300 kilometres of pistes, part of the Espace Killy ski area, three Michelin stars, one world-class ski resort. Val d’Isère has long been the mecca for keen skiers. Unrivalled in its offering to keen skiers and snowboarders there’s little to criticise. There are many reasons for it being the most popular ski resort in the Alps. 

Val d’Isère is snow-sure with a season running from late November to late April (and even with some summer skiing in the neighbouring resort of Tignes). The ski area is full of exceptional pistes from beginner friendly slopes on the Solaise to the world cup worthy Le Face run. It has après ski and nightlife to rival, and in most cases better, any other resort from around the world, from après at Cocoricos or La Folie Douce to the Doudoune nightclub. There are more off the slopes activities for non-skiers than you could hope to fit in to a week, from swimming or badminton at the Centre Aquasportif to ice driving. And then there are the restaurants; l’Edelweiss, La Table de l’Ours and L’Atelier d’Edmond to name just a few. Val d’Isère is truly a one off.

Skiing:

The ski area of Val d’Isère consists of differing intertwining areas. It is a resort which interlinks smoothly and is perfect for keen skiers looking to put a number of runs under their skis each day:

Le Fornet:
Le Fornet is the far left of the ski area when looking at a piste map, it is more quaint and traditional. It’s filled with blue and red pistes and great for improvers upwards. The Piste L which carves through the valley down to the Laisanant area is a personal favourite. 

Solaise:
Easily accessible from the centre of town and connected to the Le Fornet area by the famed ‘up and over’ chairlift and intertwined by lifts and pistes is the Solaise ski area. This area was heavily invested in in recent years, tailoring it into a perfect beginner spot and ideal for improvers, there are also some fast blue runs and more testing red runs. The Solaise area is also excellent for beginners with some easy green runs and child friendly escalators. The heated gondola complete with WiFi which runs from the centre of Val d’Isère to the Solaise area is one of the many new additions to the area which also includes France’s highest hotel, Le Refuge de Solaise.

Bellevarde:
The Bellevarde gondola opens up all of the Espace Killy ski area to guests. This gondola runs from the centre of resort over the famed Le Face black piste and drops skiers in an area with a selection of green pistes, as well as with a handful of black, red and blue pistes to contend with. Keen skiers or snowboarders can always take on the famed Le Face piste run which is far less choppy in the morning than the late afternoon. Alternatively from the Bellevarde area you can easily access the slopes of Tignes and also La Daille. 

La Daille:
The La Daille area is a firm favourite for those who like a bit of off piste and know where to find it. There are some fantastic long pistes running from the top of the Bellevarde lift down to the bottom of the La Daille area. This is also where the popular La Folie Douce restaurant and bar is. Guests can choose to enjoy après ski here and either get the gondola down or ski down the blue or red runs.

Tignes:
Shares the Espace Killy ski area with Val d’Isère, and joins from the Bellevarde and La Daille area. Within a lift or two skiers and snowboarders can be enjoying the varied slopes of Tignes. From the snowpark to the eye of the needle, there’s a whole wealth of slopes to be explored on the Tignes side and it’s all included under one ski pass.

Restaurants:
On the mountain there are an array of wonderful rustic restaurants, chic eateries and plenty of varied cuisines. Just a couple of these highlights are below: 

L’Edelweiss: teeming with Alpine character, the l’Edelweiss is firmly established as one of the best spots for a mountain lunch when visiting Val d’Isère. Serving traditional Savoyard cuisine with a twist as well as a prixe fixe menu booking is strongly recommended. When it comes to the food think rich meat dishes, mouthwatering French cheeses and beautiful seafood pastas. Whether a snowy winter’s day warming by the fire or a sunny March afternoon spent on the terrace, it is idyllic. 

La Fruitière: La Folie Douce is synonymous with Val d’Isère and La Fruitière is synonymous with La Folie Douce. With white-wash decor, faded chic styling and indoor and outdoor seating, mountain lunches at the La Fruitiere are always an event. The menu is traditionally French in influence with a lot of cheese, homemade foie gras, onion soup and the likes of steak tartare as well as their famous house burgers. The ‘norm’ for many groups is to enjoy a magnum or double magnum of rosé wine during a lunch here and then get drawn into the table dancing mayhem as the afternoon progresses outside on the terrace. 

In the same breath as mentioning La Fruiterie, it is worth noting that on the site of the Folie Douce Val d’Isère there is also La Folie Douce Petite Cuisine restaurant which serves affordable self-service Alpine, Italian and French influenced cuisine. 

L’Etincelle: relatively new to the restaurant scene of Val d’Isère, l’Etincelle opened a couple of years ago and is situated at the bottom of the Solaise slopes just a few minutes walk from the lifts and a few minutes further from the centre of town. There’s plenty of indoor seating but the huge terrace is the best spot when the sun shines. The food on offer is excellent serving fresh and mouth watering salads, very good pizzas, stunning fire cooked meats and liberal amounts of truffle throughout. The wine list is excellent, as are the views of the surrounding mountains. 

Le Refuge de Solaise: an excellent restaurant with incredible panoramic views of Val d’Isère opened for the 2019-20 winter season. Offering attentive service and a range of cuisines from French and Italian to Japanese, the food is delicious and the selection of wines available is equally special. A large and spacious restaurant fantastic for groups it is the ideal place to hide away on a snowy day. For those that do not fancy the ski down the long red Solaise piste to resort you can easily take the gondola back to town. 

In the resort there are some incredible options for lunches and also for the night or two off from chalet catering or if you are self-catering. Below is a little about the two Michelin star restaurants in Val d’Isère, however there are some great less expensive eats such as the Fondue Factory and La Baraque.

La Table de l’Ours: with a Michelin star to boast of and set within the five star Hotel Les Balmes de l’Ours. Exceptionally well reviewed this is just about the most expensive meal that you can have in resort but competes with L’Atelier d’Edmond for the top spot of best food. The Discovery Menu is a fantastic choice for Michelin level dining. Food is seasonal, locally sourced and packed full of flavour. Crisp white table cloths, subtle lighting and exceptional service round off the experience. 

L’Atelier d’Edmond: For fine dining aficionados, there is no better restaurant in resort than L’Atelier d’Edmond. With two Michelin stars it is the most celebrated of Val d’Isère’s many eateries. The food is exceptionally well received and whilst expensive it is not out of this world price-wise. Situated in the Le Fornet area of resort the restaurant is understated chic in it’s decor and balances the traditional and modern. Food is Savoyard influenced with fresh and expertly sourced ingredients. Pre-booking is a must.

Après ski and nightlife:

Après ski: in my opinion Val d’Isère is only challenged by the Austrian powerhouse of St. Anton (for more info on St. Anton’s party-life read our blog here). There’s La Folie Douce on the mountain, Cocoricos on the piste back in to resort and then the likes of Bananas and The Morris in town.

La Folie Douce: iconic perhaps sums up La Folie Douce best. The original Folie and one of the most popular places to party on top of the world. This is where it all started. Think big house music, live DJs, creative entertainment, mesmerising shows, champagne spraying and plenty of table dancing. It gets lively from 2:30pm and closes at 5:00pm, just in time for you to get the last lift down.

Cocoricos: less pretentious than La Folie Douce, Cocoricos starts from about 4:00pm each afternoon with live music and runs through until around 7:30pm. It ramps up considerably as the late afternoon wears on. Popular with just about anyone, it is impossible not to have a good time here. Watch out for the 1080s and toffee vodka, a lethal combination. There is often ice found on the path outside, also lethal after the aforementioned drinks so be careful when leaving.

The Morris: somewhat sparsely decorated and with a rather rustic feel, The Morris is where a younger crowd and seasonaires tend to drink pints in the afternoons, enjoy live music and the odd shot of homemade flavoured vodka. It’s a popular spot when the likes of the Six Nations are on as it shows most major sporting fixtures.

Bananas: a lot more relaxed than the first three bars I’ve mentioned, Bananas sits close to the centre of resort and at the edge of the piste. This casual bar and restaurant serves Tex-Mex food, generous sized cocktails and the party normally spills over into the early hours of the morning. It is also an excellent place to go to for a vin chaud, to sit in front of the fireplace and play one of the many games found in the bar.

Nightlife: perhaps unlike any other ski resort, this is where Val d’Isère truly comes into its own. There are sophisticated hotel bars, seasonaire hangouts and everything in between. It’s all a matter of taste, but two of the most popular options are Dick’s (and Bunker) and Doudoune.

Dick’s Tea Bar: where most will head for a late night in Val d’Isère, Dick’s Tea Bar has long been established as one of the Alps’ best nightclubs. Open daily from 11:00pm, the bar/club features house music and a DJ fused with live saxophone performance followed by guest DJs. Known for attracting the rich and famous whilst also rubbing shoulders with the locals, it’s the place to be. When Dick’s Tea Bar closes you can head downstairs to Bunker its sister club which is open until the sun comes up.

Doudoune: found underneath Cocoricos is Doudoune, the late night follow up to its après ski offerings. Doudoune Club is another popular late night hangout, the drinks aren’t cheap but this spot still attracts plenty. There’s even the ‘Doudoune Bus’ to get you home, an almost rite of passage for visitors to Val d’Isère.

Non-ski activities: 

Across the resort there’s plenty to see and do, restaurants to experience and parties to be had but for those that wish for an activity or two, it’s a great resort. The lake in the La Daille area provides ice diving, there’s also ice driving, winter walking, dog sledding and paragliding on offer to name just a few. 

For those in search of relaxation or indoor activities the Centre Aquasportif is wonderful with a swimming pool, spa area, well-being world, fitness centre, yoga, climbing wall and various sports courts. 

The Old Town of Val d’Isère is ideal for wandering around and popping into the many shops, local delicatessens, bars and also the church. There’s also a weekly market in the Old Town with artisan produce on offer, perfect for any gifts to take back to those at home.

Chalet Barmettes, sleeping six to eight guests, beautifully constructed and in the Old Town of Val d’Isère, it enjoys a brilliant location and is ideal for a luxurious family holiday.

Chalet Toit du Monde, sleeping eight guests, Chalet Toit du Monde is James Bond-esque with a retractable swimming pool, ski-in/ski-out and swim-in/swim-out, it is certainly unique!

Chalet Rocca Penthouse, sleeping 10 guests, this beautiful and modern chalet is within 400 metres of the pistes, has stunning interiors, a private swimming pool and TV snug.

Chalet Le Chardon, sleeping 20 guests, this is one of the most well known chalets in resort. It’s ideal for any larger group with a ski-in/ski-out location, swim-spa, hot-tubs, charming traditional wooden chic interiors and exceptional dining. 

Hotel La Mourra, this boutique hotel is just outside the centre of the resort and within easy reach of the lifts and shops. The spa is exceptional, the dining outstanding and there are even four chalets adjoined to the hotel for those that seek a little extra privacy.