Ski France - Still the market leader, with a whopping 43% of UK skiers opting for the big names and big ski areas, with high altitude assuring guaranteed snow, which France offers in such abundance.
France is the powerhouse when it comes to seriously BIG ski areas, including four of the all-time greats, that any skier or snowboarder is going to want to notch up at some point in their snow career.
WHY SKI FRANCE?
The Ski Areas
Les Trois Vallées (The 3 Valleys) - from Courchevel via Méribel and La Tania to Val Thorens and Les Menuires, 600kms of piste, plus endless off-piste areas, link up into one of the world’s biggest ski domaines.
Espace Killy - with chic Val d’Isère on one side, and high altitude Tignes on the other, Espace Killy is a favourite with more experienced skiers and riders, for the sheer scale of its challenges, both on and off-piste.
Paradiski - the newest inter-linked mega-area, with the Vanoise Express cable-car connecting Les Arcs with La Plagne - both big ski areas in themselves - to create a combined 425kms of ideal intermediate terrain.
Portes du Soleil - lays claim to the title of ‘biggest international ski area’, as the area bridges the border between France and Switzerland, and covers a range of resorts, including Les Gets, Avoriaz and Châtel.
The Resorts
France offers a complete contrast, from charming traditional villages like Les Gets and vibrant towns like Chamonix, to purpose-built resorts like Tignes, Val Thorens and Les Arcs, set in high altitude locations at the heart of some of the world’s biggest ski areas. Most offer some lively nightlife, as well as a host of après-ski activities and adventures to add to your holiday.
Self Catering Apartments
Self-catering has been declining in popularity for years, as skiers’ demands have outgrown the traditional ‘shoe-box’ size and poor quality of many 1970’s & 1980’s apartment blocks.
Local Hotels
Meanwhile, prices of locally-run French hotels have rocketed in ski resorts, effectively pricing anything of half-way decent quality out of the financial reach of much of the market.
Catered Chalets
The outright winner to emerge from the above two trends has been the catered chalet sector, and this is where France excels. The country has by far the lion’s share of Alpine chalets, and with chalets being the preferred accommodation option for well over a third of the UK ski market, this has been a key driver in France’s market dominance in recent years.
Catered Chalet Hotels
Growing out of the chalet sector, the advent of Chalet Hotels (also called Club Hotels by some operators) has seen the informal, convivial style so popular in chalets spread into larger properties, ranging from 26 beds at the lower end up to 200+ at the top of the scale. Run by the tour operator’s own, normally British, staff, Chalet Hotels combine the chalet ethos with a more extensive range of facilities, normally including an in-house bar, and frequently with leisure facilities or ‘Wellness Areas’, offering a swimming-pool, sauna, hot-tub and steam-room.