Apart from an hour and a half at the Milton Keynes Snozone in October 2018, the last time I went skiing was in 2012. We went to Bansko in Bulgaria which was great for the ability we were at the time and the budget we had but some of them started to go more regularly and wanted more of a challenge and some more options on and off the slopes. I had never been to the Alps before and was told it was going to in a whole different league from what i had done before. It was great.

Getting There

Driving - It is a 10-hour drive From Calais to Val Thorens without stops, traffic, getting to Dover from wherever you are from and then crossing the channel. Once you get to Val Thorens you could be lucky enough to have a chalet with its own parking. If you don’t, there is an underground car park that will set you back around €75 for the week. Make sure you book online to save some money!

Flying – The most likely way you will get to VT. There are several airports that that will get you close but not all the way, so make sure you either have transport arranged at the other side or know which bus to catch at the other end.

· Chambéry Airport – 1 hour 45 min drive from VT

· Lyon-St Exupery – 2 hours 35 minutes from VT

· Grenible-Isere – 2 hours 35 minutes from VT

· Geneva (Switzerland) – 2 hours 45 minutes from VT

Altibus run services between Chambéry, Lyon and Geneva. There are 3 to 4 services during week days and Sunday and up to 7 on Saturdays from Chambéry and Geneva. Fewer services run from the other two. The journey will take around 4 hours with a stop at Moutiers and a potential bus change.

The Chalet

We stayed at the Résidence The Oxalys in Val Thorens. This 4-star Chalet is made up of 36 apartments which can hold up to 8 people in each across 3 levels. With a mid-week cleaning service, your own kitchen, private ski lockers, apartment WIFI, an onsite restaurant, ski hire and spa, this place has you sorted. It’s a five-minute walk from the centre where most of the restaurants, bars and shops are but this also works to its advantage. Towards the edge of the resort area, you can ski straight in and out of The Oxalys from the Plein Sud blue run which will lead you to the bottom of the main ski thoroughfare where several chair lifts and gondolas are a short ski away. This includes the chair lift of the same name that takes you straight to La Folie Douce, the most famous Après Ski Bar across the 3 Valleys. Being able to ski straight in and out of your chalet is invaluable.

Ski Passes

Staying in Val Thorens you will by default get the ski pass that covers Val Thorens along with the Orelle slopes that can be accessed at the top of Grand Fond. This pass is more than adequate for those from a beginner to early intermediate level and there are plenty of runs to keep you entertained with allowance for progression though the week. One thing to be wary of if you just stick with a Val Thorens pass is that while you can ski all the way down to Les Menuires from VT or over the top of Col de la Chambre, these fall into the 3 Valleys Zone and your lift pass will not be able to get you back up without having to pay an excess.

The 3 Valleys is the largest ski area in the world so if you have your mind set on more than green and blue runs I would recommend upgrading to the 3 Valleys Ski Pass. This will give you access to Les Menuires, Meribel, Courchevel and Saint Martin de Belleville. The price of the pass will vary depending on the season and the number of days you want the pass for. December 7th until the 20th is classed as the start of the season and has the cheapest lift pass rates, December 21st till April 10th is high season and has the highest rates with April 11th to the 26th as the end of season rates.

Ski Runs

Within the Val Thorens area there are 8 Green, 25 Blue, 27 Red, 8 Black and a couple Park runs available to you. Depending on ability this is plenty of space to play on with ample room for progression. If you get the 3 Valleys pass this gives you access to 600km of slope across 335 ski runs.

Lory - Orelle is already a hidden gem of the Val Thorens area but Lory is a lovely long and wide scenic Blue run with long sweeping turns.
D. Douillet - A nice technical Red the takes you down into Les Menuires.
Lac de la Chambre/Ours - Over the top of Val Thorens and down to Meribel. This Blue is one of the most scenic across the Valleys. It does get a little bit flat and narrow in the lead up to Meribel but its worth the pole pushing.
Bellecote/Renards - A quiet, long and wide Green that will take you right into Courchevel past several alpine bars. Some for the younger crowd.
Cime - One of a few Reds starting at the most spectacular of summits available in the Val Thorens valley.

Tired of Skiing?

In the unlikely event you tick off all the ski runs across the 3 Valleys and are looking for something else to do, Val Thorens has a few other activities up its sleeves for you:

The Cosmojet toboggan run – This 6km run is just asking for Mariokart to be recreated on it. It is €16.50 per run, with each one lasting around 45 minutes depending on how many times you crash. Which will be a lot.
Bowling – Within a sports bar complete with pool tables and a small arcade area its €12 for one game or €20 for two.
The Sports Centre – Featuring a pool, spa, bounce park, table tennis and badminton. 6 day passes are available for those fancying more than just a one off game or you can pay as you play. Its €6 per table tennis paddle for 2 hours.
Walks – If you want to get outside with your poles but minus the awkward planks of wood attached to your feet there are several walking routes dotted around the ski runs. There are specific walkers gondola lift passes that cost less than the ski ones.
Snowboard – Make sure you have your oversized clothes and cans of spray paint for those water towers.

Eating

The Oxalys is a self-catering chalet with a small microwave oven, 4 hobs, kettle, coffee maker and the various pots and pans to cook most meals without getting creative. Within a few minutes of the chalet are the Red Square supermarket for your premium organic, free range produce. These come with a resort price tag to match. Alternatively, within the shopping centre is a SPAR Supermarché with a big enough selection to make sure there is some variety throughout your stay at a more reasonable price.

We got fresh baguettes every morning to make our slope sandwiches for the day but there are several mountainside bars and restaurants to get fuelled inside or on the decking in the sun. You will be looking at €26 for a meal and a drink but depending on your tastes you could be paying a lot more.

Eating out could come in the form of a take away €8 steak sandwich (called an Americán) or €9 burger at Val Burger Pizza to a whole range of restaurants spread out across the town serving €15 wood fired pizzas to €37 steaks. The restaurant in the Oxalys will have you looking at roughly €40-€50pp for a two-course meal with something to wet the whistle depending on your food choices. The La Paillote in town is a traditional French alpine restaurant with an extensive menu and cosy atmosphere. The latter could be because of the proximity of the tables to each other. You could get a two-course meal and drink for €30-€40 but again depending on you desires you could spend that amount on just the main course.

A Night Out

You can’t talk about going for a drink without talking about Après Skiing. And you can’t talk about Après Skiing without talking about La Folie Douce. This is the pinnacle of pretentious Après Skiing but a must to experience, if only for a little bit. A cup of tea will set you back €6, a small beer €8 or if you fancy it, €1350 for 15 litres of Rose or €2600 for 9 litres of champagne.

In the event that this is not the scene for you there are some other options available to re-hydrate yourself.

Village Igloo – With its Ice Bar, a restaurant and even rooms to stay in if you can handle the cold. Just to the side of the Combe Thorens green slope you can ski in and out of it.
Malaysia – Probably the most famous bar off the slopes in Val Thorens. This underground bar (literally) has live bands most nights and has free entry before 12. It does get very busy and the toilet will have a bloke on the door controlling the numbers. You could be stood in the line for it for a long time so beware if you are prone to breaking the seal easily.
Wild and Savage – Tucked away in the shopping centre is a small bar. Decked out with quirky decorations, mood lighting, loud but decent music, I would recommend a drink or two here.
The Shamrock Irish Pub – Because there is always an Irish Pub.

Other Bits

There is a Ski Tax of €17.50 you will need to pay when you check out of your chalet so make sure that has been considered into your budget.
Consult the ski map and plan your route. There are some routes around the slopes where it will start as Green or Blue runs and finish as Reds. Or they will be Blues to get across the 3 Valleys and all end up as Reds to get back. If your ability is of a level that can shrug off a double Black Diamond then don’t worry.
The local language is French. Might seem obvious but I get emails at work from people asking if they need their passport with them at the airport.