Val d'Isère is an attractive and lively resort set at the heart of the vast Espace Killy ski area, offering some of the best skiing and aprés ski in the whole of Europe. Set in the northern French Alps not far from the Italian border, it is arguably Europe's most fashionable ski resort.

Skiing

Val d'Isère has several good nursery slopes and has some of the best ski instruction in the Alps, with ski and snowboard schools to suit any requirements

There is a large nursery area under the Solaise express and many wide and encouraging runs above the Tete de Solaise. Further greens can be found below the Col de Presse and the Col de L'Iseran. There are also two snowparks and two glaciers.

The lifts are reached by cable car from Val d'Isère's satellite village of Le Fornet and begin at the Col de l'Iseran. There are four lifts serving five green and five blue trails with a maximum vertical of about 800m. New lifts include the Bellevarde Face High Speed Gondola; 10 snow cannons on the Santons slope make it easier for beginners.

Val d'Isère with 150km of pistes is linked to neighbouring Tignes and together marketed as "L'Espace Killy" with a total of 300km of pistes. The height of the resort gives the advantage of rarely being short of snow and being able to ski back to village.

When to go

The resort is open from late November to the beginning of May, but year-round skiing is possible on the Grande Motte glacier.

The resort

Val d'Isère is a proper town, not just a purpose built ski complex. As a result, it has a bustling and lively atmosphere centred on the wide main street that runs the length of the town. Recent buildings have certainly enhanced the appearance of this central area, using stone and wood in traditional Savoyarde style. There is a plethora of ski shops in town and visitors benefit from the high level of competition.

The resort is rich in skiing history, producing some of the great champions of the past 40 years, including Jean-Claude Killy (after whom the skiing area "L'Espace Killy" was named) and the Goiitschel sisters, all Olympic gold medal winners.

During the summer, Val d'Isère and much of the Savoie region is transformed into a major hiking, orienteering and outdoor adventure centre. You can hike and camp for days without running into anybody and anyone will be amazed by the mountain scenery, fresh water springs and alpine lakes.

The village has a huge variety of restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets, lively bars and the most famous club in the Alps, Dick's Tea Bar. Others include Pacific Bar, the Moris and nightspot Club 21.

Accommodation

The popularity of the resort ensures that there is a huge selection of accommodation.

Getting there

The two closest airports to Val d'Isère are Lyon's St-Exupery Airport and Geneva Airport, a 3 hour drive from Lyon to Val d'Isère.

Resort Information:

Val d'Isère tourism website
Address: BP 228 - 73 155 Val d'Isère cedex
Telephone: 0033 479 060 660
Fax: 0033 479 060 456
Email: valhotel@valdIsère.com