An amazing week in Val d'Isere

Right, so I’m going to tell you about a week that Tom, Jess, Mike, Rach, Ben, Sophie and I spent in Val d’Isère. It was one of those trips where you arrive with high hopes and slightly battered kit, and come home with a ridiculous number of inside jokes, a phone full of blurry night photos and the lingering memory of La Face. I’ll go through the skiing, the village life, the places we ate and drank, the non-ski stuff we tried and generally paint a proper picture of what a group holiday in Val d’Isère feels like. The highs, the lows, and the odd pratfall on a blue that looked easier on paper.

Getting there and first impressions

We landed at Geneva in the early hours and piled into a minibus that did its best to convince us all we were professional mountaineers. The drive up is long (2 hr 50mins) but lovely. Proper mountain scenery, the sort of approach that primes you for skiing before you even unpack. The village of Val d’Isère itself surprised a few of us. It’s got this fantastic mix of proper old Savoyard village charm. The church spire, wooden balconies and full-on ski resort energy. You can walk through the little streets in trainers one minute and then be rubbing shoulders with people in full race suits at the lift queues the next.

We were based in a chalet that slept the seven of us comfortably, always a massive win on a group trip. The layout meant we could divide into skiers and non-skiers for breakfast (more on that later) and roll into the same bar by 6pm to compare battle scars.

The ski area - short facts and first-hand feel

Val d’Isère shares the Espace Killy domain with Tignes, which is huge — you’re looking at roughly 300km of pistes across the combined area and Val’s side has its own chunk that’s brilliant for intermediate to advanced skiing. It’s high, reliable and, frankly, impressive in scope. We found days where you could literally start at glacier altitude and keep going until you were back in the village for a late lunch. The resort publishes a live piste map and status updates which we checked every morning. (valdisere.com)

What this means in practice is that you’ve got long cruisy blues, challenging reds, proper seat of your pant’s black runs and, if you like off-piste, decent opportunities. But be sensible, and if you want the steep stuff, consider a guide. The place rewards ambition. If you fancy linking serious vertical in a day you can do it here.

The gang - personalities that set the tone

• Me - narrative responsibility, likes a steady warm-up run and impressive mid-mountain lunches.
• Tom - our unofficial piste planner, will wake up at 6am to be first on the lift.
• Jess - talented, fearless, and makes the best hot chocolate-orderer in the group.
• Mike - the one who brings a silly hat and ends up in every après photo.
• Rach - hurt her knee two years ago and rides the slower mornings; supreme people-person.
• Ben - the off-piste enthusiast; hired a guide on day three.
• Sophie - our designated restaurant reviewer, has very strong opinions on tartiflette.

If you’re travelling in a group, personalities matter more than the pistes. We had a mix of ability and appetite for risk, and that made organising days interesting but fun.

Daily rhythm - how we actually skied

We usually did breakfast at the chalet. Big brekkies to set us up, then split into pairs or threes depending on who fancied what. Tom, Ben and I would do early lifts and try for one of the bigger descents. Jess and Rach liked to stick to the Solaise area for a slower morning. Mike and Sophie were keen to explore the village cafés, ducking off for pastries and plotting the evening’s dining options.

We found the lifts generally efficient, and the town’s small enough that getting back to base for a siesta or a late lunch was easy. The variant terrain meant we could tailor a day to suit everyone. Blues and reds for the cruisers, Face de Bellevarde for the “we’re not actually racing but we’ll try it” crew, and the bowl sections for Ben’s off-piste meanderings.

Favourite lifts and sectors

We ended up favouring two sectors:

• Bellevarde / Face side: This is where the famous Face de Bellevarde drops into the village. It’s dramatic and a proper piece of piste history. We did the Face early one morning and it genuinely felt like an experience rather than just another run. The Olympique cable car (the 3S) shoots you up in comfort and is perfect for starting a big Bellevarde day.
• Solaise: More forgiving, great cruising blues and reds, good for mixed-ability groups, and a nice place to pick up long runs without committing to the steeper face lines. We used Solaise on mellow days when the weather closed in or when someone needed a confidence boost.

The good pistes (the ones we kept returning to)

I’ll list these like I’d nudge a mate who’s thinking of a group holiday.

1. Face de Bellevarde (Bellevarde Face) - epic, steep sections, brilliant finish into the village. If you’re competent, do it once (or several times) for the sense of occasion. Best run with good visibility.
2. Solaise blues and reds - ideal for warming up and for people who want long cruising turns without too much drama. We sent Jess off with a coffee and she’d still be able to link long enjoyable runs all morning.
3. La Daille connections - handy links to get you over to/from the Folie Douce area and a good place for mid-day pick-ups.
4. The long reds between Bellevarde and village - great for building confidence if the group has a few slower skiers it’s a good bonding run.
5. High-altitude glacier-access runs on Tignes side (when conditions permit) - you can tack on a glacier day if you’ve got the energy. The views are ridiculous.

The “less great” pistes - what caught us off guard

Every resort has its less-popular sections. Ours were often down to conditions or how busy the area was.

1. Sections with long, lazy drag lifts - there are parts where you can spend more time on a slow surface lift than skiing. Not huge for us, but in a week where every minute counts, they annoy.
2. Some lower village blues on busy afternoons - when the après hits, certain blues toward the centre get a bit congested and slushy, especially if the sun’s come out.
3. Beginner-only zones - Val d’Isère’s a serious resort. If you’ve got a beginner in your group, don’t expect endless gentle greens. You’ll find fewer long beginner terrain options compared to family-focused resorts. That said, the ESF and instructors are brilliant if you pre-book lessons.

These aren’t massive negatives, more like small, practical annoyances. The place is fundamentally geared to people who want proper skiing, so if your group contains absolute beginners who don’t want to leave nursery slopes, it might not be ideal.

Après-ski and bars - where we spent the evenings

Val d’Isère’s après scene is a proper part of its identity. There’s the famous La Folie Douce up at La Daille, which is exactly what you imagine. DJs, performers, cabaret-style shows and a real party vibe. We saved a day for it, partly because it’s a spectacle and partly because the mountain-level dancing is just too absurd to miss. Plan for it: it’s loud, lively and not cheap, but worth the experience. (lafoliedouce.com)

Les Coin des Amis is a hugely popular bar right in the centre of the village. Almost the exact opposite of La Folie Douce it’s run by Jules a retired ski racer. It’s a lively but chilled shot where genuine locals mix with the apres ski gang. A great atmosphere and friendly staff.

Other places we liked for different vibes:

• Bar du Signal — a great spot for a quieter drink, the sort of place you go to debrief properly after a big day. (valdisere.com)
• Le Blizzard (hotel bar/restaurant) — a cosy, classic mountain hotel bar which we used one evening when we wanted something a bit more restrained and very good food. (Hotel Blizzard)

Restaurants - where we ate and what we liked

Sophie (our resident food critic) kept a running list, and she gave most places a thumbs-up.

• La Fruitière / La Folie Douce dining - we did lunch here on the day of the Folie Douce trip. It’s stylish mountain dining with that party atmosphere. The food leans Savoyard-modern and it’s great for groups because of the space and the show component. Expect to pay a bit for the location and theatre.
• Le Blizzard restaurant - we had one luxe evening here. It’s a hotel restaurant but the cooking is good and there’s a warm, chalet-y feel. Great if you want to switch off from the rowdier village spots.
• A few cosy mountain cafés - we popped into places for tartiflette, raclette and the essential midday feasts. The mountain lunches on the slopes (cheese-based heaven) became a running joke. Sophie wrote a short, unsolicited review after every meal.

Not every place we tried was perfect. A couple of the more touristy restaurants were loud and a touch overpriced, but that’s true of any big resort. If you want a memorable meal, booking in advance for the better restaurants is sensible.

One proper day - how it played out

Here’s the itinerary for one day that really sticks in my memory because everything clicked.

• 07:45 - Up, coffee, and a simple breakfast. Tom had already packed his goggles.
• 08:30 - First lift to Bellevarde. The air was cold and clear, visibility perfect.
• 09:00–11:00 - A lap of the Face de Bellevarde and linked reds. Short lift queues, delicious skiing. We took it steady and enjoyed the exposure. Ben went a bit off-piste near the top and came back with a grin and a slightly less tidy helmet.
• 12:30 - Lunch at La Fruitière. Cheese, bread, a bottle of something that made us reckless. Food was great, and there was a proper festival vibe.
• 14:00 - A quieter few runs on Solaise for the afternoon while the rest of the mountain got busier. Rach and Jess wanted easier blues and we all got to split up and meet again at the bar by 5pm.
• 17:00 - Apres at La Folie Douce.Full-on show, some questionable dance moves, and souvenirs in the form of cold snow in our boots.
• 20:00 - Dinner at Le Blizzard. One of those meals where you sit back and chat and worry slightly about the credit card.

Days like that, where the skiing, the food and the company all line up are why you go on these trips.

Non-skiing activities we tried (and enjoyed)

Not everyone in the group wanted to ski every day, which was fine. Val d’Isère is excellent for mixed groups because there’s always something else to do.

1. Spa and pool time - We booked an afternoon at a hotel spa. There’s something ridiculous about going from hammering down a slope to steamy heat and quiet pools; Sophie and Rach made a habit of this on our “rest” days.
2. Snowshoe walk - A guided snowshoe walk into the quieter valleys. It was slower but so peaceful; we saw animal tracks and didn’t have to queue for lifts.
3. Ice driving / snowmobiling taster - For the adrenaline junkies (Mike included), there are companies that offer controlled ice-driving taster sessions. Loud, fun, and very different to skiing.
4. Shopping and walking the old village - Jess loved the boutique shops and the bakeries. The old village is great for an afternoon wander and for buying small gifts.
5. Evening entertainment / live music - Aside from the clubs, we found several bars with live acts. A few of us went to a quieter bar for jazz one night and it was a lovely contrast to the Folie Douce mess.

If your group includes non-skiers, plan one or two of these for the week, they’re proper alternatives and keep everyone happy.

Cost and logistics - practical thoughts

Val d’Isère is not cheap. Lift passes, decent restaurants and some of the more famous après spots will add up. That said, you can choose to economise. Mid-mountain lunches can be replaced with sandwiches and there are self-catering options that cut costs considerably. If you’re booking as a group, chalets that include dinner help massively with budgeting and getting everyone fed without arguments.

Also: if someone in your group is a beginner, consider paying for a couple of lessons early on. It makes the whole week better for everyone. The ESF and private instructors are straightforward to book but do it before you go in high season.

Safety, guides and off-piste

If your group has an off-piste enthusiast (hello Ben) spend money on a guide. The Espace Killy area has serious off-piste potential, but avalanche risk exists and conditions change rapidly. We booked Ben and Tom in for a guided morning and they both came back with huge smiles and stories about hidden bowls. The rest of us felt pleased we’d not joined them on a ropey day.

The pros — why I’d go back

• Massive and varied terrain — lots to explore for different abilities and ambitions.
• High altitude = reliable snow — when things get cold up top, it’s genuinely skiable for longer in the season.
• Après and nightlife variety — from rowdy mountain clubs to relaxed bars; you can pick your vibe.
• Atmosphere — the village mixes old and new in a way that feels authentic and lively.

The cons — what to watch for

• Price — not a budget resort. Meals and nights out can be expensive.
• Not the most beginner-friendly - the resort favours intermediates and experts. If you’re bringing complete novices, factor that into planning.
• Busy hotspots — Folie Douce and the central runs can get crowded when the sun’s out and the season’s in full swing.
• Slightly long transfer times from airports — the drive up from Geneva is lovely but at almost 3hrs it’s one of the longer transfer times.

Final verdict

If your group is a mix of competent skiers and people who like a lively village, Val d’Isère is almost perfect. It’s a proper mountain town with the infrastructure to back it up — good lifts, a variety of terrain, memorable runs like the Face de Bellevarde and a nightlife that can range from chilled to absurd. It costs more than some resorts, and it’s not ideal if you’ve got total beginners who want endless green runs, but for a group that loves a bit of everything, good skiing, proper mountain food, and après that actually has atmosphere, it’s hard to beat. Check the official piste map and lift info before you go to plan the days that matter.

A word from allChalets:

Thanks to Alex and his gang for the excellent write up about their ski holiday in Val d'Isere. If you want to try Val d'Isere for yourself check out our full range of accommodation here. We offer chalets, apartments and hotels in a range of size and budgets. Get in touch and we can help plan your next holiday in Val d'Isere.