Where to Ski in the French Alps

The French Alps offer more linked skiing than anywhere else on earth, which is precisely the problem: the choice is enormous and the differences between resorts are easy to miss from a brochure. What follows is how our resort specialists actually make the decision when a family calls.

Start with the weakest skier, not the strongest

Strong skiers can enjoy almost any large French resort. The person who determines whether a week works is usually the least confident member of the group. Méribel's wooded blue runs and gentle valley floor make progress feel achievable; Val d'Isère's Solaise sector does the same at higher altitude.

Courchevel is the exception that satisfies both ends: the nursery slopes above 1850 are among the best in Europe, and the couloirs off the Saulire are as serious as anything in the Alps.

Then think about February and April

Snow reliability separates the French resorts more than terrain does. Val d'Isère and Tignes sit high enough to ski confidently into late April; Méribel's valley runs can soften by mid-afternoon in spring.

If you are tied to the school calendar and travelling at Easter, altitude should outrank almost every other consideration.

Finally, consider the evening

A ski holiday is roughly six hours of skiing and ten hours of everything else. Courchevel offers the finest dining in the Alps; Val d'Isère has a livelier, younger centre; Méribel is quieter and family-first.

Whichever you choose, we would rather place you in the right house in the second-best resort than the wrong house in the first.