Val d'Isere for beginners and intermediates

Is it good for beginners?

Honestly, it isn't the best place to learn. Tignes–Val d'Isère is harder than both the 3 Vallées and Paradiski, and the biggest problem is that there's no easy run back into Val d'Isère village: the way home is a red or a black, or a gondola ride down.

If your group has beginners, stay in Tignes, where the runs home are gentler, or in La Daille, which has the one blue to valley level on the Val d'Isère side. Get the full Tignes–Val d'Isère lift pass, because the friendliest beginner terrain is spread across both sides. Our Val d'Isère or Tignes guide compares the villages.

The best beginner areas

Bellevarde, at the top of the Olympique gondola. A little cluster of greens: Génépy at the top of the Borsat chair, Borsat, Fresse and La Verte, which ends at La Folie Douce. Grand Pré, under the Grand Pré chair, is ultra-wide and usually quiet, with the Val d'Isère sign at the top for the photo. Watch out for ski schools on Génépy.

Solaise, Ski Tranquille. A dedicated beginner zone at the top of the Solaise gondola. Start on Lac-Parc, then Col de la Madeleine, the definition of a cruisy blue, down to Datcha for a hot chocolate. St Jacques is a narrow blue with one of the best views in Val d'Isère, and it's usually empty. Madeleine, Fourche and Marais off the Datcha chair round it off.

The Pisaillas glacier. Over the Leissières chair from Solaise, Montet, Pisaillas and Arses link into one long, gentle blue, and it's much quieter than the main resort.

Tignes. Génépy, a 4.5 km blue from the Grande Motte to Val Claret, has the best scenery but some flat bits where you'll need to pole. Henri is the easy way off Tovière, but it's busy and full of beginners.

Getting home without a hard run

Plan the end of the day before you set off. From Bellevarde or Solaise, ride the Olympique or Solaise gondola back down to Val d'Isère. Or ski Diebold, the blue down to La Daille, and take the short free bus to the centre; it gets busy late in the day.

On the Tignes side, the blues into Le Lac and Val Claret are the easy way home. Avoid the Pyramides chair on the Le Fornet side if you're not confident: the only way down from the top is Signal, a short, punchy black.

A beginner's day on Solaise

Take the Solaise gondola up to Ski Tranquille and warm up on Lac-Parc. Ride the Glacier chair, then take Plan Milet or St Jacques. Only go halfway down Plan Milet, or you'll end up walking uphill. Then cruise Col de la Madeleine to Datcha for an Irish coffee or a hot chocolate, and do a few laps of the Datcha chair on Fourche, Marais and Madeleine. Ride the gondola down and finish at Cocorico.

For intermediates: the first reds and the next step

Start with Fontaine Froide, a short, quiet red from the top of the Olympique, and keep right at the fork so you don't end up on La Face. Cascade on the Pisaillas side is another easy first red.

Then go high. The reds from the Grande Motte glacier down to Val Claret are an amazing experience, often above the clouds even when it's grey below, and Double M at the end is made for carving. Arcelle on Solaise is a fast, consistent 2 km red into the quiet Manchet valley; ski it after 10:30, once the shade has let it soften. Mangard and Germain Mattis are quieter reds through the trees.

Confident intermediates can try the Tovière blacks into Tignes Le Lac in good conditions. Most of them ski like reds until the steep finish on Johan Clarey. Avoid Plan and Piste M back to Val d'Isère at about 4 pm, when they're steep, choppy and crowded. Our best runs guide has the full list.

Ski schools

ESF, Oxygène and New Generation all run lessons here, and there are plenty of private instructors. Book early for school holidays; at quieter times, such as January, it's easier to get a good slot and the slopes are calmer for learning.