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France is the most popular destination for British skiers with good reason. It scores high points with its quality of skiing, excellent ski schools, efficient purpose built resorts, vast linked lift systems, delicious food, and vibrant nightlife.
France boasts the biggest linked ski areas in the world such as the Paradiski and Espace Killy, many of which offer glacier level skiing and long ski seasons. The French Alps offer a wide range of skiing from the most challenging skiing to the gentlest of slopes.
The resorts vary in style, from the purpose built and rather stark architecture of Flaine and Tignes to the newer developments, which are more sympathetic to the mountains such as Valmorel and Champagny. Whatever their style, they do offer excellent slope side convenience and a high quality of snow. There are some excellent independent ski schools in many of the French resorts, which have small groups, a high standard of tuition and English speaking instructors. Some of these offer excellent children’s’ lessons
If you are looking for a more cost effective option, some of the traditional villages, which are linked to the larger ski areas, can offer the best of both worlds, such as Champagny for La Plagne or Les Carroz for Flaine. There are also genuine mountain villages which exude rustic charm and gallic atmosphere with their own skiing such as La Clusaz in the Aravis mountains.
Most of the accommodation in France is in apartments rather than hotels. One of the newest innovations in most of the major French resorts is the availability of larger and more comfortably furnished apartments similar to those found in North America. Often these new developments have their own pool and sauna and some such as Arc 1950 offer half board arrangements as well.
Food is still one of France’s main advantages, as most mountain restaurants offer a good value ‘plat du jour’. In the evening a large number of resorts have restaurants serving excellent food and the wine is of a reasonable quality and is inexpensive too.
Nightlife is excellent, and is especially good for the young in most of the big name resorts such as Meribel, Chamonix or Val d’Isere. However, the nightlife in the more apartment style resorts such as Flaine or Isola tends to be more limited. Live music is not widespread and clubs tend to be pricey in the top resorts.
The main disadvantage for France is that most hotels and nearly all apartments are still very much geared to weekend departures, so if you are looking for a long weekend, Switzerland or Austria are the countries to focus on.
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