Valmorel Ski Resort

Overview

Valmorel ski resort lies at the heart of France's Grand Domaine ski area sandwiched between the Tarentaise and the Maurienne. A very family-friendly, purpose-built resort with a traffic-free, pedestrianised centre, it's one of the more attractive of modern resorts and has good access to the slopes. 

Valmorel is a quiet corner of this Haute Savoie region dominated by big-name resorts such as Val d'Isere, Tignes, Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens, but does have its own famous name feature - the Col de la Madeleine, one of the big climbs in the summer Tour de France cycle race.

Much of the accommodation is scattered around the half-dozen or so hamlets that make up the resort area, including Celliers and Doucy Combelouvriere, served by free half-hourly shuttles. There is also a Club Med, designed by the resort's architect Pierre Diener, which increases Valmorel's family-factor still more. 

Ski area

A network of 50 lifts fan out across several smaller valleys and mountain faces, providing an extensive terrain of mostly intermediate reds and blues, most of which are on open faces rather than below the treeline, though one exception is the green run down through the trees to Doucy Combelouvriere, which is a lovely scenic run.

Beginners are well-served here, though, with a nursery area right next to the village and good gentle greens and easy blues for when they are ready to progress.

Intermediates will enjoy the crusing blues and reds and while there is little here to challenge experts, freeriders can take advantage of the off-piste in the Lauzieres area, which is also a favourite for ski-touring and snowshoeing. there are also some steeper reds alongside the handful of black runs, in the Col du Mottet area and in the descents either side of the Col de la Madeleine.

Although the main village is quite low, the snow-making ensures that even the home runs are good enough when nature doesn't quite come up to scratch.

Snowzones provide fun park-style skiing, including a permanent boardercross area.

Off the slopes and apres ski

As befits a very family-orientated resort, the apres is jolly rather than raucous, with good-value restaurants and welcoming slope-side bars and cafe terraces, including the L'Alpage, where you can grab a couple of beers before skiing down to the village (or taking the lift, if you prefer). Nightlife is on the quiet side, though best bet is Les Nuits Blanches.

Non-ski activities include snowshoeing, yooning (a form of toboggan), airboarding (a kind ofg inflatable sled/tube) horse sleigh rides and paragliding. There is also a good children's club organised by the local ESF ski school.