Val-dʼIsère holidays

How to reach Val d’Isère

Flight time: Flights to Geneva and flights to Lyon take around 1 hour 45 minutes from London.

Transfer time: Transfer time is much of a muchness whether you fly into Geneva Airport or Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, typically around 3 hours.

Price: A shared transfer from Geneva or Lyon airports costs around €85 for a return. Taxiing from either airport is pricey, with fares exceeding €300.

Best time to visit Val d’Isère

The best time for your Val d’Isère holidays depends on what you want from your holiday: hard-core skiing and off-piste parties, multi-active adventure or a little peace and seclusion to recharge your batteries.

December to April experiences max temps ranging from -4 to 4°C and averages 9 days of monthly snowfall (backed up by over 500 snow cannons), guaranteeing good skiing conditions whichever month you go. The après-ski scene is liveliest over Christmas, New Year and the February and April school holidays, but the trade-off is busier slopes.

May to June is ideal for early-bird hikers, with temperatures rising to 9–14°C and precipitation falling as rain rather than snow. South-facing trails become accessible in early May, and by June, the Grande Sassière National Nature Reserve will be at your boot tips.

July to August sees the summer season in full swing, with various events and activities for outdoor fans. Warmer at around 17°C, these are great months to explore the region’s lush green valleys, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls.

September to November brings a drop in temperatures, 13 to 1°C. With much of the resort on hiatus to prepare for the start of the official ski season in late November or early December, these are serene months for nature walks (the autumnal foliage in the French Alps is spectacular) and bike rides.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: French is the official language, but English is widely spoken in Val d’Isère, especially in tourist areas, ski schools and hotels.

• Currency: France is in the eurozone.

• Getting around: Between the resort’s comprehensive shuttle bus services and over 30 ski lifts, it's easy to get around the village and to and from the ski slopes. A one-day pedestrian pass for the ski lifts costs around €22; €66 for a ski pass.

• Electricity and plug types: Standard mains electricity is 220–240V, 50Hz. Plugs are two-pin Type C and E.

• Time zone: France keeps Central European Time (GMT+ 1 hour) but switches to Central European Summer Time (GMT+ 2 hours, British Summer Time + 1 hour) from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

Best things to do in Val d’Isère

Val d’Isère is a fantastic destination for skiing holidays, but there’s much more to this Alpine resort than just the slopes. From breathtaking viewpoints to charming villages and rich history, holidays to Val d’Isère have plenty to offer, whether you’re visiting in winter or summer.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Grand Pré: Sitting at 2,715m, this plateau is the top spot for viewing the Barnes de l’Ours glacier and Val d’Isère’s giant Hollywood-style letters.

• The Eye of the Needle: One of the iconic views, this aptly-named rock formation is best seen from the Grand Huit chair lift.

The best districts

• Val d’Isère Centre: Slightly hemmed in, you’re sacrificing views for traditional Alpine architecture and cobblestone streets. However, it's not a bad swap, given the proximity to shops, restaurants, the nursery slopes, the ski school meet-up point and the main ski lifts.

• La Daille: Close to the entrance and a 10-minute shuttle from the centre, the high-rise La Daille neighbourhood is not the prettiest but has fantastic access to the lifts and the Espace Killy ski area.

Parks and gardens

• Grande Sassière National Nature Reserve: Stretched between the Rhêmes-Golette glacier and Grand Paradis National Park on the Italian side, this reserve has the kind of wow factor that would be worth a detour in its own right.

• Bailletaz National Nature Reserve: On the southern slope of the Tsanteleina, buffering Grande Sassière, with a summertime botanical trail to explore, Bailletaz is a must for nature lovers.

Museums

• Musée de Val d'Isère: From its agro-pastoral past to the modern-day ski industry, this little museum is the perfect place to learn about the region's history.

Historical monuments

• Church of Saint Bernard de Menthon: Dedicated to the patron saint of skiers, this stone-built church is a village landmark. Safeguarding on the slopes aside, the pièce de résistance is the Baroque-style altarpiece.

• The Face de Bellvarde: The staging ground of the men’s downhill event in the 1992 Winter Olympics. Almost 3km long, black-rated with a 959m vertical descent, you’ll need nerves of steel to make your Olympic mark.

Day trips in the area

• Bourg-Saint-Maurice: About a 45-minute drive from Val d’Isère, this charming town is known for its local markets and delicious Savoyard cuisine.

• Bonneval-sur-Arc: Set at the foot of Col de l’Iseran, Bonneval-sur-Arc looks straight out of a postcard with stone houses and cobbled streets.

Activities for families in Val d’Isère

Whether your little ones are just learning to ski or you’re looking for fun off-piste activities, there’s something for everyone.

• Ski schools: Val d’Isère has several fantastic ski schools with lessons for all levels, English-speaking instructors and dedicated kids’ zones.

• Ice rinks: The natural ice rink in Val d’Isère Village brings the winter wonderland vibe.

• Swimming pools: A 25m swimming pool, a fun pool with a flowing river, water cannons and bubble beds, and a paddling pool. Check, check and check.

• Climbing walls: Skied, skated, and all swum out; the sky is the limit in the resort’s climbing hall.

• Playgrounds: With suspended walkways and treehouses, kids aren’t the only ones who’ll enjoy exploring outdoor Le Village Perdu.

Free things to do in Val d’Isère

Val d’Isère may be a luxurious resort, but not everything has a premium price tag.

• Free events: Throughout the winter season, Val d’Isère hosts free ice skating shows at the village rink. These shows are fun for all ages and often feature professional skaters performing to music.

• Explore Val d’Isère by shuttle: Shuttling from one end of the resort to the other, Val d’Isère buses are free to use.

• Self-guided tours in Val d’Isère: If you're keen to take in the mountain air but unsure where to start, the tourist office can help you prepare hiking itineraries.

Wellness in Val d’Isère

• Spas and thermal baths: Jacuzzis, saunas, hammams and bone-melting massages, between the Centre Aquasportif and the resort’s spa hotels, such as Hotel Tsanteleina, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to relax and reboot.

• Yoga and meditation centres: Limber up for a day’s skiing or hiking or wind down with an evening session at your accommodation. Local practitioners offer one-on-one and group Hatha and Vinyasa yoga sessions.

Nature and outdoor activities

• Skiing: There's somewhere for everyone, whether higher elevation blue and green runs at Solaise and Génépi or thrilling black runs on the Stade Olympique slopes.

• Hiking: Likewise, hiking trails cater to all levels. The Lac de l’Ouillette hike is a scenic but easy ramble with little elevation gain, while the trails leading up to Col de l’Iseran are more of a challenging trek.

• Mountain biking: Val d’Isère has plenty for pedallers, too, with a whopping 250km of trails and courses.

• Paragliding: Adventure isn’t limited to the land; launch from the summit of Tovière and glide over the snow-clad mountains.

• Fishing: If that sounds like an adrenaline overdose, you can take it easy at Lac de l’Ouillette trout fishing.

• Dog-sledding: Even more relaxing, let Val d’Isère’s trusty mushers guide you through the Manchet Valley.

Local dishes in Val d’Isère

Holidays to Val d’Isère will leave you craving extra calories – you’ll need fuel for all that outdoorsy goodness – and traditional Savoie cuisine fits the bill perfectly.

Some typical dishes

• Fondue Savoyarde: An après-ski tradition, this melted cheese fondue is served with chunks of bread for dipping.

• Raclette: The perfect sharing platter, melted cheese scraped over boiled potatoes, charcuterie and pickles.

Meat dishes

• Diots: Typically cooked in white wine with onions and garlic (diots au vin blanc) and served with polenta or potatoes, these traditional Savoie sausages hit the spot after a hard day’s skiing or hiking.

• Tartiflette: Piping hot, this bubbling gratin of potatoes, onions, smoked lardons and melted Reblochon cheese is comfort food at its finest.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Féra: Fresh from Lake Geneva, with a delicate, sweet and subtly earthy flavour, this whitefish is delicious every which way. If you’re feeling adventurous, have it tartare.

• Omble Chevalier: Another Alpine lake denizen, Omble Chevalier is best described as a love child between salmon and trout.

Sweets and desserts

• Les pattes d'ours: A speciality of the pâtisserie at Maison Chevallot, these chocolate-covered paw-shaped pastries are almost too adorable to eat.

• Tarte aux Myrtilles: Made with locally sourced mountain berries, this blueberry French tart is an absolute classic.

Local drinks

• Vin chaud: Sweetened with sugar and spiced with citrus, cinnamon and cloves, this mulled French wine is the perfect winter warmer.

• Génépi: A bit like absinthe but mintier and less bitter, this Alpine herbal liqueur is traditionally drunk neat but also works well in cocktails.