Val D'isere Ski Holidays

While the home of an Alpine World Cup is – deservedly – considered more in terms of intermediate and advanced slopes, Val d'Isere has a number of green and blue runs – and, better, the lifts for the nursery slopes are free of charge, so no beginner needs to buy a full week's lift pass just to find out whether they have the makings of a better skier. It's completely possible for a dedicated visitor to return year on year, improving their abilities on the slopes, and enjoying a new skiing experience every time.

Beginners' Skiing Val d'Isere ***

The ski schools of Val d'Isere are very welcoming and are up for almost any challenge. However, fledgling skiers should be aware that while the nursery slopes are easy to access, many of the runs that you will progress onto are some height above the resort itself. Some of the runs which would return you to the town center are substantially more difficult – most notably “the Face”, one of the resort's justly-feared black runs.

We therefore often recommend that beginners either ski to La Daille before boarding a bus into town or head to Le Fornet or Laisinant, which are serviced by easy winding runs that will soon bring you back to town via a convenient bus stop.

Intermediate Skiing Val d'Isere *****

Intermediate skiers will delight in great numbers of both blue and red runs, enough that a week's determined skiing won't even require many repetitions of routes. Particularly recommended for experienced intermediates are the Germain Mattis and the OK/Orange, which form a nice bridge between intermediate and advanced skiing.

If those seem more of a challenge than you're ready for, however, the Diebold run and Piste 'L', both blue, are excellent, enjoyable to traverse, and sure to raise your confidence in your own skills. Beyond those specific recommendations, an intermediate skier in Val d'Isere is encouraged to explore, swap recommendations with others in the various apres bars and lodges, and generally test themselves as appropriate.

Advanced Skiing Val d'Isere *****

As well as countless opportunities to enjoy the powdery slopes off-piste, Val d'Isere offers several black runs suited to the very best. La Face or, to give it its full name, La Face de Bellevarde is the queen of these, however, and it should be – it's also the Olympic run, and as it takes you right into the heart of town, it makes a wonderful capstone to a day's skiing for any advanced practitioner.

Still, it's far from the only available black run, and one thing's for sure – you will not be bored while you're here!

Snowboarding holidays Val d'Isere *****

Both Val d'Isere and the other major resort in the Espace Killy, Tignes, have modern and highly respected snow parks. For the snowboarder who wants more, however, the off-piste is some of the best in Europe much loved by snowboard aficionados and there are even several areas perfect for honing your jibbing skills if you're one of those who doesn't so much have a board as a jib stick.

Fun is assured for all skill levels of snowboarder; the resort has a reputation for hooking visitors and seeing one of the highest rates of return among the snowboarding community.

Off-Piste Skiing Val d'Isere *****

Given its fantastic snow record, a trip to Val d'Isere gives you every chance of getting a week's worth of powder skiing. With good conditions, the off-piste skiing in Val d'Isere is phenomenal! Le Fornet is the best base of operations for those who like it steep and deep between the trees. There is also a lot of easily accessible off-piste to be had, so you can get your powder fix without having to hike.

There really is everything here a ski lover could want.