Help with my shortlist

Ok, just planning ahead for next season. I intend to make 3 trips if possible, and my I will select from Austria, France, Switzerland and Italy.
I have done some research and checked out WTSS, and my shortlist has been drawn up. Here are my selctions for France. I would be most grateful if anyone who has been to all/some/any of these resorts would give me some feedback.
I am looking for info on the ski area in terms of ease of access, possibly ski back to resort, lift queues, snow, and any other useful info you wish to share.
I have selected the resorts based on their access to reasonably sized ski areas and offering suitable accommodation and atmosphere for me.
Heres the French selection:

Risoul
Flaine
Tignes/Val d'Isere
La Plagne/Les Arcs
Alpe d'Huez
Les Seybelles

Thanks in advance.

Tony, I've been to Tignes, Les Arcs and Alpe d'huez and I can safely say that you'd love the skiing in all three.

If you were to choose Les Arcs the peisey-vallandry area would make it easier for access to la plagne (assuming you'd go over at least twice!).

As you know, I haven't skied [much of] tignes but, from the group's reactions, it's the best skiing. It's also the least french! However, it is very english and I don't know if this would put you off.

:thumbup:

Thanks Caron.
My friend has just returned from Les Arcs and said it was brilliant. But he is a beginner so his needs are quite different from mine!
I need mileage, lots to go at, good lift connection, lack of queuing. I always go out of peak season which helps with the queues.
I dont mind if its full of English or if there are no English in sight. The selection of my resorts was based on altitude, snow records, and piste extent mainly.
Les Arcs looks impressive, as does La Plagne, and I like La Plagne as its mainly chalet based.
I end up year in year out considering Alpe d'Huez very closely and almost booking somewhere, and then choosing somewhere else at the last minute. Theres a lot of skiing there, and some of the chalets in particular are extremely nice.
Risoul and Les Seybelles look like being a little different and less mainstream. I liked Serre Che as it wasnt what I would class as a mega resort, but it had lots to go at too. It was more like a cluster of villages with some lifts going up to a superb ski area!
Thanks for your offerings Caron. I await details on some of the places I know less about.

caron-a wrote: If you were to choose Les Arcs the peisey-vallandry area would make it easier for access to la plagne (assuming you'd go over at least twice!).

Have to agree. I have stayed in both La Plagne and Les Arcs and preferred Les Arcs. The Peisey-Vallandry area had great skiing and it was so easy to get over to La Plagne from there. But, be warned, if you're staying further up the mountain, make sure you get back across in plenty of time not to miss the last lifts!!!

Tony_H wrote:
I am looking for info on the ski area in terms of ease of access, possibly ski back to resort, lift queues, snow, and any other useful info you wish to share.
I have selected the resorts based on their access to reasonably sized ski areas and offering suitable accommodation and atmosphere for me.
Heres the French selection:

Risoul
Flaine
Tignes/Val d'Isere
La Plagne/Les Arcs
Alpe d'Huez
Les Seybelles

Thanks in advance.

Tignes/Val are extensive, and pricey. Tignes landscape can feel like you are on the moon, and if the weather is bad, it can be bleak. More to see in Val, but it's possible to ski across the whole Espace Killy and back in a day.
Piste grading can be a little low, leading to piles of bodies at certain places (Santons esp) :lol: Both resorts offer ski in, Val has less ski out I would suggest.

Face de Bellevarde is waiting for you, don't forget that the whole resort can see you )

On the Tignes side Vallon de La Sache is superb.

Both resorts have a lot of pay toilets in mountain restaurants :thumbdown:

Flaine is a really good place if you add in the other resorts in the Grand Massif. Lots of mileage for intermediates, long runs and moderate prices for France. Off piste can be lethal here as there are big crevasses which get covered over with snow.

Les Arcs/La Plagne both are really good resorts. La Plagne has more big motorway type runs, and Les Arcs has more varied pistes. Don't miss the long run down the Aguille Rouge, 2000 metres of relentless descent, do-able by confident intermediates. Les Arcs has quite a few chalet operators in the village areas above 1800, otherwise some of the new builds up at 2000 have chalet operators.

Nice runs down to Montchavin and Montalbert over on the La Plagne side.

Alp D'Huez , spent a week here, and it was fun, but the conditions were rock hard. Fun chairlift ride to one area, goes down a steep ravine, then up the other side, rather like a fairground ride, great fun watching your skis edge out other nothing...just after you have passed the PONR!
The Les Bergers area is quite a hike from the main town, take care with location.

Tony_H wrote:
I end up year in year out considering Alpe d'Huez very closely and almost booking somewhere, and then choosing somewhere else at the last minute. Theres a lot of skiing there, and some of the chalets in particular are extremely nice.

I found that location is really important in AD'H. If you're staying in the village itself, ie not in a satellite village, Les Bergers and top section are best from a skiing point of view. If you pick accomodation where you need to get on the Telecentre to get to the slopes be warned - it's the slowest lift I've ever had the pleasure of.

All of our skiing holidays (bar one) have been during the school holidays and, unfortunately, AD'H had the worst queues by quite a long way. Hopefully, people who have been outside of the holidays can tell a different story.

First ever skiing holiday was in Risoul, just checked out some photos and it doesn't look like there was loads of snow. Very warm all week my mother assures me. No desire to go back.

Pablo Escobar wrote:First ever skiing holiday was in Risoul, just checked out some photos and it doesn't look like there was loads of snow. Very warm all week my mother assures me. No desire to go back.

With the greatest respect, I wouldnt make a selection not to go somewhere because someone had a warm weather week once in their lives!!!!