Imagine yourself leaving your office on a Friday evening, gliding down snow covered slopes for the next two days and returning to your desk on Monday morning with a grin as wide as the mountains.
This unbeatable travel experience is none other than a weekend skiing trip, but it requires a lot of work and rushing around to make this type of a trip a huge success.
Mégève. Photo: Green/Pixabay. Best ski resorts for a weekend trip
From choosing the perfect place to ski carefully and slopes that suit your style of skiing to resort owners willing to take bookings for just two nights, and that too during the peak rush days of the week,there are few ski resorts that are ready to oblige.
So here are a few resorts that not only cater to skiers who only have weekends to spare, but across a broad range of skiing tastes and abilities as well.
Here I have put together the must-read guide to the Rhône Alpes. It is pretty inclusive so I’ll do it as a bit of a bullet point. But it is a good start where to see all their ski resorts and which ones could tempt you for your perfect ski holiday.
The Rhône Alpes is an extensive area in the Central West of France. From west to east it offers the Auvergne Volcanoes to Lyon and the French Alps and Mont Blanc. This is the roof of Europe at 4,810 meters.
Pointe d’Ireuse. View on Mont Blanc. Chablais Massif. Photo: Christian Matelet. Auvergne Rhône Alpes Tourisme. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.
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How to get there: The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.
By Air:
Paris Airport- transfer to Lyon is 45 minutes.
Geneva Airport
Chambery Airport
Grenoble Airport
By Train:
Paris – TGV (fast train)
London with the Eurostar
Brussels with the Thalis
By Car:
Lyon airport: 1-3 hours
Geneva airport: 1-3 hours
Chambery airport: 1-1.5 hours
Grenoble airport: 1-1.5 hours.
Sunset on the Grandes Jorasses. Mont Blanc Massif. Photo: Carmen Villa/Auvergne-Rhône Alpes Tourisme. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.
The French Alps – The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes
The French Alps are the most renown ski mountains in the world. Here are some specs to explain why:
It has been three times host of Winter Olympic games:
Chamonix in 1925 (first edition)
Grenoble, 1968
Albertbille, 1992.
The 3 Valleys is the world’s largest ski area, with 600 km of ski slopes and more than 200 cable cars. Most of the terrain is above 1800 m altitude.
There are different connected ski areas, or if you prefer to call them ski carousels.
Les 3 Vallées
Paradiski
Val d’Isère- Tignes.
It has the longest snow season in Europe, from November (October for Tignes this year!) to May.
It offers summer skiing from June to August at
Val d’Isére-Tignes
Les 2 Alpes
This guide will pinpoint the unique particularities of the different main ski resorts.
How Val Thorens is ready for the 2020-21 ski season.
Here is how Val Thorens is getting ready now for the 2020-21 ski season. Val Thorens is the highest ski resort in Europe, starting at 2300 m and with pistes up to 3200 m. The resort is part of Les 3 Vallées, the biggest ski carousel in the world. Within the whole 3 Vallées, the lower slopes are around 600 m (at Brides les Bains).
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90% of the resort is above tree-line. It is what here Britons call “snow-sure” resorts. I never understood that claim being Argentine born. Las Leñas has a base of 2230 and the top at 3400+ and I remember some seasons with no snow at all! But well, obviously there is more chance to have better snow the higher you go!
Lift in Val Thorens. Photo. C.Doucret. OT Val Thorens. How Val Thorens is ready for the 2020-21 ski season.
But coming back to Val Thorens, the resort has the longest ski season in Europe. It starts on December 1st and goes all the way to May 9th. A whole 170 days of ski season. It was going to open on November 21st, but with the new decree in France locking the country for one month, it changed. Let’s hope that resorts can open in December!
If you go to Val Thorens, all the lodging is slope-side- you don’t need to move to go to the lifts. The trails run between the buildings. The resort is not the prettiest, but they have been renovating façades using wood and now is looking much better. Now it looks more village-like.
Courchevel’s plans to reopen in the summer season.
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Most of European ski resorts are planning to reopen with social-distancing measures this summer. Courchevel is one of them.
Right now, you can only visit if you live within 100 km away from Courchevel. Starting today, May 11th, people can visit and enjoy three sports in the great outdoors:
🎿 Ski touring: there is a lot of snow in the Saulire massif (Alt. 2710m) and the surroundings.
Rando trace and ski poles. Copyright: Courchevel Tourisme. Courchevel’s plans to reopen in the summer season.
🚴♂ Cycling: The Col de la Loze (Alt. 2304m) has been cleared of snow.
Copyright: Courchevel Tourisme. Cycling with views of the Montre Loze. Courchevel’s plans to reopen in the summer season.
🏃♂ Rando / Trail: the summit of the Dent du Villard (Alt: 2284m) is accessible.
Copyright: Courchevel Tourisme. Crete de Mont Charvet. Courchevel’s plans to reopen in the summer season.
The Silva MOONtain Races are coming back to Courchevel this summer.
This famous race will return after five years of being absent. It entails an original trail, at night on full moon Wednesdays – dates are August 5, September 2 and 30).
Val Thorens hosts the first stage of the World Cup Ski Cross
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Val Thorens starts the 2019-20 ski season hosting the first stage of the World Cup Ski Cross on 6-7 December.
Ski Cross World Cup. Photo: C. Ducruet. OT Val Thorens. Val Thorens hosts the first stage of the World Cup Ski Cross.
Val Thorens, the highest and more snow-reliable resort in the massive Trois Vallées of France is hosting as every year the Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup, which will kick off on 6-7 December with 30 women and 70 men facing each other on the slopes. Within the international line up we’ll have two Britons: Emma Peters and Oliver Davies.
The village of Val Thorens gets very busy this weekend with cheering fans and competitors alike. If you want to view the action, a great spot is on the ‘Jean-Fred Chapuis’ slope, named after the French Olympic champion and Val Thorens local.
During the Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup, teams of four compete coming down a course full of bumps and jumps. It is very interesting to see how they make it down (if they do and do not crash on the way) and who makes it first. Obviously, it is lots of fun, even though deep down, people wish the riders to have some falls (I guess not getting hurt!). But this race is definitely not for the faint hearted!
Where to Stay in Méribel: Hotel Le Coucou – opening December 2019
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The Pariente family are delighted to announce the launch of Maisons Pariente, a new luxury collection of boutique five-star hotels in Provence, Saint-Tropez and Méribel. Fashion and property entrepreneur Patrick Pariente and his two daughters, Leslie Kouhana and Kimberley Pariente, are the driving force behind this new venture, which offers guests exclusive escapes to beautiful properties in stunning French destinations.
Where to Stay in Méribel: Hotel Le Coucou – opening December 2019
Maisons Pariente will round off 2019 with the opening of Le Coucou in Méribel in December. Set on the ski slopes, the brand-new hotel will offer 55 guest bedrooms and suites as well as two private chalets, two restaurants and a spa with six treatment rooms and hairdresser, indoor and outdoor pools, hammam and sauna. With two kids’ clubs to suit both toddlers and teens, Le Coucou looks set to be an ideal choice for families looking to hit the slopes. Interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch is working with the Pariente family to bring this exciting new project to life.
Nightly rates at Le Coucou start from 610 Euros on a bed & breakfast basis. To reserve your room at Le Coucou click here.
Following the closure at the end of January of the cable car Cime Caron, the replacement of the load carrier cables has started in May. This gigantic project will cost €6 million and will be finished in November, right on time for the start of the winter season 2019/2020.
Lac 2 – lake reservoir for snow making at Val Thorens. What is new for Val Thorens for 2019/20.
Furthermore, two Gazex will be installed under the line of the cable car in order to secure even more the area and allow a faster opening to customers in the mornings.
The water reservoir Lac 2, used for snow making, will be expanded with a capacity going from 88 000m3 to 306 000m3.
Snow guns are added at the top of the blue piste Plateaux in order to improve customer satisfaction on this highly frequented area between the snowpark and the Family Park. In addition, it will facilitate the access to Funitel Grand Fond at the beginning of the season.
Col, the last fixed-grip chairlift of Val Thorens, will have its 25 years “Grande Inspection”. The top of the lift offers stunning views over Glacier de Chavière and Parc de la Vanoise.
Val Thorens- Lorries are carrying the loading cables. Photo: Val Thorens TO. What is new for Val Thorens for 2019/20.
Funitel Peclet, situated at the spine of the ski area, will undergo a major check-up, starting this summer with a three-year implementation timeframe.
The descent speed of Cairn and Caron gondolas will be increased. For our non-skiing customers, those two lifts link the summit of Cime Caron from the resort centre.
French investigators suspect that a fire that killed two people in the ski resort of Courchevel may have been an arson attack, a prosecutor said Friday.
The blaze, which ripped through a building where ski season workers were staying in the early hours of Sunday 20th, has shocked one of the most upmarket resorts in the French Alps.
It left 25 people injured, four of them seriously.
Deadly fire at Courchevel ‘may have been arson’
“We are treating seriously the theory that this could have been a criminal act, but we do not have enough evidence to be able to identify the perpetrators,” local prosecutor Anne Gaches told reporters.
Investigators believe a flammable chemical may have been used to help the fire spread, Gaches added.
“The victims smelt petrol just before the fire, and witnesses also said they had smelt petrol a month earlier,” she added.
The former hotel houses around 60 people working for a hotel company in Courchevel, which is home to many luxury resorts and numerous Michelin-starred restaurants.
A 32-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man, both of whom had been working in mountainside restaurants, were killed in the fire.
A British skier dies after falling 32 feet from a chairlift in the French resort of Méribel at the famous 3 Vallées
The reports say that the 65 years old man, who was not yet named by authorities, had a heart attack just before he fell. He was seating next to a female friend. She is being interviewed by the police.
Investigators want to find out if the victim might have squeezed down the metal safety bar of the chairlift that protects passengers.
The lift was a six-seater built by the company Pomagalski in 2017 that transports 2,400 per hour.
A British skier dies after falling 32 feet from a chairlift in the French resort of Méribel at the 3 Vallées. Illustrative photo.
Emergency services were called at 12.20 to the Roc-de-Tougne lift and from the six first respondents, two doctors tried to resuscitate the man for more than half an hour but unfortunately the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man suffered a heart attack and died on the slopes in the resort of Méribel.
Police are investigating whether the 65-year-old man was in cardiac arrest before falling 32 feet from the chairlift.
Epic Pass expands European Access in World-Class Resort in France and Italy: Les 3 Vallées in France and Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta in Italy.
Vail Resorts expands access to seven consecutive days of skiing at Les 3 Vallées in France and Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta in Italy with no restrictions, resulting in 26 days of European access
The Epic Pass is the ONLY multi-resort pass to offer significant access to European resorts
In one year, the Epic Pass has added access to 20 world-class resorts, inviting guests to experience an unprecedented total of 65 resorts throughout eight countries for $949, offering unlimited, unrestricted access to North America’s best resorts including Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Park City and Breckenridge
The last chance to buy the 2018-19 Epic Pass is Sunday, Nov. 18.
Vail Resorts, Inc. announced today that Epic Pass holders will now receive seven days of skiing or snowboarding with no blackout dates at Les 3 Vallees, France and Skirama Dolomiti in a long-term alliance beginning with 2018-19 winter season. The Epic Pass, available for $949, offers skiers and snowboarders unlimited, unrestricted access to 19 mountain resorts, including world-class destinations like Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Breckenridge and Park City, plus additional access to 46 more throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, France, Switzerland, Italy, and Austria. The Epic Pass is the only multi-resort pass to offer significant access to European resorts. Sunday, Nov. 18 is the last chance to buy the 2018-19 Epic Pass and the entire suite of Epic Season Pass options.
Skiing began in Europe and that storied heritage – along with the incredible terrain and abundant culture – puts Europe on the bucket list of every skier and snowboarder. The Epic Pass was the first multi-resort pass to offer North American and European access and now it offers an even more expansive experience.
Jardin d’enfants in Val Thorens. Photo credit: Les 3 Vallées. Epic Pass expands European Access in World-Class Resort in France and Italy: Les 3 Vallées in France and Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta in Italy.
“The value of the Epic Pass is giving skiers and snowboarders the flexibility to ski and ride where and when they want,”said Kirsten Lynch, chief marketing officer of Vail Resorts. “Our long-term alliances with Europe’s best ski resorts truly put the Epic Pass in a class of its own.”
“Les 3 Vallees is proud to expand the alliance with the Epic Pass and give skiers and snowboarders access to the largest interconnected ski area in the world,” said Vincent Lalanne, general manager of Les 3 Vallées. “We look forward to welcoming Epic Pass holders to experience the French Alps this season.”
Les Trois Vallées, an amazing expanse of pistes and off-pistes to challenge any type of skier. Photo: Les Trois Vallées.Epic Pass expands European Access in World-Class Resort in France and Italy: Les 3 Vallées in France and Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta in Italy.
Les 3 Vallées, the world’s largest connected ski area, is located in the Tarentaise Valley, in the heart of the French Alps. As implied by its name, the area consists of three valleys: Saint Bon, Les Allues and Les Belleville. The ski area is a network of seven resorts Courchevel, Méribel, Brides-les-Bains, Les Menuires, Saint Martin de Belleville, Val Thorens and Orelle. With 155 lifts, 372 miles (600km) of skiing on 332 marked pistes, Les 3 Vallées offers incredible skiing on high altitude terrain. 85% of the runs are above 5,905 feet (1 800 meters) and Les 3 Vallées is home to Val Thorens, Europe’s highest ski resort, at an altitude of 7,545 feet (2 300 meters).
Madonna di Campiglio, part of Skirama Dolomiti. Epic Pass expands European Access in World-Class Resort in France and Italy: Les 3 Vallées in France and Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta in Italy.
South of the Alps, nestled amongst some of the most beautiful mountain peaks in the world such as the Brenta Dolomites and Adamello, is some of the best skiing in Italy. Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta is home to 150 lifts and 236 miles (379 km) of ski slopes that make up acclaimed resorts such as Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo in Val Rendena; Folgarida-Marilleva, Peio and Tonale in Val di Sole; Ponte di Legno, Andalo-Fai della Paganella, Monte Bondone and Folgaria-Lavarone. The winter offering is enriched by the high-quality cuisine and the exclusive “Italian style.”
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