Les 3 Vallées Ski Resorts

Les Trois Valles: So Much Skiing At One Of The World's Largest Ski Areas - Les Trois Valles (The Three Valleys) is a ski region in the Savoie Département of France, above the town of Moûtiers, near the Vanoise National Park and the Tarentaise. You can ski the interlinked valleys using a... Full Overview

Les Trois Valles: So Much Skiing At One Of The World's Largest Ski Areas -

Les Trois Valles (The Three Valleys) is a ski region in the Savoie Département of France, above the town of Moûtiers, near the Vanoise National Park and the Tarentaise.

You can ski the interlinked valleys using a single ski pass. That makes Les Trois Vallées the largest ski area in the world connected solely by ski lifts and pistes. It has more than 600 km of ski slopes, resulting in 18.5 km of groomed runs.

There are 120 km for cross-country skiing. Les Trois Vallées has 183 ski lifts, and can move 260,000 skiers per hour. There are 1,500 ski instructors.

As implied by its name, the area originally consisted of three valleys: Saint-Bon, Allues, and Belleville. The ski area since has been extended into the Maurienne valley. It is adjacent to Val Thorens, but also can be accessed using a long gondola lift from Orelle.

The ski areas include Courcheval, La Tania, Meribel, Brides-les-Bain, Val Thorens, Les Menuires, St.-Martin-de-Belleville, and Orelle.

Courcheval is the largest and best known of the resorts. Val Thorens is in the heart of a huge circle dominated by six glaciers. It is the highest ski resort in Les Trois Vallées.

La Tania is set in the midst of a forest. Brides-les-Bains is primarily a spa resort. You will need to go higher up to gain access to the skiing and riding.

Les Trois Vallees is is 160 km away from Geneva. The train from Geneva takes three to four hours. The most convenient way of reaching the area is by taking a train from Paris or London (via Eurostar) to Moutiers Station, 30 km away, and taking a bus or taxi to your chosen resort in Les Trois Vallees.

Driving to Les Trois Vallees is not the best option, as weather conditions, combined with crowded roadways, sometimes means a four- or five-hour ordeal. Should you drive: Take the A43 motorway to Albertville, and the RN90 to Moutiers.

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