Visitor reviews for Villaroger Ski Resort

• March 28, 2018
  Leather Bindings from United Kingdom
  

  Just returned from a short break in Villaroger (10 years since my previous review) and having read a report in the Guardian a few weeks ago didn’t know what to expect. I recall the article made reference to extra beds and modernisation etc. Thankfully, the only difference I noticed was a large number of snow cannons that had apparently been installed this winter to make the descent to the village easier when snow was scarce. Typically, I assume they had remained unused all winter as the snow depth was incredible for this time of year. Stayed in a family run chalet a couple of minutes drive from the slopes which (apart from the hangover due to the never ending wine supply) was ideally situated to do Ste Foy, La Rosiere to Italy, Les Arcs and for a couple of extra Euros we popped over to La Plagne via the Vanoise Express which is an experience! Val and Tignes will have to wait.... So for a traditional (no nonsense/no queues/no head banging 3am disco on your doorstep) rustic alpine experience Villaroger appears not to have changed. And I for one, hope it stays that way.

• Villaroger Ratings

  Overall: 3.9. Based on 4 votes and 5 reviews. Vote

  Access: 3.0 (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 Villaroger.	Public Transport: 2.0 (1) There are no buses or taxis to Villaroger, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.
  Scenery: 5.0 (1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.	Accommodation: 3.5 (1) No places to stay in/near Villaroger, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.
  Cheap Rooms: 3.7 (1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.	Luxury Hotels: 3.0 (1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Villaroger.
  Ski in/Ski out: 4.0 (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: 1.0 (1) There are no child care facilities at Villaroger, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.
  Snowsure: 3.8 (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) Villaroger is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.	Snowmaking: 4.2 (1) Villaroger 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 Villaroger, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Villaroger are groomed daily.	Shelter: 5.0 (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) Villaroger is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.
  Nearby options: 5.0 (1) If snow conditions are poor at Villaroger, 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: 3.2 (1) Villaroger 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 Villaroger are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Villaroger are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.	Crowds/Queues: 5.0 (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: 3.2 (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: 3.5 (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.
  Variety of pistes: 5.0 (1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Villaroger has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.	Beginners: 3.7 (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: 4.5 (1) No intermediate terrain at Villaroger, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.	Advanced: 4.8 (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: 2.8 (1) Not even a kicker at Villaroger, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.	Off-piste: 4.8 (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.
  Cross-country: 4.3 (1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Villaroger, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.	Luge/Toboggan: 2.0 (1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Villaroger has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.
  Mountain Dining: 3.5 (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: 3.7 (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: 3.3 (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: 4.0 (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: 3.0 (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: 5.0 (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: 4.8 (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): 4.5 (1) Overall, Villaroger 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, Villaroger 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

• January 30, 2017
  Kumari Kaye from France
  

  Villaroger is a small unspoilt Alpine Village; part of the Les Arcs, Paradiski ski area. Free car parking, a lift pass office and 3 lifts up and you access Arcs 2000.
  Skiing alone in Villaroger is great, especially after a snowfall. The first lift is free and offers a decent amount of descent for a free lift.
  Staying around Villaroger you couldn't be more central to ski the world famous resorts of Les Arcs, La Plagne, Sainte Foy, Val d'Isere, Tignes, La Rosiere and La Thuile (Italy). It's a perfect location for those wanting a 'ski safari'; skiing different resorts during your stay. All resorts are only minutes away. One of the longest runs in Europe ends in Villaroger: 7km long and 2000m of descent from the top of the Aiguille Rouge. A must if you are skiing Les Arcs.
  The local bar of La Ferme is very French with good food and a log fire, not forgetting the strong Mutsig beer. The Goyet restaurant is great for lunch or dinner.
  If you are looking to stay in a true alpine village with beautiful views and scenery look no further. Commercialism has not arrived here yet!!

• December 21, 2013
  Viv Horwitz from France
  

  I used to run a ski chalet from Villaroger but age & injury led to retirement. That said I still ski from here all winter and eat (& sometimes play my guitar) at La Ferme. I can't talk about the accommodation but I can say that the addition of several snow cannons, some small rerouting over the years to avoid really nasty narrow bits of piste and the friendly, hospitable village atmosphere make this a fine place to ski if you can do at least a decent stem turn. I would NOT recommend it to beginners or worried intermediates. It is the north side of the mountain so slopes can steepen up and shaded areas can be scratchy. You can always avoid mogul walls now but if you do decide to go down the moguls be aware that once you are on them there's no way out! The only problem has been that with the Vanoise Express opening up much larger numbers of skiers are coming over to ski this set of runs; traffic can now be an issue. But if you stay in Villaroger and you can get all the way to the top of the mountain and ski all the way down to La Ferme on a sunny day you will have had one of the most memorable runs in the Alps! Final word: the off-piste here is very tempting and can be very dangerous & requires a licence. Please, only with a guide, who will have a licence to take people into what is officially a nature reserve!

• April 09, 2008
  Matt from United States
  

  I have never stayed in Villaroger, but have driven & skied/walked there this season while living in Bourg St. Maurice.
  While it may be possible to buy a lift ticket for only the Villaroger lifts, most will opt for a Les Arc pass (or Paradiski when they get the Vanoise Express running again in Dec '08). With Paradiski, you can ski Villaroger, Les Arc, Plan Peisey and all of La Plagne without driving (although you may need to download the last lift down to Villaroger depending on conditions).
  Previous reviewers' comments seem spot on.

• December 15, 2007
  Leather Bindings from United Kingdom
  

  Having stayed at Villaroger for the past few years, I can thoroughly recommend it. Providing an ideal central location for those wishing to ski a number of resorts (Val D'Isere, Tignes, Les Arcs, La Rosiere, Ste Foy and La Plagne all accessible with a short journey) or for those who prefer to remain close to home, Villaroger/Les Arcs provides plenty of varied skiing for the beginner to the most experienced. It's true to say that Villaroger is not the nightlife capital of the world, however there are a couple of local bars/restaurants which can be recommended, both frequented by the locals meaning that the prices are very reasonable (Val is only about 30 mins away for the party animals). Having stayed in the centre of many of the bigger resortsin France, I have to say that you often leave with no sense of the local culture, but that can not be said of Villaroger. Lift office next to the carpark, no jostling in long queues and access to the Aiguille Rouge providing one real leg burner back down to Villaroger and a well deserved beer in La Ferme. Going back this year, to hopefully enjoy the excellent conditions that are available at this early stage of the season.