Ski Holidays in Val d’Isère
Popular with skiers from all over, Val d’Isere welcomes all from the avid snowsports enthusiasts who visit for the challenge on the slopes, to party fuelled ski groups who come for the apres-ski fun. Val d’isere shares the Tignes-Val d’Isere ski area with neighbouring Tignes. An excellent ski area, Tignes-Val d’Isere ski area spans 300 km of snowsure pistes across a snow range of 1550m to 3456m. Val d’Isere has an exceptional snow fall record. It receives some of the best snow coverages in the French Alps which sees skiing last until the beginning of May in some cases.
Val d’isere is incredibly beautiful. Once an old farming village and now a modern ski resort, it still maintains some of its traditional mountain village ambiences, particularly in the Val d’Isere old town with its wooden-clad chalets and stone buildings.
Widely regarded as one of the best resorts in Europe, Val d’isere’s reputation comes from a culmination of its fantastic high-altitude slopes, excellent accommodation options, world-class facilities and general services and amenities across the resort. La Daille and Le Fornet on either side of it flank Val d’Isere’s centre. These three hamlets make up the resort and each offers a unique and different experience to the other.
Val d’Isere is a high rollers’ resorts with a big time après ski and ski area fit for a king; people who go to Val d’Isere don’t mess around, and it’s a given that you ride hard and party hard in France’s premier resort. A common concern that comes with this resort is the price tag but by coming with NUCO you will certainly be pleasantly surprised by what we can offer.
It’s a picturesque resort and walking the high street will make you feel like you’re in a real traditional ski town rather than a purpose built ski resort. Known for it’s challenging terrain Val d’Isere provides just as well for first-timers and beginners. The beginner area is up high on the mountain at 2560m giving a sense of serious altitude that most learning slopes can’t match. NUCO are lucky to have grown for Val d’Isere routes and can’t wait to spread that love to everyone we can.
There is a bit of a stigma around Val d’Isere of being an overly expensive resort, we’re giving this rumour the boot. Sure, we can find you a budget residence that provides just the necessities you require, but that’s not all we mean. Even if you’re looking for an accommodation that gives you more comfort, or maybe you want to go the whole way and get spa facilities too.
We know where to look to make sure you’ve got a place to stay that doesn’t break the bank. A lot of buildings require a bit of a walk to the lifts but there are regular shuttle buses to keep the ski-boot trekking to a minimum.
Val d'Isère Best Bits
Hit the 4 corners of the Espace Killy
The 300km of piste that interlink the resorts of Val d’Isere and Tignes have countless hidden gems to be discovered. So maximise your chances of finding something no ones seen before by stretching the ski area to it’s limits! Looking at the piste map the four corners are La Fornet & the Val d’Isere Glacier to the left and Les-Brévières & the Grande Motte Glacier on the Tignes side. Once you’ve made it to each of these points you can really say you’ve skied the Espace Killy. Do it all in one day and you’re super human!
Become an Olympian
The Face de Bellevarde was host to the Olympic downhill way back in 1992. One of the more challenging black in the resort what better way to test your mettle than by challenging yourself to getting down Le Face just at so many professional skiers have done in the past, though you might not match their speeds you’ll certainly get the same sense of accomplishment if you emerge unscathed.
Discover the Lost Valley
Despite not being quite as much of a secret as it’s name might suggest after Léo Taillefer flew down it in 2015 winning GoPro Line of the Winter, “Vallee Perdue” is Val d’Isere’s worst kept secret. Easily accessed from just below the Tommeuses chairlift you dip off the edge of pisted terrain to find yourself in what feels like a gully all of your own. At points this canyon can get very narrow so you’ll want to take it slow. It spits you out just above La Daille, so it may be a great time to grab a lunch break!
Ski hard and party hard seems to be the formula for fun at Val d’Isère and there’s a huge variety of bars and clubs that suit revellers of all tastes ̶ here are a few venues you shouldn’t miss:
Petit Danois is a lively bar where you can have fun dancing the night away to DJs on the wheels of steel ̶ since you get a free toffee vodka with every drink, it won’t be long until you feel like throwing some shapes or dancing on the tables!
Bananas is located close to the nursery slopes in Bellevarde and has separate bars for beer and spirits. It specialises in pint-sized cocktails that are eye-wateringly strong, but also serves good Tex-Mex and Indian food. Meet your friends here for a delicious meal, warm up with a few drinks and get ready to hit the rest of the hotspots in Val ̶ it’s the perfect recipe for an evening to remember.
La Folie Douce offers a diverse mix of cabaret, live DJs, wild dancing and strong drinks ̶ why change a winning blend that’s been charming people for decades?
The Blue Note Bar is located opposite ESF Ski School, next to Hotel Ormelune and it’s an awesome place for après-ski. Their jazz and funk playlist is absolutely ace and makes a welcome change from some of the endless Europop you’ll hear at some rival resorts, plus they serve delicious alcoholic hot chocolate!
Doudoune Club has been a fixture on the Val après scene since 2008 and over the years it’s welcomed world-class DJs like Pete Tong, David Guetta and Roger Sanchez for some of the biggest club nights the resort has ever seen. Open from midnight to 5am, this is definitely the place to let your hair down and lose yourself in music.
Le 1789
It's so good we almost didn't want to tell you about it because it's our absolute favourite place to eat in Val d'Isère! It's not overly decorated so doesn't look luxurious, it isn't very big so can't hold a huge number of people, they are always full and it's very hard to get a table but trust us, it is 100% worth persisting! The family-run restaurant serves up some delicious food, meat and cheese feature heavily but they can provide some veggie options (at the chef's discretion!). Our advice is to book at the start of the week!
Arctic Cafe
Cool juice bar serving great coffee, mouth-watering juices and awesome health food! You wonder why it's taken so long for this kind of place to open in the mountains!
La Baraque
A lively cocktail bar and restaurant. This French bar is less visited by the UK clientele but it's a really great venue if you are looking to immerse yourself in the French alpine culture!
Les Tufs
A great lunch spot over in La Daille. Serving traditional food, locally sourced, this place is a great place to sample the tastes of the Alps without breaking the bank.
La Casserole
Big restaurant serving quality food at reasonable prices. A great venue if you are organising a large group for dinner!
Le 1789
It's so good we almost didn't want to tell you about it because it's our absolute favourite place to eat in Val d'Isère! It's not overly decorated so doesn't look luxurious, it isn't very big so can't hold a huge number of people, they are always full and it's very hard to get a table but trust us, it is 100% worth persisting! The family-run restaurant serves up some delicious food, meat and cheese feature heavily but they can provide some veggie options (at the chef's discretion!). Our advice is to book at the start of the week!
Val d’Isère
Val d'Isere should undoubtedly feature on the bucket list of every snowsports fans. The marrying of the two resorts, Val d'Isere and Tignes to form the Espace Killy area, provides snow junkies with 300km of piste and an abundance of awesome off-piste so that there is simply too much to cover in a week.
Moris Pub
A cool ski pub that hosts live bands regularly. They have special nights every week with tequila Tuesday and Toss the Boss to name a couple!
The Fall Line
The edgiest bar in Val d'Isère! This smallish venue is hugely popular with Val's seasonnaire community. It serves up some delicious ales and often has live music playing. Don't let the cool vibes and cooler staff deter you, everyone is welcome!
Bananas
A fun slope side bar serving food from lunchtime onwards. This place has a great atmosphere after the ski day has come to an end!
Doudoune
Val d'Isère's biggest club is an absolute must visit! Hosting some world famous DJs and putting on some of the best nights the Alps has to offer, you'd be crazy not to visit!
Dick’s Tea Bar
Dick's Tea Bar is a popular late night spot for tourists and seasonaires alike. Opened in 1979 by Dick Yates-Smith, this bar is famous the world over and has paid host to the likes of Bono, Richard Branson and more recently Louis from One D and DJ Martin Garrix (who decided to do an impromptu set)!
Petit Danois
One of the best bars in Val d'Isère! This great Danish bar is run by an awesome staff team and they really help get the party started. With a great residence DJ, they will keep you going all the way till close!
