France Guide
The Alps and Franche-Comté
Val d'Isère
Once a tiny mountain village, VAL D'ISÈRE is now a sprawling mass of cafés, supermarkets, chalets and bars. Because of its distance from Bourg-St-Maurice and the larger towns to the west, the resort almost completely closes down in the off season, with only one or two hotels remaining open in May. Nonetheless, Val d'Isere does make a convenient centre for walking in the summer, and you can ski year-round on the glacier.
The skiing around Val d'Isère is varied and demanding; many international experts never ski anywhere else. There are two beginner's slopes, one close to the resort centre and the other in nearby Le Daille. Of the three major skiing areas, Le Fornet provides the best slopes for novices, but it is also relatively undeveloped, and there are some narrow, unkept pistes. The Solaise area provides easily accessible sheltered skiing between larch trees during bad weather, and has two free beginners' lifts near its swimming pool and ice-skating complex. Le Rocher de Bellevard is home to the Olympic downhill and its east-facing slopes (site of the 1992 Olympics and the 2009 World Championships) are reserved for the most accomplished skiers.