The Five Best Pistes for Beginners in Val d’Isère

This guide to The Five Best Pistes for Beginners in Val d’Isère will help you find routes that boost your confidence in one of the Alps’ most iconic resorts.

Whilst Val d’Isère has some challenging terrain, it also has brilliant beginner and green runs. Val d’Isere is also home to a range of blue pistes ideal for learning and progression. Here’s our list of the five best pistes for beginners in Val d’Isère.

How to Use This Guide

The pistes we’ve chosen are either green or gentle blue runs. They all have wide, forgiving terrain and consistent grooming.

This makes them perfect for first-time skiers or those getting back into skiing.

We’ve included simple directions to each piste, lift information, helpful first-lap tips, and safe download routes back to the village.

We recommend downloading the Val d’Isère piste map for easy navigation. This will help you find the best areas for new skiers.

Safety First – Getting Back Down Without Stress

A challenge for beginners in Val d’Isère is getting back to the village without trying anything too challenging.

Thankfully, you don’t have to ski down if you don’t want to.

You can take both the Solaise gondola and the Olympique cable car options back down to the resort centre.

It’s not only beginners who do this. You’ll see many people taking it when their legs burn late in the day. Don’t feel pressured to ski all the way down just because others are doing it.

The Best Beginner Pistes in Val d’Isère

Pimpam and Poum

Situated at the top of the Solaise Gondola, you’ll find Pimpam and Poum. These beginner-friendly areas offer gentle terrain with incredible views. Unlike many other magic carpet beginner areas, they’re at the top of the mountain. This means that you’ll get to experience the full ski experience from day one. The runs themselves are very gentle and are serviced by covered magic carpets.

Savonnette

Closer to home, right in the heart of the village, you’ll find Savonnette. It’s a short, wide green slope served by a free drag lift. It’s an ideal progression from the magic carpets of Pimpan and Poum. Savovette is also located at the base of the mountain so it’s slightly more sheltered in bad weather.

Savonette is easy to find as it’s located near the Solaise bottom station and not far from our meeting point. It’s great for post-lesson practice or a relaxed warm-up. Because Savonette is at the village level, there’s no need to worry about getting back – you’re already there.

Village one and two

The Village pistes are a great next step for moving from drag lifts and onto chairlifts.  Village will give you a taste of skiing on slightly longer runs. Village is also a sheltered first chairlift to take. As it’s situated at the base of Solaise, it isn’t intimidating.

You can easily access this lift by the Solaise gondola at the town centre snowfront.

Madeleine

If you’re working your way up from the beginner slopes, Madeleine on Solaise is a perfect choice. It’s a designated green run with a wide, gentle gradient.

To get there, take the Solaise gondola from the village and head left at the top. You’ll find the entrance to the run near the Madeleine Express lift. Its sweeping views and soft snow are perfect for your first turns. Stick to skier’s right to avoid faster traffic from other pistes. When you’re done, hop back on the Solaise gondola for a stress-free ride down.

Verte

Another excellent beginner-friendly option is Verte. This long green run winds gently down from the top of Bellevarde towards La Daille.

It’s ideal for linking smooth turns and building stamina. To reach Verte, take the Olympique cable car from the village. This gives you a chance to explore the Bellevarde area of Val d’Isere. 

The top section is particularly mellow. There’s also a natural stopping point near the Etroits chairlift. This gives you the chance to catch your breath or bail out early.

If you’ve had enough, download via Olympique or take the La Daille gondola instead of skiing the final steeper section.

Suggested Progression Loop

If you’re looking for a structured way to explore, here’s a gentle guide for first-time skiers. It has breaks and download options built in.

Get started on Pim Pam and Poum at the top of solaise. Once you’ve mastered these runs, progress onto Savonette and Village. 

Next, take the Solaise gondola and ski Madeleine several times to get into the rhythm. You can also stop for a mid-morning coffee or hot chocolate at the Solaise Lounge if you like.

If energy allows, make your way over to Verte.  Only progress as you feel confident. Otherwise, take the lift down and and finish your day.

Common Beginner Pitfalls in Val d’Isère (and How to Avoid Them)

It’s easy to make a few classic mistakes on your first ski trip, but even easier to avoid. The biggest one is trying to ski home when you’re not ready. 

Many of Val d’Isère’s home runs are deceptively steep and busy, especially at the end of the day. There’s no shame in taking the lift down. It’s often the safer, smarter choice.

Don’t let anyone pressure you into doing runs you don’t want to. It won’t improve your skiing, and you probably won’t enjoy it either. Trust your own pace and stick to your plan. Learning to ski is all about building confidence. Don’t worry about keeping up or skiing too fast for now.