Val d'Isère is located in Savoy, France, in the upper Tarentaise Valley, nestled in the Vanoise Alps. The town center sits at about 1.850 meters, and above the rooftops, the Face de Bellevarde slope descends almost to the houses: a black run used for international competitions has become part of the village's everyday landscape. Around the church, the buildings made of stone, wood, and lauze (the type of roofing used) are a reminder of the town's existence before ski lifts and large hotels.
Skiing remains the main reason to choose Val d'Isère. There are challenging descents, gentler slopes at higher altitudes, and the Pisaillas Glacier; the connection to Tignes further expands the options for a week on the slopes. But where you return after the slopes also matters: you can stay near shops and restaurants, choose a chalet in the village of Fornet, or look for accommodations in the mountains. Non-skiers will find hiking, cross-country skiing, a swimming pool, and restaurants accessible by lift, without having to turn every outing into a demanding hike.
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The center, La Daille and Le Fornet
The center of Val d'Isère is the go-to destination for those seeking proximity to the snow front and village life. Avenue Olympique runs through the resort; the streets of the old town are lined with chalets, stone facades, and the church of Saint-Bernard de Menthon. Savoyard cuisine, including fondue and tartiflette, complements a restaurant selection far more extensive than that found in a small, isolated village.
La Daille is the hamlet at the entrance to the resort, with its own snow front and access to the Bellevarde slope. It also hosts the bus station, which connects with the valley and the airports. At the opposite end is Le Fornet, at 1.930 meters: a village with old houses, permanent residents, and rental chalets, from which you can ascend towards the Iseran area. For those seeking a more intimate setting, it's a different option from the center, while still being accessible to its amenities.
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The free Valbus shuttles connect La Daille, the center, Le Laisinant, and Le Fornet; other lines reach the Manchet and Legettaz areas. This allows you to choose your accommodation location based on the atmosphere and the ski school you've booked, without having to use your car for every trip.
Slopes and lifts: Bellevarde, Solaise and Pisaillas
Val d'Isère offers 150 kilometers of local slopes. With Tignes, it forms a connected 300-kilometer ski area, served by a total of 71 lifts. The Val d'Isère portion extends primarily across the Bellevarde and Solaise mountains, and toward Fornet and the Pisaillas Glacier.
The first lessons and the holiday with the children
You don't have to head straight to the mountains to get started. On the central snow front, the Savonnette ski lift and the Village chairlift are free to use; in La Daille, the Lanches ski lift is free to use. These introductory ski areas allow you to familiarize yourself with the equipment and the lifts before moving on to the higher slopes.
The ESF Val d'Isère offers snow parks for children aged 3 and 4, courses for children aged 5 to 12, and groups for teenagers aged 13 and up. Adults also find lessons specifically for those who have never skied, as well as advanced courses. The ski center and La Daille locations make it important to choose your meeting point along with your accommodation; ski lessons and any assistance for the rest of the day are services that can be booked according to your needs.
For younger children, the Chalet des Aiglons crèche is available, a winter nursery for children aged 12 to 36 months. The program combines indoor games, creative activities, storytelling, and first outdoor experiences in the snow, with qualified early childhood staff. Space is limited and must be booked in advance; the child's health record is required upon registration. This is a useful service when parents want to ski for a few hours and the child is not yet old enough to attend lessons.
After lessons, the snowfront hosts recreational activities, and the resort has sledding areas and an ice-skating rink. Among the organized activities are mini electric snowmobiles for children aged 5 to 12, on a closed circuit. Indoors, the Aquasportif Center features a swimming pool, a children's pool, water games, and play areas: these alternatives don't necessarily require a long trip out of town.
Bellevarde, from the Olympic slope to the descents towards La Daille
The Face de Bellevarde is the resort's most iconic black run. It hosted the men's competitions at the 1992 Albertville Olympic Games and leads directly back to the city center, over 2.900 meters long and with an elevation change of over 850 meters. The gradient reaches 71%: technique and skill are required to manage a long descent, where the surface varies with the cold, the transitions, and the sun's exposure. The Olympique cable car allows you to reach the start in about 6 minutes.
On the other side of Bellevarde, towards La Daille, you can choose between runs of varying difficulty: La Verte is green, Diebold is blue, and OK is red. The availability of alternatives allows those who have already gained independence to vary their skiing without always seeking the steepness of La Face. The same runs pass through the Folie Douce area, the restaurant and après-ski area also accessible by cable car from La Daille.
Solaise, easy slopes at high altitude
On the Solaise side, there are green and blue runs, including the green Madeleine and Ski Tranquille areas. These slopes are in an open environment, above the village, where even those not looking for difficult runs can ski with a view of the mountains. The ValKids area adds games and small trails for children, with activities that introduce them to the professions of the slopes and lifts.
For the return journey, you can use the Solaise cable car and the Olympique cable car from Bellevarde. Beginners can spend time on runs suited to their level and return to the snow front by cable car, avoiding the more difficult sections of the return journey.
Fornet and skiing on the glacier
From Fornet, you ascend towards Iseran and Pisaillas, where skiing exceeds 3.000 meters. The glacier is served by the Cascade chairlift and the Montets ski lift, which reaches 3.197 meters. The landscape changes from the slopes near the village: here, the valleys and peaks of the high mountains dominate.
The slope can also be reached from Solaise via the Leissières chairlift, which crosses the ridge and connects the two areas in both directions. This option allows you to spend part of your holiday in the mountains above Fornet while remaining within the local ski area.
Artificial snowmaking complements natural snow with a network of 631 snow guns. Production depends on temperatures and contributes to the preparation of the ski slopes. For 2026/27, the season is scheduled from November 28th to May 2nd, with openings dependent on snow conditions: early season conditions and lower return periods must be considered separately from glacier skiing.
Snowboarding, freestyle and ski mountaineering
Val Park, the resort's snowpark, is located at 2.500 meters in the Combe du Mont Blanc, on the Bellevarde slope facing La Daille. It faces south and has areas ranging from green, for beginners, to black for experts, with jumps, bumps, and rails. The main access points are via the Funival, the La Daille funicular, or the Olympique cable car. Set-up and opening times depend on snow and weather; those wanting to learn to snowboard can also find snowboarding courses for various levels.
There are two marked routes for climbing with skins. The Brinzeï, on the La Daille–Bellevarde side, is 2,5 kilometers long and has a 450-meter ascent, through forest, a bridge over the Vallée Perdue, and old buildings; the Écureuil, on the other hand, ascends through the Rogoney Forest, on the Solaise side. Route openings, equipment, and avalanche bulletins remain part of the trip preparation process.
Alpine guides also organize freeride and ski mountaineering days off the beaten track, choosing the itinerary based on experience and conditions. It's a way to explore other parts of the mountain, distinct from skiing on the slopes: snow, avalanche risk, and the group's preparation determine where you can go.
Walking and cross-country skiing between Manchet and Ouillette
The plaine de La Daille, the flat stretch at the entrance to the village, offers two easy walking trails: the Chemin des Sources follows the stream towards the center for a 3-kilometer round trip, while the boucle de La Daille is an easy 3-kilometer loop. You can start from your accommodation or reach the area via the free shuttle. For snowshoeing further from the towns, schools and guides offer organized outings, adapted to the snow and the group's ability.
The Manchet Valley leads to a more open landscape, towards the Vanoise National Park. Here, the trail has two landmarks: the Petite Boucle, a 3,1-kilometer blue trail, and the Grande Boucle, a red trail, 8,8 kilometers long. The yellow shuttle runs to Manchet, and the L'Art des Mets restaurant offers a stop for lunch or a break.
At higher altitude, near Lac de l'Ouillette, there are a 1,5-kilometer blue loop and a 4-kilometer red loop. The lake is located at about 2.500 meters above Solaise and is covered in snow in winter; a pedestrian path also reaches the La Plage de l'Ouillette restaurant. Access is via the Solaise cable car and requires a pedestrian pass. Cross-country skiing, hiking, and lunch can thus be enjoyed in the same area, even when not everyone is participating in the same activity.
The country after skiing: restaurants, culture and wellness
La Folie Douce, in the La Daille area, is one of the places where lunch continues with music and shows. It brings together several restaurants, from Fruitière to Cucùcina and Petite Cuisine; the La Daille gondola allows you to reach it without skis, with a pedestrian pass. For the return journey, please note the lift's opening hours.
In the center, a stop at Maison Chevallot reveals another side of the village. The family has been working in Val d'Isère since 1965, and their pastry shops offer blueberry tart, gâteau de Savoie, and hot chocolate. The Ancolie specialty was created by Patrick Chevallot for the 1992 Albertville Olympics: the connection to the history of skiing is evident even in the sweets on display. The shops on Avenue Olympique and in the heart of the village offer a place to stop during an afternoon stroll.
Those looking to stay away from the nightlife of the town center can consider the Refuge de Solaise, a hotel at 2.551 meters located on the site of the old cable car station. It offers rooms, apartments, a panoramic restaurant, and a wellness center with a 25-meter pool. In winter, it can be reached by cable car: booking here means organizing your arrival and transfers based on the altitude, not choosing a hotel from which you can walk to the village shops.
Still in the town center, the Aquasportif Center is also open in winter and offers a 25-meter lap pool, a 416-square-meter play pool, and indoor spaces. At the Maison de Val, the Val Histoire museum traces the transformation of the farming village into an international ski resort. The free exhibition explores traditional dwellings, the arrival of skiing, and the inhabitants' relationship with the environment, helping visitors recognize traces of previous eras in the village today. The same building houses the Le Splendid cinema and a media library, with reading corners and board games, perfect for children.
La Ferme de l'Adroit offers a glimpse into the farming life that still exists in the area. Tours include a visit to the stables and a demonstration of how cheese is made; children can see the farm animals, while the fromagerie offers local products for purchase. This experience, unlike sports activities and snow games, is also suitable for those who want to learn about the work that goes into preparing the cheeses for restaurant tables. Tours are organized, so as to respect the farm's schedule.
Airports and arrival in Val d'Isère
Geneva and Lyon are the main airports for international connections; the road transfer takes approximately 3 hours. Chambéry and Grenoble are other options, with estimated journey times of about 2 and 2 hours. Direct buses operate from Geneva and Lyon to Val d'Isère; for other arrivals, choose a transfer available on the flight dates. Traffic and snow may extend the journey.
By train, you can reach Bourg-Saint-Maurice and continue by bus or taxi: the final stretch takes about 40 minutes in normal conditions. The Val d'Isère bus station is located in La Daille, from which a free red shuttle runs to the town center and other stops. Those arriving from Italy by car should note that the Col de l'Iseran road is closed in winter: the pass does not provide an alternative access to the valley.
