You know what? I chased snow across France last season. Four trips. Nine towns. Lots of tartiflette. I skied till my legs shook, and I learned what works, what hurts, and what’s worth your coin. For a broader snapshot (beyond my own mileage), Condé Nast Traveler has a handy shortlist of the best ski resorts in France that’s worth a glance before you book.
If you want an even deeper dive, I wrote a blow-by-blow diary of the best skiing in France with extra route notes and boot-room gossip.
Here’s the thing: there’s no single “best.” There’s the best for you. Let me explain.
Before we dive in, skim the Just France travel hub for maps, train tips, and seasonal intel that’ll make planning your own snow chase way easier.
Quick roadmap (so you don’t get lost)
- Big mountains that test your nerve
- Huge linked areas for people who love mileage
- Chill spots for families and first-timers
- Food, crowds, and real talk about cost
- My picks and simple tips I wish I knew
Chamonix — Big peaks, big nerves
I came for the myth. I stayed for the view. I rode the Aiguille du Midi tram at 8:15 a.m. It was cold and quiet. At the top, my water froze. I roped up with a guide and did the Vallée Blanche. It’s long, white, and wild. The glacier creaks. I saw blue ice under my skis and felt very small.
On another day, I skied Grands Montets. The top cable car was shut due to wind. Classic Cham. So I lapped the Bochard gondola. Steeps, chalky snow, and yes, a few rocks kissed my bases. Bring sharp edges. And a helmet. And maybe a humble heart.
- What I loved: The views slap. The terrain feels real. Coffee at Elevation after a storm day felt earned.
- What bugged me: Lift closures happen. Crowds on weekends. Parking gets messy by 9 a.m. in Argentière.
Best for: Strong skiers who don’t mind early alarms and “is this smart?” talks with the group.
Val d’Isère & Tignes — My legs still remember
People call it a playground. It’s more like a gym. I took the Olympique up and dropped La Face de Bellevarde at 10 a.m. It was firm. I won’t lie. My thighs sang a sad song. Later, the sun softened it, and it felt fair.
In Tignes, I loved cruising from Tovière to Val Claret and up to the Grande Motte tram. We hit the glacier after lunch when the light turned flat, and my friend Tom ate snow in slow motion. He was fine. His pride was not.
Lunch? I had a big plate of croziflette at a tiny spot near Le Fornet. Cheese, tiny pasta, ham. I needed a nap.
- What I loved: Snow sure. Fast lifts. So many lines to try. Great ski schools; my cousin did a two-day ESF clinic and finally linked real turns.
- What bugged me: Pricey food in Val d’Isère. Some pistes get icy by noon. Wind shuts the glacier sometimes.
Best for: People who like steeps, bumps, and bragging rights.
Three Valleys (Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens) — Endless laps
This place is huge. I mean, you can ski all day and still leave runs untouched. Snow Magazine even rates several spots here among its top 10 ski resorts in France, which feels about right when you’re clocking 100-plus kilometres in a day. No surprise it tops my list of the best places to ski in France, especially for mileage fiends. I started in Méribel because it felt central and friendly. Blue runs like Blanchot helped my niece get her confidence back after a fall. By day three, we hopped to Val Thorens for higher snow. We rode up Cime Caron, watched clouds race by, and then dropped a long red that made my knees warm.
Courchevel feels fancy. I grabbed a quick espresso I shouldn’t have paid that much for, but it tasted like “vacation.” We slid past a private jet at the altiport and joked about selling our skis to buy a croissant.
- What I loved: Well-groomed pistes. Crazy mileage. Great signs, so you don’t get lost.
- What bugged me: Peak weeks get busy. Fancy prices in Courchevel 1850. Some lower slopes turn slushy in late March.
Best for: Mixed groups. Mileage lovers. Folks who like smooth corduroy at 9 a.m.
La Plagne & Les Arcs (Paradiski) — Families win here
I stayed in Plagne Centre with my sister’s kids. Car-free walks. Easy bakery runs. We did long greens and gentle blues, like Mira and Arpette. The kids cheered at every magic carpet. Later, I zipped the Vanoise Express to Les Arcs. The view from that glass cabin is wild.
On a cold day, we aimed for sheltered tree runs in Les Arcs 1600. Nice glide, great vibe, and hot chocolate at a bar with steamed-up windows. My gloves smelled like cocoa till April.
- What I loved: Tons of gentle terrain. Good value if you book smart. Decathlon in Bourg-Saint-Maurice swapped a boot buckle for me in 10 minutes.
- What bugged me: White-out days are rough in the open bowls. Busy at school-holiday weeks.
Best for: Families and new skiers. Also people who like “just one more run” till the lifts close.
Alpe d’Huez — Sun, views, and the Sarenne
They call it the Island in the Sun. It felt true. I rode the Pic Blanc cable car and dropped the Sarenne. It’s long and famous. The top was chalky and honest. The bottom turned to sugar in the afternoon, so go early.
I also loved the quiet runs around Auris when the main front got crowded. Lunch was a tartiflette that could stop time. I spilled cheese on my mittens and didn’t care.
- What I loved: Big sunny bowls. Good mix of greens for warm-up and reds for fun. Friendly vibe.
- What bugged me: Icy mornings after a freeze. Afternoons can slush up in spring.
Best for: Blue-to-red cruisers and sun-chasers.
Avoriaz & Morzine (Portes du Soleil) — Cozy, car-free, and fun
Avoriaz sits like a winter movie set. No cars. We dragged sleds with groceries and felt like kids. I rode from Avoriaz to Switzerland and back before lunch. Wide blues, a few cheeky reds, and a stop for a paper cup of vin chaud. My friend lost a pole in a soft drift and found it five minutes later, which felt like a win.
- What I loved: Easy laps. Good terrain parks. Cute village. Short transfers from Geneva.
- What bugged me: Lower Morzine can get thin in warm spells. Fog some days.
Best for: Groups who want variety without stress.
Serre Chevalier — Calm and trees for days
I went here in January to avoid crowds. Smart move. I skied long, shaded tree runs from the top of Prorel down to Briançon. The snow stayed good all day. The village baker sold me a still-warm pain au chocolat, and I ate it on the chair. Crumbs in my jacket. Worth it.
- What I loved: Quiet feel. Good price on passes that week. Tree skiing on storm days.
- What bugged me: Older lifts in a few spots. Hard to reach if roads are snowy; bring chains.
Best for: People who like calm, trees, and a local vibe.
Real moments that stuck with me
- I rode the Aiguille du Midi and felt tiny. I also felt brave.
- I fell on La Face in Val d’Isère, slid five meters, and laughed. Then I sharpened my edges.
- My niece learned to turn in La Plagne and high-fived a stranger. He high-fived back. Ski joy is catchy.
- I ate raclette in Méribel, and the server scraped the cheese like it was a magic show.
- In Val Thorens, wind shut a chair. We took a hot chocolate break and told tall tales till it opened again.
Want a break from snow stories? I also logged miles on trains between slope days—here’s the candid story of my favorite French cities if you’re tacking urban stops onto your trip.
My quick picks
- Best steeps: Chamonix (Grands Montets), Val d’Isère (La Face), Tignes (off the Grande Motte on a good day)
- Best for families: La Plagne/Les Arcs, Avoriaz
- Most terrain in one