Tourist Office

Office du Tourisme
Maison Val Thorens
Val Thorens
Savoie
France
F 73440

Telephone: (479) 808
Email: valtho@valthorens.com
Website: www.valthorens.com

Description

Situated at the top of Les 3 Vallées, the largest ski area in the world, in the heart of a natural rock and ice circus, Val Thorens offers a complete range of skiing.
At 2300 metres, Val Thorens, the highest resort in Europe, is situated in the heart of a 360° Alpine Circus, orientated in all four directions, with a grandiose countryside, optimal sun throughout the day and superb quality snow from the end of November through to the beginning of May.
From powder fields to perfectly prepared pistes, the 140km of the wide and varied Val Thorens-Orelle ski area is ideal for everyone: skiing, snowboarding, snow shoes..
With easy skiing around the resort, medium and difficult on the summits, Val Thorens combines “great skiing” and first tracks for the great delight of all skiers whether beginners or more expert.

Review

Val Thorens represents the pinnacle of ski resort development to date – at least in terms of its altitude. The highest ski resort in Europe, located in a vast snowy bowl within the biggest ski area in the world, the resort and its surrounding ski area has continued to evolve since its opening in 1971.

Today it can claim to be a stylish ‘village’ and world class ski resort rather than a clutch of rather desolate, high altitude buildings as some imagine. In contrast to that image, the resort has been constructed using local wood and stone to designs inspired by traditional local Savoie architectural tradition.

More than 250m Euros have been spent in recent years in improving and expanding the resort and the local ski area. The whole has also been designed to a well considered plan giving it a compact, largely pedestrianised centre where most of the public facilities (of which there are many!) are concentrated. This investment has helped the constant popularity of Val Thorens which now attracts some two million visitors annually (placing it in the world top 20 ski resorts by popularity as well as altitude) . It also boasts occupancy rate of around 90% on average through the season, making it the envy of many other famous ski resorts.

Always been ahead of the game on many levels, even being one of the first areas to offer wi-fi internet access in 2003. A year later it showed its environmental credentials by tackling smokers who drtopped cigarette butts from chairlifts pointing out the total can reach as many as 30,000 below just one of the more popular access chairs. he resort believes that apart from being a major eye-sore, they’re also a major environmental hazard, with each individual cigarette end likely to contaminate a cubic metre of water. Stressing that they were not launching an anti-smoking capaign, just a “responsible disposal of cigarette butts campaign”, the tourist office added a glass box that will display the thousands of cigarette butts picked up alongside an exhibition showing the long-term environmental damage caused by man-made trash. Two thousand pocket containers designed to hold used cigarettes were provided for skiers.

Despite being north facing, the resort’s altitude ensures it gets good sunshine with little over-shadowing it. The tourist office is open from 9am to 7pm daily (even to 4am on Sunday morning for those arriving late on Saturday night) for all information.

keywords

Val Thorens, Savoie, Alps, Massif de la Vanoise, Vallée des Belleville, Vallée de la Tarentaise, 3, Three Valleys, Trois Vallees, Espace Olympique Savoie

Tourist Office

Tignes Developement
BP 51
Tignes Cedex
Savoie
France
F 73321

Telephone: (479) 400440
Email: information@tignes.net
Website: www.tignes.net

Description

Tignes shares the huge and wonderful Espace Killy with Val D’Isere, but the underground funicular accessed Grand Motte glacier officially belongs to Tignes. The glacier no longer offers skiing 365 days a year (but is open in all four seasons and in total for nearly 10 months). For eight months a vertical drop of 1400 metres is maintained, with the aid of snow-making if neccessary. The resort has five different base areas, the main one being Val Clartet with Le Lac and Le Lavachet nearby. Lower down the mountain is Les Boisses and a renovated old village Les Brevieres, at the lowest point in the system – 1550 metres (higher than many ski areas end, but with 2000 metres above it!). Night life is limited for such a large ski resort. Tignes is owned by the same Japanese company which formerly owned Steamboat in Colorado and Sahoro in Japan.

Review

One of the highest resorts in Europe, Tignes also offers more skiing in winter and in summer than pretty well anywhere else, thanks to its high altitude skiing on the Grande Motte glacier and its commitment to maintain a vertical of at least 1000 metres (3280 feet) for eight months of the year. Sharing the vast l’Espace Killy ‘ ski area with neighbouring Val d’Isère, purpose-built Tignes has the stronger French influence of the two, as well as being largely based at a higher and more snow-sure altitude.

There are in fact five base areas to Tignes, although three of them – Le Lac, Le Lavachet and Val Claret – more or less run in to one another to form the main section. They stand together in a vast snowy bowl above the tree line resembling some sort of isolated moon base, from a distance. Further down the mountain, but lift linked to l’espace Killy are Les Boisses and Les Brévières and there are three traditional villages along the valley floor on the road to Val d’Isère (Le Reculaz, Le Chevril and Le Villaret du Nial), but these are not lift-linked.

Interestingly the original base is Le Lac, the relocated genuine village of Tignes that was submerged under Lake Chevril following the construction of a dam in 1952. The church bell was the only physical momento to be carried up to the new village site, but the spirit of skiing which began in ‘old Tignes’ in the 1920s was certainly carried forward with spectacular results!

keywords

Tignes, Brevieres-Boisses, Le Lac, Le Lavachet, Val Claret, Haute Tarentaise, Grande Motte, Tovière, Palet, Vallon de La Sache, Espace Killy, Espace Olympique Savoie, Alps

Tourist Office

Office du Tourisme
l’Eperviere
St Martin de Belleville
Savoie
France
F 73440

Telephone: (479) 2000
Email: stmartin@st-martin-belleville.com
Website: www.st-martin-belleville.com

Description

An authentic Savoyard village which upholds its culture and traditions, but is lift-linked to Les Trois Vallées – the world’s most extensive truly lift-linked skiing area. Saint Martin is characterised by narrow streets of stone and wooden houses with slate rooves. The local cheeses are “Tomme”, “Sérac de Chèvre” and “Beaufort”.

Review

Saint Martin de Belleville, a traditional villae of stone, wood and slate and centred on its historic Baroque church is a real postcard savoyard village. Unlike most of the other centres in the 3 Valleys, it has not been purpose built nor expanded excessively to meet tourist demand. However, at 1450m, it is a very high village by the standards of traditional mountain communities. Yet despite its long history the resort is well linkeds in to the vast 3 Valleys, the world’s largest lift-linked ski area, by state of the art lifts.

Slowly but surely, Saint Martin has made a name for itself, a few kilometres down the valley from its bigger neighbours, purpose-built Les Menuires and Val Thorens, the highest resort in Europe. The local Patois language is still spoken here by some of the older members of the community and a group of locals have recently created a dictionary of the local dialect to ensure the language is not forgotten.

keywords

Saint St Martin de Belleville, Savoie, Trois Vallees, Three Valleys, Espace Olympique Savoie, Alps, Tarentaise

Tourist Office

Office du Tourisme de Peisey – Vallandry
Le Chalet 9
Peisey Nancroix
Savoie
France
F 73210

Telephone: (479) 79428
Email: info@peisey.com
Website: www.peisey-vallandry.com

Description

Located at the heart of the 1992 Savoie Olympic Region, and at the entrance of the Vanoise National Park. Skiing began above this group of three small resorts 20 years before its internationally better known neighbour, Les Arcs, was constructed. The lifts of each now inter-link and more recently Peisey finds itself on the Les Arcs side of the spectacular Vonise Express cable car link to La Plagne and thus at the heart of the combined giant Paradiski area.

Review

Peisey-Vallandry (sometimes called Peisey Nancroix) is made up of five main villages of which three are currently lift served. The two purpose-built but attractive villages of Plan Peisey and Vallandry and the key mountain stations at 1600m where the Vanoise Express arrives on the ‘Les Arcs side’ of the new Paradiski area. Below them the traditional village of Peisey Nancroix at 1100m is linked by a gondola (it was also originally just Peisey, the original village of Nancroix is a few kilometres down the road and linked by a bus only so don’t get confused!). The fifth village, Landry, is away down the foot of the valley and not lift linked to anywhere. On the other hand it is well placed based if you have a car to quickly reach both Paradiski and the Espace Killy of Val d’Isere – all on the Olympic Ski ticket.

Located at the heart of the 1992 Savoie Olympic Region, and at the entrance of the Vanoise National Park. Skiing began above this group of small villages 20 years before its internationally better known neighbour, Les Arcs, was constructed. The lifts of each now inter-link and in the coming season fame and fortune should be secured as it is here that the incredible Vanoise Express, the Les Arcs – La Plagne link, actually lands. The Vanoise express lift carries up to 200 people in its double decker cabins, takes 4 minutes to reach La Plagne and travels up to 380 vertical metres above the valley floor.

Peisey-Vallandry’s skiing has a reputation of having the most sheltered and sunniest slopes on the Les Arcs circuit so it’s a good idea to stay local when the weather closes in.

keywords

Peisey – Vallandry, Peisey Nancroix, Plan Peisey, Les Arcs, Tarentaise, Savoie, Vallandry – Villaroger, Espace Olympique Savoie

Tourist Office

Office du Tourisme
les Menuires
Savoie
France
F 73440

Telephone: (479) 7300
Email: lesmenuires@lesmenuires.com
Website: www.lesmenuires.com/

Description

Purpose-built altitude resort cursed by much disclaimed architecture but nicknamed ‘The smile of the French Alps’ by its owners. Well positioned on the Trois Vallées and livelier than many similar ski stations.

Review

One of three resorts in the Belleville Valley, which is itself one of the world famous 3 Vallées (Three Valleys), les Menuires has a reputation for offering the lowest prices in the area. Located above the old Savoyard village of St Martin de Belleville and below Val Thorens (Europe’s highest purpose-built ski centre), les Menuires has marketed itself as ‘The Smile of The Alps’ because of the semi-circular arc of its main building complex and its good sunshine record.

The resort is divided in to ‘quarters’ – although there are more than four of them. The main facilities are in La Croisette, the original centre, and les Bruyeres. Above them are the accommodation complexes of Reberty 1850, Reberty 2000 and Brelin. Below them are les Fontanettes and Preyerand.

Much of the building is extremely functional and the emphasis has traditionally been placed on slope-side convenience rather than architectural design sympathetic to the beauty of the surrounding mountainscape. However some of the older buildings that were especially criticised by some for their unattractiveness have now been demolished and the newer developments are more tasteful – with more exterior wood and sloping roofs and gables, and less concrete rectangles.

The latest development was the opening of a four star hotel (the highest standard in France) Le Chalet Hotel Kaya and four stay residences have also opened.

Another good point for many is the fact that Les Menuires is such nice family resort – definitely lacking in the fur-coated snobs which frequent some of the other resorts nearby.

keywords

Les Menuires, Reberty,Saint Martin Savoie, Tarentaise, Trois Vallees, Three Valleys, Espace Olympique Savoie

Tourist Office

Méribel Tourisme
BP 1 – Maison Du Tourisme
Méribel
Savoie
France
F 73550

Telephone: (479) 86001
Email: info@meribel.net
Website: www.meribel.net

Description

In 1938 a British Officer created a ski resort, Méribel, in an almost abandoned mountain valley. Today Méribel is one of the world’s greatest ski resorts. It now has an apartment built off-shoot, Méribel Mottaret, at 1750m.

Review

Méribel is the central resort in the world’s largest lift linked ski area, the 3 Vallées. One of the first in the post-war ‘second wave’ of ski centre development, the village and its skiing have been a success on a colossal scale. Méribel today has grown far beyond the original village with half a dozen ‘neighbourhoods’, extending the resort over 10km (6 miles) of the valley floor, and expansion is still continuing apace, helping to make the resort one of the most important in the world today.

The resort holds the world record for high capacity gondola lifts, which means it can probably transport more skiers uphill faster than any other resort. Whether such a record matters to the average skier or boarder is open to debate, but the practical off-shoot is that queues are now almost unheard of and skiers get to ski more terrain than anywhere else faster than anywhere else, which must be worth something.

The Méribel valley was ‘discovered’ in 1938 by future British Colonel Peter Lindsay, who returned after the war to oversee its early development in partnership with French architect Christian Durupt. Although the men’s plans were modest compared to what was to come, they did begin the task of building the resort in a traditional style, with gabled slate roofs and white pine and stone facades. Along with its perfect location, Méribel’s decision to stick to these building requirements through its 50+ year history and through the era of the rec-tangular concrete tower block has won it ever more fans over the years.

Although tempted to construct the inevitable altitude ‘satellite off-shoot’, Méribel Mottaret at 1800 metres in 1972, the resort ensured the giant apartment blocks still had chalet style design. The British influence in Méribel remains strong and vast numbers of Brits arrive each winter, the more well-heeled staying around Méribel Centre, the rest up at Méribel-Mottaret, whilst Courchevel in the next valley is popularly regarded as being more French, more chic (and more expensive).

keywords

Méribel, Mottaret, Savoie, Tarentaise, Alps, Trois Vallees, Les Allues, Espace Olympique Savoie

Tourist Office

Office du Tourisme de Montchavin
Bellentre
Savoie
France
F 73210

Telephone: (479) 78282
Email: info@montchavin-lescoches.com
Website: www.montchavin-lescoches.fr

Description

Genuine Tarentaise village below Les Coches. Linked to La Plagne’s huge ski area since 1972. Summer glacier skiing available at the top of La Plagne.

Review

Montchavin and les Coches are neighbouring hamlets, often marketed as a single place – Montchavin – Les Coches. They are certainly easy to ski between, but Les Coches is 200 vertical metres further up the mountain so it’s a bit of a walk if you’re not on the ski lift or the free ski bus.

Montchavin is one of the few traditional villages in the area and both centres are designed with traditional alpine wooden chalet style buildings, so are certainly amongst the most attractive and most genuine of the French resorts.

The villages are part of the huge La Plagne ski area which has ten or so bases (depending on where you divide it up), seven of them are relatively close together purpose-built altitude centres, the other Plagne Montalbert is, like Montchavin – Les Coches – somewhat separate to the rest.

The villages became a key part of a great pass with the opening of the Vanoise Express cable car – the world’s largest, a 200 person double decker – which links the giant La Plagne ski area with neighbouring giant Les Arcs across the valley. The cable car access point is by Montchavin – Les Coches. The resulting ski area, Paradiski, is one of the world’s biggest with more than 400km of piste.

There is even a fourth dimension to extend the amazing ski potential these villages offer still further. The Savoy Olympic Ski pass is valid for a day in many famous ski areas in the region, together offering more than 1,500km (about 1,000 miles) of ski runs.

keywords

Montchavin, La Plagne, Savoie, Alps, France, Bellecote, Roche de Mio, La Grande Rochette, Lee Becoin, Espace Olympique Savoie, Tarentaise