Val d’Isere Review

Ah Val d’Isere! I finally got the chance to ride on the magnificent mountains of the French Alps at Val d’Isere. It was beautiful weather all week long with blue bird skies and a golden sun. Despite having not snowed in the region for about 3 weeks, conditions were very good. Yeah, there were patches of ice here and there, but 90% of the terrain was covered with good snow that only got better as you soared in elevation. Starting at about 1850m, a few lifts and a mountain train will get you to a peak of 3650m! With a vast terrain to cover, you can easily spend a week here without getting bored. Off the mountain (or apres ski as they liked to call it), you could wander around the village and the street shops or you could walk into expensive shops and restaurants. For those on a budget, there were a few options, but if you’re going to Val d’Isere, it’ll be worthwhile to spend some money.

The only downside to the trip was the rather quiet night life. We went the first week of February, so that could be it, but for a world class resort like Val d’Isere, I had higher expectations. In any case, we had a great time there and we are definitely going back next year. And if you’re still wondering whether you should go, Val d’Isere gets two big thumbs up from us. We definitely recommend you visit the resort soon.

The ‘Apres Ski’ Activities

• There were plenty of restaurants to choose from with a variety of local French and ‘Alps’ cuisine.
• The party scene was alright with a few options to choose from, including some pubs and clubs.
• Karting and the BMW circuit were a fun surprise.
• For those who like to play online craps or poker, I’m sorry to inform you that we didn’t find any casinos or ‘underground’ gatherings for such activities.
• The Val d’Isere village committee organizes regular street shows and we managed to catch a couple of them during our 5 day stay at the Village. Needless to say, we participated in one of the street dances!

What We Loved

• Awesome and endless terrain – about 24,000 acres
• About 1900m of Vertical
• The snow parks
• The green learning zone
• Blue-bird skies, golden sun, and great conditions
• Very stretched out and well placed lift systems – we did not experience much crowding
• The food, the shops, and the apres-ski shows and beer spots

What We Didn’t Love So Much

• It’s a bit expensive
• Quiet night life (I think the prices are driving away the party animals

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