Dan
Feb, 25 - 2025 - 9 mins
Save £££ at Secret French Resorts in Big Ski Areas
If you’re after a better deal for your next ski holiday but don’t want to scrimp on the good stuff, then this guide is for you. Finding the best value sub-resorts or even smaller lesser known resorts within the biggest ski areas in the world is like cracking open a chest of hidden treasure. Rather than shelling out for a pricey stay in the middle of all the action, venture to those lesser-known spots where you’ll find amazing accommodation, direct slope access, and a laid-back vibe all for a much better price point. Yodl’s got the inside scoop on some top-notch alternatives - so you can have your cake and eat it too, without emptying your wallet.
And of course, you have to know what you’re looking for in each of these places as well. ‘From spa hotels to self-catered chalets to bolt-hole apartments, there’s all sorts of ways to stretch your pound without skimping on quality.
Let’s sink our teeth into the good stuff…
Champagny en Vanoise - 425km of skiing
If there’s one ski resort in France that screams value it is Champagny en Vanoise. The Paradiski ski area has 425km of high altitude pistes and Champagny has direct access to two of the highest peaks on the map. Both Les Verdons at 2,500m and Roche de Mio at 2,739m are easily accessible from the Champagny side of the mountain and open up the best skiing in La Plagne. Yes, staying in Champagny you sacrifice the buzzing apres side to a ski holiday, but you are only one lift away from Plagne Centre so you can still get your apres fix here or even visit the Bergerie and catch the last lift back over to the Champagny side of the mountain. But you definitely wouldn’t want to miss that last lift or you’ll be looking at a 1.5 hour taxi ride home.
Champagny is a charming little resort with an almost magical mountain vibe. It's south facing so gets the best of the sunshine and is particularly suited for families, offering not one but two beginner zones where even the most tentative little skiers can learn to glide (or at least fall gracefully). And when the weather turns a stubborn white-out, there's always the pool - a veritable oasis for an afternoon dip that’s as refreshing as it is unexpected.
Where to stay In Champagny the value is in the self-catered apartments, the best value places are a few hundred metres from the village gondola but there are lockers at the base here to store your ski boots making it an easy walk in normal footwear! Take a look at skiyodl.com for the best value self-catered apartments in Champagny. To get around there’s a shuttle bus that runs through the village every half hour or so throughout the day, or if you have a car there’s plenty of parking at the gondola so that’s always an easy option as well.
St Martin de Belleville - 600km of skiing
You’ve probably heard of St Martin and you’ve almost certainly heard of the Three Valleys ski area - the largest linked ski area in the world with a whopping 600km of pistes. St Martin sits on the corner of the ski area so to speak in the same valley at Val Thorens just at the opposite end. You’re two lifts from Meribel and the local slopes are some of the best in the Three Valleys - Jerusalem being the crown jewel.
The village itself clings to its time-honoured farming village charm like a cherished old friend. Imagine cobbled streets that wind around a 16th-century church in the very heart of the village - a scene so picturesque it could make a postcard blush. In recent years, a few of the old chalets and barns have been transformed into rather swanky luxury retreats. And there are some amazing restaurants cropping up, at Yodl, one of our favourites is Le Montagnard; amazing views for a coffee and the food is sublime.
Where to stay Now St Martin isn’t what you may class as cheap, but it does offer fantastic value. And that value comes in the form of self-catering group chalets. Gone are the days of catered chalets (though you can still find a few) but that has brought about a new type of stay and you can always get a chef in if you really wanted. 6 to 8 people is your sweet spot here, you can find unbelievable chalets for a fraction of what they’d cost you in Courchevel, Meribel or even Val Thorens and you have access to the same incredible ski area. Make skiyodl.com your go-to for the widest selection of ski chalets in St Martin - no one offers a bigger choice.
Other places to stay in the Three Valleys
If you want to be in Meribel but without the price tag you could try Meribel Mottaret or Meribel village rather than trying to stay in the centre. You still have fantastic slope access - Mottaret is basically ski in, ski out. But the price point is that little bit lower. And both hubs have their own restaurants, ski hire etc. Lodge du Village is one of the best places for food or apres in the resort!
Or if Courchevel’s your goal, look at La Tania, Courchevel 1550 or Courchevel Le Praz and as a bonus you get easy access to some of the best tree skiing around here as well. All three villages escape the Courchevel 1850 price tax for just being Courchevel 1850 but you still get all the slopes.
Tignes Les Brevieres - 300km of pistes
Many would argue the Tignes-Val d’Isere ski area is one of the best, if not the best in the world. We’re not here to debate that, just show you how you can ski here and get far more for your money. You could say Tignes in general is cheaper than Val d’Isere and that’s very true. You can get amazing value on bolt-hole apartments in Le Lac especially. But the real value lies in Les Brevieres. The old part of Tignes, so it’s nice on the eye and nice on the pocket.
Les Brevieres is the lowest of the Tignes villages, there’s no escaping that but even in mid-April you’ll still be able to ski down here usually. And right at the bottom of the slopes is L’Etoile des Neiges one of Yodl’s favourite lunch spots in Tignes. Make friends with the owner and you’ll be set up for restaurant recommendations for your whole trip.
Where to stay Much like St Martin, Les Brevieres value lies in chalets, this time even bigger. 6 bedroom places for as little as £300 per person. And they are incredible luxury chalets with amazing mountain views, you could even bag yourself a hot tub or sauna. From where the majority of the chalet are perched up on the valley side you catch a quaint little funicular down to the lift station, fun and practical. Search Tignes on skiyodl.com and use the filters to find stays in Les Brevieres. You could also look at Tignes 1800 for the newest stays in the area and largely ski in, ski out.
St Gervais
Somehow St Gervais is still flying under the radar despite it being both beautiful and convenient. An historic spa town just an hour from Geneva and the new gondola linking Le Fayet to the resort means getting here by train involves zero cars or taxis and there are easy train links from Paris or Lyon.
Forget the overcrowded hotspots; here, you gain easy access to over 450km of pistes in the sprawling Evasion Mont Blanc. Simply hop on the Mont Blanc tramway from St Gervais to Les Houches, and you'll be treated to views of Mont Blanc that are as breathtaking as they are unexpected. The area is not completely linked by ski lifts but it’s a collection of villages - a challenge to explore it all in a week. And with its family-friendly nature come the new beginner area up the mountain at the top of the Bettex gondola giving those learning the same top of mountain views as the seasoned pros. No being stuck on the magic carpets in town here!
We mentioned the historic spa town, but the spa here is anything but old. The Thermes de Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc are fueled by the mineral rich Mont Blanc natural thermal waters. Take part in relaxation workshops, explore numerous saunas and steam rooms, or take a dip in the indoor and open-air pools at the foot of the beautiful Bonnant gorge.
Book your stay at skiyodl.com for family-friendly ski holidays in St Gervais.
Honorable mentions
There are heaps of resorts that offer fantastic value in France outside the really big ski areas. Think Serre Chevalier with 250km of piste or Sainte Foy’s small but mighty 41kms. But if you’re looking for the areas where you can really munch up the miles then our top recommendations are above. If you’re looking for a shorter time away then there’s nowhere better than Chamonix for a mid-week trip or over the weekend. Stay slightly out of town at somewhere like the Big Sky Hotel & Spa in Les Bossons and you get an unbelievable amount for your money including spa, pool and two saunas often for under £100 a night.
Book your ski holiday with Yodl Yodl connects skiers with private properties as well as hotels and residences across the Alps. But not just any old properties, these are handpicked to give you the best ski holiday possible. With over 3,000 accommodation options to choose from in France alone. You can include lift passes, ski hire and even transfers at any time. Get to the mountains your way, with the convenience of booking everything else you need in one place. Whether you prefer to drive straight from home or opt for flights or the train, we’ve got the accommodation, lift passes, transfers and ski hire covered.
Your next ski holiday is just a click away. Simply visit skiyodl.com to find the stay that suits you. And don’t forget to take the Snomad Resort Quiz to find your perfect resort matches.
