Best French ski resorts

I was recently asked to name the best French ski resorts! This is a hard task as everyone has different needs and expectations from their ski holidays and therefore the best French ski resort for families will not be the same as the best French ski resort for a group of snowboarders. I therefore decided to make 5 categories: The best ski resorts in France for families, snowboarders, beginners, expert skiers and party animals looking for the best apres-ski spots. Take a closer look at Avoriaz, Chamonix, Les Arcs, Val d'Isere and Alpe d'Huez.

Best French ski resort for family ski holidays

Finding the best French ski resort for family ski holidays is a very tough choice. With the French ‘Famille Plus’ label being awarded to resorts that keep up a certain level of services and facilities dedicated to families, there are so many great ski resorts to choose from. After some hard thinking about my own ski holidays with my kids, I finally decided on Avoriaz in Les Portes du Soleil. Avoriaz is a modern, but relatively attractive, ski-in, ski out resort which is completely pedestrian. From experience, these are 2 factors that dramatically decrease stress levels on family ski holidays. As Avoriaz is quite a large resort, the choice of ski schools, childcare and alternative activities is very good. Highly recommend trying the new water park, Aquariaz, where the whole family can have fun, relax and take a break from skiing. See more family friendly ski resorts in the Alps.

Best French ski resort for snowboarding

As I am far from being an expert snowboarder (much happier on my skis!), I asked around my snowboarding friends to find the best French ski resort for snowboarding. After a lot of rather heated discussion, they agreed on Chamonix being the best resort for serious snowboarding. The resort itself is laid-back and boasts about its legendary surroundings rather than its fancy hotels and restaurants. Chamonix is great for freeriding offering unbeatable natural “snow parks” – you won’t actually find many manmade snow parks here! In Brévent and Flégère you’ll find lots of natural hits that give riders the feel of a real snow park and Le Tour has a super natural half pipe. See more great resorts for snowboarding in the Alps.

Best French ski resort for beginners

Finding the best French ski resort for beginners was probably the easiest choice. I decided on Les Arcs which is made up of different villages with ski accommodation for all budgets and tastes in the different parts so your first ski holiday doesn’t have to break the bank! The resort is in the vast Paradiski ski area and has great nursery slopes directly above each of the resort's main villages. Ski passes for beginners are free here and once beginners gain confidence, there is a great choice of gentle slopes to practice on. There are 8 ski schools to choose from with some friendly English-speaking instructors who will help beginners really enjoy their first ski holidays. See more great resorts for beginners.

Best French ski resort for expert skiers

The best French ski resort for expert skiers has to be Val d'Isere in the Espace Killy ski area. Shared with Tignes, this ski area with around 300 km of ski slopes, most of which are way above 2000 metres, is an expert's paradise. This legendary ski area has more than enough challenging ski slopes to keep even the most demanding skiers busy during their ski holidays. Val d'Isère’s ski area divides into different sectors from its base at the Solaise and Bellevarde lifts to the quieter parts further afield - La Daille, Le Laisinant and Le Fornet. If you really want to get the most out of the Espace Killy then hire a guide who will show you the best on and off-piste routes. Don’t be put off if you’re not an expert, Val d’Isère offers such varied skiing with its links to Tignes that all levels are well catered for.

Best French ski resort for apres-ski

To pick the best French ski resort for apres-ski I decided to opt for a resort that has partying accessible to any kind of skier, not just the rich and famous! Alpe d'Huez is beginning to get a reputation for being cheap and cheerful but not in a bad sense at all. I would, in fact, prefer to class it as a good value for money ski resort. You will notice quite a large difference in the price of an apres-ski drink in Alpe d’Huez compared to other popular ski resorts such as Val d'Isere or Meribel. This does not mean you lack choice as there are loads of apres-ski bars and clubs to try including the well-known O’Sharkeys, Smithy's and The Crowded House. See more resorts for apres-ski.

Photo: Laurent Salino

Don't forget you can vote for your favourite ski resort and have a chance at winning a ski pass for your next ski holidays! Competition closes the 15th of February 2015 so don't wait much longer...

I was recently asked to name the best French ski resorts! This is a hard task as everyone has different needs and expectations from their ski holidays and therefore the best French ski resort for families will not be the same as the best French ski resort for a group of snowboarders. I therefore decided to make 5 categories: The best ski resorts in France for families, snowboarders, beginners, expert skiers and party animals looking for the best apres-ski spots. Take a closer look at Avoriaz, Chamonix, Les Arcs, Val d'Isere and Alpe d'Huez.

Best French ski resort for family ski holidays

Finding the best French ski resort for family ski holidays is a very tough choice. With the French ‘Famille Plus’ label being awarded to resorts that keep up a certain level of services and facilities dedicated to families, there are so many great ski resorts to choose from. After some hard thinking about my own ski holidays with my kids, I finally decided on Avoriaz in Les Portes du Soleil. Avoriaz is a modern, but relatively attractive, ski-in, ski out resort which is completely pedestrian. From experience, these are 2 factors that dramatically decrease stress levels on family ski holidays. As Avoriaz is quite a large resort, the choice of ski schools, childcare and alternative activities is very good. Highly recommend trying the new water park, Aquariaz, where the whole family can have fun, relax and take a break from skiing. See more family friendly ski resorts in the Alps.

Best French ski resort for snowboarding

As I am far from being an expert snowboarder (much happier on my skis!), I asked around my snowboarding friends to find the best French ski resort for snowboarding. After a lot of rather heated discussion, they agreed on Chamonix being the best resort for serious snowboarding. The resort itself is laid-back and boasts about its legendary surroundings rather than its fancy hotels and restaurants. Chamonix is great for freeriding offering unbeatable natural “snow parks” – you won’t actually find many manmade snow parks here! In Brévent and Flégère you’ll find lots of natural hits that give riders the feel of a real snow park and Le Tour has a super natural half pipe. See more great resorts for snowboarding in the Alps.

Best French ski resort for beginners

Finding the best French ski resort for beginners was probably the easiest choice. I decided on Les Arcs which is made up of different villages with ski accommodation for all budgets and tastes in the different parts so your first ski holiday doesn’t have to break the bank! The resort is in the vast Paradiski ski area and has great nursery slopes directly above each of the resort's main villages. Ski passes for beginners are free here and once beginners gain confidence, there is a great choice of gentle slopes to practice on. There are 8 ski schools to choose from with some friendly English-speaking instructors who will help beginners really enjoy their first ski holidays. See more great resorts for beginners.

Best French ski resort for expert skiers

The best French ski resort for expert skiers has to be Val d'Isere in the Espace Killy ski area. Shared with Tignes, this ski area with around 300 km of ski slopes, most of which are way above 2000 metres, is an expert's paradise. This legendary ski area has more than enough challenging ski slopes to keep even the most demanding skiers busy during their ski holidays. Val d'Isère’s ski area divides into different sectors from its base at the Solaise and Bellevarde lifts to the quieter parts further afield - La Daille, Le Laisinant and Le Fornet. If you really want to get the most out of the Espace Killy then hire a guide who will show you the best on and off-piste routes. Don’t be put off if you’re not an expert, Val d’Isère offers such varied skiing with its links to Tignes that all levels are well catered for.

Best French ski resort for apres-ski

To pick the best French ski resort for apres-ski I decided to opt for a resort that has partying accessible to any kind of skier, not just the rich and famous! Alpe d'Huez is beginning to get a reputation for being cheap and cheerful but not in a bad sense at all. I would, in fact, prefer to class it as a good value for money ski resort. You will notice quite a large difference in the price of an apres-ski drink in Alpe d’Huez compared to other popular ski resorts such as Val d'Isere or Meribel. This does not mean you lack choice as there are loads of apres-ski bars and clubs to try including the well-known O’Sharkeys, Smithy's and The Crowded House. See more resorts for apres-ski.

Photo: Laurent Salino

Don't forget you can vote for your favourite ski resort and have a chance at winning a ski pass for your next ski holidays! Competition closes the 15th of February 2015 so don't wait much longer...