Piste Skiing in The Three Valleys.
The statistics are almost unbelievable. After all to be skiing in The Three Valleys is to be skiing in the largest ski area in the World.
It would be virtually unheard of to ski the whole of The Three Valleys in one trip; unless that one trip was the whole season! For many, a ski pass for just one of the Valleys will offer enough skiing options for a week.
If you opt for a Three Valleys ski pass make sure you watch the clock. It is quite easy to ski a long way from your accommodation and find yourself with no way back after the lifts have closed for the day.
Your ski day planning also needs to include plenty of time for a leisurely lunch and, if you ski the popular routes, time to spend in the lift queues.
RESORT OVERVIEW:
Piste Information for The Three Valleys.
- Ski Resort Altitude: Brides-les-Bains is the lowest at 600m, Val Thorens the highest at 2,300m.
- Bottom Ski Area: 1,100m at les Allues or Saint Bon.
- Highest Ski Lift: 3,230m, top of Bouchet lift in Val Thorens.
- Skiable Terrain: 10,500 hectares.
- Average Seasonal Snowfall: 2m to 3m.
- Kms of piste: 600km, over 2,100 snow cannon.
- Marked Pistes: 337, 195 green/blue, 107 red, 35 black/ski routes.
- No of Ski Lifts: 160, 40 gondola/cable car, 60 chair-lifts, 60 drag-lifts/conveyors.
- Mountain Restaurants: lots, including several with Michelin stars.
- Snow Parks: Yes, bits and pieces across the resorts. Several floodlit pistes for night skiing.
- Longest Ski Run: Cime Caron (3,200m) to les Menuires (1,850m): 12km long / 1,350m elevation.
- Ski Season: November to May, different for different resorts.
- Main Advantages: Scale, it’s huge. Well developed. Suitable options for most groups.
- Drawbacks: Scale, it’s huge. It’s a bit pricey. Queues.
Ski Pass Options.
For the whole of The Three Valleys you can buy a pass for 4 hours or the whole season, and pretty much everything in between. There are discounted versions for couples, groups, families, the young and the old. There is also a pass available just for Saturday and another for just now and again!
Depending upon where you are based for your ski trip in The Three Valleys and your desire, or not, to ‘ski it all’ there are other ski pass options.
- Val Thorens – Orelle is a pass covering 150km of piste.
- Valle de Belleville covers 300km, including Val Thorens down to les Menuires and St Martin de Belleville.
- The Meribel Mini Pass is aimed as novice skiers and covers the ski area from les Allues up to Mottaret.
- The Courchevel Mini Pass is also aimed at novice skiers and it covers the ski area from Saint Bon up to the Altiport area and across to la Tania and Moriond, but not to the summits.
If you have an EPIC ski season pass from Vail Resorts you can get up to 7 days skiing in The Three Valleys. In the same arrangement, those with a Three Valleys season pass can access free ski days in the Vail resorts including Vail, Whistler Blackcomb and Heavenly. As well as at their partner resorts including Shiga Kogen, Zermatt, and Valle Nevado.
Ski Resorts near The Three Valleys.
If you are going to The Three Valleys for anything up to a couple of weeks, you’ll get all the skiing you could want within the ski area. If you’re based in the area for longer, you may want to check out some of the other best ski resorts in France and others nearby…
- Valmorel: Just 15km from Moutiers.
- Montalbert: Just 25km from Moutiers with access to la Plagne and les Arcs (Paradiski).
- Chamonix: 100km, part of Mont Blanc Unlimited ski area.
- Megeve: 65km, within Evasion Mont Blanc ski area.
- Morzine: 120km, within Portes de Soleil ski area.
