Ski and Snowboard Val Thorens, France

Val Thorens in Les Trois Vallées, France

None of the Trois Vallées villages is more attuned to the single-minded pursuit of winter sport than Val Thorens.

From the moment you park your car in indoor parking near this cluster of high-rise apartments and hotels, you can feel the hum of sport activity. At 7,546 feet, Val Thorens is designed for the young and restless, or at least for the young-at-heart and active. Its altitude is the highest of any European resort. Besides some of the best winter skiing offered anywhere, there’s a huge newly renovated indoor sports complex and Aqua Club where you can play tennis on one of three courts, work out in the gym or try your hand at squash.

Here is an interactive Val Thorens resort map.

Outside, the crowd is one teeming mass of rainbow-colored movement: snowmobilers, skiers, snowboarders, parasailors and monoskiers riding high-speed lifts and winding through the apartment and hotel complexes. The real claim to fame is the atmosphere of sport, sure snow and the lofty location of this fun town.

The neon signs, bright splashy ads and general carnival atmosphere of Val Thorens makes it feel like a video arcade. In some Alpine resorts they play acoustic oom-pah, but here it’s bass-heavy “Techno Euro-Rock” blaring from speakers. After a slight decompression period, however, the look feels in sync with the area’s character: fun-loving, sporting and slightly outrageous.

If you’re looking to have a drink of wine and a laugh with the locals, then you’ll fit right in. If you want to be waited on and pampered by lift attendants and polite locals alike, better to book St. Moritz.
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Interactive trail maps copyright Val Thorens Office du Tourisme

Val Thorens Tourist Information:

Val Thorens Office du Tourisme, 73440 Val Thorens, France
Country code: 0033
Telephone: 04 79 00 08 08
Fax: 04 79 00 00 04

Reservations are handled by Val Thorens Reservations
Country code: 0033
Telephone: 04 79 00 01 06
Fax: 04 79 00 06 49
Internet: www.valthorens.com
E-mail: reserver@valthorens.com

Note: All prices are in Euros unless otherwise noted.

For more information on skiing and staying in the country of France, click the map.