Val Thorens

Nestled between the snow-capped peaks of the French, Italian and Swiss Alps, Val Thorens is the highest ski resort in Europe and one of the largest in the world.
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Val Thorens is one of the most famous ski resorts in France and owes its success to the fact that it has the largest ski area in Europe with almost 600 km of slopes.

At an altitude of 2300 metres, it is also the highest and one of the most popular ski areas in Europe, welcoming almost 300,000 holidaymakers each year. Located in the heart of a vast natural amphitheatre surrounded by six glaciers, Val Thorens offers spectacular views of the peaks of the French, Italian and Swiss Alps.

Skiing in Val Thorens

Right in the heart of the Three Valleys, the slopes of Val Thorens extend over a generous stretch of mountain that provides access to other resorts such as Les Menuires , Méribel , Courchevel or other smaller resorts like Saint Martin de Belleville. In fact, the Val Thorens ski area is also connected to the Orelle ski area (with another 150 km of slopes) on the eastern side and Les Menuires on the opposite side.

Awaiting you are 600 km of slopes with 328 alpine ski runs, 10,500 hectares of playground and 166 ski lifts. Being the highest resort in Europe, the altitude guarantees exceptional snow quality every winter. The Les Trois Vallées ski area offers a total of 334 pistes between 1800 and 3200 metres: the area is vast and is served by numerous modern lifts, overlooking glaciers and the imposing 3500-metre Péclet Polset massif.

The Easy Rider beginners’ sector is the area dedicated to beginners and is equipped with 4 free mechanical lifts. On the other hand, inside the ski area there are:

The 205 ultra-modern lifts guarantee a rapid ascent: there are 3 cable cars, 69 chair lifts, 94 ski lifts and
39 gondolas. Don’t miss the exceptional panorama that can be admired on the descent from the Cime de Caron (3,200 m).

What to do in winter in Val Thorens

At an altitude of 2300 metres, Val Thorens is the highest ski resort in Europe. Located at the foot of theAiguille de Péclet, whose summit reaches 3,600 metres, Val Thorens offers visitors the typical high mountain atmosphere, always accompanied by exceptional snow conditions all year round.

Ski mountaineering

For many years, Val Thorens has worked to develop ski mountaineering by making it accessible to everyone. To accommodate beginners, the ski area has created safe and marked ski mountaineering slopes such as La Camille, opened in 2019 in partnership with Dynafit.

As the gateway to the glaciers and the Vanoise National Park, Val Thorens is an endless snow playground, boasting a wide range of possibilities for ski mountaineers. Several trails for both hikers and ski tourers start from the maintenance office:

Tobogganing

The Val Thorens ski area boasts one of the longest toboggan runs in Europe, the Cosmojet: after an 8-minute ride up the Péclet funicular, at an altitude of 3,000 m, 6 km of downhill run followed by elevated curves await you for almost 45 minutes of pure adrenaline.

With your ticket, you will also be provided with a helmet and toboggan. Admission for children aged 5 to 9 is free, but they must be accompanied by an adult. In order to go down alone, children must be at least 9 years old and over 1.25 metres tall.

In order to entertain even the youngest children, from 2 years of age, an area has been set up directly in the centre of the resort, in Place Caron.

The Piste aux Etoiles, on the other hand, 250 m long with a 45 m difference in height, is dedicated to adults and is equipped with two free covered moving carpets that allow you to effortlessly ascend from the bottom of the slope.

If, on the other hand, you wish to glide in company, you can try the snake gliss, sleds assembled together that whizz along for 45 minutes in total fun.

Snowshoeing

The wonderful natural setting of Val Thorens creates the perfect conditions for spectacular snowshoe hikes, immersing yourself in an unspoilt landscape.

Starting from the Castor and Pollux treadmills, you can take one of the most popular trails in the direction of the Chalet du Toboggan.

La Marine is accessible by taking the Les Cascades chairlift: this magnificent 5-km-long, sun-drenched trail offers a panoramic view of the 3000-metre-plus peaks surrounding the resort. Considered easy, this magnificent trail takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes (round trip) or 1 hour and 15 minutes, using the Cascades chairlift downhill.

Les Montagnettes trail, which is of medium difficulty, offers an unobstructed view of the Vallée des Belleville and you can extend it as far as Les Bruyères aux Menuires. It is a 2 km trail (round trip) for a total of 1½ hours starting from the Quartier des Balcons.

Equally scenic is the Two Lakes Trail , which climbs steadily up a gentle slope to a plateau for about 2 km starting from the Chalet du Cosmojet. Of medium difficulty, it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes round trip.

Those who want to attempt a longer route (6 km in total), lasting 4 hours, can follow the La Moutière trail, which is classified as difficult.

You can take advantage of the pedestrian pass that allows you to use the ski lifts in the ski resort with snowshoes. There are different packages, depending on your needs: day pass, 6-day pass, 6-day privilège pass with access to the sports centre as well.

Snowpark

In addition to the ski slopes, for spectacular descents, Val Thorens offers a Snowpark designed for the fun of the whole family: 600 metres long and 70,000 m² in size, the area is located in the Plateaux sector, close to the Grand Fond cable car.

The area is especially dedicated to snowboarders and freestyle skiers and has been specially designed for safe practice. In fact, you will find a series of kickers, tables, rails and boxes of different sizes suitable for all levels, from beginners to experts.

In addition to the snow park, there is also the first funslope in France: located at the 2 Lacs lift, you can try your hand at a 900 m long slope, along a course that winds through waves, banked waves, tunnels, steep bends and bridges to the finish line.

Spectacular views

Even those who don’t like skiing but want to experience the excitement of the mountains in winter, can enjoy incredible views of the highest peaks and glaciers by using the area’s cable cars.

One of the views not to be missed is the sunset from Péclet: just take the cable car that takes you to the foot of the Péclet glacier in 8 minutes. From here, you can ski down, using the Tête Ronde blue run or the Christine red run, or simply admire one of the most spectacular views in the region.

Also fabulous is the Cime Caron, at an altitude of 3200 m, from where you can admire one of the grandest panoramas in Europe, with a 360° view of the French, Italian and Swiss Alps: Mont Blanc, Mont Brequin, the Péclet glacier and its ‘Aiguilles’, the Meije and the Aiguilles d’Arves. It is reached by the Cairn and Caron gondolas and continued by the Cime Caron cable car.

The Bee Flying zip line

One of the unmissable activities to do is to launch yourself overhanging the valley attached to the Zip Line Bee Flying for 1800 metres with a crazy flight at a height of 65 metres . The starting point is at the Moutière chairlift.

The zip line is accessible from the age of 14, whose height is over 1.40 metres. For younger children, from 8 years of age, there is another zip line from the Bouchet chairlift, the Tyrolienne: it is a 1300m long, 1 minute and 45 seconds of pure pleasure in a breathtaking panorama, from the highest point of the 3 Valleys at 3230 metres.

What to do in summer in Val Thorens

Hiking

Within the sumptuous panoramas of the Alps, the 3 Valleys area becomes enchanting in its summer version. 300 km of marked trails await you, to be discovered with the family or with the help of a mountain guide, especially for the hike to the Vanoise glaciers.

If you are lucky, you may spot cute marmots playing on the shores of Lac du Lou or mountain goats scaling the steep slopes of Mont du Borgne.

The ski lifts are also accessible in summer and make it easier to reach the starting points for hikes.

Here are some popular circuits for visitors:

Rafting and water sports

To cool down on hot summer days, there is nothing better than to experience a water sport. You have to leave Val Thorens and reach Haute-Isère, at the gateway to the Parc de la Vanoise to try the rapids of the Aime and discover the gorges of the Centron, where you can also go canyoning. There are routes suitable for all levels: from 7 km downhill for beginners to 23 km for experts.

Speedmountain

In Les Menuires there is an attraction suitable for the whole family, the Speedmountain: along a track more than 1000 metres long, you go down at full speed on toboggans mounted on rails, tackling bends, descents and elevated curves, alone or in the company of your parents.

The activity is accessible to children from 5 years of age (with a minimum height of 1 metre 10 cm) on their parents’ toboggans. From the age of 10 and a height of 1.40 m, the child must ride alone.

Mountain bikes and road bikes

Val Thorens, Les Menuires and Saint Martin de Belleville have held the prestigious MTB/FFC Area label since 1998. The 3 valleys area provides access to 120 km of mountain bike trails, with a total of 21 routes where you can climb ridges, follow torrents or descend mountainsides.

3 routes for three distinct levels:

For road bikers, the options are reduced, but there are good solutions, such as taking route 117, between Val Thorens and Moûtiers, for about 40 km. Some 13% passages await you, with a total difference in altitude of 1,867 m.

Where to stay in Val Thorens

Most tourists choose Val Thorens for their skiing holidays, so the location of accommodation when going skiing is important. Proximity to the lifts is certainly a key requirement for many: they seek the convenience of reaching the slopes without taking public transport or having to walk. Obviously, the closer the facilities are, the higher the prices go, especially in high season.

Val Thorens offers a variety of accommodation for every need. Families will often opt for self-catering flats or residences close to the Castor et Pollux magic carpet, which allows the little ones to experience the joys of skiing. Staying here, one finds oneself in the heart of the town in close proximity to the bars, restaurants and shops of Val Thorens.

Of course, there is no shortage of resorts and luxury hotels, equipped with all the comforts, with a warm atmosphere reminiscent of mountain chalets: wooden furnishings, large fireplaces and in-house restaurants offering Savoyard gastronomic recipes, located near the chairlifts that take you up to the heights.

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How to get to Val Thorens

The Val Thorens ski resort is located close to the border with Italy, just a stone’s throw from Piedmont.

The Val Thorens resort is about 2 hours’ drive from 4 international airports: Lyon Airport, Chambéry Airport, Geneva Airport and Grenoble Airport. Once you have landed, you will have to continue using the shuttles connecting the airports to the Val Thorens ski resort.

To reach Val Thorens by train, you will first have to arrive at the Moûtiers – Salins – Brides-les-Bains station, which is a 37-minute bus ride from the ski resort. The village is served by TGV routes.

Val Thorens Weather

What's the weather at Val Thorens? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Val Thorens for the next few days.

Wednesday 16
Thursday 17
Friday 18
Saturday 19
Sunday 20
10°
Monday 21
11°

Where is located Val Thorens

Val Thorens is a ski resort in the French department of Savoie and is part of the Les Trois Vallées ski area, one of the largest in the world with more than 600 km of slopes.

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