Val d'Isère deserves the accolade of being a world famous ski resort for a number of different reasons:
The connected ski area with Tignes (the Espace Killy) offers one of the largest ski areas in the world with 300km of pistes for skiers and snowboarders of all levels and unlimited off piste opportunities
The combined 10000 hectares of skiable terrain is more than 3x the largest ski area in North America / Canada – Whistler / Blackcomb combined
The Espace Killy is one of the worlds most snow sure resorts – Resorts at 1850m and 2100m, 60% of skiing over 2200m and 2 glaciers with skiing up to 3456m and the ski season lasts from late November until early May
The lift system is state of the art, with little or no queueing even in peak season and express lifts to maximise time on the snow
In total, the Espace Killy offers 87 ski lifts and 300km of pistes including 22 green, 66 blue, 41 red, and 32 black runs and an abundance of off piste opportunities
For beginners, the nursery slopes in the centre of resort offer a great place to make your first turns but unlike many other resorts, beginners also get the chance to experience the top of the mountain on their first days on the slopes with cable car access and tranquil ski runs at the top of the Solaise (Madeleine chairlift) and Bellevarde (Marmottes, Grand pre, Borsat lifts)
For intermediates a majority of blue and more challenging red runs to polish technique
For advanced and expert skiers a range of ungroomed blacks and lifts strategically placed to access the vast areas of skiable off piste (including the Cugnai chairlift and the 3000 draglift in the Solaise sector, Pays Desert to the right hand side of the Pissaillais glacier, the Signal drag above the Pyramids Express chairlift near Le Fornet, the Auguille Percee and Col des Ves chairlifts in Tignes. To experience some of the best back country itineraries safely make sure you take a local guide. In addition both Val D’Isere and Tignes have significant sized snow parks
The resort has the longest ski season of any full resort in Europe from the end of November until the first week in May. They ski on the glacier in Tignes 12 months of the year. Not only is the resort snow sure, the quality of the snow across the mountain in a normal season usually exceeds anywhere else in Europe as the diversity of slope exposures, particularly to the north, not only ensures optimum snow retention, but also its snow quality. Finally the proximity of Val D’Isere to the Italian border means the resort benefits from exceptional, highly localized snowfalls – the locals calls this the “retour d’Est”
To view the piste map
The village has a wide range of facilities that you would expect to find in a world class resort
The apres ski for those that want it is legendary – the Folie Douce, Cocorico and Dicks Tea Bar
There's a fantastic choice of food options both in resort:
La Baraque – best for live music
Le 1789 – best for the slabs of meat cooked on the chimney
La Luge – best for Savoyard (regional) specialities
Le Piaf – best for the party
Roxy – best for a simple burger and fries, or a cooked breakfast (with fries)
And on the mountain:
*La Cucucina (at the top of the La Daille gondola) – upmarket sit down meal, fantastic views
*Fruitiere (at the top of the La Daille gondola) – best for the show and after party when the sun is shining
*Refuge de Solaise (at the top of the Solaise Gondola) – upmarket sit down meal, best for the views
L’Empriente Avaline (at the bottom of the Grand Pre chairlift) – best for cakes
La Cascade (bottom of the Cascades chairlift / Pissaillas glacier) – best for cheap and cheerful, fresh salad bar
*La Plage de L’Ouillette (bottom of Madeleine Express chairlift) – best for the barbecue and for soaking in the sun
*Le Panoramic (top of the funicular in Tignes) – best for local specialities
*Palladio (bottom of the Solaise nursery slopes) – best for people watching and soaking up the sun
Edelweiss (on the Mangard run into Le Fornet) – best for the authentic and delicious dishes
The ones with an asterisk * are suitable for non-skiers (you will need a pedestrian ski pass in some cases)
Distance to airports (private transfer)
Chambery 2 hours, Lyon 2.5 hours, Geneva 3 hours (please allow more time on the busiest transfer weekends)
250 metres walk to the Solaise nursery slopes
The closest free bus stop which accesses all major resort lifts is 50 metres from the front of the Choucas building
The Choucas Blanc is located in the centre with immediate access to the many shops, bars and restaurants in Val D'Isere
Telephone: +44 7767 366520
E-mail: choucasblanc@hotmail.com
Address: Chalet Choucas Blanc, Avenue d'Olympique, Val D'Isere, 73150, Savoie, France
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