Val Thorens is one of the eight ski resorts in Les 3 Vallées (The Three Valleys) and the highest in elevation, making it more than qualified to provide the setting for an unforgettable France ski vacation. The only way to truly appreciate the size and scope of this area is to compare it to the biggest North American resorts. If you were to take Whistler, Mammoth, Palisades Tahoe and Jackson Hole terrain combined, and then throw in Vail, Killington and Breckenridge, you'd still have room left over in Les 3 Vallées. Val Thorens and the neighboring resort Les Menuires account for about half of the terrain in Les 3 Vallees as a whole.
The resort has seemingly infinite terrain and one of the most sophisticated interconnected lift systems in Europe, so one visit won’t cut it as you could spend a lifetime exploring the numerous lifts, peaks and valleys. In addition to exploring the mountain, you’ll be able to sample all the delicious food at the fine French restaurants and cruise through tiny villages without ever having to take off your boots. Of all the Les 3 Vallées, Val Thorens is a magnet for snow. You’ll want to pack your fat skis or powder board to make the most of the conditions.
Val Thorens offers a pleasant, laid-back base village experience with plenty of lodging options. Most places to stay are ski-in, ski-out accommodations, and you’ll encounter an overwhelming number of off-mountain activities from squash to roller hockey, badminton, volleyball, swimming and indoor football (soccer). All thanks to Sports Centre Val Thorens. For additional outdoor activities aside from skiing and snowboarding, Val Thorens offers ice karting, snow tubing, ice skating, electric mountain biking and more.
in Val Thorens for a cosmopolitan and sporty atmosphere at a rustic, mountainside chalet or luxury hotel.
by flying into any of these four international airports: Saint-Exupéry Airport in Colombier-Saugnieu; Chambery Airport in Viviers-du-Lac; Geneva Airport on the Swiss-French border or Grenoble Airport in Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs. All are a 2-hour drive from the resort.
the highest driving circuit in Europe to experience ice kart racing on the frozen track.
yourself to a dip in a Nordic bath at one of the local spas followed by a deep tissue massage for a recovery session to rejuvenate your muscles.
the largest and highest elevation resort within Les 3 Vallées, at a top elevation of over 10,500 feet.
consistent snow coverage, access to glaciers and over 370 miles of immaculate slopes.
homemade smoked salmon, local beers and other brasserie classics at the famous Aveyron brewery, the highest in Europe with ski-in, ski-out access.
the French Alps at golden hour with a sunset skiing session for breathtaking views on Friday evenings beginning in February and through the end of the season.
As the highest ski area within the largest ski resort in the world, you can bet that Val Thorens offers some of the best advanced skiing on the planet. La Masse and Cime Caron areas provide more challenging runs and plenty of wide-open space above the tree line. This is the best on-piste area if there’s fresh snow. Intermediates can ski or board nearly everywhere due to the many blue and red runs, in fact, some of Val Thorens' black runs are great for advanced intermediates to challenge themselves.
Beginners, especially first-timers, will enjoy the gentle slopes at the bottom of the resort. The magic carpet is a complimentary lift. Plus, thanks to the resort’s altitude, beginners at Val Thorens enjoy better snow conditions than in other areas.
Massive ski with laots of options from beginner to expert
Val Thorens is the largest ski area in the world. Three large resorts are tied together by interconnecting chair lifts. As a result you have a vast array of options to ski. The snow conditions when we were there (late March) were fair to good. You had to pretty much stay on the trails as off piste was not viable. Given the right conditions and off piste skiing was an option you had unbelievable options as most of the mountain was above tree line or open glades were available. This place with good snow would be phenomenal. The weather was tough when we were there. Some high winds pushed through making conditions very difficult. On the second day we went over the ridge and moved away from Val Thorens and the weather improved dramatically. Our third day we could not get over as the lifts were closed due to the weather.
Val Thorens is "Off The Charts!"
I am 60 years old and have skiied all over the Eastern US , Western US, Canada & Europe. Val Thorens is the biggest and best place I have been. Other places that I have been that I really like are: Solden, Kitzbuhl, Cortina, Courmayeur/Chamonix, Val d' Isere Sugarbush, Aspen, Steamboat, Squaw, Vail, Telluride, Etc., but, Val Thorens/Meribel/Courcheval has them ALL beat. Incredible lift system, terrain, scenery, food & fun. It's humungous!
No Frills Slopeside Lodging and Incredible High Alpine Terrain in Val Thorens
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3.0 4.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 3.0 5.0 3.0 2.0 3.0 3.0 5.0I didn't know what to expect when visiting Val Thorens as I really hadn't heard much about it or seen much of it prior to my arrival. Our ascent up to the area was a long one winding up from the valley floor, passing through neighboring Les Menuires ski area as the lower treed in runs were quickly replaced by wide open and seemingly endless high alpine bowl skiing. When we finally arrived at the resort I discovered it was featured a much more quaint mountain village area than most resorts in the Alps of similar scale. Just about every lodging establishment in the area is true ski-in/out and, as the village is so concentrated, within easy walking distance of everything the area has to offer.
This resort puts its focus far more on the skiing than anything else. While the village features plenty of things to do including a large indoor park and a wide range of dining options the real attraction is the huge amount of terrain and far smaller crowds than similar resorts. Because the entire village is ski-in/out, guest can book lodging of any quality level and be sure they can always step out their door and onto the slopes.
Val Thorens sits on one end of Les Trois Valles which is the largest ski area in the world and gives the resort direct ski access to Meribel, Courchevel and a number of smaller resorts as well. If your primary concerns are ease of access and incredible terrain, this resort is as good a value as there is in the Alps. That said, the fact that it is the highest resort in the area and more snow-sure than just about any other resort in the country, along with the extremely reasonable price point, are fantastic bonuses.