Val d'Isere

A high, snow-sure resort at 1,850 m, linked with Tignes to make one of the great ski areas for strong skiers.

Skied here
Solaise above Val d'Isere in winter1,850 m village
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Forecast at 2200 m today: low / high, modelled snow depth, and new snow in the last 24 hours.

We skied Val d'Isere and Tignes about two years ago. A full review with scores is coming; until then this is a factual guide.

Is Val d’Isere a good ski resort?

Yes, especially for good skiers. Val d’Isere and neighbouring Tignes share about 300 km of pistes between 1,550 and 3,456 m, one of the highest and most snow-sure linked areas in the Alps, with a season from late November into May.

Val d’Isere itself is a real village with an old church and stone-and-wood chalets, though it has grown long along the valley from La Daille to Le Fornet. It has a big international scene, good restaurants and lively après, including the famous original Folie Douce at La Daille.

The skiing

Three sectors leave from the village: Bellevarde, with the Face de Bellevarde, the steep 1992 Olympic downhill run that finishes in the centre; Solaise, with gentler, sunny slopes above the village; and Le Fornet and the Pissaillas glacier at the far end of the valley. Over the ridge, Tignes adds big open bowls and the Grande Motte glacier.

Experts and off-piste skiers are spoilt for choice. Intermediates have plenty, but some reds here are steep and icy by afternoon. Beginners have dedicated free lifts in the village, but much of the area is wasted on them.

Getting there

Val d’Isere is at the very top of the Tarentaise valley. The last climb from Bourg-Saint-Maurice takes about 45 minutes. Chambery, Geneva and Lyon are the usual airports, and the TGV and seasonal trains stop at Bourg-Saint-Maurice.