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Val d'Isere Reviews
73 reviews of Val d'Isere in France.
Voted 4th out of 29 reviewed ski resorts in France
- Superb(49)
- Good(22)
- O.K.(1)
- Poor(1)
- Awful(0)
↓ You SNO best ↓
Val d'Isere
Reviewed 18 Jan 2020
Been to Val d'isere a couple of times, staying in the main town at my friend's apartment. The skiing is fantastic, and my recommendation is the route down into La Daille and also the run to La Fornet - a very nice quick run. We also went to Sainte Foy for a day, which is much sleepier than Val, but the runs were a lot less crowded.
In terms of apres, we went to Dicks T bar a few times and that is always good crack if you are with a group.
in terms of getting there, it is a good 2.5 hours from geneva, but that is the closest airport and best choice.
A Great Ski Resort!
Reviewed 19 Sep 2016
We love Val d'Isere so so much. We have been coming here for 11 years and cant fault it. There's a lot of lift upgrades all the time, the snow is the best with great snow making if required. We ski with Martin at skimckay, an amazing British ski instructor. The altitude means the snow is really great so if you want the best check it out! Gemma and Paul Mac
Pistes not groomed as well as usual, still good bars
Reviewed 10 Jun 2016
I’m not much of a skilled skier but I’ve been to Val d’Isere many times and normally they send the piste basher up at night to get rid of the moguls, so you normally have nice open runs to carve on. However it wasn’t like that this. There were so many people on the slopes because it was French half term – the slopes seem to be getting more crowded every year! I liked the Moris pub and Banana Bar, there are some really cool bars there.
Apres & Skiing in Val
Reviewed 9 Jun 2016
There’s a lot to do in the evenings and apres wise. I was impressed by the options available. Also ski wise, with Tignes on one side and the glacier on the other it was good. I would recommend going down to Doudoune for the apres experience.
Has snow when other resorts are still grassy
Reviewed 8 Jun 2016
We stayed in Val d’Isere over New Year’s week 2015-16. It had snowed before and we had a week of sunshine which was lucky. I’d go back, if only for the fact that there was snow – there were quite a lot of resorts at that time of year that were looking at green grass and they seemed to be shipping a lot of people into Val d’Isere.
Loved it here
Reviewed 3 Jun 2016
We normally ski in Austria but loved Val d’Isere! Even though the weather wasn’t the best it could be, we had a brilliant week. We are more advanced skiers – there wasn’t enough snow to do off piste but I imagine it would be outrageously good! It would have definitely been better with a lot more snow.
Half term in Val dIsere
Reviewed 3 Jun 2016
Very lucky with the snow over our half term in Val d’Isere! In all it was an amazing week and we were surprised that the resort wasn’t as busy as we’d expected – we were expecting it to be heaving at half term but the queues were fine! It is a great all round resort with everything you need and I would recommend it to any level of skier.
Val March 2016
Reviewed 2 Jun 2016
We had a bit of everything when it came to the weather, the snow came in so we had a couple of days off piste. It was busier when it got sunny but the area wasn’t as busy as Tignes. I’ve been to Val several times before and on the whole it’s got a bit of everything. One thing that I find frustrating is that depending where you want to go, there’s only one way down and back. There are way too many blues and when you’re on a board it can get frustrating. It’s more the left side of the mountain, and it’s just the layout of the area as you go into the valley. There wasn’t as much going on in Val as we thought, but there were bits and pieces to do. We went out on evening on a pub crawl and I had a go at paragliding. It’s an experience to see the mountains from up there. They normally offer a short and long trip and I would recommend going for the short one as you still get the same experience being up there and looking down on the runs etc.
Espace Killy April 16
Reviewed 2 Jun 2016
On the whole the weather in April was good, it wasn’t until later in the week that the conditions became as you’d expect for that time of year. I’ve skied here a few times and like the ski area – OK it’s a pretty alpine village but I would be just as happy staying in Tignes. It’s mainly the height of the resort that I like so much. I would say the area is particularly good for intermediates but there are runs for all levels there including some good greens for those who are just above beginners.
End of March in Val, great week
Reviewed 26 May 2016
We had a great time – the skiing conditions were good. I’ve been to Val d’Isere quite a few times and obviously the ski terrain is the main reason why; it’s just the extent of it all the way over to Tignes. It’s a combination of exploring all the extremities of the Espace Killy, from the far edges of the Tignes piste network to the other end of Val d’Isere around Le Fornet. There’s enough to keep pretty much anyone entertained, and when there’s good snow there’s really good off piste. I think there’s plenty to do for non-skiers with enough going on in the town. They’ve got a decent public swimming pool and lots of other activities to get involved in. Val d’Isere is a reasonably pleasant resort to go to anyway, with good shopping and boutiques.
Huge ski area
Reviewed 26 May 2016
Really good fun in Val d’Isere – and some of the best weather I’ve had on a ski holiday. There was a big dump the week before, we had blue skies every day, and the snow held out right until the very end! It’s a top resort and one of my favourites. The range of terrain is what keeps me coming back, depending on how you’re feeling you can explore / cruise / go off piste… My advice would be don’t be afraid to travel – the area ranges over a hell of a lot of hills and they’re so well linked… Do the extra hill rather than turning back.
Val d'Isere late Feb 2016
Reviewed 25 May 2016
Visibility was quite low on a few days, so we ended up going to have coffee and fondue. You can use the swimming pool once with your ski pass, so we could have done that – and one of the other guests in our chalet was a non-skier who found lots to do in the resort, like snowshoeing and yoga. If the weather had been better we’d have had a huge amount to ski, it’s a pretty big area once you take in Tignes.
Really liked Val d'Isere!
Reviewed 25 May 2016
We had a great time in Val d’Isere, we hadn’t been before but it was very enjoyable and we will definitely be returning! As it was April the weather was very warm by mid-afternoon. We had the whole array of skiing conditions, from ice in the mornings to pure slush at the end of the day. It was ok if you timed it right though. We were over on Le Fornet which has quite a nice mix of runs, though ideally it could do with more reds. The one blue coming down was more like a black with moguls, which was ok for us as an experienced skier and snowboarder, but could have been more difficult for beginners. At that point of the season you just get that. You could go further over for more green slopes, so as long as you’re happy to travel (which we were) it’s fine.
The ski maps could be better to show that you can ski across, rather than having to go down, get a bus, and go back up. I didn’t realise that until we got there as you can’t really see it on the maps.
Other than skiing / snowboarding, we did a bit of shopping. There are loads of shops and as it was the end of the season they had loads of sales on, which meant prices were decent. We had a lovely meal at Le Casserole on the chalet host’s night off.
End of the ski season in Val
Reviewed 25 May 2016
It snowed on the Wednesday but for the time of year we visited (last week of the season) the end of the day was always slushy. We still had a great time, we spoke to the locals who told us the best places to ski. I’ve stayed in Tignes 10/11 times and only gone down La Face to Val d’Isere. Hadn’t done the Fornet on the left half side of the lift map before, which is a bit like Serre Chevalier – it was nice to see that side of Val.
March 2016 in Val d'Isere
Reviewed 23 May 2016
We had an excellent week with excellent snow – a mix of powder and sunshine. I would definitely recommend visiting Val d’Isere, and the Folie Douce is something you absolutely have to do! In general the town is really nice and well kept, and nothing is too far from the slopes.
A good resort, could try harder to keep slopes open
Reviewed 19 May 2016
It was snowing a lot but we skied every day despite the weather, though on some days the visibility was poor. I would recommend Val d’Isere to anyone, beginner or advanced – there is something for everyone. I would give Val d’Isere a 5/5 usually but I felt that the resort was funnelling us all onto a few runs rather than making an effort to keep other pistes and lifts running. Visited Jan 2016.
Look out for the cheaper pass if you're over 65
Reviewed 19 May 2016
We enjoyed Val d’Isere, there was plenty of snow even though it was the end of the season. If you’re over 65 you can get a discounted ski pass which we hadn’t known, we ended up having to get a refund for one of our party who’d paid full price. Unlike Tignes, etc Val d’Isere isn’t all ski in, ski out which would have made it better.
You can always find somewhere to ski
Reviewed 5 May 2016
Loved the skiing, there’s loads of intermediate stuff and the ski area wasn’t very busy which was so nice. We enjoyed going over to Tignes, though we didn’t really make it over to the other end. If you haven’t been before, go to the après bar up on the mountain, it’s quite pretentious but good fun! We didn’t have great weather but we still found places to ski, so my advice would be that if the conditions aren’t good lower down, head higher, ask around for recommendations – don’t write the day off.
Telemarking in Val d'Isere
Reviewed 5 May 2016
Telemark tracks in Val d’Isere are very good, they do alpine skiing as well as telemarking and the instructors were excellent. They managed to get me telemarking in 4 days and I would recommend them.
Loved our group holiday in Val
Reviewed 28 Apr 2016
Some of us had been before, others hadn’t, but we all loved the week in Val d’Isere! It’s a good all-round resort that had everything we needed. If you’re staying a bit away from the ski area there are some lockers at the bottom of the slopes that are open to everyone. You have to pay but it made our week so much better once we had found them!
Val d'Isere Jan '16
Reviewed 27 Apr 2016
Val d’Isere is a nice little town, very picturesque! It’s very expensive but that’s France for you. There are some lovely little eating places in Val itself, not busy bars but quaint little pizzerias etc. They put on the light show while we were there which was great. I would advise going to the swimming pool which is part of your lift pass, a visit is definitely worthwhile.
We were very lucky with snow conditions and had a great week overall.
Big resort
Reviewed 22 Apr 2016
Val d’Isere is probably the biggest resort I’ve ever been to – it’s a bit different from other resorts, with lots of big buildings. The après is really good there, we liked Cocorico. Folie Douce is an experience… I’m glad I did it but I’m not sure if I’d do it again! We had a few days of pretty heavy snow, and a few days of sunshine so weather was great. We were quite a range of skiers – I’ve skied a fair bit and a couple of the guys hadn’t skied at all. We didn’t really do lessons, the better people just helped the others out, so we all stuck together for most of the time.
Didn't make an effort with the linking runs
Reviewed 21 Apr 2016
I wasn’t very impressed with Val d’Isere – we booked at fairly short notice knowing there had been loads of snow the week before, and considering it was mid-January I thought it would be fully open with everything linked up very quickly. The three different parts of the mountain were all open, but they didn't make an effort to get the linking runs up. As they were all closed, we ended up having to ski one bit, get a bus, then ski another bit.
They said that it was because of “high risk of avalanche” which you get in all alpine resorts when there’s heavy snow – as an experienced skier it didn’t look like the runs were particularly high risk. You ended up having half the skiers taking the chance and skiing closed runs, but with my son with me I didn’t want to do that.
In the end we went over to Tignes as you could ski there all day without having to get busses. When it comes to having high dumps of snow, it seems that Val d’Isere isn’t as good as Tignes for keeping runs open. I’m used to skiing in places like Courchevel and Meribel and never had that issue before.
With regards to the town - there are loads of bars and you can stay in Dick’s Tea bar until 3am if you want to, but I’d rather be on the first lift in the morning, ski all day then return to the chalet and relax with some of the house plonk after dinner!
Variety on the mountain, young feel in resort
Reviewed 13 Apr 2016
I’ve been to Val d’Isere loads – there are two main things I like about it:
Firstly there’s just the variety. The whole Killy Espace has great skiing for all levels, my wife who doesn’t ski much enjoyed the nursery slopes, while we could blast all over the area into Tignes.
Secondly it has a nice young feel to it – with lots of trendy bars and clubs. Some people prefer Courchevel which has an older feel to it but I like the character here.
Christmas conditions were fine, blue skies every day though of course being early in the season it was a bit icy. We were lucky though as anyone skiing below 1600m had no snow – with the top of Val d’Isere being 3000m, the conditions are pretty solid and we had plenty of skiing.
Conditions were much better when we were here in March, with good powder and blue skies.
One thing I’d recommend is the Folie Douce up on the mountain!
Christmas in Val
Reviewed 13 Apr 2016
We had a great Christmas in Val d’Isere. We skied from 9am til dusk every day, and got to ski every tentacle of the ski area. Only about 5 runs were shut because there wasn’t enough snow. We stayed in La Daille which is quiet but OK – you can reach the centre of Val d’Isere in a 2-5 minute bus journey.
Gorgeous!
Reviewed 13 Apr 2016
Val d’Isere is a lovely resort. The colour scheme is a little strange (lots of greens and browns), but overall it’s a gorgeous place and I’d highly rate it.
Long transfer but lots to ski
Reviewed 11 Apr 2016
I’d been to Val d’Isere many years ago and came back with the kids in December. There’s enough going on, with plenty of skiing. The only downside is the length of the transfer as it’s a bit windy and a couple of the children felt unwell, but that’s just the geography! Luckily we had enough snow for what we needed.
Our kids had lessons with Oxygene who were good, they took to their instructors and are looking forward to the next ski holiday. It might have helped if we could have arranged to meet up on the mountain for lessons rather than down in Val d’Isere - as we were staying in La Daille we had to get a bus over to Val d’Isere which made getting up and out in the mornings a bit tight.
Skied here a few times, returning next season
Reviewed 11 Apr 2016
We keep returning to Val d’Isere because of the skiing domain, there is so much skiing to do! We get the full area ski pass and tend to do the whole lot across Tignes and Val d’Isere. It’s a pretty good area for all levels, even for beginners there are some nice runs and the ski schools are very good. It’s very high, and with a glacier you know there’s going to be snow. A friend who visited last year had an accident, and said she was very well looked after in the medical centre.
Brilliant week in Val d'Isere
Reviewed 11 Apr 2016
Val d’Isere’s really pretty – a lovely resort. It was the beginning of the season and the weather was quite warm, but thanks to the snow cannons there were enough slopes to enjoy.
Christmas in Val
Reviewed 11 Apr 2016
We visit Val d’Isere a lot as I have friends who live there. If you haven’t been before, just have a walk around and explore the town. The resort is changing and developing a lot and there are always new pubs and restaurants to try. Christmas week had the worst snow I’ve ever experienced in Val d’Isere, but we still had a good time away.
Val d + Tignes = my favourites
Reviewed 18 Nov 2015
My personal favourite, combined with Tignes it has some really great offpiste, a good park, and nice open runs. Good altitude, Snowsure and good night life, it’s a favourite for a reason.
Awesome skiing, cheaper than you might think
Reviewed 28 Aug 2015
Val D has a reputation as being insanely expensive, but it's not as bad as all that. You can still find reasonably priced self catered apartments, and the majority of the bars are the same price as you'd get in any French resort. Big exceptions are the folie douce, club Doudonne and Dick's Tea Bar, which are stupidly pricy. go to the petit danois or saloon bar instead (Petit Danois also has amazing food, including the only good english breakfast in town) and later on La Graal is a good club. Cocorico by the main lift base also has really good live music at apres! The skiing is as good as it's cracked up to be. Face and OK are the two famous downhill runs and both are a lot of fun - although if you don't like moguls you will probably hate Face. another great run from the Rocher du bellevarde is the Epaule de Charvet black, which makes a trail back towards the resort in a kindof natural halfpipe. Get a lot of speed at the bottom though or youll be walking the last stretch to the lifts. the snow park is good as well, but doesn't have much in the way of entry-level features.
Challenging skiing - we loved it
Reviewed 8 May 2015
Technically, Val d’Isere is a tricky resort and if you were a beginner or you’d only been skiing for 2-3 years, it wouldn’t be much fun.
We loved it.
It was such a different skiing experience.
Just because of the natural landscape of the area, the blue runs are as tricky as hell – we skied a green where the first 70-80 feet was a mogul field and there’s a blue on the Tignes side we called the ‘valley of death’ because it goes down a natural halfpipe that the piste bashers can’t reach… Some of the black runs were a lot easier. The colour of the run means nothing!
Wonderful holiday in a top resort
Reviewed 6 May 2015
A wonderful week in Val d’Isere, it’s one of our top resorts. There’s such a big range of slopes and you can get over to Tignes where there’s even more to ski. It’s a great resort but I wouldn’t say that Val d’Isere’s somewhere for true beginners, it’s more intermediate to advanced. There are some green runs but they had moguls at the top because at the time of year we visited (late March) you get that with spring snow. I’d imagine that some people got off the lift for an easy run down and were quite shocked at the bumps in front of them (I was skiing with an intermediate who was daunted on some occasions). There are some good restaurants in the area – the Bellevarde is quite nice, as is Le Panoramic – everyone should go up there at least once, even if they don’t ski but get the funicular down.
Pretty village, awesome ski area
Reviewed 24 Apr 2015
Val d’Isere wasn’t bad at all – it’s prettier than a lot of places I’ve been. The ski area’s wicked – the snow was a bit ropey at the end of the week but you can’t complain after a week of glorious sunshine! There’s also plenty to do besides skiing.
Difficult, varied skiing & a big area
Reviewed 24 Apr 2015
Absolutely brilliant snow conditions which is the main thing for me – skiing is my be all and end all when I’m on a ski holiday so I can’t say much about the apres. The reason I’ve skied here so much is that I like quite difficult, varied skiing and not having to do the same runs. I spent quite a lot of time in Tignes over on the Grande Motte.
Fantastic skiing when the winds died down
Reviewed 21 Apr 2015
I’d been to Val d’Isere years ago, it had changed a lot since then and despite a couple of bad weather days we still had a good time. We didn’t go out in the resort that much, but it has quite a lot of upmarket shops. There aren’t many bars once you’re past enjoying Dick’s Tea bar. When the wind stopped and we could ski, the skiing was fantastic. As intermediates we did the whole area, which has a good amount of skiing for all levels.
So much skiing
Reviewed 16 Apr 2015
Unlike Tignes, Val d’Isere is very pretty and the fact that you can get from valley to valley is fantastic, there’s so much skiing to be done. The weather was mixed, some good and some bad but nothing we couldn’t handle. Everything was fully operational and the slopes were well groomed. Considering the peak time of year, there was very little queuing.
Awesome skiing and nightlife
Reviewed 13 Apr 2015
Been to Val quite a few times now, the main reasons for returning being the skiing and nightlife (the Moris bar’s my favourite). Definitely get the whole area pass if you haven’t been before. The leisure centre is also worth a visit as it’s fairly cheap and the swimming is free with your lift pass.
Excellent resort
Reviewed 9 Apr 2015
I’ve always enjoyed skiing in Val d’Isere – it depends what you’re looking for from a ski holiday, the Solaise area is really good for kids and families as it has loads of nice blues and reds, while Tignes also has a lot of good skiing.
A good quality ski resort
Reviewed 1 Apr 2015
I hadn’t been to Val d’Isere before but my husband had skied here several times. It’s a nice, good quality resort – not rowdy in any way – it just has a good scene going on. There’s some lovely shopping to do if you like that. The ski area is big so you can do plenty of skiing, we went over into Tignes which I enjoyed. Our weather was great so we were lucky there, they were needing a bit more snow but we were perfectly happy. We’ll be back!
New Year's week in Val d'Isere
Reviewed 1 Apr 2015
I’d heard good things about the skiing in Val d’Isere as it’s quite high so you’re more or less likely to get some good skiing there. The conditions were OK as we’d had a big dump on Boxing Day before we arrived – before then we’d heard that it had been pretty bad. There wasn’t any further snow while we were there and we could have done with a bit more, but you can’t control that! 70% off the pistes were open which was pretty good.
I’d say that the ski area is probably more intermediate-advanced. I don’t think there’s much for beginners – principally for the runs back the town: there’s La Face which is a black, a couple of reds and while there’s a blue that goes into La Daille, it joins the women’s downhill so all in all beginners would have to get the lift.
There’s plenty to do around the resort, we went over to the new pool/spa complex which they’ve built by the main lift. There are a lot of bars and the apres is pretty good, have been to St Anton more recently and preferred the apres there, although it might have been the time of year as the Christmas school holidays will always be more family orientated. All in all, a nice way to see in the New Year.
New Years in Val
Reviewed 20 Mar 2015
This was our first time staying in Val but we had skied over from Tignes before – if I had to choose between the two resorts, I think I prefer Tignes, although Val d’Isere was perfectly fine. We didn’t get out much apart from all the skiing although we did head out on New Year’s Eve when they had a very good firework display.
The day we arrived there had been a massive dump that resulted in a lot of roads being closed, which meant we didn’t actually get to resort until the Sunday – though it did give the runs good snow cover for the week, even if we couldn’t do much off-piste.
If you’re a good skier, definitely do the black run that goes down to resort (not run one on the right hand side as you look up, the other one that runs parallel with a red) – it’s pure ice when you ski down, absolutely fantastic.
Christmas in a first class ski resort
Reviewed 20 Mar 2015
We ski once or twice a year and this was our first time in Val d’Isere – it’s by far the best resort we’ve been to!
We were here for Christmas and if we’d been skiing anywhere else lower down we wouldn’t have had any snow. As it was, the snow wasn’t great but we still managed to have a good ski every morning... If all the slopes were open it would have been absolutely awesome.
There was a lot going on in town for Christmas, including a Santa parade, free mulled wine and a fabulous firework display on the mountain on Christmas Day.
We stayed in the Hotel Avenue Lodge which I’d highly recommend – everything was exceptional, from the service (they carry your skis and provide slippers as soon as you take your boots off) to the spa facilities (Jacuzzi, swimming pool, sauna).
Christmas in Val d'Isere
Reviewed 19 Mar 2015
We had a lovely week and Val d’Isere was nice enough but I think there could be a bit more going on in terms of après ski. We went to Val Thorens the year before and it certainly had more of an après ski feel… they did have things for Christmas (nice ice sculptures) but I would have preferred a few more bars.
The snow was terrible while we were here (Christmas 2014) although it was like that everywhere so we can’t complain. Conditions were good enough in Val d’Isere that we still managed to ski and there was plenty of skiing for the different abilities, I’m not a very good skier but I certainly had enough to ski.
Limitless skiing, lots of Brits - we love it
Reviewed 18 Mar 2015
We love Val d’Isere and have been back a number of times. For my husband, it’s the limitless skiing, a huge area with so much off piste. There are also quite a few people we know there doing seasons etc. and we’re part of Ski Club GB so we can always meet up with other people. When we go at the beginning of December, it’s always good for snow (this year people were being ferried over to Val d’Isere from other resorts that didn’t have snow). We’ve skied the 3 Valleys which is huge, but it made me realise how un-glitzy Val d’Isere is in comparison, it has a completely different vibe. Val d’Isere is very British, but the 3 Valleys is more international with lots of Russians and designer ski suits!
impressed with the Espace Killy area
Reviewed 23 Jun 2014
It’s a good resort. It’s a big area, you can ski over to Tignes, etc. I was impressed with it. The snow was good too but it was very cold, - 19 degrees!
Don’t do the main blue run down into town at the end of the day, it’s much better to do it early on in the day, especially if there is good snow. We had a massive dump of snow while we were there so we really enjoyed that run, it’s like a natural half-pipe. There’s another run down into town which is called ‘the Face’ and that was like sheet ice. It’s not a great resort for beginners. There are some nursery slopes in the village but after that if you are a beginner you really need to take the gondola up and down to get to the other easier slopes because the runs down into town are tough. It’s a fine resort for snowboarding which is what we were doing.
Up the top there’s quite a few good bits of off-piste. It would be good to hire a guide and explore the area properly.
There are some good bars – Dicks T bar is good fun.
Avoid the blue Santons piste down into town if you are a beginner, it is notoriously difficult
Reviewed 5 Jun 2014
You have to be prepared to break the bank to ski in Val d’Isere but otherwise it’s great! I can’t fault the skiing. The runs down into town are difficult but beginners can just take the cable car back. The blue Santons piste that runs back into the village is notoriously difficult, at the end of the day it turns into carnage, people falling over everywhere. I find it difficult and I’m an experienced skier. All the links are fine, the lifts are good. There’s loads to do in the Espace Killy area. April is probably quieter than the peak months, I think it can be very busy then. The snow was good as well, we booked at the last minute because there had been a fresh dump of snow, so we planned it that way.
No better resort in Europe – best lift system & cracking social life
Reviewed 4 Jun 2014
I’ve skied all over Europe and the States and the one resort that would come close is Whistler.
We had an absolutely lovely week, the snow was fantastic and everything went well. We had a big dump of snow so the conditions were perfect, our friends had been the week before when they had really hot weather but it was snowing when we arrived and we had 2 more days of snow after that. It was sunny but not too hot, which kept the slopes well. We tend to trawl around the bars – there are loads of lovely ones here.
The ski area is fantastic, we like to ski over to La Fornet which is absolutely beautiful. On the last day, we skied all the way down to Breviere which is superb.
It doesn’t get better than this
Reviewed 23 May 2014
The skiing is amazing here. It’s a millionaire’s ski resort, you can’t get better than that.
There is some nightlife; the best place to go out is the pub under the Chalet Hotel Moris.
Everyone around resort was so friendly. The free shuttle buses are very good for getting around.
I love it here, I want to go back every year from now on!
Big skiing for everyone
Reviewed 20 May 2014
I’ve skied in Tignes four or five times and skied in Val before – it’s just good skiing really! There are loads of nice runs and you can get to places easily. Skiing over to Tignes is really nice and the Pissaillas glacier (on the other side from Tignes in the top left corner of the piste map) is really high and beautiful. Definitely go to Folie (although not with your dad like I did!). the weather was probably the worst part of the holiday as we had two days that were almost unskiable (although we skied anyway) but the good thing is that the skiing isn’t made or broken by good or bad weather.
Superb setting
Reviewed 18 May 2014
A lovely, beautiful place. We went there as novices and it was fine for us. The nursery slopes are limited but there was more than enough for us to learn on. I’d say it’s more of a resort for advanced skiers. The kids are snowboarders and they loved it. It’s suitable for everyone really. We didn’t eat out much so I can’t recommend anywhere.
lively resort
Reviewed 16 May 2014
We came to Val d’Isere because we wanted to meet up with old friends in Tignes, and it worked well, it was easy to ski together over in Tignes and round Val d’Isere, etc. Tignes is good for advanced level skiers. It has a lively centre and there are plenty of bars and restaurants. We had a good time.
Excellent skiing
Reviewed 16 May 2014
There are plenty of bars and a couple of clubs in town. In terms of the prices, I found them fair enough, they were less than I was expecting. I’m intermediate level and the skiing was excellent for me. It’s easy enough to get down to the village from the ski area, you can either brave the slopes or take the lift, you can choose. There are some hard pistes, I probably did a couple of runs I shouldn’t have! We had good snow conditions, and there was snowfall while we were there. Some of the slopes became quite moguled, which was difficult to deal with when the visibility was poor.
Ski and apres to suit all but we were unlucky with March snow
Reviewed 8 May 2014
Good mix of skiing and nightlife to suit everyone. Not great conditions at beginning of March (not enough snow).
Ideal for young skiers
Reviewed 8 May 2014
You can’t fault Val d’Isere for younger people. The nightlife is really good but everyone knows that anyway... if you don’t go to Folie Douce while you're in Val you’re certainly missing out!
It’s fairly difficult to get back to Val without going down a red piste, so beginners or people with less confidence might find the skiing a bit tricky.
Awesome skiing
Reviewed 6 May 2014
Val d’Isere was a lot better than I expected, given that it has a reputation for being quite snooty! The skiing is brilliant and I’d definitely go back for the skiing alone. We had really good snow – the resort is quite high and has long runs down, which got a bit icy at 4pm, but otherwise conditions were fine. They had a Big Air competition on the week we stayed here and it was good fun to go up and watch. Unless you’re an advanced skier and intend to go over to Tignes, it might not be worth getting the whole lift pass as there’s so much on the Val d’Isere side alone and I think the price difference is quite big. It might be cheaper to just upgrade for a day or two if you did fancy going over – it’s really quick to get there and the skiing is good.
Nothing not to like
Reviewed 2 May 2014
My partner and I are boarders and this is our favourite resort, we’ve been to a few different places and always go back to Val d’Isere.
I like the huge area and there are so many shops and facilities. Someone who hadn’t been there would definitely enjoy it.
Mountains look amazing when the sun comes out!
Reviewed 3 Apr 2014
Val d’Isere is definitely worth going to. The area is fine for snowboarding with some pretty good link ups. We found some really good snowboarding at the very top of the glacier on the left hand side, there were a couple of powder days while we were here and we had the area to ourselves for a good three hours which was awesome.
For those that like shopping there are shops.
There are lots of good entertainment bars for après ski including a good jazz club and if you choose your place wisely you don’t have to pay too much.
If you want to party, you can ski or snowboard down to Folie Douce, have a couple of beers and a party and then ski the rest of the way back.
It’s great fun when it’s snowing but when the sun comes out you can see all the mountains which is amazing.
Great but not cheap
Reviewed 28 Mar 2014
As a ski resort, Val d’Isere is good but hellishly expensive. There was exceptionally good snow when we were here last April, quite a lot more than expected but it was very quiet in the town at that time of year. There’s lots of skiing and some good parks for doing tricks etc, the ski area is probably better for intermediates, but if you’re learning the ski schools are good.
The Folie Douce is a real hoot for après ski but expensive, we paid something like €60 for two starters and two drinks.
Huge ski area, Tignes side maybe best half
Reviewed 18 Mar 2014
This was the one and only time I had been to Val d’Isere. It has a huge ski area and is really snow sure. We had the Espace Killy lift pass and skied everything – a bit of piste bashing, a bit of off piste. There was so much snow that out of the 7 days we were there the high part only opened on two occasions and a lot of the itinerary stuff was closed.
If you’re staying in Val d’Isere town, you need to ski the Face run. It’s a black run that goes down from the top to the town. It can look very intimidating if you look up at it, but is a magnificent, magnificent run.
The La Fornet area is a waste of space, with a really old fashioned lift.
The glacier is good but the lift up is poor and quite slow.
We skied in Tignes more or less every day, it has very good skiing, probably better skiing than Val d’Isere, but I don’t care much for Tignes itself.
I really liked La Daille, discovered it from getting drinks at the Folie Douce as you have to ski down or get the gondola to La Daille to get back. The bus from La Daille goes until 7 so you can stay in Folie until about 6pm.
Absolutely brilliant - my favourite resort!
Reviewed 12 Mar 2014
Been to Val d’Isere at least twenty to thirty times, it is just brilliant.
The ski area is absolutely enormous – it’s massive – you couldn’t get bored here even if you stayed for a month.
The town is really nice, very British, full of brit-run restaurants and bars with a few French restaurants too but still quite quaint.
The original Folie Douce is here and it’s brilliant in the afternoon and early evening.
This is my favourite resort.
Skiing is fantastic & nightlife really good
Reviewed 12 Mar 2014
The skiing area is fantastic, you can’t beat it!
Nightlife is really good – Dicks seems to be where everyone was, lots of students in fancy dress.
Folie was alright in the daytime, opens around 4 oclock, we never stayed there too late but you can get the cable down if you do.
Not really for beginners, more intermediates and the reds here would be black in some other resorts.
Really good for everyone/all abilities
Reviewed 12 Mar 2014
Been to Val a few times, it’s really good for everyone.
Apres ski is always good in val, loads of places have live music and happy hours.
If you're a good skier there's no better place
Reviewed 10 Mar 2014
St Anton, Verbier and Zermatt don’t hold a candle to Val d’Isere. It’s one of the best in the Alps.
We went there by Eurostar and it’s the best way to travel! Got on the train at Ashford – you don’t have to get to the airport 3 hours before you fly and once you’re on board you don’t have to move luggage around. It’s great if you have your own skis as there’s no having to sneak in extra luggage at the airport without paying excess. Once we got to Bourg St Maurice there was a short transfer to Val d’Isere – we were the only ones they picked up so it all went smoothly.
The lift system is fantastic, getting people away from the collection point and the spectrum of skiing and terrain is fantastic too – best tip is to get ahead of the ski lessons so you don’t have to queue at all, but we were here over half term and the longest we had to wait was 15 minutes. If you’re a good skier, there’s no better place.
The standard of food is high and the food on the hill is fantastic, really enjoyed a meal in one of the restaurants just above Solaise (on the Solaise side as opposed to the Bellevarde side). The Folie Douce is just unique and La Grand Ourse is definitely pushing the boat out (£346 for 4 of us - wine very good though!).
A quick intro to VDI
Reviewed 28 Jan 2014
The basics: The ski resort was established in 1934 and is now firmly recognised as one of the world’s most desirable ski destinations. Located in South East France in the Rhône-Alpes region, Val d’Isere is just 5km from the Italian border. The village incorporates a unique balance of history, with some of its architecture dating back to the 13th century, mixed with modern amenities to suit every travellers needs. The resort boasts a place in the top five winter holiday destinations in Europe and thousands of ski enthusiasts flock there every year. Ski holidays in Val d’Isere: The village of Val d’Isere offers cosy hamlets and spacious chalets nestled in the corner of a breath-taking valley in the French Alps. Here you will find yourselves in the heart of a skiing community with a sensational atmosphere and views to match. The resort is suited to couples, groups and families with plenty of on slope and off slope activities to suit everyone. The village is situated at an altitude of 1850m. Many of the slopes are at an altitude of over 3000m ensuring ski conditions remain excellent from the beginning of December to the end of April. Alongside numerous slopes to choose from, visitors can take a trip to Val d’Isere’s very own snowboarding park, Oakley Valpark. Here you can enjoy a BBQ with friends and there is an excellent family area for younger snowboarders to enjoy. The resort slopes range from Beginners to Advanced so there truly is something to suit every skier. With plenty of accommodation and activities to choose from, affordable ski passes and excellent ski lifts Val d’Isere is an exceptional holiday destination.
Why its best on and off the snow
Reviewed 28 Jan 2014
Snowboarding and Skiing - Val d’Isere ski resort is versatile and most skiers will find something to suit their holidaying criteria. There is a large amount of accommodation to choose from, including chalets, hotels and apartments. Whether you are looking for a basic holiday or a luxury trip of a lifetime the resort has the perfect place for you. There is self-catered and catered accommodation to suit everyone’s needs and with regular short bus rides to town all amenities are readily available. The constant activity you will be partaking in throughout the day will work up an appetite and there are plenty of excellent restaurants to choose from. From traditional French food, to more simple tastes, the restaurants will accommodate for families, couples and groups. If you fancy travelling light, all the equipment you need for your holiday is available to rent from the resort. Val d’Isere has numerous rental shops and you can even buy equipment out there if you find something you would love to take home. Whilst the name Val d’Isere goes hand in hand with outstanding and challenging skiing, it is also one of the best places in the world to learn the ropes. There are plenty of options to choose from, including private snowboarding lessons or ski school lessons. The resort has talented and patient ski instructors who will ensure you learn at a comfortable pace and get the most out of your skiing holiday. Après Ski - A huge part of the ski experience happens after you hit the slopes. Après Ski in Val d’Isere is second to none and the nightlife of the resort is certainly lively! Val d’Isere has managed to keep the rare charm of a traditional village mixed with an outstanding night scene. The destination has 4 nightclubs and a number of bars and restaurants. After you have hit the slopes you can enjoy a drink (or two) at one of the bars and then dance the night away. The club scene is an excellent way to get to know fellow skiers and ski instructors and there is nothing quite like partying in the Val! Take a trip to Doudoune Club to witness some of the biggest DJ names such as Pete Tong and Ministry of Sound. For a night to remember visit Banana’s bar and restaurant for the best Tex-Mex food you can eat and some amazing cocktails! You will also find an excellent hot ice experience as an alternative Après Ski. Enjoy a morning on the slopes and spend the rest of the day bathing in hot tubs surrounding by ice and snow, a truly surreal event!
Wish I could have stayed longer...
Reviewed 28 Jan 2014
On my last visit to Val D’Isere I wish I could have stayed longer. It’s a very pretty resort and, with its great snow conditions, is a perfect resort for keen skiers. If you’ve never skied before there’s plenty of beginner skiing to learn on, but the sheer size of the Espace Killy really comes into its own for intermediate skiers and advanced. I visited the top plateau to by taking one of the lifts to the top of the mountain, to try the beginner runs up there and see the famously beautiful mountain vistas. After slaking my thirst for both scenery and vin chaud, I found it easy to get the chairlift back down, with legs too novice and wobbly for the blue run back into VDI. Taking the lifts back down as well as up is a great option if you get bored of the nursery slopes, just take the chair lifts or gondolas to the top of the mountains for a look around then ride back down and head to one of the many restaurants or bars in the village centre.
If you only ski once per year, accept no substitute
Reviewed 28 Jan 2014
Truly one of the greats. Val d’Isere chalets are characterful, the hotels have great service, and the self-catering apartments allow those of us on a very modest budget to ski and stay in a magical place (with the small extra effort of shopping and cooking for ourselves). The most popular 3 resorts in the world each have their own legendary après ski bars… Meribel has the Rond Point, St Anton has the Krazy Kangaroo and arguably greatest of all, Val d’Isere has the Folie Douce. It’s no coincidence that one of the world’s most elegant and historic ski resorts also has some of the most spectacular landscapes in which to ski and snowboard. If you only go on ski holiday once per year, accept no substitute – book a catered chalet in VDI!
Fantastic holiday destination
Reviewed 2 Dec 2013
A beautiful chocolate box resort, Val D’Isere was a fantastic holiday destination. We stayed in a chalet right next to the Solaise Express, so it was ski in/ski out and couldn’t be more convenient. The varied skiing was beautiful; we went later in the season and the snow was still fantastic higher up if a little slushy lower down. There was also a bar crawl organised by the chalet which was a great night out, although the skiing suffered a little the day after. If you’re looking for a more lively après scene however, I would head over to Tignes – there was a lot more going on in the evenings at a much more reasonable price. A great place to go with the family though, as the huge number of restaurants, great ski school and easy transfer from Chambery makes it a very pleasant stay indeed.
Love this place!
Reviewed 14 Aug 2013
I'm just writing in to say what an awesome time we had in Val d'Isere and thanks for recommending it to us. Not a great spot to ski on the cheap but def one of the very best. We stayed in a catered chalet/hotel Moris which is not the most salubrious but wonderfully friendly and expertly hosted. Thanks a million to manageress Gilly and her terrific team... and thanks also to local live rock legends Mullet, who played in the Moris public bar downstairs to raucous appreciation. Val d'Isere remains one of and perhaps the world's best!
Best powder day in trees of my life
Reviewed 22 Jul 2013
Val has really fun tree-lined skiing, it was quite icy during our holiday but that could happen in any resort. We had one of the best powder days in the trees I’ve ever had in my life, skiing back down to Le Fornet. Val d’Isere itself is quite a high price resort to stay in but if you stay in La Daille or Le Fornet it is pretty easy to get a bus into town and the accommodation is cheaper and of a good standard. The nightlife is really good with Saloon bar serving good long island iced teas and loads of other cocktails. Dicks T-bar and Bananas were definitely the most fun places to go for late night shenanigans.
Why ski Val dIsere
Reviewed 5 Jul 2013
The skiing at Val d’lsere is of the highest standard and the village has hosted numerous world competitions, including Alpine Skiing during the 1992 Winter Olympics. World Champion Skier Jean Claude Killy grew up in Val d’Isere so you can be assured you are skiing at a very special resort. There is even a ski section named after him, the “Escape Killy”, which is one of only two ski areas in France listed as “Snow-Sure”. The resort boasts 150km of slopes so despite the popularity of the destination skiers have plenty of space and freedom to explore away from crowds. If you are feeling adventurous and want a unique experience, you could try night skiing which takes place every Thursday evening. Intermediate and Advanced skiers can enjoy some of best skiing in the world with 300km of great piste to explore, including two thrilling glaciers. First time skiers don’t need to worry about being left behind, the resort has excellent facilities for beginners with two “Slow Slopes” to find you feet on. Ski lessons in the resort are excellent value, and with free ski lifts for the beginners runs, it is a great place to find your inner skier self! Whilst Val d’Isere is famous for its excellent skiing facilities, it has also been acclaimed as one of the best snowboarding destinations in France by the “World Snowboard Guide”. The resort has two snowboarding parks and plenty of slopes suited to freestyle, free riding and piste snowboarding. The quality of the skiing at Val d’Isere is hard to fault and with excellent snow records, reliable ski lifts and a great atmosphere it is a great place to start, or continue, your passion for the slopes!
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