Ski holidays in France: What to look forward to in the 2016-17 season
Schools are back in session. The beach gear is stowed after those seaside adventures. And with September upon us, it is now time to think about the winter and your long-anticipated ski holiday in France.
For the 2016-2017 ski season, we bring you up to speed on the amazing resorts you can choose to help make your ski holiday perfect. You can look forward to escapes to the French resorts of Meribel, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Courchevel and La Rosière.
Here are some of the highlights and updates for the upcoming winter:
Méribel
This quintessentially French ski resort offers everything you are looking for in a ski holiday. The ski resort is located in the Tarentaise Valley in the heart of the French Alps. There are three villages that make up the ski resort: Méribel Centre, Méribel-Mottaret and Méribel Village.
Méribel has a number of well-maintained beginner slopes that are easier and safer to learn on for newer skiers and snowboarders. For this upcoming year, a pair of beginner runs have been re-designed for the new season. The Escargot slope in Tougnete and the Blanchot piste in Altiport have both been made easier for beginners to learn to ski.
For an extra perk, the resort has continued to upgrade its vast, free WiFi network. Available on the slopes as well, skiers can connect on the Altiport, Loze and Tougnete chairlifts. There are also great connections at the Moon Park chalet, the Saulire Express gondola and in the Chaudanne Lounge.
There is also a new indoor picnic area at Mottaret. It is perfect for getting a quick bite and warming up from your time on the slope before getting back out there. Also in Mottaret, Yeti Park has also been extended for the upcoming season. To add to the trumpets and tunnels enjoyed by visitors last year, the park has a new zip wire, toboggan runs and igloos to explore.
Here is more information on our ski chalets in Méribel.
Les Arcs
Located in Savoie, Les Arcs continues to be one of Europe’s biggest and best lift-linked ski areas. Also in the Tarentaise Valley, it offers a number of longer runs and some of the best off-piste skiing in France for those of you looking for a bit more adventure.
The resort is divided into three different units: Arc 1800, Arc 2000 and the most recent addition Arc 1950.
Arc 1800 features a brand-new activity area called Mille 8. It is made up of the beginner’s area, child-friendly runs, a new aquatic centre and a toboggan run. The area also features a great selection of shops and restaurants. Arc 2000 features many of the intermediate and advanced pistes. It also provides direct access to the nearby Aiguilles Rouges glacier.
The new Arc 1950 features access to Paradiski, the world’s second largest ski area. This luxury ski resort is completely car-free and features over 40 shops, restaurants, pubs and a health spa.
For more information about staying at Les Arcs, read about our offerings here.
La Plagne
For skiing experts, La Plagne is known for its tremendous off-piste runs. There has been a great deal of work put into their lift network in recent years. Most notably, the lift at Plagne Bellecôte has greatly enhanced the skiing experience.
La Plagne is made up of at least 10 separate “villages”. They are all at various altitudes and offer a different ski holiday experience. Read more about our ski chalets in La Plagne here. In the middle of the high-altitude area is Plagne Centre. It offers the majority of shops and après-ski for the area.
One great asset for La Plagne is the cable car from Montchavin that connects the area to Les Arcs via Peisey-Vallandry, and also provides access to the Paradiski runs. There was also the recent construction of the La Plagne Montalbert gondola that was completed last year, making it easier to get around.
Courchevel
An iconic destination in the French Alps, Courchevel is part of the world’s largest lift-linked ski area, the Trois Vallées. It offers visitors more than 600km of exciting pistes and access to over 170 lifts.
Courchevel 1850 is far and away the biggest resort village in the network. It is a notorious haunt of the rich and famous and boasts amazing restaurants, shops, and nightlife. It is also the main hub for the region’s extensive gondola system – with departures leaving Courchevel 1850 in three different directions.
We offer a number of ski chalets in Courchevel.
The resort is currently in the middle of a tremendous improvement plan. Started in 2012 and spread over seven years, they are spending £100m on enhancing the experience in Courchevel. The improvement plans include lift upgrades, new ski-from-door opportunities, improved beginner and children’s pistes, and the installation of better snow-making technology.
La Rosière
Finally, La Rosière is the ideal family-friendly choice for a ski holiday in France. Because of its high altitude above the Tarentaise Valley, it often combines sun, stunning vistas and great skiing. There are a multitude of family chalets available to go perfectly with slopes and pistes built for the little ones.
Near the Italian border, La Rosière bills itself as a family’s paradise. Whilst not as expansive as some of the other destinations, it is the perfect place to get your introduction to skiing in France. Here are some of the ski chalets we have in the area.
This ski resort also provides a link to skiing at La Thuile in Italy.
Image Credits: Matt Squirrell, Leo-setä, Ian Gratton, Robert van Dijk, Frédérique Voisin-Demery