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With so many people opting for a winter skiing
holiday there is fierce competition amongst the countries for your
business. But the country with the largest influx of skiers every year
has good cause to have such a status, France has some excellent
resorts.
With good quality slopes, amenities as far as the
eye can see and accommodation so good you’ll feel like you’re staying in
the best
ski chalet France has to offer, there has never been a better time
to ski.
Here’s a few of France’s best resorts. |
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Val D’Isere |
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Hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics men’s downhill race and due to host the
2009 Alpine World Ski Championships, Val D’Isere is the most popular
European ski resort and welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors
annually. And with a population of just over 1,500 that’s no mean feat!
The
slope quality is excellent and snow cannons are placed on some slopes to
guarantee a good run. The slopes are kept safe by routine early morning
explosions atop the mountain to reduce the likelihood of avalanches and
a lift pass will only set you back £121, compared to £215 in Aspen.
Excellent hotels, chalets, restaurants and things to do, the real
place to be of skiing. |
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Tignes |
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Made up of 5 Villages; Val Claret, Tignes le Lac, Le Lavachet, Tignes
Les Boisses and Tignes-les-Brévières, Tignes is the second most popular
French resort after Val D’Isere.
The first three villages are close together at 2100m and Les Boisses
and Les Brevieres are further down the valley. Les Brévières is the old
village, with the others being created as part of the Tignes Dam
construction programme or for the advancement of the skiing business.
Great slopes and leisure opportunities, many skiers also take
advantage of the 5 villages to really ski around the mountain and take
in the breathtaking scenery on offer. |
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Val Thorens |
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At 2300m Val Thorens is the highest ski resort in Europe and, as a
result of its altitude has a long season, usually ending in mid-late
May.
Many of its slopes face north and north-west which, as those with a
more complex knowledge of ski conditions will know, gives a better
chance of a good, consistent snowfall. The resort is largely chalet
based but also has 10 hotels and around 50 restaurants, meaning there is
no shortage of places to eat or stay. Val Thorens is also part of the
Three Valleys network, all of which can be used with one common ski
pass.
Its highest slope is 3200m, again the highest in Europe, and is
reachable via cable-car. A great place to ski and well worth a look. |
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Check out
alpineelements.co.uk for
ski holidays.
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