Val Thorens Ski School

Val Thorens offers something for everyone, no matter your child’s age. It’s a great resort for families, as there is so much going on and off the slopes and within the resort. Val Thorens has been accredited a Family Plus Award which means it’s a fantastic resort for families. 

If you’re looking for childcare services in Val Thorens we recommend the following companies:

• MeriNannies – A professional nanny service operating in the Alps since 2003. Striving to provide the best childcare to ensure the whole family have a fantastic holiday. From a full week nanny service to just a few hours babysitting, you can trust Merinannies will go an extra mile to help. Book Your Nanny – MeriNannies

• Alpine Childcare – Links families with local nannies and babysitters working in ski resorts around the Alps.

A baby-sitters list is available from the tourist office. If you’re looking for equipment rentals, Bébés Et Kids Location l’Eskival provide a number of options.

Le Club des Piou Piou is a non-ski nursery that accepts children from 18 months to 5 years old. The Club is run by ESF Val Thorens Ski & Snowboard School & the centre is approved by the DDASS and the Departmental for Youth and Sport. Toilet facilities, play areas and a restaurant are available on-site for children.

Val Thorens is great for beginners because there is so much terrain to explore. Beginners can use the wide-open nursery slopes, with long magic carpets that take you to the top. The slopes are nice and gentle, and are situated in the middle of the resort, meaning you’re only a few steps away from your accommodation or a bite to eat (or drink!)

Our top tip would be for beginner skiers visiting Val Thorens would be to not rush into buying a lift pass. Some of the slopes you can learn on are actually free to use. Feel free to contact us, or ask whoever you’re staying with for advice on which lifts you can use for free.

Top tips for beginner skiers in Val Thorens

Yes, it’s the highest ski resort in Europe and has great snow cover even late into the springtime.

Fly

If you’re arriving by air then you’ll probably fly into either Chambéry, Grenoble, Lyon or Geneva. The following transfer companies offer airport transfers, either private or sometimes shared:

3 Valley Transfers

Snowbound Transfers to Val Thorens

Cool Runnings

Sky2ski

Snowlinx

Snow White Transfers

Ski Lifts

AlpyBus

There are buses from the airport but you will need to change at Moutiers If you are travelling as part of a large group it may be cheaper to share a taxi transfer. Check Bensbus or Altibus for more details.

The train is the cheapest option but again this will involve several changes and the trains are somewhat infrequent.

Drive

The Channel Tunnel & ferries both become options for self-drivers. It’s about a 10hr drive once in France to reach Val Thorens. The benefits of driving are the ability to travel at your own pace & with as much luggage as you like! You’ll also have the option of an extra day skiing during a week’s holiday. Factor in the road tolls which can be quite pricey on the motorways.

Train

Eurostar offers overnight trains direct from London St Pancras to Moutiers (37km or about 50mins by car from Val Thorens, at the foot of the mountain). If you don’t mind overnight travel and can sleep on trains (or are willing to forego sleep) then this can be one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to reach the Alps. Plus, there are no extra charges for ski carriage! You just need to be able to carry all your gear!

Your ski or snowboarding holiday to Val Thorens can be as expensive or budget as you like. With plenty of self catered apartments and cheaper restaurants to choose from, there’s something for every budget.

There is also a huge variety of chalets and hotels if you’d prefer to spend more on accommodation. There is lift passes and ski hire to take into consideration. Luckily we have a discount code for Ski Set in Val Thorens. Click here to book online and take advantage of our ski equipment hire discount.

Click here to find out when the pistes in Val Thorens ski resort will open.

The highest cinema in Europe, Le Lac Blanc Cinema on Grande Rue, has Two showings per day, one at 5.30 pm and the other at 9 pm. On bad weather days, an extra show is added at 2.30 pm.

Bowling De Val Thorens (near the tourist office, Place de L’Arche), with 8 lanes & bumpers available for children.  There is also a games room with billiard, pool and snooker tables as well as video games, table football and air hockey.

Sledging on the 6km long run (longest in France) which is accessible from the Funitel Peclet and starts at the bottom of the Glacier de Peclet. The run is open every day from 10:00 to 15:00 and on every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening.

Centre Sportif De Val Thorens in Galerie Caron has the following indoor facilities for children; swimming pools, bouncy castles, trampolines, soft play ball pits, tennis, football, volleyball, squash courts, ping-pong tables, badminton courts, basketball courts

There are plenty of trails to keep keen walkers entertained, a detailed trail map is available for free at the Tourist Office.  The team can also recommend trails further down the Belleville Valley (accessible using the valley shuttle bus service).

Guided snowmobile tours at 17.30 pm every evening with Val Tho Motoneige.

Classic & Jazz music concerts take place in the church every Tuesday at 18.30pm (free entry)

Take a look at the current snow conditions in Val Thorens, by clicking here.

The closest airport is Chambery, but most international flights are to Geneva, Lyon or Grenoble which are 2.5 hours away.

Val Thorens ski resort sits at 2,300m at is the highest ski resort in Europe.

The ski resort of Val Thorens is good for nightlife. In recent years the resort’s apres-ski scene has grown in popularity and it’s hard to mention Val Thorens without mentioning the incredible Folie Douce and Malaysia (the Alps biggest underground nightclub.)

Other lively apres-ski bars in Val Thorens:

• Le Viking
• Ruhm Box
• Bar360
• Jackie

If you’re looking for more information about resort including where to eat, what’s on during your stay and general hints and tips then try one of the following websites:

ValThonet
A helpful site with regular event listings of what’s going on in resort, snow reports and more.

ValThorensGuide
An independent guide to Val Thorens.

Val Thorens Tourist Website
The official site for Val Thorens.

There is a free resort shuttle running between 8am & 20pm with three different circuits. The most popular circuits ‘Circuit de la Boucle’ and ‘Circuit du Soleil’ provide around 3 services an hour.

Alternatively, there are several local taxi options (a full list is available through the Val Thorens tourist office).  Try Allo 73 Taxi +33 (0)6 59 81 04 25.

Street parking is forbidden except for short periods at the weekend to allow for easier loading & unloading of luggage.  We would recommend booking your parking space with VALTHOPARC before arrival.  The office is open 24 hours a day so arrival at night will not be a problem.

There are 5 parking areas, with free day parking at P4 (before you get to the entrance to the resort).  From P4 there is a pedestrian friendly lift ‘Cairn’ from the lift station across the bridge from the car park to connect you to Val Thorens resort itself.

Beginners will not need a lift pass for day 1 as there is a free beginner area at the foot of the pistes. Your instructor will tell you when you need to buy a lift pass.

All other groups will need a Val Thorens – Orelle valley lift pass for your lessons. There is such vast range of terrain on our doorstep in Val Thorens, so we normally don’t go into the Three Valleys in our groups although higher level skiers might want to explore outside of lessons. Day upgrades can be bought for this purpose.