Val d'Isère Guide
Top of the French ski pops for partying, chalet design and piste-side powder, Val d'Isère is a mountain trailblazer. Beloved of the Brits and balanced by the French, its blend of sassy nightlife, stylish design and great snow record keeps Val up where it belongs.
Stone- and wood-clad Val d'Isère scores for both altitude and beauty. The old village and church date back to the 11th century. On the way up the valley you come to the hideous satellite village of La Daille, but it is good for the slopes and linked by free shuttle bus.
One of the truly great resorts for almost limitless piste skiing. There are 300km of well-linked, diverse and interesting runs across the Espace Killy, which the resort shares with neighbouring Tignes.
Val d'Isère has powder in spades. Its position at the head of the Tarentaise Valley creates a snow-sure microclimate and it is one of the world's best places for lift-accessed off-piste. Bring your fat skis.
Where there's so much powder, the freestylers inevitably follow. Much of the rugged terrain is a natural playground with cliffs, gullies and drop-offs across the area. The main snow park is at 2,500m in the Bellevarde area and comes with half-pipe, bells and whistles.
Traditional Savoie dishes are the benchmark for local eating, hearty fondues and raclettes (grilled cheese over pickles and potatoes), best eaten with a plate of cured Savoyard ham. The cheese from the local farm; l' Avalin is a delicious local form of Beaufort.
Val d'Isère is a party town fuelled by the largely British clientele and fostered by expat bar owners. It is no winter Costa del Sol though, and a touch of sophistication is added by the cosmopolitan selection of restaurants including many bastions of French cuisine. It is all too easy to stay out far too late, largely thanks to the original and best Dick's Tea Bar.
Joe or Josephine Public can use the largest spa in the French Alps at the Barmes de l' Ours hotel. A few other hotels have public spas and there is also the Therapeos spa in the centre of the village. The public pool also has sauna and steam facilities plus a climbing wall. For a true alternative to skiing knead some dough in dedicated French pastry classes.
Ski the Piste Perdu, the famous "lost piste" that winds down through and under the rocks above La Daille. Confident intermediates should be fine but you need good limbo skills to fit under some of the rocks.
