Val d'Isere, France

Visitor reviews for Val d'Isere

• June 26, 2008
  Martin from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Some really good skiing and a huge area with the link to Tignes. My only complaint was how unfreindly many of the French people are. The instructors seemed fine and offered very good tuition, but the bar and restaurant staff were genuinely rude. Also the prices in Val d'Isere are very high. Les Arcs would offer a better all round holiday at lower prices also not as far to travel from the airport or trains. I am surprised that France is such a popular destination with Brits when Austria is far more freindly with a great atmosphere and Italy is great fun for less money.

• April 09, 2008
  Dawn Thompson from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  My holiday to Val d'Isere was out of this world. However, my only advice to anyone visiting this resort is to stay clear of the LE SIGNAL mountain restaurant based in Le Fornet. This restaurant was recommended to me by a chalet host who must have clearly been delusional, as the lunch I endured there was over priced and the food distinctly average! To add insult to injury the staff were extremely impolite!! Later on during the same afternoon skiing I made a toilet stop at Le Signal restaurant and was told I was not allowed to use the toilets as they were for customers only! Attempting to explain that I had eaten there earlier on failed to allow me entry and I was abruptly asked to leave and use ‘zee public toilets’. There were only ONE set of public toilets in Le Fornet and these were out of order – I was not impressed. Skiers - stay away from this awful restaurant!

• March 02, 2008
  Jessica Hamble from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Thanks snow-forecast.com. Just been to Val d'Isere; great snow considering it has not snowed for a while. I had a brill time skiing. I joined an off-piste private ski lesson with Martin Mckay Skiing >>> skimckay.com. Great instructor, I highly advise anyone going to Val to book ski lessons with Martin Mckay. GREAT RESORT!!
  Jessica H.

• January 11, 2008
  makis tektiridis from GREECE
  

  Val is great.
  I hope the resort will change name, and called after my visit TEKTRIDISLAND

• January 07, 2008
  Jimbo from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Val is an impressive place with a huge ski area (easily comparable to the Three Valleys) when considered with Tignes. It also has a pretty town centre not dominated by concrete monoliths.
  Generally it's an expensive resort - expect to pay E10 on the mountain for spag bol, E5 for a beer ! The really annoying thing, which to my mind cheapens the whole Val experience, is that once you've spent E30 on a small lunch for two - they then demand another 50 cents to use their toilets !!!! To my mind that's just taking the pi$$ !
  The runs are (generally) NOT for beginners. Their blues are more like reds and the few greens they have can be quite narrow. I was surprised that on one day they hadn't pisted the blue overnight, leaving the beginners to struggle down a significant mogul field in a gully (which of course means everyone is compressed into a smaller space)
  Generally the lifts are good quality and fast although there are some that could do with updating.
  By the way - if you drive there and you park illegally, your car will get towed. The police will store the car for you and charge you to recover the car. They only charged E4 a day for storage...cheaper than parking !
  Val is definately a place to challenge good skiers. It's not really a beginners resort.

• November 23, 2007
  lou and coz from AFGHANISTAN
  

  not been there yet but will after reading that amazing review

• January 11, 2007
  andy irv from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  James Smith Jan 2006. Val D for the first time. What can I say, I was very impressed. In 2005 we went to Val Thorens which we loved and had great weather although it was very cold -27 at worst -21 at best. At Val D, on the other hand, we had snow on the 2nd day(about 45cm)followed by warm sunny days which of course was great. The ski area itself is great although the ski back to the village, if your a beginner, is quite steep. On the other hand, if you are a good skier, the Olympic face is a great run (black). The apres-ski was also fantastic. We went to a few different bars. All were good fun and most had entertainment of some kind. On conclusion Val D is awsome and I will be going back.

• December 31, 2006
  Zenta Williams from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  We just got back from Val d'Isere last night 30/12/06 after a fantastic week's ski-ing. As a family of skiiers, Val d'Isere has always been our favourite ski-ing area especially at Christmas, when you have to go high.Our biggest thanks would go to the overnight piste workers and the continuous snow cannons, to maintain a high standard on the pistes.To have sun and blue skies for a whole week of ski-ing is rare this time of year but it was wonderful especially on the Grande Motte and to come back with a tan - wow! Happy New Year to all!!!

• December 12, 2006
  Mark Briant from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Myself and a group of mates went to Val D'Isere 3 years running, then last year decided we wanted to try somewhere else. (Val Thorens), now there is nothing wrong with Val Thorens but we missed Val D'Isere so much, the pistes on and off in Val D are perfection and the nightlife is great.
  If you fancy chilled our apres ski try L'Alexandra Bar,under hotel La Galise, good beer, good company, and Phil the barman... roll on 26/1/07 when we are on our way back staying in La Galise, get the Toffe Vodka's ready Phil.

• November 02, 2006
  Steven Underwood from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Good to see a dedicated snow website! Val d'Isere is my favourite resort hands down, I have tried many but this has a cool atmosphere and super skiing off-piste. Saw the previous visitors comments!!!! Love skiing with Martin McKay. Skiing in Val d'Isere off-piste, Martin is a ski hero and been at it a long time. I would suggest to any skier to join Martin at skimckay.com, he is a great coach. Meanwhile I have just booked my hols to Val, cant wait till 2007 . . . !

• February 24, 2006
  John Keane from IRELAND
  

  We had a very enjoyable stay in Val d'Isere from the 4th to the 11th Feb 2006.

  However, I will never be returning to France again after my experience with booking deposit we gave Val d'Isere Agence and our subsequent treatment. They are withholding €500 for damage to the front door of the building. This is a complete fabrication on their part. Do not use Val d'Isere Agence, they will take your deposit with a smile but then they will lie through their teeth. Be warned!

• December 28, 2005
  Sarah Diamond from UNITED STATES
  

  Just love Val d'Isere, I have skied with Martin Mckay Skiing, he runs cool british ski instruction in Val d'Isere, Martin is actually a leading ski 'coach' and you will never return to standard ski schools again once you have skied with MMS. >>>>>>>
  Check out www.skimckay.com - Val d'Isere, Martin is a specialist private ski instructor for people that kind of want the best service and to actually make skiing breakthroughs - have to agree with your previous website reviews, I also love the Blizzard hotel 4 *, very luxurious, the hotel has a bar to die for. Happy New Year ! Sarah Diamond

• December 21, 2005
  Liza Brooks from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Went to Val D'Isere for the week before christmas last year 2004. At first the resort seemed rather limiting especially when travelling with 3 beginners two of which were to proud to take lessons.

  Then mid week we got dumped on, 4 ft of snow in three days and my only advice to anyone if this happens is get up at about 6am and take the first lifts up to the long blue run just below the glacier, It was like untracked of piste and well worth getting up for and racing over!

  As the week went on the riders l was with progressed so more of the resort was accesible and we enjoyed a few visits over to Tignes. There was a red we really enjoyed in tigne which takes you back to all the restraunts at the north end as you look at the piste map.

  As for food Val is very expensive no way around that and as we were self catering in a mingin hotel we didn't fancy using their utencils for cooking so choose to eat out. The best eatery in the town had to be the Crepery in the town centre in the little presink thing. Absolutally gorgeous! There was a Pizza take away not far from here on the main road back into La Dallie which was the area we were staying, just a little hatch with a few italian guys working in there.

  In La Daille there was one resturant which was particularly expensive it was a carvery type place but can't remmeber the name.

  A last note is IF YOU ARE A FAMILY OF VEGGITARIANS L WOULD AVIOD THIS RESORT not being a veggie but having a personal dislike of red meat l found it almost impossible to find proper meals anywhere, there was very rarely a chicken dish although you can normally find one duck dish on the menu and the veggie meals were all the same being lasagna lasagna lasagna! I have NOT experianced this in other french resorts including L2A and Morzine

• November 23, 2005
  Danny James from UNITED STATES
  

  If you have not yet been to Val d'Isere then check it out. I hired a private ski coach last winter and was blown away with what it has to offer. The town is so well presented, the skiing is out of this world, beats the small hills of the states! This is Majestic country!! I skied with a Scottish guy called Martin Mckay, he runs Martin Mckay Skiing, check out www.skimckay.com. I was born on skis more or less and Martin taught me so much more about skiing powder with serious technique and control. Call + 44 7710 237 094 to book Martin. Val d'Isere will see me again soon!

• November 14, 2005
  Alex Wilson from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Last year I stayed in a chalet operated by Mountain Rooms and Chalets; the whole experience was excellent, All the staff were very friendly and helpful, the chalet itself was beautiful and spotless, and in a great location. The snow, as you would expect in Val D'isere, was brillliant. The Owner has lived in Val for years so knows the best places to ski. I got the impression that they had a large number of repeat clients which to me is the best way to judge a company. I'm booking with them this year.

• October 27, 2005
  Gemma Holloway from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I have visited Val d'Isere over the last two seasons, 2004 and 2005. I have to say that the resort is very special, boasting this fantastic atmosphere that you can only grasp when you enter the village. I love the skiing and recommend 'Martin Mckay Skiing', an off piste ski coaching and guiding business' run by a Scottish Ski Coach, Martin Mckay. Martin showed us all the best off piste runs and coached us with our technique to enable us to develop a great confidence. Martin also uns on piste private ski coaching, visit their web site at www.skimckay.com. Tel: + 44 (0) 7710 237 094 - + 33 4 79 07 16 99. We stayed at a hotel called Les Lauzes situated next to the ancient church in Val d'Isere. This hotel proved to be ideal as it is right by the piste and boasts a great atmosphere. Good luck with Val d'Isere!

• January 20, 2005
  Matt from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I experienced exactly the same thing with Val Agence last year. I rented a 3 bedroom appartment at considerable cost and had a fantastic week. After being home for a few days I received a letter from them stating that they were retaining my deposit as there was a red wine stain on the sofa. I'd checked the entire place before leaving and felt sure that there were no such stains however, was willing to let it go as long as they could prove their case.
  Luckily, a friend of mine works in the centre of Val so he called in to their offices and asked them to let him see the damage. They imediately withdrew their claim and said that they would refund my deposit straight away. Two months and several emails later, I STILL hadn't received the refund so I wrote to MasterCard's dispute department enclosing copies of Val Agence's emails admitting their 'mistake'. The deposit was clawed back by MasterCard straight away.
  The moral of the story...
  AVOID USING VAL AGENCE - THEY WILL TRY TO RIP YOU OFF

• November 19, 2004
  Julian Barber from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Be very careful when renting appartment accommodation through Val Agence. We rented an apprtment and they refused to return our deposit due to ciragette burns. Nobody in our party smoked and nobody else visited our appartment during the week. Make sure that you get someone to inspect the appartment before you leave and get your deposit returned before you go. Since this experience, I have had other similar stories concerning Val Agence. We wrote to the Tourism Department and the Mayor, neither of which bothered to even respond to our complaints.

• March 01, 2004
  gail from CANADA
  

  Just returned from Val (Feb. 21-28) and had a great time. Having skied in Trois Vallees and in Vail, we know and like the challenge of vast terrain and lots of runs so Val did not disappoint in that regard. But, do not go during the French holiday--too many skiers unless you go off-piste and hope that there is still some good snow. They do not groom their runs very well so the condition of the runs deteriorates quickly and really depends on their getting lots of snow frequently. Runs down to the base are a horror--icy and crowded- so take your last run down on the chair or gondola- for the rest of the time stay high and away from the centre and try to find reds and blacks and off-piste with fewer skiers. Stayed at Hotel Mercure (3 star)- great location, good food and very gracious staff and a decent sized room for the 2 of us.a word of warning- I signed up for an off-piste lesson and planned my day around it, but when I arrived for the lesson I was told that there wasn't room for me. They gave me my money back but that did not make up for my having lost 1/2 day skiing (Evolution 2 is the name of the company)

• February 11, 2004
  JohnBoy from IRELAND
  

  Spent a week in Val from Jan 10th.
  A summarised snow report: Snow, more snow, a drop of rain & more snow!
  Basically it didnt stop for the week.

  Ridden in Val a couple of times before but always based ourselves in Tignes - now I know why. Espace Killy is an epic area & there's something there for all levels - unfortunately if your not drippin in bling the town of Val isnt so accessible. Everyone knows that Val has the rep for being pricey, but it seems worse than ever - comin from Ireland its all the more transparent since we're all Euro spenders now.
  ?11 for a burger! ?7 for a pint!?
  The Spar (or Sherpa) does 24 beers for about the price of 1 draft.
  
  I suppose it is more 'French' to drink at home & then go out late, but we've always managed the best of both worls in Tignes (check out Alpaca)
  Anyway, back to Tignes next time...til we hit the Lotto.

• January 11, 2004
  ben from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Had a week in Val over New Year, my first visit there after about 10 years of returning time and again to the 3 Valleys (3V). Like millions of other Brits, I guess. But having heard so much about EK being the best ski area in the world, I wanted to compare and contrast with 3V.

  So how do the two areas compare? Purely a personal view of course, from an experienced intermediate who enjoys fast reds, a few mild blacks, and will dabble cautiously with a bit of off-piste. I would rate the pros and cons as follows:
  1) Far better and easier off-piste opportunities in Espace K.
  2) For long cruising blues and reds, 3 Valleys has many more satisfying long runs (few runs in EK to compare with Mont Vallon or Creux, for example).
  3) 3V is much better for treeline ski-ing (important when visibility is poor).
  4) Much better ski in/out convenience in many 3V resorts than in Val (Tignes is better I guess). One you are up on the mountain you really don't want to be going all the way down again to Val for a lunchstop, unlike say Courchevel or Val Thorens. And for beginners/early intermediates, most of the runs back home are a real pig!
  5) EK is considerably higher on average than 3V and therefore generally more reliable snow (a factor with global warming...). It was a pleasure not to have to endure the slush and ice of Meribel this year!
  6) EK just can't match the feeling you get in 3V of so many interesting and challenging journeys to take, via so many different routes from one valley to another. Not a fair comparison perhaps, as EK is half the size....
  7) Not scientific, but my gut feeling was that most prices in mountain restaurants etc. are significantly cheaper in EK than 3V. Can't speak for the bars in town, never had the energy to drag myself down there.....

  So on balance for me, 3V has it by a short head. But for any confirmed 3V addicts like me, do give EK a try - if only to remind yourself what you are missing!

  Ben

• December 30, 2003
  Ross from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Just got back from a magical christmas in Val d'isere. The resort is fantastic, there are plenty of slopes, the snow conditions were pretty good,the first two days there was a huge dump which put it in good stead for the rest of the week. there is a fantastic range and quality of pistes there and I'll certainly be going back, soon, very very soon I hope!

• December 29, 2003
  on ma bum from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Just got back from Val d'isere after a fantasic Xmas period here. Had a huge ammount of snow dummped 21st thro to the 23rd, opening up 80% + of the slopes. Even though this was a busy period with locals on holiday for xmas the slopes were generally quiet. As you would expect for this area the night life was lively. Looks like it will be another good season here and hope to get back there soon!

• December 15, 2003
  Liam from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  If this season is like last we should have a big dump of snow late jan! I cannot wait to get back there and borrow the rail from the town centre, to add something to the hotel grounds, for after hours entertainment. Ps never drink and rail grind. Also never draft a skier into the tunnel at the bottom of the verte run, you do not know what (or who in my case is lying on the floor the otherside) might happen to be strategically placed to ensure you eat ice on the downslope the other side. Enough waffle I recomend dicks tea bar for apres ski (I will collect my free promotion drink when I'm back lads) and hitting the big red run from the top of the grand motte in tignes on a good day, try it at full speed dare ya!

• 
  Mary Elliott from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I have recently returned from a holiday to Val d'Isere - it was fantastic! The resort has so much to offer, great skiing, great nightlife and great shops. However, what really made the holiday so special for me was ski lessons. I overcome virtually all of my fears and my skiing improved far beyond I ever thought it could in a week, I learnt so much and had fun! This was all down to Ken Smith from Progression Ski School - he was just wonderful. I fully recommend Ken and his team www.progressionski.com.

  Val d'Isere will be seeing me again (you too Ken!) :0)

• 
  Emma J from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Like Mary I too have recently returned from Val - my second week there this season! I too had an amazing, if v hot, week, and also skied with Ken, whilst my son skied with another Progression instructor, Karen Forsyth. I too highly recommend Progression ski school: Karen was amazing - taking my four year old down blue slopes, and almost doing parallel turns! She was exceptionally kind and I know Tom had great fun! Furthermore, Ken managed to persuade my mum to take to the slopes after an absence of 36 years and she loved it! Thank-you to Progression - they are an exceptional ski school and if anyone wants to improve their skiing whilst having a good time then they would be wise to book a session with them! They have shown, clearly, one is never too young or too old to learn!

• 
  Steve Adams from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  We had a lucky (due to great snow)!!! and fun ski trip to Val d'Isere this year. We were taught by Martin Mckay in Val d'Isere, Martin was great, he taught us powder skiing techniques so fast I can't stress the happiness myself and my fiance enjoyed! Ski Val d'Isere and join >> skimckay.com!!!!!