Ranked 84th of 234 Ski resorts
Val Cenis reviews & ratings
Overall Rating
Value for Money
Après Ski
Off Piste
Eating Out
Accommodation Options
Val Cenis Reviews & Ratings
Overall Rating: 4.4
Ranking: 84th of 234 resorts
Overall Rating
Snow Parks
Value for Money
Après Ski
Family Friendly
Off Piste
Eating Out
Tree Skiing
Groomed Runs
Mogul Fields
Powder Zones
Quiet Slopes
Lift Efficiency
Ski School Quality
Accommodation Options
Beginners
Intermediates
Advanced
Experts
Snowboarders
All Reviews
Hannah - advanced skier
Jan, 9 - 2025
Great resort. Quiet area. Great for beginners. Good variety. Evening and daytime activities. No queues.
Jem - advanced snowboarder
Jan, 5 - 2025
My husband and I visited Val Cenis on a last minute snowboarding holiday last March (2024) with our 3 year old daughter. We really enjoyed our week there, and for many reasons;
1- There was a great variety of runs, which are well linked
2- There's a good mix of tree runs and higher, open runs
3- The off-piste potential is amazing (we got there the week after a huge amount of snow, so just missed getting to enjoy it!), with an easily accessible large bowl at the top of the resort
4- The accommodation we stayed in was ski in/ski out
5- the lifts were mostly decently fast (2 gondola's, mostly chairs, only a few drag lifts)
6- The park was small but offered a good variety of features, and was well maintained
7- The "crèche" that our daughter attended in the mornings was fantastic, and had a couple English speakers; she LOVED her time there!
8- It's an easy enough resort to get to; not too far into the mountains, so no tricky/dodgy roads
All in all, a great family resort with a decent array of runs to suit most levels (expert to pro level may get a bit bored if there's not enough decent snow).
We would visit again, for sure
Kieran - expert snowboarder
Dec, 26 - 2024
Val Cenis is a great, family friendly resort. Its a good size with plenty of runs. It looks like there is good off piste terrain (with the right conditions). Apres is quiet but thats expected with a resort like this.
Sam - advanced skier
Dec, 13 - 2024
Very quiet resort. Isnt many bars/ restaurants in the resort. Up the slopes is no different. Still very quiet in that aspect. However has some of the most peaceful and beautiful piste and off piste runs Ive seen, taking you to your door step.
Paul - advanced skier
Dec, 6 - 2024
Superb family friendly resort. Very French! A wide variety of runs with plenty to cater for all abilities and decent off-piste options with a guide. Lovely mountain side restaurants where you can enjoy sunny lunches on the terrace.
Kado - expert skier
Nov, 18 - 2024
Val cenis is a smaller resort located in France in the Italian border. As a smaller resort, there arent as many groomed runs to choose from as the bigger resorts, but still plenty to do in a 1-2 week holiday, with a wide variety of runs for all level of skiers. It has wide beginner friendly slopes that go right to the top of the mountain (2700m). It has fantastic off piste trails (one of the best resorts). Once again a wide range of different off piste trails for all levels and most of the time great powder. Its not as busy as bigger resorts, meaning slopes arent too crowded even in school holidays and lift wait times are minimal even at the bottom of the mountain. However, although it is great for skiing, val cenis does not offer a wide range of après options and the town only has one club, so is not the best resort for party goers.
Tom - expert skier
Nov, 18 - 2024
Val Cenis seems to have gone under the radar a bit, which is great news for those who do visit as the slopes remain fairly quiet and the area unspoilt.
Although it does have most of the elements of a great resort for anyone, families and mixed ability groups in particular can't go wrong here. With the main area offering descent options from green to black with dozens of variations of the route down, all levels of skier are catered for.
In terms of extent, most skiers will be happy spending a week here, although the bus links to nearby resorts such as Valfrejus and La Norma give you a bit of variety if you're hungry for piste miles.
The main sector of Val Cenis offers 3 or 4 spines of lifts linking up to high points, with a bewildering choice of routes down to the bottom from here, all intercepted by cat-track pistes allowing you to move around the area very easily.
The lift-linked Termignon sector is much smaller, and has been less attractive due to slow and outdated lifts, although this is starting to change with a fast chair going in this year. The top two long drag lifts here serve a fantastic area of multiple slopes, and when this finally gets a fast chair put in will become an amazing area for lapping.
For beginners and families, the very long green Escargot offers an excellent experience, graded consistently gently and served by the fast Ramasses chair. For earlier beginners, the extensive network of green runs linking the base villages at the bottom give real variety and choice, with plenty of cafes and restaurants dotted around and a friendly feeling.
Intermediates can go pretty much anywhere, with blue and red options for most descents. Timid intermediates will enjoy the fact that most pistes are intercepted by the green Escargot multiple times, so an easy escape can be made if you've bitten off more than you can chew.
Avalanche risk holds the resort back from being a top off-piste destination, but there are plenty of shorter options, particularly in the trees, for those with sharp eyes.
Pistes to avoid include Arcelle which is often icy and busy, and the sector-linking Traverse which is incredibly long and flat (just take the Turra lift down when linking).
Recommended pistes include MJ St Genix, Chamois, Napoleon and Tomba as they're usually much quieter. Bois de Coqs/Forester and all of the top slopes in Termignon are all great spot.
All the restaurants are pretty good but Chalet la Fema at the top of Vieux Moulin gets a strong mention.
Luke Knight - advanced snowboarder
Nov, 15 - 2024
I have been to Val Cenis 3/4 times now. It is a brilliant resort on the smaller (and quieter) side.
Its around 3000m up which is great and I reckon easily over 100km of marked trails.
I would definitely recommend to other skiers and snowboarders.
Dave - expert skier
Nov, 14 - 2024
Great resort for young families with sledging allowed really close to the slopes.
The pistes aren't enormous, but plenty to keep you entertained. If there's powder, you have loads of options that are easily accessible.
Slopes are north facing meaning that you will be able to ski to resort all season - even when other resorts are closed from lack of snow (Feb 2023).
Nightlife is limited, but if you are there with kids, that probably won't matter.
Jo - advanced snowboarder
Apr, 30 - 2024
We are a family of 5 who have been visiting Val Cenis for our last 5 ski trips. We visit with 2-3 other families which include children ranging from age 8-16 years (The youngest was age 4 years on his first visit). We tend to stay self catering and visit the local bar for apres ski before eating together in one of the apartments. We are a mix of snow boarders and skiers and love the fact that after the children have had their lessons in the mornings, we can all go out and ski together in the afternoons as there is plenty for everyone and the slopes are not too busy.
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