This section should give you enough information about the Val d'Isère area for you to be able to find your way around town on foot or by public transport. Many Alpine resorts are now trying to discourage visitors from using their cars on a daily basis and offer buses and shuttles as an alternative.
Val d'Isere & its Surroundings
An original small alpine farming village, Val d'Isere has continued to develop into a modern alpine village whilst maintain its village feel and sense of tradition. Life in Val started at the village church and today the Church remains very much a part of the town. The 'Old Town' is undoubtedly the prettiest, with quaint, old stone properties lining little snow filled streets. A certain savoyard way of life is embodied in these traditional stone and wood houses.
This French ski resort remains a firm favourite with both the British and French offering some of the best skiing and boarding in the world. There's over 300km of marked pisted runs and unlimited off piste skiing within the Espace Killy area making it an ideal location for skiers and boarders of all abilities to find something which satisfies all. In combination with its neighbouring resort Tignes, the 'Espace Killy' area is dedicated to all aspects of skiing. It is also set to host the World Skiing Championships in 2009.
Due to its location against the peaks of the Italian border, Val d'Isere's record of snowfall is exceptional. Whilst benefiting from the same Atlantic depressions as other French resorts, it often receives heavy falls of snow from the Mediterranean low pressures which dump their snow on the Italian Alps. The snow coverage tends to be one of the best in Europe and conditions normally facilitate good skiing right to the end of the season (which tends to be around the 08 May, give or take a day or two). There are 96 lifts spreading ten miles across Val d’Isère and Tignes that can now carry 149,425 skiers per hour. Most of Val d’Isère’s lifts are long and rapid, travelling vertically more than horizontally, so there’s a lot of skiing back down for a short trip up. With it's resort height and excellent snow conditions you can generally ski back to the heart of the village right until the end of April/beginning of May (with care).
The centre and old town of Val d'Isere consists of stone and wooden clad chalets which adds to the cosy feel of the resort. Sadly there are some interesting apartment creations and designs reminiscent of the 1970s high rises dotted around the village of Val d'Isere, since tighter building regulations and greater emphasis on traditional chalet-style the traditional savoyard architecture has made a comeback. Many buildings will undoubtedly be spruced up for the World Cup in 2009.
It has to be said, Val d'Isere is a top destination with a vibrant and lively atmosphere centred on the wide main street that runs the length of the town. Fashion shops, restaurants and cafés, a cinema, and bars all line the busy high street giving plenty of choice and variety. More recently, there's a increasing emphasis being placed the look and feel of Val d'Isere. During the winter season, every Thursday, the main high street is closed off to all vehicles, and transport re-routed round the town to transform the area into a pedestrian zone where vistors can enjoy a variety of street entertainment, ice and snow sculpting, parades and live music. There are plans to make the centre of the resort completely pedestrianised by the year 2008. Every Monday near the tourist office, the market comes to town selling local cheeses and cured meats, sweets and clothes giving the village a real french feel.
"Val d'Isere" is made up of a number of small charming little 'hamlets' namely :Le Cret, Le Joseray, Le Chatelard, La Legettaz, Le Laisinant, Le Daille and Le Fornet. More recently the area of Les Carats (millionaire's row as it's locally known!) has developed it's own character and charm with luxury chalet companies chosing to select properties there. The hamlets of La Daille and Le Fornet are the largest of these areas, and essentially 'villages' in their own right.
Le Cret is one of the earliest and most charismatic areas of Val d'Isere. Nestled into the hillside, this area is situated in between La Daille and the village centre and offers it's residents some spectacular scenery over the Espace Killly. A number of the properties located in Le Cret are converted farmhouses built in old stone and wood cladding, many having been beautifully restored with luxurious internal furnishings. This area used to home of the famous Chalet du Cret restaurant which sadly shut it's doors in 2005 and was refurbished as chalet accommodation.
Le Joseray, La Legettaz and Le Chatelard are located about 5 minutes from the centre of the village, through the tunnel that leads from the main roundabout. These areas are all located within close proximity of each other and offer further residential accommodation in the form of apartments and chalets (some of them luxurious). All are ideally located at the bottom of the Manchet valley providing excellent skiing convenience as the Santons piste offers many who stay here the possibility of skiing back to their front door.
Le Laisinant is a small hamlet situated at the top end of Val d'Isere before the village of Le Fornet. The new Laisiant Express chairlift was opened during the winter 2005/06 season taking skiers to the top of the Solaise and Le Fornet skiing areas. When skiing conditions permit you can ski right back to your door in this area using the Piste 'L' route.
La Daille
After passing through all the mountain tunnels and just before reaching Val d'Isere village you pass through the resort of La Daille. Although there are some older converted wooden chalets here, in the main it does look a little unsightly with a number of high rise apartment blocks surrounding them. On the flip side, La Daille provides some good 'value for money' self-catering and chalet accommodation. Being located at the base of the piste there's never more than a 2-3 minute walk from your apartment to the slopes that link you to the entire Espace Killy lift system. If you're lucky enough to have an apartment over looking the piste, then in December you'll have a bird's eye view of the championship skiers competing in the Criterium de le Premier Neige. It's also only a 5 minute bus journey into the centre of town and with the free bus provding an excellent service until the 'wee small hours', you are not too far away from the centre of town. Over the next few years, in preparation for the World Cup in 2009 this area is to undergo a significant revamp and recladding project.
Le Fornet
5kms out of town beyond Val d'Isere is the beautiful quiet little hamlet of 'Le Fornet'. Often ignored by holiday makers because it lies outside of town Le Fornet has a picture postcard appearence where chalets tend to be more chic and expensive, built to traditional savoyard stone and wood designs. In the summer the area marks the start of the Col d'Iseran which winds it way up the mountain hillside. When winter arrives the Col is completely covered by snow and the area of Le Fornet opens up some of the Espace Killy's best off-piste skiing. The accessibility, numerous gullies and bowls available here make it a firm favourite with many off-piste skiers and boarders alike. Off the side of the piste under the Cascades Chairlift there is a gentle wide open powder pitch that due to the altitude and quiet nature of Le Fornet stays fresh longer than most other areas in Val. A twenty minute hike from the top of the Signal drag lift of the will offer great runs like Point Pers and Col Pers. However, it's also a highly dangerous area with sections that are prone to large avalanches so is not recommended without the skills of a qualified mountain guide.
Le Fornet also offers the only glacier skiing in Val d'Isere at 3400m. Le Fornet offers over in the region of 1500m of vertical descent. From the top of the glacier you can ski down to the bottom of the valley at 1930m. The hamlet of Le Fornet is one of Val d'Isere's best kept secret.
From aprés ski until the end of the night, you will never get bored in Val d'Isere. Val d'Isere is renouned for its lively apres ski scene and with around twenty different bars, there's bound to be something to suit your tastes. There are over 60 restaurants where dishes range from the usual savoyard specialities to fine haute cuisine. If you enjoy shopping then Val d’Isère has everything from haute couture and technical clothing to art galleries and cheesy souvenir shops.
Maps & Timetables for Val d'Isere
Val d'Isere is made up of a number of small charming little 'hamlets', namely Le Cret, Le Joseray, Le Chatelard, La Legettaz, Le Laisinant, Le Daille and Le Fornet. To help you get your bearings, in this section you will find area maps showing you the layout of the land, detailed street maps, activity area maps, and lift & piste maps for the whole valley. The local transportation timetables are also detailed here to help you get about. ... see "Val d'Isere Maps & Timetables" for more
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