@@badroo well obviously 🙄 we sell those 7 ski destinations if they the best in my opinion and I have hand picked those ski resorts to work with. We also work with another 9 ski resorts (16 total) 👉 www.topsnowtravel.com/french-ski-resorts/ Do you expect me to choose ski resorts I don’t think are the best and don’t want to work with??? I really don’t see the point in that comment and where you’re going with this??? As if it’s some kinda trick or something… from the channel name and our website, it’s obvious we are a business and therefore we do sell products and services. It’s free info by the way, nothing or no one is pushing you to buy anything you know…

Definitely not done by then, you can get definitely get some pow in March in Haute Maurienne, as always with mother nature, it will be a surprise what you will get… have fun!!!! By the way, are you going to Aussois? That’s opposite to La Norma. My family had a holiday apartment at Valfréjus, an awesome little ski resort down the road from where you’ll be. If you get La Norma pass you can ski there too. If you ski and stay in Aussois, it’s south facing and won’t keep the snow as well as on the other side of the valley

@topsnowtravel yeah spot on. We are at aussois because it is south facing and my kids are very young and beginners. I want them comfortable hah. I'll go across to the north facing mountains when I get some me time. Thanks for the input. You are a legend. I'll check out valfrejus. Excuse my French.

@@samuelbroer2834 yeah that makes sense, gotta look out for the little ones first and there’s nothing like sunshine ☀️ on those cold days. If you are driving, you should check out one of the nicest traditional villages in the French Alps (high altitude at 1835m) called Bonneval-sur-Arc which is about 40min away. The village is absolutely beautiful !!!

@@topsnowtravel we are driving so we can make the most of tips like this!😊 Will definitely check it out.

Amazing for off-piste, the nice part of town (rue du Dr Paccard, Pl Balmat…) and those stunning in your face peaks of all the aiguilles are incredible but yes when it comes to logistics to get to the slopes (having to bus it or drive) , it’s annoying compared to the higher altitude ski resorts with convenient ski-in ski ⛷️ out access (or a few steps away). Not to mention you can only really ski one section a day in Chamonix so it is limited although all under the MBU lift pass , it’s all disconnected

@@sozkasteffa5259 thanks mate!! 😊👍

No worries, it could be wise to choose a higher altitude ski resort if going later in the season for better snow conditions. The snow has arrived already well and truly, 🤞 for a great snow season for all!!!

This mid Jan we reserved apartment from Morzine, this is our first time visiting there, what is your opinion about accomodating morzine vs avoriaz? Thnx

You must be so pumped up!! I remember doing my first season in Val d’Isere, it was the best year of my life. You’re going to have an incredible experience!!!! Make the most of it!! The snow has already arrived 🤩❄️☃️🌨️

Thanks mate! Yeah I figured there would be a few upsets with some preferring Courchevel as #1 instead of Val d’Isère. At least it made it in my Top 7 😉

Espace San Bernardo: La Rosière (France) + La Thuile (Italy) 155 km of runs 82 runs (8 greens, 25 blues, 35 reds and 14 black) 38 Lifts (1 Gondola, 21 chairlifts, 11 T-Bars, 5 magic carpets)

Thanks Mate! Great feedback, it's on the to do list

@@carterfan80 low altitude ski resorts. The tree line in France and Europe is probably almost half the altitude in the US. Megève, Les Gets, Courchevel, Méribel etc… all have great tree skiing. It will depend on your ski level ability though which resort is best suited

@topsnowtravel thanks. That helps. Investigating Europe is a little overwhelming as an american. There are so many resorts, and it's just an entire different infrastructure and way of looking at the sport. I'm sure I'll get there eventually, but it's just a little hard for me to justify the amount of extra time and money it takes to get there. But it does look like France will be my first trip! Based on my research

Nice !!! Have fun in Arc 1950, it's beautiful!! Here is my vid from earlier this January 2024 for a full review of Arc 1950: 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5STd5iwr56eqcU and for my full review of Les Arcs 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pICrmml5adqYfJI

@@Вячеслав-ж1ш7и you’re welcome 😉

@@MathiasNO sounds like you were pretty lucky 🍀 if you go back late Feb again, let us know, I would be curious to hear from your experience if there was a difference or not.

ahhh the best of both worlds! Powder is up to mother nature and is never guaranteed. The best freestyle ski resorts if you want to send it in the park are : Avoriaz 1800 (The Stash by Burton is giant ecological all-natural freestyle park located in the woods, La Chapelle for all levels and Arare snowpark for the experts) Les Deux Alpes (La Toura & Freestyle Land), Le Grand Bornand (Snowpark GB), Meribel (The Open Park with a rookie zone and a pro zone), Val d’Isere (Val d’Isere Snowpark) & Tignes (DC Park - 2 easy parks and 1 expert)

Shopping and spas you say and off-piste? Try Courchevel or val d'Isere or both 😁 You will find plenty of off-piste especially if you book a private local guide, the ski areas are so big. For big off-piste, try Chamonix or La Grave but forget about spa and shopping at La Grave, it's very, very quiet and not suitable at all for non skiers. Courchevel has some stunning luxurious hotels with the most incredible spas and wellness centers. You also have the Aquamotion in Courchevel (between 1550 and 1650): Europe's largest mountain water park, featuring pools, slides, a spa, and wellness activities

Wow, same here, 38 years! haha what a coincidence. Yeah unfortunately some people don't have a choice and have to go in Feb and pay 2x/3x times the amount in January or mid-late March and I do too feel so bad for them. I have kids 2 but we are lucky enough here in Australia our summer school holidays go from mid-Dec to around 28 Jan.

Thanks mate!

Dont go in feb, full slopes, go in January, u will be surprised, a lot better snow than april for sure!

Try late January before the Feb school holidays! Yes, snow conditions will most likely be a lot different than early April. With the high chances of difference from hot and cold temperatures, you might get melted snow in the afternoon which then turns to ice overnight and early in the morning followed by slush in the afternoon, so the snowpack might be more inconsistent. Saying that, i have had some of the best powder days late April (Val d'Isere) surprisingly but that was in 2012.

Where in les Arcs do you stay...I loved the resort

@@calvinhall4878 Arc 1950 is the nicest village 👉 Arc 1950 Ski Resort: A Winter Wonderland kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5STd5iwr56eqcU

Food and service is excellent 👌 on Cathay in business!! Enjoy the ride

Haha 😂 YES!!!! Pooooowder 🤤 🤩 Can't argue with that!

Merci 🙏 bonne saison!!!

@@jleroulley yeah 👍 definitely a good choice.

@@topsnowtravel i from french alps. Born at the bottom of Grand Massif. I have practiced skiing for local ski team. Trust me for Mars before 21th. - Not warm - Huge amount of snow - No holidays

Thanks 🙏 to you Stéphane!! You got me into it, now I just want more 😂

@@francoisfoue Indeed 😁👍

And it's only time i can go with my children :)

I have just moved my trip from 25th of January for a week to the 1st of February for week. Am I right that it will still miss the holiday season and be a good time to go?

@@tommikiviniemi5558 you’re probably right, one of the best options or second last week of Jan…

@@bewati1 thanks for your feedback!! Yes 👍 always avoid the Feb school holidays at all cost if you have a choice. We don’t have those issues with small apartments generally as our accommodation option ranges from high standard 4-star to 5-star (but we mainly do 5). I prefer to focus on high quality rather than volume. You can find our range here 👉 www.topsnowtravel.com Have fun in January! I will be Les Portes du Soleil and a few other spots this January too 😊👍

@@avitaygeltman8491 thanks mate! There’s a free resort shuttle bus that loops 🔁 around all day and night… if you don’t wanna wait, the walk is not that far, especially after a few drinks, maybe around 1.5km over the frozen lake or by the road 2km

@@topsnowtravel Awesome! thanks :)

@@ethanyoon3964 it depends what you mean by first time visitor. Are you new to skiing? Opening day is generally an amazing day as everywhere you go is untracked so the first day, you can find some powder galore but both those resorts will already be opened by then (late November) so that won’t apply. Tignes might also have better conditions and would be a great choice also for very early season: Tignes Ski Resort - Truly Unique kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHaXmapvrr51otE

Good luck finding a hotel at Val thorens

I'm going VT then! 8x years in a row (other than covid) opening at VT is snow sure in early December for sure

I live in Savoy, snow is falling this week, there will be good snow. Opening days are good when there is good snow, which will be the case this year.

@@francoisfoue love 🥰 it!!!! Thanks 🙏 for the local update. Much appreciated!!!!

Well that was a mouth full 😂 Thanks for your in depth feedback. I can’t believe you would put BSM as a ski town though, nothing there, pretty ugly in my opinion, just an average passing through town handy for groceries when staying in the nearby resorts of the Tarentaise valley. When I mention Arc 1950, I’m talking about where to stay, of course the entire Les Arcs-Peisey Vallandry ski area is so beautiful, I didn’t mention just the ski area around 1950. There’s no beating about the bush, Arc 1800 and Arc 1600 are plain ugly and an eye sore so I will certainly stand by my comment and that Les Arcs ski area and views are amazing and it’s true that the crowds are more from the French market compared to the likes of Val d’Isère, Courchevel, Méribel. Le Grand Bornand is not so much the best kept secrets in the French Alps, we’ve been selling ski holidays to Le Grand Bo for over 10 years and is part of the Top 16 ski resorts in France we work with: www.topsnowtravel.com/french-ski-resorts/ . La Rosière is also part of our Top 16 : kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGSWfoB-p7FjZ7csi=uBmCgThHLgibM4bO What do you mean Val d’Isere freezing 🥶 in January and February?? It never gets that cold at all (I used to live there) between -5 and - 12 which you want anyway for dry snow conditions. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -25.3 which was 24 years ago… I have been in Banff Canada 🇨🇦 with minus -35. Now that’s freezing 🥶 Having a bit of traffic in and out is worth the sacrifice to get to experience Val d’Isere. This video is about the best ski resorts, NOT the cheapest or best value. Usually there’s a price to pay to get the best and that’s why they’re there and more expensive. To be the best has to come as a whole package which would include everything from restaurants, bars winter activities, ski area size etc… you can’t tell me Orelle would offer guests travelling there the best of everything including the bars, restaurants, winter activities etc.. Glad your #1 Les Arcs is in my Top 7 at least 😁

you're looking at around USD $650 per day day for a full day private guide in val d'Isere in low season (9am - 4pm). You can easily not do any hiking on powder days especially in low season January as the ski area is quite spread out (bigger than any resorts in the US). Saying that, i can't of course predict snow and weather conditions... Here is a video on The Best Time to go skiing in France if you're interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqqphqKPYtulga8

I prefer Le Lac personally

@topsnowtravel Thank you. Here comes le lac

@rustynuts4426 have fun!!! Make sure you try the ULM 😁 It’s worth it! Flying a Mini Plane - CRAZY Views! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGqQkoVvjLJ5q9k

Merci pour avoir partagé votre expérience et point de vue de La Plagne!!

👋

Say as you wish, I have skied 76 ski resorts worldwide and counting incl 44 in France alone for 37 years skiing every year except COVID so I’m well placed to have an experience opinion on this subject not to mention that I have been working in the ski industry selling ski holidays for 18 years now. My question to you is, can you match that experience? I will answer that one for you, I don’t think so. There’s no need for jealousy these were just facts. Each of these ski resorts in the 3 valleys offer a totally unique experience and are completely different from one another. Staying in Courchevel is simply not the same as staying in Les Menuires. Period. So yes I will mention those different ski resorts even if if they are linked under 1 ski area: The 3 Valleys. I have stayed at all those resorts, not “just skied them” like you who stayed at Les Menuires and therefore would have no clue what the true experience feels like to stay in Meribel or Courchevel if you’re just skiing passing through.

Dis ce que tu veux, j'ai skié dans 76 stations de ski dans le monde et 44 rien qu'en France pendant 37 ans de ski chaque année sauf COVID donc je suis bien placé pour avoir un avis d'expérience sur ce sujet sans compter que j'ai travaillé dans l'industrie du ski vendant des séjours au ski depuis maintenant 18 ans. Ma question est la suivante : est-ce que tu peux égaler cette expérience ? Je vais répondre à cette question pour toi, non je ne pense pas. Il n’y a pas lieu d’être jaloux, ce n’étaient que des faits. Chacune de ces stations de ski des 3 vallées offre une expérience totalement unique et complètement différente les unes des autres. Séjourner à Courchevel n’est tout simplement pas la même chose que séjourner aux Menuires. Point. Alors oui je citerai ces différentes stations de ski même si elles sont reliées sous un seul domaine skiable : Les 3 Vallées. J'ai séjourné dans toutes ces stations, je ne me suis pas contenté de les skier comme toi qui as juste séjourné aux Menuires et qui n'as donc aucune idée de la véritable expérience de séjourner à Méribel ou à Courchevel si tu ne fais que skier de passage.

@@topsnowtravel Selon ta méthode... j'ai skié 10 domaines en 2 jours (dimanche encore aux Arcs - 4 domaines, puis lundi aux 3 vallées - au moins 6 domaines! Une façon de calculer comme une autre! Pour moi, les 3 vallées, c'est un domaine et non la somme de tous les villages. On l'appelle aussi "le plus grand domaine skiable." et non " les plus grands domaines..." Sans compter les 3 semaines dans "20" domaines (selon ta méthode) en Autriche! Ça ne réduit, impacte, ... en aucune façon ton expérience, tes connaissances, ton reportage ou je ne sais pas quoi! Ta façon de calculer, compter, ... n'est, de mon point de vue (ni moins, ni plus), pas correcte. ... et moi j'ai fait de la compétition FIS il y a encore 15 ans (et ça change quoi maintenant? - Rien)...

Pas du tout. Est ce que je parles des domaines skiables ? Non, je parle des stations de ski (ski resorts)... tu es fixé sur ce sujet que toi tu racontes toi, pas moi. Je pense que tu ne sembles pas connaitre la difference entre une station de ski et un domaine skiable??? Ce n'est pas pareil. Cette video est pour savoir où sont les meilleurs stations en France pour y passer les vacances. Donc dans mes références oui, j'ai skié sur plus de 40 stations en France, je n'ai pas dis j'ai skié sur 40+ domaines de ski différents; mais peut-etre que ta compréhension de l'anglais n'est pas si bonne... Voila les stations de ski ou j'ai skié: France (40+) Abondance, Alpe d'Huez, Auris-en-Oisans, Aussois, Avoriaz, Brides-les-Bains, Champéry, Champagny-en-Vanoise, Chamonix (Brévent-Flégère, Les Houches, La Vallée Blanche), Châtel, Champoussin, Courchevel, La Chapelle d'Abondance, La Norma, La Plagne, La Rosière, La Tania, Le Grand Bornand, Les Arcs, Les Crosets, Les Gets, Les Menuires, Les Deux Alpes, Megève, Méribel, Montriond, Morgins, Morzine, Orelle, Oz-en-Oisans, Peisey-Vallandry, Saint-Foy, St Jean d'Aulps, St Martin de Belleville, Tignes, Torgon, Val-d'Illiez, Val Cenis, Valfréjus, Val d’Isère, Valmorel, Val Thorens, Vaujany, Villard Reculas. Italy Pragelato, Sestriere, La Thuile. Switzerland Andermatt, Gstaad, Grindelwald, Wengen, Zermatt. Canada Whistler Blackcomb, Banff (Mt Norquay & Sunshine), Lake Louise, Jasper. USA Heavenly, Northstar, Squaw Valley, Mammoth Mountain, Aspen, Snowmass, Park City, Canyons, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone. New Zealand Mt Hutt, Remarkables, Coronet Peak, Treble Cone, Cardrona, staying in Queenstown, Wanaka & Methven. Australia Perisher, Thredbo.

@@tiestu7612 yeah too many to mention but great ones there, most of them are in our Top 16 👉 www.topsnowtravel.com/french-ski-resorts/

Never forgotten of course 😊👍

Yeah !

Haha blue or orange jacket? Yeah the weather was pretty bad that week unfortunately but that’s just mother nature, you win some you lose some. Thanks for watching, maybe I will see you in another video too 😃

@@topsnowtravel I was in the blue jacket. We did a week there and then straight off to the three valleys and did another week there. Had a few white outs on the second week aswell.

@ sounds like you had a sick trip 🤙

😒

Tignes is on my Top 10 just doesn’t quite make it in my top 7. But a great ski resort 👉 Tignes Ski Resort - Truly Unique kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHaXmapvrr51otE

Yeah i agree, as mentioned in the video, although it is rated 5-star, I give it 4 at best.

@@equalizer_8736 not for me… too annoying to get around to the slopes, low altitude so the town is not covered in snow throughout winter, no great terrain parks, exceptional off-piste yes I must admit but the conditions are not always so great for off-piste.

Trop facile à dire sans trop y penser. Je pense que ceux qui travaillent dans le tourisme ou dans les stations qui ont besoin de la clientèle pour survivre ne seront pas d’accord avec toi. Au total, les voyages et le tourisme ont généré, directement et indirectement, 2,86 millions d'emplois dans le pays en France en 2023. Ce chiffre devrait atteindre environ 2,93 millions en 2024.

Mégève has stunning scenery but as you rightly said, it is very low in altitude and you sometimes can get rain instead of snow, I’ve had both there with tones of beautiful powder one day and a few days later rain. No high altitude ski terrain. The ski area is a bit disconnected in 2 parts so not really seamless , great spot , amazing town , beautiful chalets and hotels and is part of our Top 16 ski resorts but just doesn’t make the top 7 . 👉 www.topsnowtravel.com/french-ski-resorts/

No sponsors. These are the ski resorts with the best accommodation options, winter activities and ski terrain overall. What does imagination have to do with a ranking of the top ski resorts in France?

Plus Arc 1600 being directly accessible by rail, with TGV high speed train + funicular cable car right up to the resort! Get off the coach, put on your skis! 😎

Désolé mais personnellement, je trouve Arc 1600 et Flaine horrible et moche sauf Le Hameau de Flaine avec les jolies chalets Scandinave mais Flaine Forum et Flaine Forêt avec ces bâtiments horrible, on dirait une prison . Je parle point de vue de la station bien sûr, pas le domaine skiable qui eux (Paradiski et Grand Massif) sont magnifiques et effectivement avec des vues à couper le souffle. Les Aravis sont superbes effectivement 😊👍 je préfère Le Grand Bo mais bon ça c’est juste un choix personnel mais La Clusaz est sympa aussi mais n’entrerait pas dans le top 10 pour moi et c’est trop bas en altitude (1100m) donc plus de chance d’avoir de la pluie ces jours-ci

Arc 1699 et Flaine sont des produits architecturaux extraordinaires, ce qui ne signifie pas qu'ils sont beaux,'mais au moins ils marquent votre mémoire par leur originalité. Ce ne sont pas des disneylands comme Arc 1950, ou des copies de pseudo villages savoyards comme Méribel ou Val d'Isère.