Ski Accommodation in Val Thorens, France

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Description

Val Thorens makes up part of the Three Valleys which is the largest ski area in the world, totalling 600km of pistes connected by 169 lifts. Val Thorens has been voted world’s best ski resort at the world ski awards and is the highest resort in Europe so offers snow sure skiing and a long season from mid November through to early May.

Val Thorens is purpose built so it isn't the most attractive resort but offers plenty of good value accommodation located close to the piste. Val Thorens is one of the most popular resorts for nightlife and apres ski so it makes a popular choice for groups looking for budget accomodation in a lively resort.

Getting There

There are four local airports to Val Thorens, all of which have a relatively long transfer time:

199km from Geneva (3hr)
143km from Grenoble (2hrs30)
113km from Chambery (2hr10)
218km from Lyon (3hrs)

Geneva and Lyon are well connected from most UK airports and European cities and are open all year round. Chambery and Grenoble are only open in the winter.

There are several transfer companies who offer shared and private transfers:

Alps2Alps provide private transfers from Geneva, Chambery, Grenoble and Lyon.
Alpy Bus provide excellent value shared and private transfers.

Ben’s Bus offer great value shared transfers from all the main airports starting at £71.25pp.

Cool Bus provide private transfers from all the main airports to resort.

Ski Lifts have been awarded the world’s best ski transfer operator in the world ski awards. They provide private and shared transfers from Geneva, Grenoble, Lyon and Chambery.

Moutier train station is approximately 1 hour from Val Thorens. There are direct trains from London St Pancras and Ashford in Kent.

Many people will choose to drive out to resort. If you are coming from the UK, you can either take the Channel Tunnel which runs directly from Folkestone every 15 minutes or take the ferry from Dover to Calais. It is important to note that there are several tolls along the route through France which will cost approximately €75

When to Go

Val Thorens is the highest resort in Europe offering some of the most snow sure skiing in the Alps making it a popular resort throughout the season, in particular the early and late weeks of the season when other resorts may be struggling with snow coverage.

Val Thorens has plenty of good value accommodation so you are normally able to get a good deal in January or March and get to experience some of the best skiing in the Alps.

Where to Stay

Val Thorens is purpose built and compact so it is not too important where you stay as everywhere is walkable and there is a free bus that runs throughout the resort.

Getting around

Val Thorens is relatively compact so it is easy to get around on foot. There is a a free bus that runs a circular round in/around Val Thorens every 20 minutes from 0800-2000.

There are taxis in resort but these can be expensive. If you are planning on getting a taxi it is recommended to book in advance.

Apres

Val Thorens is one of the most popular resorts in the Alps for apres ski and nightlife.

Summit Nightclub is the highest night club in Europe. The club is open late and attracts a very British crowd

Saloon Bar is located at the top part of Val Thorens under the Les Neves Apartment block. The bar is a fantastic place to wind down after a long day skiing. The bar attracts the university crows with good music and live bands.

The Frog & Roastbeef the highest pub in Europe and the only British Pub in resort. The bar shows all the live sport and has some of the best live bands in the Alps.

Malaysia is the largest club in the Alps. The club hosts some of the biggest events in the resort with international DJs.

Folie Douce is a famous apres bar with a large open terrace known for its wild entertainment with Dj’s, singers, dancers and musicians putting on a fantastic show.

Bar 360 is located just above the entrance of the Moriane & Portette chairlift, on the terrace outside of the Chalets the Thorens. The bar offers après ski out of the ordinary with great drink, food and music.

Cafe Snesko is a popular Danish bar and has gained recognition as one of the best apres ski bars outside Austria.

Eating out

Val Thorens has a good selection of restaurants both on and off the mountain.

L’Auberge des Balcons serves traditional Savoyard specialities. The restaurant is a great spot to stop for lunch whilst out on the slopes.

Le Vieux Chalet is a family run restaurant serving gourmet French and Savoyard dishes. The restaurant offers a warm and cosy atmosphere in a relaxing setting.

La Bouitte is located towards St Martin and serves a creative and subtle cuisine with draws inspiration from the culinary Savoyard traditions. The restaurant won its third Michelin star in 2015.

Le Diamant Noir is a gourmet restaurant with a Michelin starred chef. The restaurant is located at the top of resort in the Hotel Kohinor

Johns American Restaurant is a Danish run TEX-MEX restaurant serving American and Mexican cuisine in a friendly and warm atmosphere.

Cafe Peclet is a cosy cafe restaurant serving hearty Savoyard cuisine. They pride themselves on everything being homemade, even the fries!

La Maison serve fresh, quality products in their cosy interior and outdoor terrace.

Le Base Camp is located in the 5* Hotel Pashmina. The restaurant serves quality produce and authentic, refined dishes in a relaxed atmosphere.

Chez Pepe Nicolas is located on La Chasse piste between Les Menuires and Val Thorens. The restaurant combines contemporary cuisine with traditional Savoyard dishes with local products from the region.

Le Chalet de la Marine is a mountain restaurant located in the heart of the Val Thorens ski area. There is as both a Bistro self service restaurant and a Michelin star restaurant.

Activities

Val Thorens offers a range of activities for non skiers including:

Ice climbing Experience or beginners ice climbers can climb VTs frozen waterfalls
Helicopter Tours
Heli skiing not allowed in France but tours are
Leisure Centre – pool and spa facilities, badminton, they will open all day in bad weather!
Ice driving – Professional instructors and track
Parapenting – VT can be a bit cold for this but on a sunny day you’ll get the most amazing views!
Zip Wire – highest
in the world! Tyrolienne, 3230m up and 1.3km long
Longest toboggan run in Europe! 6km! Great fun, wouldn’t recommend for toddlers, goes from top of Peclet gondola

Ski School

There are several ski schools in Val Thorens offering group and private lessons to suit all ages and abilities. Group lessons will generally be cheaper but are less intense that one to one. It is advisable to book ski school in advance especially if you are travelling on a peak date.

New Generation has some of the best French and Italian instructors, as well as some experienced and fully qualified British ski instructors. The school teaches all levels of skiers and boarders in both group and private lessons and aim to match you to an instructor with the most suited skills or passions.

ESF have been running for over 70 years and have fully qualified English speaking instructors to help you improve for skills. ESF offers group and private lessons as well as mountain guiding for all abilities.

Maison Sport offers a wide range of ski lessons from private to group with top qualified ski and snowboard instructors.

Oxygene are the leading family-friendly English speaking ski and snowboard school in the French Alps.

Getting around

Family ski

Val Thorens is high and snow sure so it makes a popular choice for families that are restricted to school holidays and wanting to travel the early and late weeks of the season.

There is a creche in resort operated by ESF for children from 3 months to 4 years.

Alternatively, families can book a private nanny who will offer flexible levels of high quality care:

My Travelling Nanny is a family run specialist holiday nanny agency who match families with the perfect Travelling Nanny for their holiday.

Ski Nanny are an agency who put families and nanny’s in touch and are focused on providing nanny and babysitting services with the highest levels of customer satisfaction.

Group Ski

Val Thorens is located in the heart of the Three Valleys, the world’s largest ski area which offers a great mix of pistes suitable for all abilities.

Val Thorens offers some of the best apres ski and nightlife in the alps with a large selection of bars and clubs both on and off the mountain.

The resort is purpose built so although it is not the most attractive of resorts, it does offer a range of good value accommodation from self catering apartments to chalets making it a popular destination for groups looking to keep on hold on the budget

Childcare

With such easy ski access and beginner slopes, Val Thorens is a popular resort choice for families with children in tow. But when the weather closes in, the mountains are not the best place to be so parents ideally need a backup plan to keep the kids entertained when bad weather stops play!

The resort’s Sports Centre offers a swimming pool and saunas but perhaps better suited to families with children is the centre’s bowling alley, which features eight lanes and welcomes kids aged 6 and over. There’s also a games room and two billiard halls. http://www.bowlingvalthorens.com/

For children looking for high-octane fun off the piste, Val Thorens offers air-boarding. Imagine holding on tight to a rubber ring and hurling yourself down the slope... well that’s air boarding! Although not for the faint-hearted, it’s a great way to keep the family entertained off the skis.

Another favourite for kids is the resort’s infamous toboggan run. The run is six kilometres long with enough twists and turns to keep the kids entertained for hours. The run begins at the foot of the glacier de Peclet and flows down to the base of the resort. Stunning views and thrills a-plenty, you can read up on it here: http://www.valthorens.com/winter-en/val-thorens/activities-and-entertainment/sports-activities/toboggan.92.html

The Piste

For beginners, there are free magic carpets and a network for nursery slopes and blue runs throughout the resort. Val Thorens is high altitude so snow conditions are often very good and fresh snow is easier to learn on than ice.

There is plenty of choice for intermediate skiers. The glaciar off the Col and Glacier chairlifts is where you will find some of the best red runs in resort.

There are 8 black runs in resort for expert skiers to enjoy. The most challenging being the 3km long Caron run down from the Cime de Caron lift.

Ski School

Equipment Hire

Val Thorens has a large number of ski hire shops in resort offering a good selection of the latest ski and snowboard equipment. We would recommend booking your hire in advance to avoid missing out and many stores will offer an online discount.

Ski Set have been providing top of the range equipment in conveniently located stores for almost 20 years. Skiset offer an array of state of the art equipment to hire, and you are able to change your skis or try a snowboard during your stay if you wish.

Skimium provide top brand equipment

Sport 2000 offer the best equipment from all major brands.

Intersport provide ski and snowboard equipment to suit all abilities.

Ski Republic offers a selection of ski and board rentals from top brands. Their products are regularly serviced and updated every season.

Precision ski offers equipment that has been carefully selected from leading brands in mountain sports.

Lift Passes

When visiting Val Thorens, you can purchase a local Val Thorens pass or the full Three Valley pass. The below prices are based on the current prices in resort but may change at the time of booking:

6 Day Pass         Val Thorens Valley Pass     Three Valley Pass
Adult (13-64ys)    €250                                €300
Child (5-12yrs)       €225                                  €240
Senior (65-75yrs)   €200                                  €270

Free passes are available for under 5ys and over 75yrs, proof of age is required.

Discounted passes are available for groups of two or more. The discount is only valid for passes bought online at the same time for the same ski area.

6 Day    Val Thorens Valley     Three Valley Pass

2 Persons Duo Pass €240 €290

(price per person)

3 Persons Tribu Pass €235 €285

(price per person)

Beginners can buy morning or afternoon passes which are 50% of the standard rate. Three areas are included on the pass - in the Plein Sud sector, Castor & Pollux, 2 twin covered 240m long magic carpets (free) and the Ciarn gondola. In the Peclet sector, Musaraigne and Campagnols, two 200m long magic carpets (free), Roc drage lift (free), 2 lacs and the Caron cable car.

You can pre book your pass online or purchase in resort from the lift pass office. Alternatively, you can pre book your lift pass from your tour operator who will deliver it to your accommodation in resort.