The Skiers' Guide to Val d'Isère

Val Disieré is an excellent ski resort, the lift pass is pricey but gets you access to a very large ski area that is extremely well connected with lifts & local (free) bus services).

One pass gets you access to around 350km of piste, funicular rides, glaciers and mile upon mile of groomed piste. Being the same ski area as Tignes you get two of the best resorts in France & two different vibes under one pass.

Theres a wide variety of lifts and gondolas and plenty of runs for all abilities. You definitely wont get bored, and can try something new everyday!

Aprés is expensive, but excellent! La Follie Douce and CoCos really are an experience you cant miss and are absolutely popping every night!

The town itself is beautiful and has a great range of accommodation, from high end chalets to cheaper apart-hotels (particularly if you head towards La Dialle, which is again connected by a free shuttle, as well as being virtually ski in ski out at the base of the Daille gondola), there really is something for everyone!

I would recommend planning a healthy budget, however 10/10 would recommend and hope to be back soon!

Fantastic resort for intermediates and above with great conditions and slope care. Great lift access, apre, restaurants and night life.

Covering such a wide area, theres huge variety in the slopes to fit skiers of any ability regardless of what theyre looking for! Beginners will enjoy getting the Solaise bubble lift up and exploring the slopes at the top, especially Madeline and Glacier. In the Bellvarde area The Face is an excellent run for more advanced skiers, hitting it as early as possible grants better conditions than later in the day and is a great way to get you going. Off-piste skiing in this area is truly beautiful, and again theres a huge variety on offer. Id recommend going with a guide regardless of your ability, they will take you down some of the best off-piste skiing youve ever done! The size of the resort (especially if your lift pass is valid in the Tignes area also) ensures you can easily avoid or stick to beginner areas, use the variety in altitude to your advantage when conditions arent ideal, and never feel like youre repeating runs time and time again. Other skiers/boarders tend to be respectful on the slopes, always a nice atmosphere and good for families - Ive gone every year since i was 10 and am now 24 so have experienced it from all angles!

Cant recommend this resort enough!

Runs into resort can be rough in the afternoons so not suitable for most beginners wanti g to ski home. However they can download easily from several gondolas and Funivars. I went in March and it was pretty busy so pisted runs became mogully fast in the steeper parts, but still skiable. Beautiful resort with a huge variety of skiing and great links into Tignes.
Had some good falls of snow but you have to be out first to get the powder as it gets skiied out fast.

Val disere - Tignes is about as good as it gets in terms of resort skiing. State of the art lifts, almost endless terrain, fantastic grooming, some of the best lift-accessed off piste in Europe and some of the best apres ski to match. Only pitfalls would be there arent a lot of value options for dining and accommodation, making it a little bit inaccessible for the average joe, as well as a bit of a hardcore party vibe and not a whole lot of non-skiing options for young kids. But if you can afford to splurge on dining and accommodation, love to party and love prime skiing of all types, this is the place for you.

Very well organised resort with thought given to keeping the resort up to date but traditional maintaining that mountain town feel. Extensive accommodation which gives an opportunity for all to come and visit..
The ski area is vast when combined with Tignes with a huge range of terrain for all abilities of skier. Even non skiers can access the slopes to meet up with fellow travelers for lunch, drink s at some of the great mountain restaurants serving great food.

Val dIsère is a high snowsure resort with a huge array of groomed slopes and lift access off piste .
For much more
There is a lot to do in Valdis there, ice driving, para penting ice climbing down the valley sledding cross country runs are there are there are several ices of cuisine of the slopes, a wide range of accommodation from self catering apartments to high end hotels and luxurious chalets there are many shopping shopping opportunities. Recommend this resort very highly

Valdisere has everything, Quality snow for a long season served by a good lift system.
Valdisere and its neighbour tignes are served by an network of busses and private transfer companies from serval airports making travel from many UK airports easy.
Accommodation and food of all types are available
Ski schools for all levels. The town its self is a traditional alpine town with an amazing variety of shops, restaurants and apres ski bars.
The ski area is varied with quiet areas for beginners, blue, red and black runs for the advanced.

Really good powder off piste week with 4 feet of snow apres aki was amazing really good bands and easy access to slopes

Thoroughly enjoyed our time at Val dlisere and Tignes.
There wasnt any fresh snow when we went, but the piste skiing was excellent. The lifts were almost always high speed 6-seaters or gondolas, and the vibes were immaculate - go for the skiing, stay for the apres!

Will be back!

Val d'Isere is a winter wonderland that exceeded all expectations. The breathtaking alpine scenery, coupled with top-notch ski runs, made for an unforgettable experience. The village charm, with its cozy cafes and après-ski spots, added a delightful touch to the adventure. The slopes cater to all skill levels, ensuring everyone has a blast. The ski-in, ski-out convenience and efficient lift system made navigating the expansive terrain a breeze. Overall, Val d'Isere offers the perfect blend of thrills, relaxation, and picturesque beauty, making it a must-visit destination for any ski enthusiast.

This resort has been a bucket list destination for years. This year we've saved and saved.

Transfers were a nightmare from Chambrey. Normally 3 hours but due to new red light rule it took 9 hours! Anyway on arrival we were met with eager hosts of the LaSamovar hotel. Cases were delivered to rooms while we were offered food and drinks despite restaurant closing. Room was lovely with an great view of the slopes for ski in ski out.

Bed comfy and warm. Water and chocolates supplied! After a great nights quite sleep breakfast was very good buffet style with all you need to set you up for the day. Cheeses pastries cereals eggs of all types honey from the comb! Pancakes and fruits.

The best hot chocolate ever. Coffees and teas too.

Collected skis and boots from ski set behind hotel. They scanned our feet for extremely comfy boots. We were in and out in 10 minutes!!

Off to the pistes and no que of any length! By 8.30am we were on our way to the Grand motte glacier cable car. The skiing is next level. Pistes groomed to perfection.

The red and blue runs are challenging and occasionally we disagreed that a red was in fact an should have been a black! But all enjoyable.

You can do both glaciers in a day our first day was 34 miles of skiing using the val d'isère app to track our location and speeds.

Lunch is expensive theres no way around it. £8 a small bottle if water £29 a medium pizza! So fill up on breakfast and take a picnic from the local spa shop opposite hotel.

Theres a lack of decent toilets on the slopes. The restaurants do have toilets but some are only to be used by buying food there! If you want to sit out then get there early

Folle douce is amazing for food drinks and dancing with outdoor performers and talented singers and dancers. From 3pm onwards the party starts. Dancing in ski boots was a new one in me but hey its different. Music an DJ is awesome. If you indulge too much then theres the godnola down rather than the challenging red run back to resort.

By night Val d'isère is stunningly beautiful with many lights and beautiful shops. Eating out is a challenge! Book 24/48 hours before you go or you will be waiting a while! Again food is excellent but not even close to cheap. We tried all types of restaurants and our cheapest bill was £55 a head with drinks.

Overall a beautiful place to ski. No issues and lift queues not unacceptable. Tignes is much busier so aim to get there early. Will go again for sure.

Val disere always guarantees good snowfall and skiing. And the folie douce will always entertain. I have noticed pistes do become very busy more often than not but can certainly find some wicked off piste runs for peace and quiet

Amazing resort - massive ski area with good snow due to height of the resort. Plenty of challenging slopes for more experienced skiers, although doesnt seem to be particularly beginner friendly in a lot of places!

Great resort, make sure to book everything in advance as it can be very busy in places. Great variety of skiing/boarding to go at from the nice flowing greens to the more vigorous blacks, great fun for everyone

Brilliant resort. Tignes pass is a must to get the most out of this resort. Coco is the best Apre. Le Face is overrated, but all other runs are great fun. Beginners may struggle as there are no greens down into the valley from Tignes side

If youre looking for a traditional, picture-postcard ski resort, with an excellent range of runs; from cruisey blues, to infamous challenging black runs (looking at you, Le Face), then look no further than Val dIsere. Not the most accessible for the absolute beginner, but for the adventurous intermediate onwards theres plenty to explore within the resort. And for the exploring ski touring type, plenty outside of the resort too! Can be pricey if youre looking for a budget option, but if youre happy to spend a little more for the real-deal ski resort experience, Val dIsere wont leave you wanting for anything!

everything about the skiing, given on or off-piste is absoloutely superb! the apres ski is some of the best i have ever experienced in france and all the accomodation options are great! it is however one of the more expensive resorts and more costly to live in, but if thats an option for you then i recommend 100%. ive been skiing here for multiple years and will be so glad to come back!

Val dIsere is the dream ski resort. The village is beautiful, full of traditional chalet architecture. The huge amount of pistes are always in great condition, there is a ton of easily accessible off piste terrain and you dont have to tour very far out of the resort to feel like youre a million miles away from anywhere. The après ski scene is second to none, as is the night life. Most of the restaurants in town are fantastic too. What more could you want?

It isnt the most beginner friendly resort in the world though, as there is a hard progression from the nursery slopes to green runs, and all terrain coming down into the resort is either graded red or black.