The 7 Best Ski Resorts in France

France is known as one of the best skiing destinations in Europe. Thanks to the country being home to the glorious French Alps, there are numerous ski resorts dotted throughout the mountain landscape, from ski resorts suitable for complete beginners and those with young children to others where professionals train throughout the winter

If you’re looking to book a skiing holiday this winter, then why not opt for a skiing trip in France? Easy to reach from most of the world, with excellent transport links to the ski resorts, few European destinations home to better or more varied ski resorts than France

1. Val-d’Isère

Found just 5km from the Italian border, Val-d’Isère is situated in the glorious Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region of France. While it is a fairly small commune, it nevertheless has good transport links to other French cities

Val-d’Isère also has the advantage of having a long ski season – over 5 months, so you can choose flights or organise your travel based on the time of year when it is cheapest to travel, thereby saving money while still having the advantage of being able to experience the ski season.

Another reason why Val-d’Isère is one of the best ski resorts in France is because of the range of slopes available. There are both man-made slopes and off-piste slopes, which are aimed at those experienced skiers. However, Val-d’Isère also accommodates amateur and beginner skiers too, with many wide and gently sloped routes for those who have just begun to ski or have never been skiing before.

Aside from skiing, there is a wide range of restaurants and bars and even a few clubs for those who want to party all night and let their hair down after a day of skiing. The village is also suitable for families, with traditional alpine cottages available to stay in, to enhance the skiing experience even further.

2024/25 Ski Season Dates: 30th November 2024 – 4th May 2025

Nearest Airport: Chambery (180km), but the preferred airport for many is Geneva (Switzerland), 220km away

2. La Plagne

Not too far from Val-d’Isère is La Plange, another excellent French ski resort. La Plange is one of the best resorts in France for beginner skiers, or for those with small children, but that does not mean that experienced skiers will not have a good time.

La Plange has also previously been named the most popular ski resort in the world, and in 2014 it saw over 2.5 million visitors during the ski season – an impressive return for a resort only open for just over four months in the ski season.

There is 100km² of ski area in La Plange, with 225km of slopes: 10 are specifically beginner (or green) slopes, 72 intermediate (blue), 30 advanced (red) and 15 experts (black), so this is a resort that caters to skiers of all abilities.

The resort spans a huge distance in the mountains, too – and is also at a notably high altitude, spanning from 1,250m above sea level to 3,250m. Like other French ski resorts, there is a wide array of bars and restaurants at La Plange, where guests can sample traditional French food, or – thanks to its close proximity to the Italian border – freshly made Italian food.

Evenings can be spent sitting by a roaring log fire in one of the Alpine-style huts, chatting over a (Baileys?) hot chocolate while de-frosting after a day of hitting the slopes!

2024/25 Ski Season Dates: 14th December 2024 – 21st April 2025

Nearest Airport: Chambery (120km), but the preferred airport for many is Geneva (Switzerland), 155km away.

3. Courchevel

Courchevel is another French Alps ski resort found close to both the Italian and Swiss border. If you are looking to splash the cash on a ski holiday, then a trip to Courchevel is a must – it is arguably the best luxury ski resort in the world.

Attracting a global clientele including many wealthy people from Russia, the Middle East and further afield, Courchevel also offers excellent ski slopes – it was even used during the 1992 Winter Olympics and 2023 World Ski Championships, which says a lot about the standard of skiing at Courchevel.

Outside of skiing, there are a range of luxury shops such as Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Dior, Chanel and Prada to name just a few – perfect for some retail therapy in between hitting the slopes. There are also 24 luxury hotels on the site which all have 5-star ratings.

If you want to celebrate an extra-special occasion with a ski holiday, then a trip to Courchevel is a must.

2024/25 Ski Season Dates: 6th December 2024 – 21st April 2025

Nearest Airport: Chambery (100km), but the preferred airport for many is Geneva (Switzerland), 140km away.

4. Morzine

Found in the Chablais mountain range, between Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva, Morzine an excellent ski resort close to the French-Swiss border.

This resort is more suited for families, with lots of gentle slopes, perfect for families with small children. This also means that it is good for beginner and amateur skiers, who do not want to feel out of place in a larger resort aimed at semi and professional skiers. 

Morzine also offers lots of space for those who are into other winter sports such as snowboarding, where there is a dedicated snowboarding area in the resort.

As for outside of skiing, there are lots of bars and restaurants that offer a wide variety of food and drink – from thick and rich hot chocolate, perfect for warming up after a morning’s skiing, to hearty dinners by the fire on an evening, while relaxing with a glass (or bottle) of premium French red wine. What could be a better way to spend a winter’s evening mountainside?

2024/25 Ski Season Dates: 21st December 2024 – 6th April 2025

Nearest Airport: Geneva (80km)

5. Val Thorens

Val Thorens is one of the most well-known ski resorts in France and is also Europe’s highest ski resort with an altitude of 2300m above sea level.

Close to the Italian border, Val Thorens is also home to over 600km of slopes and is one of the largest ski areas in the world.

With a large variety of ski slopes from beginner to expert level, there is something suitable for everyone at Val Thorens. In addition, there are 31 different lifts so guests are never waiting very long to get to the top of the slopes once they are at the bottom.

Similarly to Morzine, there are lots of other opportunities to undertake different winter sports at Val Thorens, such as snowboarding.

Finally, there are numerous bars and restaurants at the resort serving up an array of dishes, from traditional Alpine cuisine (who could possibly resist fondue next to the fire?) and comfort food favourites such as pizza, burgers and more.

2024/25 Ski Season Dates: 23rd November 2024 – 4th May 2025

Nearest Airport: Chambery (122km), but the preferred airport for many is Geneva (Switzerland), 200km away.

6. Tignes

Tignes is a French Alpine ski resort bordering Val d’Isère, although there are slight differences between the two, hence being separate resorts.

Tignes has 300km of slopes, aimed at a variety of people with different skiing abilities and experience: 22 green (beginner), 61 blue (intermediate), 46 red (advanced) and 25 black (expert). In addition to the slopes, there is also 44km of cross-country (or off-piste) skiing available for those who prefer this type of skiing rather than hitting the slopes.

Because of the sheer amount of slopes for each difficulty rating, there is very little chance that any visitors would get bored going up and down the same slopes because there are simply so many to choose from.

The resort is also home to a quaint Alpine-style village where visitors can experience traditional French Alpine life and stay in cosy chalets for the full Alpine skiing holiday experience.

2024/25 Ski Season Dates: 23rd November 2024 – 4th May 2025

Nearest Airport: Chambery (140km), but the preferred airport for many is Geneva (Switzerland), 180km away.

7. Chamonix

France’s oldest ski resort, Chamonix, is also one of its best. It was even the site of the very first Winter Olympics, which occurred 100 years ago, in 1924. For a ski resort to be operating successfully for such a long time speaks volumes about how good it is, and it is certainly one of the best ski resorts in France.

While not ideal for beginners, there is nevertheless a range of slopes that intermediate or advanced-level skiers will find enjoyable. Chamonix also has various lifts to the different slopes, as well as a multitude of other available winter activities to do on the site.

There are many restaurants and bars in the resort, which make for great places to hold social get-togethers, especially if you are travelling in a big group for an even bigger celebration. 

2024/25 Ski Season Dates: 21st December 2024 – 4th May 2025

Nearest Airport: Geneva (90km)