Val d'Isere ski holidays – an expert’s paradise or a great family destination?

Val d'Isere ski resort has a well-deserved reputation for being a serious skiers dream with plenty of tough terrain over a large linked area. It also has a reputation for a lively après ski scene. With these in mind, can it also be a good destination for family skiers and beginners?

The answer is yes. For variety of skiing, Val d'Isere really does have something for everyone and is suitable for mixed-ability family groups.

Before you set off on your first day’s skiing
Don’t do what we did on our first day. Looked at the piste map and chose what we thought would be a nice run meandering through trees. Past the point of no return we discovered we’d picked one of the resort’s famous mogul (bump) runs on the Solaise mountain.

And that’s the thing about skiing in Val d'Isere. It’s great for all levels of skier providing you know where you’re going. Of all the many resorts we’ve visited, this is the one where the difficulty grading of beginner’s runs in particular is under-estimated.

Looking down on Val d'Isere ski resort with Solaise in the background.
Image courtesy of j0hncooke/Flickr.

The ski area
Together with neighbouring Tignes, it forms L’Espace Killy (named after the local downhill racer Jean-Claude Killy). The resort stretches several kilometres along the valley between La Daille and the hamlet of Le Fornet at the end of the valley. The skiing is in three areas: Bellevarde, Solaise and slopes accessed from Le Fornet.

Good slopes for children
There’s a good nursery slope with a free lift easily accessible just of the resort centre, that's great for beginners. Once your children have got their skiing legs, steer clear of runs leading back to the valley floor. You’ll need to take them up to the wide runs above Solaise such as the green Madeleine.

The gentle Madeleine run - a great confidence builder.
Image courtesy of fishbone1/Flickr.

There are also lovely wide green runs at the top of Bellevarde – and the ride up in the Funival (Val d'Isere’s funicular railway that disappears into the mountain side) – is a great hit with children. Unless your children are competent and confident, don’t be tempted to ski the green run down to La Daille. In many resorts this would be marked as more difficult and can really shake a beginner’s confidence.

Over in the La Fornet / Col d’Iserean sector there’s a choice of blue and green runs well suited for beginners. The snow here is usually excellent and gives access to the blue runs on the Pissaillas glacier.

Getting around
Intermediate skiers can ski from one end of the resort to the other. Val d'Isere has one of the best bus services linking the different areas with plenty of stops throughout the resort. Now, we’re not usually fans of having to catch a bus whilst juggling small children and ski equipment. That said, if you do need to get from one area to another without skiing the service is regular and free with your lift pass.

Where to stay
For pure functionality and if you're happy to self-cater, you can’t go wrong with an apartment at La Daille – though be warned, some of these buildings don’t win any awards for being nice to look at! Throughout the resort there’s a wide choice of accommodation, from hotels to apartments and catered ski chalets. Val d'Isere ski resort is popular with skiers from the UK and there are numerous companies offering family ski chalet holidays. If you need English-speaking childcare, then look for a UK independent chalet company that operates its own creche or children's clubs.

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