Ski Area
Puy St Vincent has good range of skiing up to 2750m, giving a healthy 1350m vertical. This means long blues and reds back down to the resort. However there's a good range of terrain including some very black runs from the top of the lifts beneath La Pendine. There are about 75km (45 miles) of runs with enough variety to keep most people happy for a week.
Beginners have nursery slopes at 1400 and 1600 and snow cover is normally good despite the southerly latitude, thanks to northerly exposure and increasing snowmaking cover.
The wide raging facilities, including a night-skiing piste and a new slalom stadium opened for the 2005-6 season. Night skiing is available during school holidays.
If you're staying for six days or more the Galaxy Advantage ticket offers a day in other large ski areas nearby including Serre Chevalier, Pelvoux, Montgenevre and the Milky Way resorts in Italy, Les 2 Alpes l'Alpe d'Huez and la Grave. With the exception of Pelvoux, to which there are two buses a day, you will need to work out your own transportation to these resorts however, there is no official ski bus link.
Hands free skiing: the validity of your lift pass is checked automatically when you go through the gates ad turnstiles. Your fidelity card can be used for skiing and researching your ski pass in all resort using the same system.
Families
Puy St Vincent has a very strong reputation for families thanks to a combination of excellent facilities and a laid back, family friendly atmosphere. The resort has been awarded the French government's 'Kid Resort' and 'Famille Plus' labels in recognition of this.
Children from age 18 months to six years are cared for in Les Marmottons nursery at 1400 or Les P'tits Loups at 1600. For children aged three and older both ski schools in the resort offer a special snow garden with their own lifts and fun terrain features along with specialist staff. There is also a free house play area for children aged under six accompanied by their parents.
An unusual extra option is a mini club available for children aged six to 12 on most days of the week which offers lots of activities such as trips with a piste basher, studying animal life and other educational, fun activities.
The tourist office can also provide a list of baby sitters, and you can find baby changing area in Puy Saint Vincent 1600m.
Along with skiing together; ice skating, tobogganing, cinema, crepes and pizza all make for a great family holiday too. Even the Briancon observatory offers special visits for children aged five and six. There's also a free games room for children age six and up accompanied by their parents.
Off the Slopes and Apres
Most of the dining options are in the large complex at 1600. Here La Chaumiere offers mountain specialities as well as pizza and concerts are staged there at peak times. A second choice for pizza, crepes and sandwiches at 1600m.
At 1400 there are traditional hotel restaurants La Pendine and Le Saint Roch in the Les Pres hamlet, and L'Aigliere in Le Puy.
The majority of the bars and restaurants are in 1600m, although there are a handful - Les Arcades, La Pendine and Le Saint Roch at 1400m
In 1600 you have about a dozen choices. The livliest is usually Le Tire Bouchon which does Karaoke (and take out pizza). For late night dancing the Caliente disco is the place to be.
There are plenty of evening activities including snowmobiling, cinema and quad biking and the resort's entertainments team organise extra events every day. A Festival of Laughter is staged every January.
