Ski Valmorel and find a chocolate-box pretty village about 90 minutes from Chambéry airport. For great skiing & snowboarding in France in le Grand Domaine, this resort offers all levels and abilities alongside some great on and off-piste.
Where
If you ski Valmorel you will find a ski resort built from scratch in the mid-1970s as a car free ski resort - that doesn't overly feel like it. Combined with the neaighbouring resort of St Francois de Longchamp, you have 50 lifts and 162kms of pistes both below and above the tree-line. The two ski resorts stretch across the Maurienne and Tarentaise valleys, and with nearest airports at Chambéry and Grenoble, access is good and only about 90 minutes so could be a ski weekend destination to consider.
On the slopes
Ski holidays in Valmorel offer an efficient lift system and access to a wide range of skiing and snowboarding across le Grande Domaine. For beginners there are separate beginner skiing and snowboarding areas close to the centre - an added bonus is that they only require the basic Valmorel ski pass.
Intermediates can head to the Col de la Madeleine, where there are some great runs spread out over a number of small valleys. Advanced skiers can explore the whole area, including some great off-piste couloirs and chutes on powder days including the Massif de la Lauzière that's above St Francois de Longchamp.
Ski area :
If you ski Valmorel you are also in the ski region of Le Grande Domaine along with the following resorts; domaine.
Off the slopes
The traffic-free main street of Valmorel is built with traditional Savoie stone and wood to create an attractive and friendly resort that is user friendly despite being a 'purpose-built' resort. There are some great places to eat on the mountain Prariond and the Altipano, at the top of the gondola. Après-ski you can try the terraces of Bourg Morel and Le Grenier, but the main street is the place to go after dark - Le Shaker bar in hotel La Fontaine is recommended for cocktails. It has a good vibrant nightlife which attracts lots of boarders and skiers alike that enjoy hard days and hard nights.