Skiing Holidays in France

Thinking of France for a ski holiday but not sure where to go? Read our guide to see what's better for you, Alpe d'Huez, Chamonix or La Plagne? And that's just 3!

Courchevel Tourisme (Jérome Kélagopian)

France is easily the most popular destination for Brits wanting a ski holiday and with good reason! Probably the single most reason behind choosing France for a ski holiday is surely ease of travel from airports and ferry crossings from the UK.

More Reasons for Choosing France

France has a long and prestigious history of hosting ski holidays, and is one of the world’s premier destinations for hitting the slopes. Aside from anything else, the country offers an astonishing array of ski resorts with approximately 300 of them dotted across the Alps alone. Although that may sound like a recipe for a disaster when it comes to preserving natural beauty, that's not the case as it's estimated that ski resorts cover around 6% of the French Alps, leaving plenty of snow untouched and pristine.

France’s history of skiing holidays goes back a long way too, with their first ski resorts opening far back in the 19^th century. Chamonix was the debut ski resort in the country, which also hosted the first Winter Olympics in 1924. It’s hard to think of a more prestigious back story.

Some Quick Positives for France!

Some of France’s ski resorts are also astonishingly well connected, offering some of the largest skiing areas in the world. For example, the Paradiski area opened in 2003 links neighbouring resorts La Plagne and Les Arcs and the infamous Three Valleys offers a combined 600km of ski slopes by combining Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens.

France’s ski season is also one of the longest in Europe, opening in early December and remaining open until mid-April. There is even scope for summer skiing in some resorts, thanks to glaciers in resorts like Tignes and La Plagne.

For beginners embarking on their first skiing holidays, there are also some of the best ski schools in the world. In particular, the ski schools in Alpe d’Huez have particularly high reputations.

In Summary

Broadly speaking then, despite France being most popular with Brits largely because of distance and familiarity, the country has an awful lot to offer in terms of skiing holidays. There are resorts to suit any difficulty level and a prestigious history of skiing in the country that means you’re sure not to be disappointed. It’s not the cheapest country to go to for skiing holidays, but it’s certainly one of the best.