Nestled in the Tarentaise Valley, Val Thorens is a high-altitude ski town in the French Alps. It forms part of the Les Trois Vallees ski area, which boasts around 600 kilometres of trails, making it the largest connected ski area in the world.
In the winter months, you can ski some of the 68 marked runs that descend the north-facing slopes of Val Thorens or take advantage of one of the resort’s terrain parks. Ice skating, paragliding and snowmobiling are also available, as is sledding pulled by enthusiastic huskies.
Travelling with kids? They’ll love a ride on the Cosmojet, which is the longest toboggan run in France. If you’re feeling brave, you can go scuba diving underneath the ice at Lac du Lou. Sweeping views across the resort are on offer from the 1,800-metre-long double zip line of La Bee.
Getting there
Val Thorens is around three hours' drive from Lyon and 2.5 hours from Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Renting a car is the most convenient way of getting to Val Thorens and the town is small enough to explore on foot.