Purpose-built in 1976 in beautiful picturesque alpine style, Valmorel combines village charm with doorstep skiing and links to other villages in the circuit. Called the Grande Domaine, Valmorel and St Francois Longchamps have 165km of marked pistes. The resort is composed of a number of small satellite villages, each of which includes mostly chalet-style buildings with self-catering accommodation. Set at 1400m, with a top altitude of 2550m, Valmorel has gained the reputation as being an excellent family resort for a number of reasons. First, the centre of the village is car-free. Second, most of the pistes cater for beginners and intermediates. Third, there are areas specially designed for people of all ages to learn. This doesn't mean that advanced skiers aren't presented with very much to test their skills, as there are plenty of mogul fields and some really good off-piste.
As the resort is right by the ski area you can nearly always ski virtually to your door. Off the mountain, there is plenty to do once the lifts have stopped running with a number of great restaurants and bars as well as three supermarkets for those who want to self cater in style. The general consensus is that Valmorel is a superb value destination with something to offer everyone and in addition it benefits from really easy access from the valley, making it one of the shortest transfer times from local airports and provides easy access for an away day skiing in the Three Valleys, the largest ski area in France, with Meribel and Courchevel just 40 minutes away.
SKI FACTS: Grand Domaine. 152km with 84 pistes: 8 black, 17 red, 31 blue, 28 green, snowpark, 20 km cross country. Highest ski point: 2550m. 342 snow canons.
LIFT PASS: Grand Domaine 6 days: Adult €180, Child (5-7yrs) €116,50 Child (8-12yrs) €153.00, Seniors (61+) €153.00.
SKI SCHOOL: ESF Valmorel www.esf-valmorel.com tel 0033 479 09 81 86
CHILDREN: Valmorel Club Piou Piou (formerly Saperlipopette) (18mths-6yrs) tel ESF 0033 479 09 84 45
TRAVEL: By car: Calais 568 miles. By rail: Moutiers 10 miles. By air: Chambery 1.25hrs, Lyons 2hrs, Geneva 2.5hrs.