Val Thorens, France

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Val Thorens summary

SO HIGH The location of Val Thorens: Savoy, Vanoise mountain range, Vallée des Belleville, Les 3 Vallées. Altitude: 2300 - 3230 mtrs. Snow Guarantee: Val Thorens can guarantee snow from Christmas to the beginning of May. 2 live webcams (360°) HIGH IN STYLE: Val Thorens has 22 500 tourist beds spread over hotels, chalets, tourist residences and estate agencies, 150 shops. HIGH TECHNOLOGY: Val Thorens is in the forefront of ski lift innovation. 29 ski lifts. 1 cable car, 3 funitels, 3 gondolas, 8 release-mechanism chair lifts of which 4 have dual access, 7 chair lifts, 5 drag lifts, 1 moving carpet, 1 rope lift, 352 snow canons. 40% of the ski area at Val Thorens has snow making equipment. HIGH IN THRILLS: 140 km of pistes in Val Thorens - Orelle. 68 slopes (8 blacks, 26 reds, 26 blues, 8 greens). Piste classification: 20% beginner, 50% intermediate, 30% advanced. 1 pedestrian path, 1 special junior area for beginners, 1 FIS standardized slalom piste, a 6 km long toboggan run, 1 snowpark, 1 boardercross. HIGH IN ENERGY: Val Thorens is a “ski from the door” pedestrian resort (car parking obligatory). A Sports Centre offering more than 20 sports and leisure activities. Numerous other activities: driving on ice, tobogganing, snowshoe outings, paragliding, microlighting. HIGH LEARNING: There are 4 ski schools with 280 ski instructors at Val Thorens. Lessons are given in nearly 15 languages. 3 crèches, children’s gardens and mini club from 3 months to 6 years old, 'a welcome for everyone'. Val Thorens is a Family Plus Mountain resort. There is a tailor-made welcome for handicapped holidaymakers: specially adapted accommodation (hotels and residences), reserved parking places, reduction on ski passes for handicapped people and their guides, access to the ski lifts, equipment rental specifically for handi-skiing, ski lessons with qualified instructors.

Resorts close to Val Thorens include: Les Menuires (6 km), Valfrejus (11 km), La Norma (12 km), Valmeinier (12 km), Meribel (13 km),

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(Also see our detailed Weather Map around Val Thorens, which will give you visual overview of current and future snow conditions)

	Trails (Pistes): 68	Halfpipes: 0
	Summit: 3230 m	Toplift: m
	Beg: 20% Int: 50% Adv: 30%	Terrain Parks: 1
	Vertical Drop: 914 m	X-Country: 0
	Lifts: 29 (7 gondolas, 15 chair lifts, 7 surface lifts)	Snowmaking: 40%
	Gondolas / Cable Cars: 7	Slopeside accom.: Y
	Restaurants: 60	Acres of ski: 6000
	Bars: 42	Nearest Airport: Lyon
	Nearest Train: Moûtiers Salins Brides-Les-Bains	Info phone: +3304 79 00 08 08 \| Val Thorens Resort Info Website

Visitor Reviews of Val Thorens

Mark from UNITED KINGDOM writes:

I have been to Val Thorens at least twice a year for the last 6 years and also to many other of the "big" French resorts, including Tignes/Val D'Isere. In my opinion, the three valleys is probably the best overall skiing in Europe. I always stay in VT as the snow is the best quality, especially on the Col. Drunken Germans and Dutch can be annoying at 2am, but I ski hard all day and sleep through the noise. Best value for money is the Cheval Blanc appartments, great location and good prices with friendly service (makes a change for France). Restaurants and bars are ok, but beer is a bit more than some other resorts, but that only costs a few Euros more in a week, and the skiing makes up for that.
Get the first Caron cable car up at 9:30am (no queues) and ski the black run back down to the Moutiers lift, it will be deserted, you will be cutting virgin tracks. Flat out all the way, no stopping or resting, go as fast as you dare, perfect grippy squeaky courduroy snow if it's been bashed, legs are like jelly at the bottom.
I'll be back in December 07, then again in February and April 08. I've skied there in the last week of April with deep soft fluffy powder snow, whilst in Meribel it is slush and ice.....no comparison.
P.S The architecture is not that bad. Les Menuires is grim, Tignes is awful, but remember, you come to ski not look at buildings, and the mountain scenery is fantastic.

2007-12-02

Click here to read 33 more reviews of Val Thorens or submit your own

NEW! Announcements & News from the Val Thorens resort manager

Join our resort manager programme

Season opens: 2008-11-22
Season closes: 2009-05-03

• 22nd November 2008: Kick off of the winter season!
Make your first winter tracks and benefit from special tariffs: 27 € per day (adult).

• 22nd and 23rd November 2008: Ski Force Winter Tour
A chance to test the new models of more than 15 top ski manufacturers for free and benefit from professional advice.

• 6th and 7th December 2008: Trophée Andros
The Trophée Andros is a clever mix of car and motobike competition on ice, show and fun which reunites each year numerous drivers and spectators.

• From 13th to 20th December 2008: 12th Ski & Boarderweek
European snow sport and music festival with ski and snowboard freestyle competitions, demonstrations, free tests, multiple entertainment, live concerts …

• From 20th to 27th December 2008: “Christmas Magic” in Val Thorens
Celebrate Christmas in a fairy tale ambience: meet Father Christmas and his sack full of Christmas sweets, enjoy a musical fairy tale on 24th December followed by a firework display and a torchlight descent. Visit the Christmas village in the heart of the resort.

• From 18th to 24th January 2009: Gastronomy Week
Sport, nature and gastronomy: an original meeting of chefs, Savoyard producer and journalists associated with the different cooking workshops and with tasting for everyone.

• From 21st to 28th February 2009: Carnival Follies
Band, procession of decorated floats, dressing up competition, giant puppets, make-up stand … a very colourful musical week.

• 14th March 2009: French Handisport Cup
Fought out on the Slalom piste, a handisport competition with nearly 60 skiers for 2 disciplines: special and giant slalom.

• 25th to 27th March 2009: 2nd Festi’ Val Tho
Music and winter sports Spring festival in the heart of the ski area at an altitude of 2400 metres. Freestyle competition on the Big Air, open air concerts, DJ shows ..

• 28th and 29th March 2009: The North Face Ski Challenge
A new type of competition aimed at discovering new young ski freestyle talents.

• 8th April 2009: Val Thorens Luge Cup : 2nd edition
An “in” sport for all ages, Val Thorens organises a unique tobogganing competition, on the longest toboggan run in France. 6 km of descent for different categories (child – adult – couples and pros) before sharing a giant raclette at the bottom of the piste.

• 13th April 2009: 3 Vallées X-Wing Rally
A novel way to discover Les 3 Vallées through « specials » (slalom, schuss, derby …) in which each person participates in a « category » corresponding to his ski level – pro, amateur, family …

• 11th to 18th April 2009: Easter week
Distribution of chocolate eggs, teddy bear parade, treasure hunt … numerous surprises for children.

• 25th and 26th April and from 30th April to 3rd May: Kontum snowboard and ski
Sporting snowboard and ski event in aid of the ethnic minorities in the Kontum region of Vietnam.

• 2nd and 3rd May 2009: Agence to Ride Session - 2nd edition
Last ski and snowboard freestyle competition to celebrate the end of the season. Concert given by pros.

• 3rd May 2009 : Not to be missed – the last day of the season !

Information supplied 2008-10-10 12:35:05 UTC