Top 10 Best Ski Resorts in France

With their pretty villages, stunning mountain vistas, fantastic food, and lively après, French resorts have come to represent what many consider to be the quintessential skiing experience.

And with so many of those resorts amongst the world’s best, picking just 10 is a challenge. That’s why, to determine our ranking, we’ve compared each one using the combination of factors we consider to be the most vital to a holistically excellent resort. They include snow surety, the size of the ski area, the quality of the après, and whether or not the pistes cater to skiers of all abilities.

Based on those factors, we bring you the 10 best ski resorts in France...

Jump to our top 10!

What criteria did we use to rank the best French ski resorts?

We assessed the merits of each resort based on the following factors:

Resort highest point

Higher altitude resorts tend to have longer seasons and better conditions. That’s because the air is thinner and cooler the higher up you go, which prevents the snow from melting. For that reason, altitude was an important factor when deciding our ranking.

The presence of a glacier

Similarly, glaciers, which are giant masses of compacted ice, provide a kind of under-piste cooling effect, which helps maintain snow conditions even as the weather warms. Resorts with a glacier get extra points.

Snow cannons

Artificial snow making facilities can keep pistes in good condition even when there hasn’t been a fresh snowfall. The higher the percentage of runs that a resort has covered by snow cannons, the higher it scored.

Size of ski area

The larger the ski area the greater the number of runs. This gives you the chance to find new routes and challenges every day, which keeps things fun and interesting. Some people go back to the same resorts year after year, so it’s good to have variety.

Suitability for all abilities

Young and old, novice and advanced, skiing is a sport that everyone should be able to enjoy, whether they’re happy picking their way down green runs or prefer carving down steep, powdery mountainsides. That’s why resorts that accommodate skiers of all abilities scored highly.

The après scene

There’s nothing quite like clambering up onto an outdoor table at a mountain bar and gazing out over spectacular scenery as a DJ blasts tunes over the sunny terrace. Or, for that matter, sipping a crisp wine or beer while discussing the day’s on-piste exploits. For many, Après is as vital to a ski holiday as snow, and we’ve honoured that by scoring resorts highly for having a variety of bars and clubs.

Transfer time

After travelling for hours, you want to see snow capped peaks (and ideally be sliding down them) as soon as possible, which is why we’ve rewarded resorts for having a transfer time of less than 2 hours from the nearest airport.

According to our research, France’s best ski resorts are:

1. Tignes/Val d’Isère
2. Méribel
3. La Plagne
4. Les Deux Alpes
5. Val Thorens
6. Morzine/Les Gets
7. Chamonix
8. Alpe d’Huez
9. Avoriaz
10. Les Arcs

1. Tignes/Val d’Isere

• Resort highest point: 3,450m
• Glacier: Yes 
• Snow cannons: 50% coverage
• Size of ski area: 300km
• Suitable for all abilities: Yes
• Good après scene: Yes

Even if you’d never been skiing before, if someone asked you to picture a skiing holiday, you’d probably imagine somewhere like Val d’Isère.

This pretty and traditional Alpine village is surrounded by jagged, cloud-scraping peaks and characterised by its beautiful wooden chalets. But its qualities are far from just surface. Val d’Isère offers world-class skiing that’s suitable for all abilities and, because of its links with Tignes, 300km of pistes across the Espace Killy ski area.

Both of these closely linked resorts are blessed with incredible snow surety, thanks to the Pissaillas and Grande Motte glaciers, height (its lifts go up to 3,450m), excellent snow record, and high number of snow cannons. For these reasons, we also ranked Tignes/Val d’Isère as two of France's most snow-sure ski resorts.

What about the après scene? Well, the Tignes/Val d'Isère ski area doesn't disappoint there either. Val d'Isère is home to the original Folie Douce, the quintessential Alpine après experience, but also many other bars and late-night venues.

Tignes' après scene offers keen partygoers Cocorico, a rival of Folie for mountainside table-dancing madness and stays open later. There are also some great bars spread across Tignes' various villages, with Le Lac being the top spot for those looking to carry on the party after dark.

One of the only real downsides (and it’s a small point because the resorts really are worth the trip) is that Tignes/Val d'Isere is a 3 hour drive away from Geneva, the nearest large international airport. However, if you can fly into Chambéry, you’ll only have a 2 hour transfer.

2. Méribel

• Resort highest point: 2,952m
• Glacier: No
• Snow cannons: 50% coverage
• Size of ski area: 600km 
• Suitable for all abilities: Yes
• Good après scene: Yes
• Less than 2-hour transfer time: No 

Méribel is something of a Goldilocks resort. By that we mean that it’s got just the right amount of nearly every ingredient you’d want from the perfect ski holiday.   

As the central resort in the Three Valleys, Méribel has a little bit of Courchevel’s glamour and a little bit of Val Thorens’ riotous après, and it’s in the perfect position for you to access the entirety of that vast and varied 600km ski area (the largest in the world). With 145 blues, 118 reds, and 36 blacks, skiers of every level will be satisfied, and you’d have to work very hard to exhaust the entire region in one trip - all the more reason to return, which many do year after year.

Méribel also has just the right amount of altitude to be reassuringly snow sure, with 85% of its runs above 1,800m and a peak of 2,952m (and 3,230m in neighbouring Val Thorens). 

On top of that, it’s very pretty, notable for its traditional wooden chalets and surrounded by beautiful, natural scenery. Make sure to hit the slopes hard during the day and then soak it all in while enjoying a drink on one of the many mountain bar terraces in the late afternoon.

3. La Plagne

• Resort highest point: 3,250m
• Glacier: Yes 
• Snow cannons: 23% coverage
• Size of ski area: 425km 
• Suitable for all abilities: Yes
• Good après scene: Kind of
• Less than 2-hour transfer time: No 

Consisting of 10 villages, ranging in height from 1,250m to 2,000m, variety is baked into the very infrastructure of La Plagne. 

Lower down you’ll find tranquil and traditional villages like Les Coches and Montalbert, and higher up, livelier villages like Plagne Centre and Aime La Plagne, which offer excellent amenities and access to the pistes (while not known as a top après destination, there are plenty of fun bars around in these larger areas of the resort). 

Whether you're on a family trip or with a group of friends, you can find a La Plagne experience to suit. And thanks to the free shuttle, and excellent lift system, wherever you stay, you’ll be able to enjoy all of its delights. 

La Plagne has 225km of pistes, with a really nice balance of runs for all abilities. Over half are greens or blues, with a decent proportion of reds for intermediates, and a smattering of blacks for hardcore skiers.

And we haven’t even mentioned its links to Les Arcs. Together, they form the vast 425km Paradiski area, which is linked by the rapid double-decker cable car the Vanoise Express - it only takes 4 minutes to whiz you between the 2 resorts. 

Finally, with a max resort height of 3,250, 70% of the ski area above 2,000m, and access to the Bellecôte glacier, snow surety is a near certainty. 

4. Les Deux Alpes

• Resort highest point: 3,568m
• Glacier: Yes
• Snow cannons: 30% coverage
• Size of ski area: 220km
• Suitable for all abilities: Yes
• Good après scene: Yes
• Less than 2-hour transfer time: No 

Skiing in summer? Cruisey blues at altitude and steep runs down low? It’s safe to say they do things a little differently in Les Deux Alpes.

But you’ll be glad to know that everything else is just as it should be for a French ski resort. It has one of the liveliest après scenes in the alps, with nearly 30 bars and clubs. It’s best for beginners and intermediates, with many high up greens and blues that allow novice skiers to see more of the mountain than they might be able to in other resorts. Experts don’t have quite as much to do, but there are 12 blacks, including Le Diable, the steepest and longest in the resort.

Les Deux Alpes is also home to both the largest skiable glacier in Europe and what, at 2,300m, is thought to be the longest on-piste vertical drop in the world - from up on the glacier at 3,600m and winding all the way down to 1,300m. That glacier is the Mont de Lans, which ranges in altitude from 2,900m to 3,600m, with 120 hectares open for summer skiing, featuring one snow park, one green run, one red run, and nine blues. 

5. Val Thorens

• Resort highest point: 3,230m
• Glacier: No
• Snow cannons: 40% coverage
• Size of ski area: 600km
• Suitable for all abilities: Yes
• Good après scene: Yes
• Less than 2-hour transfer time: No 

Val Thorens is another high altitude resort with a legendary après scene, but you really have to look at the numbers to understand its legendary qualities. 

The resort itself sits at 2,300m, making it the highest in Europe, and its lifts take you all the way up to 3,230m, which, unsurprisingly, puts it pretty high up in our ranking of France’s most snow-sure resorts. It’s also home to 40 bars and clubs, from mountain bars to late night venues, which makes it popular with groups of younger skiers. 

Some nightlife highlights include Folie Douce, The Frog and Roast Beef, and Saloon Bar, as well as Malaysia for early hours partying. However, it’s perfectly suitable for families as well, with loads of non-skiing activities, entertainment, and easy access to the slopes thanks to its ski-in-ski-out accommodation. 

Val Thorens is another one of the Three Valleys resorts, which means that, like Meribel, you’re in the world’s largest ski area, with access to its varied pistes and top notch skiing. 

6. Morzine/Les Gets

• Resort highest point: 2,350m
• Glacier: No
• Snow cannons: 30% coverage
• Size of ski area: 650km 
• Suitable for all abilities: Yes
• Good après scene: Yes
• Less than 2-hour transfer time: Yes

Slap bang in the middle of the Portes du Soleil ski area, which joins 12 resorts across France and Switzerland, Morzine and its partner in crime, Les Gets, are the perfect places to stay if you want to discover all 650km of this vast ski area. They're, surely, amongst the best of that dozen, and that’s not without stiff competition from Avoriaz, just up the hill. 

With their charming, traditional villages, family-friendly activities, and a fairly lively après scene (at least in Morzine), the closely linked ski areas really are for everyone. That goes for the skiing as well: of the 300 runs in the Port du Soleil region, there are 39 greens, 130 blues, 105 reds, and 33 blacks (including the 76% gradient Swiss Wall), making it just as suitable for novices as it is for experts. 

Morzine and Les Gets, thanks to their micro-climate, are also surprisingly reliable for snowfall. While Morzine itself is only 1,000m above sea level, lifts go up to 2,350m and it has a decent snowfall record, as well as easy links to high up resorts like snow sure Avoriaz. Finally, Morzine is just over an hour’s drive away from Geneva, making it one of the easiest resorts to fly to from the UK.  

7. Chamonix

• Resort highest point: 3,842m
• Glacier: Yes 
• Snow cannons: 15% coverage
• Size of ski area: 150km
• Suitable for all abilities: Kind of
• Good après scene: Yes
• Less than 2-hour transfer time: Yes

It’s been 100 years since Chamonix hosted the first ever Winter Olympics, and France’s oldest ski resort is still a podium contender. 

With its picturesque, traditional town and stunning views of Mont Blanc (the highest peak in the Alps), Chamonix has a fair claim to being one of the most beautiful ski resorts in France. The skiing is, of course, world class, especially for advanced and expert skiers, who will be blessed with off-piste terrain that has few equals in global skiing. 

The zenith of this freeride paradise is the Vallée Blanche, said to be the world’s longest off-piste run, which offers over 20km of uninterrupted powder along the 2,800m vertical descent from Aiguille du Midi (3,842m) back to the resort centre (1,050 m). 

Chamonix is not quite so good for beginners, as the ski area is quite steep and fragmented, making it harder to get around if you’re a novice. However, there are some good beginner areas in the Savoy, Planards, Brévent and Flégère areas. 

With over 90% of the ski area above 2,000m and a very healthy snowfall history, snow surety is virtually guaranteed. And the après scene is as fun as you’d expect from any large French skiing town, with Chambre Neuf, Folie Douce, and Elevation 1904 your best bets for the authentic Alpine party experience. 

8. Alpe d’Huez

• Resort highest point: 3,330m
• Glacier: Yes 
• Snow cannons: 35% coverage
• Size of ski area: 250km
• Suitable for all abilities: Yes
• Good après scene: Yes
• Less than 2-hour transfer time: No 

Alpe d’Huez is a real all-rounder of a resort. It’s high altitude (between 1,850m and 3,300m), a decent size (250km), has a fantastic variety of pistes - that will please skiers of all abilities - and serves up a standard of après to rival anywhere in the French Alps.

Beginners will find themselves both loving, and quickly developing on, its wide and gentle runs. Though it's the intermediates that are really in for a treat, with a significant number of the resort’s pistes labelled as blue or red. Experts won’t want to leave Alpe d’Huez without conquering La Sarenne, which, at 16km, is said to be the longest all on-piste black run in the world.

As for the après, well, the presence of a Folie Douce is almost a stamp of approval that Alpe d’Huez’s party scene cuts the mustard. However, the resort’s local venues, like Smithy’s Tavern (and Zoo Bar underneath it), the Underground, and Les Caves de l'Alpe all guarantee a night you’ll never forget (or wish you could remember).

9. Les Arcs

• Resort highest point: 3,250m
• Glacier: Yes 
• Snow cannons: 23% coverage
• Size of ski area: 425km 
• Suitable for all abilities: Yes
• Good après scene: Yes (but not on the same level as Val Thorens)
• Less than 2-hour transfer time: No 

Like its neighbour, La Plagne, Les Arcs caters extremely well to all types of skier. Those seeking family friendliness, lively après, and serious skiing will all find a home here, in amongst Les Arcs' various villages. For plenty of family-friendly chalets and a few chilled out bars, head to Arc 1600 or Peisey Vallandry, while those looking for table dancing at the Folie followed by an evening of drinks and music should stay in Arc 1800. Arc 2000 is the place for serious skiers. 

Connected to La Plagne by the impressive double-decker Vanoise Express, Les Arcs offers up an incredible 425km of pistes. It's got some great beginner skiing and some challenging peaks, while intermediates will have a field day with the number of blue and red runs on offer. 

With an impressive snow record, long season, and a friendly atmosphere, it's no wonder tens of thousands of British skiers descend on Les Arcs every year. 

10. La Rosière

• Resort highest point: 2,800m
• Glacier: No
• Snow cannons: 24% coverage
• Size of ski area: 160km 
• Suitable for all abilities: Kind of 
• Good après scene: Kind of 
• Less than 2-hour transfer time: No 

La Rosière is a quiet, and understated resort that is nonetheless a brilliant choice for your next ski holiday. 

Though purpose built in the 1950s, with its traditional architecture, La Rosiere looks and feels like an old-fashioned Savoyarde village. And while the size of its ski area can’t compete with the mega resorts, it still delivers when it comes to the skiing - particularly for beginners and intermediates, with most slopes blues or reds - and offers 160km of pistes as a result of its links to La Thuille, which is just over the border in Italy and forms the Espace San Bernado. 

On top of that, the compact town can only sleep so many skiers, so the pistes tend to be a pleasant shade quieter than larger resorts. Its south-facing slopes also see a lot of sunshine and a lot of snowfall, the perfect combo. You won’t have many late night sessions in La Rosière, but you wouldn't want to when there’s so much to enjoy during the daylight hours.

Book your holiday to one of the best French ski resorts

If the above has tempted you into a return trip or first-time visit to one of France’s best ski resorts, why not book your next ski holiday through igluski.com?

Every great ski trip begins with finding the perfect accommodation, and we have incredible deals now available on chalets, hotels and apartments in all 10 of the above resorts. Book now and give yourself a reason to get excited about the upcoming season.