Chamonix vs La Plagne vs Portes du Soleil

Hello! Planning a trip to the French Alps and can't decide between Chamonix, La Plagne or Portes du Soleil. If someone could provide some details on beginner/intermediate terrain and lift ticket prices? And provide some detail on the differences between these big resorts? Or if you have any other recommendations on where to go. Coming from Canada and staying for approx a week during march break. Thanks!

For your level I would not recommend Chamonix as its not a good place for beginners/intermediate skiers.
Avoriaz would be a great location for you as the resort is ski in ski out and has plenty of easy blue and red runs close to the resort. Short transfer from Geneva airport, only about 90 minutes drive.
La Plagne is also a good bet for you. Further from the airports though.

Lift passes are expensive everywhere in France, €250 plus for the week.

When in March and how many weeks skiing is a beginner / intermediate.

PDS: If is late March I would only consider Avoriaz which is probably the worst of European ski experiences. Is the unfortunate result of a mad man with concrete. If early-mid March then Les Gets, Chatel etc are lovely places to be although you might find them a bit small in terms of night life etc. Not the sort of places I would travel 1/2 way across world to ski.

Chamonix: Probably the best ski town in the Alps and for very good reasons. Amazing scenery, massive diversity of hotels, hostel, restaurants which makes for an eclectic mix of people; ski bums, ski pros, locals, tourists, seasonal workers, weekenders etc. There is ample skiing for beginners and intermediates to go at (Chamonix is not famous for black runs), if you want something challenging you need to go and find it. Le Tour, Les Houches, Flegere, Brevant all have great skiing for mixed groups from 2nd weeks skiing onwards. Only downside is that you have to get a 10min bus, or drive to your chosen area from centre of town.

La Plagne: I guess this is what France is famous for; a pleasant high, ski in and out resort with more motorway skiing than you can wish for. On paper it ticks a lot of boxes but you might want to check which village to stay in if you are after a more authentic feel to your holiday.

I can't help feeling that maybe Italy or Austria is calling you.

10 minute bus ride......and the rest if you are lucky enough to find a bus with room for you.

I do agree about Avioraz being a horrendously ugly place though. Also Italy could be a great destination for them, Cervinia?

Hi we are skiing as a family of 3 with a teen. We normally ski green and blue runs in Canada. Fairly easy blue runs though. We would consider other countries, except from reading other articles, most people say that France has the highest mountains and largest ski resorts. So would La Plagne be the better choice? Thanks

Also, we are planning to ski around Mar.10

To be honest skiing in France is just so easy as the bigger resorts all seem to have brilliant linked ski areas with modern lifts so if you are mile hungry intermediate skiers is perfect. However if you prefer the gentle stuff Italy could be a good bet.

Have a good look at Cervinia in Italy. It's at 2000 meters so is very snow sure and has mostly wide open pistes and the Italians really groom the slopes very well too. Lovely little town too with excellent restaurants and not too expensive either.