Val d’Isère, France by Eric

The Village

Frequent skiers would know that when you visit a mountain, almost as important as the snow conditions is the village itself, as it’s where you spend most of your nights, and where you dine. There are a number of classic French restaurants here wherein most have English speaking capacity, and believe me, there are MORE than enough stores devoted to just selling chocolate. If you’re looking for somewhere to dine here, try the Ormelune Restaurant, or perhaps La Schuss Restaurant. Be careful though, ordering a hot chocolate in the village can mean you will literally get a bowl of melted chocolate.

The Mountain

A mountain pass for two weeks will only set you back around $415, and this mountain is huge. It has a wide variety of run difficulties, but typically as you get closer to the top, the runs will get harder and harder. Also, in Europe, ski run difficulty is not measured like you might be used to. It goes from easiest to hardest, as green, blue, red, black, double black, orange, and yellow. Still note that a black run is still as hard as a black run in any other country, orange and yellow runs typically just signal the area is unpatrolled. Another feature of the mountain is the ski classes, and while they are fantastic and most instructors speak English, they can be a bit loose on duty of care when it comes to looking after children (I was left alone by a ski class, and it was not fun). If you want an instructor though, they will really just show you the best parts of the mountain that are hidden away from the other skiers. Discovering these beautiful ski lines is really what skiing in Europe is all about. When your all tuckered out and your feet have gone numb, a mountain restaurant would be the best place to head, and with over five of them, you may as well try them all, but a personal favorite is the ‘La Ferme de l’Arsellaz Restaurant,’ it gives great views and a killer buffet.

Val d’Isère, France by Gimli_36

Accommodation

If you have kids, hands down the best place to stay is ‘Club Med’ on the mountain. Its ski in ski out (which, trust me, is fantastic), they have a bunch of activities for kids and their own ski school. Not to mention the buffet is very filling after a great day skiing. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, try ‘Cretes Blanches Hotel’ in the village. It’s a bit further away from the lifts, and only two stars, but if you’re on a budget it’s the best ‘bang for your buck.’ If there’s a group of you and you’re willing to fork out a little money, you can get a catered chalet. For instance, the Crimson Chalet is right on the mountain edge, with the cable car 50 meters away. You get a private and personal experience with friends or family. If you have the money, go for it. I always envied those who stayed in these tucked away chalets.

Author: Tom Wilson+ is an aspiring blog writer who has travelled to numerous parts of the world and writes by personal experience.

The post Skiing Europe: Val d’isere’s Village, Mountain and Accommodation | France appeared first on Europe Explored.