The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Val d'Isère operates between 1,850 and 3,456 metres, delivering 150 kilometres of marked piste across a vertical drop of 1,606 metres. Combined with neighbouring Tignes via the Espace Killy ski area, the domain offers 300 kilometres of piste served by 80 lifts across more than 10,000 hectares. The Pisaillas glacier provides skiing to 3,141 metres and summer access each July, whilst the Grande Motte glacier on the Tignes side extends the combined area to 3,456 metres on a joint pass. Val d'Isère hosted the men's downhill and alpine combined at the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics and has held the Critérium de la Première Neige FIS Alpine World Cup since 1955.
The ski area divides into four main sectors: Bellevarde above the village and La Daille, Solaise to the south of the resort centre, Le Fornet at the upper valley, and the Pisaillas glacier. Val d'Isère divides terrain into approximately 14% beginner, 40% intermediate, 30% advanced and 16% expert — the terrain skews towards the upper end of the ability spectrum, reinforcing the resort's reputation as a destination for confident intermediates and experts. The Face de Bellevarde black run descends 1,000 vertical metres from 2,826 metres to La Daille and forms the men's Olympic downhill course; the OK run on the same sector hosts the women's World Cup speed events. Two snowparks, dedicated mogul fields, a boardercross course and the wide Pisaillas glacier complete the off-piste and freestyle offering.
The village of Val d'Isère sits at 1,850 metres in a broad bowl at the head of the Haute-Tarentaise, with traditional stone and wooden chalet architecture lining the main pedestrian avenue — giving the resort more Alpine character than purpose-built neighbours. The resort holds approximately 7,500 tourist beds across hotels, catered chalets and self-catered apartments, with a high concentration of four-star and luxury properties drawing a consistent international clientele. The La Folie Douce slope-side venue at La Daille is among the Alps' most celebrated après-ski destinations. Free shuttle buses connect La Daille, the village centre and Le Fornet throughout the ski day, with the last departures after midnight during peak periods.
A joint Tignes–Val d'Isère pass costs €64 to €75 per day for adults in the 2025-26 season, whilst Val d'Isère-only passes run €58 to €68. Season passes cost €1,125 for the combined Espace Killy area and €899 for Val d'Isère alone. Children under 8 and seniors over 75 ski free, and a beginner one-ride pass provides single-lift Solaise access for €22. The resort suits confident intermediates seeking varied high-altitude terrain and experts targeting the renowned off-piste routes including the Banane couloir, the Charvet face and the Vallon de la Sache itinerary descending to Les Brévières in the Tignes valley.
1354m
Vertical
154
Runs
150 km
Piste
6m
Annual snow
The Terrain
154 runs across 150 km of piste
Val d'Isère spreads 154 runs across 150 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 40%, with 22 beginner runs to find your feet and 71 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
154
runs
154 runs across 4 grades
Beginner22 runs · 14%
Intermediate62 runs · 40%
Advanced46 runs · 30%
Expert25 runs · 16%
Time it right
When to visit Val d'Isère
The 2025-26 season runs from 29 November 2025 to 3 May 2026, spanning 155 days. The Pisaillas glacier and high-altitude Bellevarde terrain open first in late November, with the full Val d'Isère ski area typically operational by the Critérium weekend in mid-December. The Espace Killy link to Tignes opens once connecting slopes receive sufficient snow cover, usually by late November or early December. Summer skiing on the Pisaillas glacier operates from July to late August, offering up to 20 kilometres of groomed runs at 3,141 metres for national squad training and recreational skiers.
Annual snowfall averages approximately six metres at resort level, with the 2024-25 season delivering an exceptional 9.3 metres at altitude across the Tignes–Val d'Isère area. The resort's position at the head of the Haute-Tarentaise captures both Atlantic storm systems tracking through the Rhône corridor and Mediterranean low-pressure systems lifting moisture over the Maritime Alps. Natural snow cover at 1,850 metres typically reaches 1.5 to 2 metres by mid-January, with the upper slopes and the Pisaillas glacier receiving consistent accumulation from December through April. Over 900 snow cannons cover approximately 50% of the marked piste network as a guarantee against early-season and late-season thin cover.
December sees the Critérium de la Première Neige World Cup in mid-month, and snowfall can be limited on lower pistes until Christmas. January and February deliver the coldest temperatures, deepest powder accumulations and most consistent off-piste conditions across the Bellevarde, Fornet and Pisaillas sectors. March provides the ideal combination of long days, established base depths and warming temperatures for spring carving — widely considered the best all-round month on the mountain. April and early May offer excellent glacier conditions and quieter slopes, with late-season lift pass prices significantly below the high-season rate from 25 April.
The Critérium de la Première Neige FIS World Cup runs 12-14 December 2025 with men's Giant Slalom and Slalom on the Face de Bellevarde, marking the event's 70th anniversary. The Women's Alpine Ski World Cup follows 20-21 December 2025 with Downhill and Super-G on the Oreiller-Killy slope at La Daille. New Year festivities include free outdoor concerts on the Avenue Olympique, with international DJ acts and local events continuing through January and February. The resort's closing weekend on 3 May 2026 features the traditional end-of-season spring festival with mountain performances and the last ski days of the Espace Killy winter season.
Season 2026 - 2027
28 Nov 2026
Opens
2 May 2027
Closes
155
Days open
6 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Val d'Isère, and where to stay
Val d'Isère occupies the Haute-Tarentaise valley at the head of the D902 road in the Savoie department of south-eastern France, 30 kilometres south of Bourg-Saint-Maurice. The resort sits in a broad glacial bowl enclosed by the Tête du Solaise at 2,551 metres, the Rochers de Bellevarde at 2,827 metres, and the Col de l'Iseran ridge at 2,770 metres — the highest paved road pass in the Alps — which forms the natural boundary with the adjacent Maurienne valley. The Isère river rises near the resort and flows north through the Tarentaise towards Albertville and eventually the Rhône. The surrounding massif falls within the Vanoise National Park, protecting the upper valley from development beyond the ski area boundary.
Bourg-Saint-Maurice serves as the nearest major town, 30 kilometres and 40 minutes north, offering supermarkets, a TGV station and the regional hospital. Moutiers lies 60 kilometres north via the N90 with further retail and hospital facilities, whilst Albertville sits 90 kilometres distant at the foot of the Tarentaise valley. Tignes occupies the adjacent valley 12 kilometres west, connected by lift and piste throughout the ski season via the Espace Killy link. Les Arcs and La Plagne — forming the Paradiski area — are within an hour by road for day trips or multi-resort ski safaris.
The D902 from Bourg-Saint-Maurice provides the sole road access, climbing 1,400 metres over 30 kilometres through the Tarentaise past Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise and the Tignes dam. Geneva Airport lies 215 kilometres and approximately three hours west via the A40 autoroute through Annecy and the N90. Chambéry Airport sits 140 kilometres and two hours south via the A43 motorway and N90, making it the closest airport option with the shortest transfer time. Lyon-Saint-Exupéry is 240 kilometres and three hours southeast, while Turin Caselle in Italy sits just 130 kilometres via the Mont Blanc or Fréjus tunnels — often the fastest option for early-season arrivals.
Bourg-Saint-Maurice station receives direct TGV services from Paris-Lyon in just under five hours and seasonal Eurostar services from London on Saturdays throughout the main winter season. Local Altibus coaches cover the 30 kilometres from station to resort in approximately 40 minutes, with departures timed to meet TGV arrivals and adult tickets costing €12. The resort centre is fully pedestrianised along the Avenue Olympique, with multi-storey underground parking and satellite car parks at La Daille and Le Fornet freeing the village of traffic during the ski day. Free shuttle buses operate on a loop connecting La Daille, the resort centre and Le Fornet throughout the ski season until late evening.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Val d'Isère, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
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16 Sept 2026
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
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Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
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Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
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2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Val d'Isère Lift System
Val d'Isère operates 37 lifts across its own ski area: 5 gondolas, 10 six-seat detachable chairs, 5 quad chairs, 3 triple chairs, 1 double chair, 8 T-bars and 5 surface lifts. The Olympique gondola from the resort centre transports 2,800 passengers per hour in 10-person heated cabins to the Bellevarde plateau at 2,826 metres, completing the ascent in under eight minutes from 1,850 metres. The La Daille gondola ascends from the eastern hamlet to the same Bellevarde sector via Ferrari and Maserati-designed 10-person cabins. Combined uphill capacity across the Espace Killy area with Tignes exceeds 145,000 skiers per hour across 80 lifts in total.
The Vallon de l'Iseran gondola, installed for 2024-25, links the lower Le Fornet sector directly to the upper Pisaillas glacier zone and replaced the ageing cable car with significantly increased passenger capacity. The Solaise gondola in two sections reaches 2,551 metres, opening wide beginner and intermediate snowfields above the village. The Borsat Express and Tommeuses six-seat chairs link Val d'Isère with Tignes via the Col de Fresse and Col de Tovière respectively, giving access to the Grande Motte glacier at 3,456 metres on a joint pass. The Leissières Express chairlift connects the Solaise and Fornet sectors across the ridge at 3,000 metres — a lift experience in its own right as it crests an exposed mountain spine.
The Fornet sector at the upper end of the valley is accessed via a bubble lift from the Le Fornet satellite village and provides the most reliably snow-covered off-piste terrain in the entire Espace Killy area. The Signal and Montet T-bars serve high-altitude terrain above 2,700 metres adjacent to the Vallon de l'Iseran. The Pisaillas glacier sector delivers summer skiing from early July on up to 20 kilometres of maintained glacier piste at 3,141 metres. Six-seat chairs predominate across Bellevarde and Solaise, minimising queue times during mid-season weekdays.
The Aiguille Rouge six-seat chair installed in 2022 and the Marais chair replacement in 2024 have modernised key sections of the Bellevarde and mid-mountain sectors. Contactless card readers operate across all major installations, and real-time lift status updates display through the Val d'Isère Ski mobile application, which also tracks free shuttle bus positions between Le Fornet, the resort centre and La Daille, and provides live webcam views from all ten camera locations. Two dedicated snowparks are served by lift infrastructure — the main freestyle park above La Daille and a secondary park on the Pisaillas glacier — providing year-round terrain-park access for freestyle athletes.
38lifts across 9 types
1
Train
1
Aerial Tram
4
Gondolas
10
6-Person Chairs
5
Quad Chairs
3
Triple Chairs
1
Double Chair
8
T-Bars
5
Surface Lifts
Val d'Isère lift system
Val d'Isère is served by 38 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Val d'Isère intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.