whole valley, head up to the Gran Motte glacier.
Advanced
Val d'Isere, together with Tignes has some of the finest off-piste around. The "Naturide" area offers serious challenges - this is a patrolled zone of black pistes which never sees a piste basher. Another great challenging run is La Face - this is the olympic run from the top of La Bellevarde to Val d’Isère.
Cross-country
If you don't fancy the pistes, there are 40km of scenic trails around Le Lac.
Things to See & Do
- Ice diving in the lake at Tignes
- Ice skating
- Ice driving
- Hand-gliding
- Snowmobiling
- Dog sledding
Snowboard
Val d'Isere & Tignes are a true paradise for boarders and attracts them from around the globe. The terrain park at Palafour is excellent with everything imaginable to keep even the best challenged. The freefriders tend to head over to the couloirs du Telegraphe and the couloirs off the Aiguille Percee.
Featured ski chalets
Val d'Isere offers a wide selection of self catering accommodation from luxurious ski chalets to residence style apartments often with concierge and spa facilities. The total bed count is some 28,000 with most of the holiday rentals being within walking distance to the local ski lifts.
Our view Val d'Isere
Val d'Isere is a world famous ski resort with fantastic skiing and lively apres-ski. A few suggestions for your Val d'Isere ski holidays...
- For the ski season, try and avoid arriving on a Saturay - its transfer day and the road from Bourg St Maurice is a nightmare. Traffic jams are the norm and the journey time can easily be over 4 hours no matter which airport you arrive at
- When the weather is not great, visit the sports centre with pool, sauna, tennis, gym and squash courtsis
- Visit the market - it sells local specialities including food and wine
- Head over to Tignes and take the funicular up to Val Claret to the 'Panoramic Restaurant' on the Grand Motte Glacier for a great lunch with amazing views of the whole valley
Similar ski resorts to Val d'Isere include St Anton in Austria or Val Thorens
