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Saint François Longchamp Resort Reviews

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  • Saint François Longchamp(Lat Long: 45.42° N 6.36° E)
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Visitor reviews for Saint François Longchamp Ski Resort

Saint François Longchamp Ratings

Overall: 4.4. Based on 6 votes and 5 reviews. Vote

Snowsure: 4.2

(1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Saint François Longchamp is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Variety of pistes: 4.7

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Saint François Longchamp has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Off-piste: 4.0

(1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.

Scenery: 4.5

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Access: 4.7

(1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Saint François Longchamp.

Public Transport: 4.6

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Saint François Longchamp, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Accommodation: 5.0

(1) No places to stay in/near Saint François Longchamp, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Cheap Rooms: 4.5

(1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.

Luxury Hotels: 4.0

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Saint François Longchamp.

Ski in/Ski out: 5.0

(1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.

Childcare: 4.4

(1) There are no child care facilities at Saint François Longchamp, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowmaking: 4.2

(1) Saint François Longchamp relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.

Snow Grooming: 5.0

(1) There are no snow groomers at Saint François Longchamp, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Saint François Longchamp are groomed daily.

Shelter: 3.7

(1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Saint François Longchamp is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 3.8

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Saint François Longchamp, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.

Regional rating: 4.2

(1) Saint François Longchamp usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.

Lift Staff: 5.0

(1) The staff at Saint François Longchamp are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Saint François Longchamp are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 4.7

(1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.

Ski Schools: 4.8

(1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.

Hire and Repairs: 5.0

(1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.

Beginners: 4.7

(1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.

Intermediates: 4.7

(1) No intermediate terrain at Saint François Longchamp, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 4.2

(1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.

Snow Park: 3.8

(1) Not even a kicker at Saint François Longchamp, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.

Cross-country: 4.0

(1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Saint François Longchamp, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 3.3

(1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Saint François Longchamp has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.

Mountain Dining: 4.3

(1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.

Eating: 4.7

(1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.

Apres-Ski: 4.0

(1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.

Other Sports: 4.3

(1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.

Entertainment: 4.0

(1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.

Winter Walks: 4.6

(1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.

Ski Pass Value: 4.3

(1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.

Value (National): 4.7

(1) Overall, Saint François Longchamp is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.

Value (Global): 4.8

(1) Overall, Saint François Longchamp is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

Show all 35 ratings

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January 27, 2018
Cjris Trace from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Very lovely little ski resort. Accommodation right on the slopes so ski in/ski out possible. Good upgrades to lift system help to speed skiers to the best snow, usually in better condition than Valmorel which is busier and more expensive than here. Still has button drag lifts; very useful when it is very windy. Great pisted runs for all levels of skier, unusually powder does not get skied out on the very first day after snow. The snow conditions this January were superb, mogul fields absent largely (a pity!). Will visit again soon. The people were extremely welcoming.
December 31, 2014
Steve Taylor from Ski France France
I am fed up with so called experts running down resorts. I am 57 years old, have been skiing since I was 12 and have skied in excess of 35 resorts and Saint Francois Longchamp is very good. I am a qualified instructor in many aspects of the sport. Another reviewer needs to decide if the black leading off to the left, from the Luziere chair, just after a fresh fall, is challenging enough or they would rather have a top class night club where he can go on the piss until 2.00am. Make your mind up! SFL and the Grand Domaine are very good; it is good for all standards. Skiing isn't about screaming down a few slopes as fast as you can but is an experience of the environment and the joy of sliding in control and enjoying yourself. I feel that the facilities for absolute beginners, although adequate, could improve. However, once you have mastered the basics the next step at SFL is very good. Wide green slopes enabling travel and technique improvement. High blues and a gentle decent are there if you want it. There are a couple or three of the long serving instructors who need to update their teaching techniques to take into account the change that has happened with the advances in equipment. For those who have skied maybe one or two weeks, before you can enjoy the Grand Domaine even further, improve your confidence and ability plus enjoyment with 'you' time on the snow. The dammers at SFL work very hard to prepare your slopes to their best and are better prepared than the Valmorel side of the mountain. If your idea of skiing is going on the piss until 2.00am or until you can't see, then this is not the resort for you. If you want to enjoy mountains, mountain life, enjoying the resort ambiance, developing your skiing and improving it and travelling in an area of 165 kilometres and what it offers then it is definitely for you. I can drive to pretty much anywhere from where I live in France but I will drive to SFL 1650 on Saturday.
February 23, 2014
T Thompson from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
A great intermediate skiers paradise with a few stiff blacks thrown in for good measure. Great place to take the kids. Wide open pistes with few queues even at half-term. Cheaper than it's linked resort of Valmorel but using grand domaine pass you can easily ski into the Valmorel valley, although watch out, drinks stops in V are 30% more expensive than SFL. Stunning scenery but no real nightlife other than restaurants. Easy drive up from the valley: 15 mins on well maintained roads even when it has snowed. Fly out Friday and stay in Ibis budget at La Chambre (bottom of the valley) and be skiing by 9am on Saturday. Always snow sure. Some lovely accommodation all slope side with ski in/out available in most residence. Been 3 times and planning to return next year!
September 15, 2011
Jon B from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
SFL (Saint François Longchamp) is a pretty good family resort with enough to occupy a group with a range of abilities for a week or so. Really good for children, beginners and intermediates. Experts may find the area a little humdrum but if the snow is good (last 4 years plenty) then there are wide open off-piste opportunities, and the link to Valmorel is a decent trip and opens up the Grand Domaine. La Lauziere is worth a bash. Lift capacity is decent and queues at half-term weeks are rarely more than a few minutes. Accommodation is adequate to good. Even at 1450m if you pick the right residence you can be 25m from the piste. Quiet in the evenings but some of us like that. Definitely worth considering.
March 14, 2006
dan bluett from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Although located at a reasonably low altitude (village is at 1450 & 1650 metres) St Francois is not a bad place to start your skiing experience. Easy green and blue runs to start you off followed by moderate reds. When the link to Valmorel is open (susceptible to high wind closures) the area becomes vast. A great place to go when higher resorts are closed. If you're an experienced skier it won't hold your attention for long - a day at most. The whole Grand Domaine area (St Fran & Valmorel) may well do though. Access is from the main Frane/Italy motorway (A43) in the Maurienne Valley at La Chambre. You'll definitely need snow-chains after a recent fall - although the locals are very good at clearing the roads. In the summer time the Tour de France oftens comes through the village!