If you are considering a ski holiday in France, Val Thorens is definitely a resort worth looking at, whatever your skiing level.
Val Thorens itself sits at **2,300 metres**, making it the highest ski resort in Europe. From the resort you can ski up to **3,230 metres** at the Sommet des 3 Vallées on the Orelle side. The altitude is one of its biggest advantages, particularly for snow reliability from early winter through to spring.
But what I particularly like about Val Thorens is that it is not only a resort for strong or expert skiers.
### A very good resort for beginners
Val Thorens has made a real effort to make skiing accessible for first-time and beginner skiers.
There are dedicated beginner areas close to the resort, including free magic carpets where complete beginners can start without immediately needing a full ski pass. Once they progress, there are plenty of green and easy blue runs where they can build confidence.
This also means that beginners do not feel isolated at the bottom of the mountain while stronger skiers disappear somewhere else for the day.
### Excellent for intermediate skiers
For intermediate skiers, Val Thorens is probably at its best.
There is a huge choice of blue and red pistes, with many different sectors and aspects. You can spend several days skiing around Val Thorens and Orelle without doing exactly the same itinerary every day.
Then, when you want to explore further, you have direct ski connections towards **Les Menuires, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, Méribel and Courchevel**.
This is one of the great advantages of being based in Val Thorens: you can enjoy your local ski area or head out for a full day exploring Les 3 Vallées.
### Plenty for experts too
More experienced skiers will not be bored either.
There are steeper red and black pistes, high-altitude terrain, long descents and some fantastic sectors around Cime Caron, Péclet, Thorens and Orelle.
And of course, with a 3 Vallées pass, the possibilities become enormous. You can ski from Val Thorens across Méribel and all the way to Courchevel, before skiing back again.
For good skiers, simply planning different routes across the valleys can be part of the enjoyment of the holiday.
### One of the biggest advantages: altitude
Snow conditions can never be guaranteed in any ski resort, but altitude certainly helps.
Val Thorens is at 2,300 m and much of the skiing is considerably higher. Across Les 3 Vallées, 85% of the ski area is above 1,800 m.
This is particularly important if you are booking at the beginning or end of the season.
### Very easy to live without a car
Another thing visitors often appreciate is how compact Val Thorens is.
Once you have arrived and parked your car, you normally do not need it again during your holiday. Most accommodation, restaurants, shops, ski schools and ski lifts are within walking distance, and you can cross the resort on foot quite easily.
There are also **free resort shuttle buses**, which are particularly useful if your accommodation is a little further from where you want to go.
Many hotels and residences also provide their own shuttle service for guests, sometimes on request, which makes getting around even easier.
### Ski-in / ski-out is a real advantage
A large amount of accommodation in Val Thorens is ski-in/ski-out, or very close to the pistes.
For me, this is an underrated advantage.
Instead of taking a bus every morning in ski boots, you can often leave your hotel or apartment, put your skis on and start skiing almost immediately.
At the end of the day you can often ski back very close to your accommodation as well.
### A huge choice of accommodation
There is now a very wide range of accommodation in Val Thorens.
You will find apartments and residences, traditional hotels, modern hotels and several high-end and luxury hotels.
So Val Thorens is no longer simply the functional high-altitude resort that some people may remember from many years ago. The standard of accommodation, restaurants and facilities has changed enormously.
### Everything is close
Because the resort is compact, it is also very convenient for groups where not everybody wants to do exactly the same thing.
Someone can stop skiing early, return to the hotel or meet the rest of the group for lunch without complicated transport arrangements.
There are plenty of restaurants, bars, shops and other activities for non-skiers too.
### Easy access to the rest of Les 3 Vallées
This is probably the biggest reason I would choose Val Thorens over many other resorts.
You have a fantastic high-altitude ski area directly outside your door, but you are not limited to it.
On different days you can ski:
* Val Thorens and Orelle
* Les Menuires
* Saint-Martin-de-Belleville
* Méribel and Méribel-Mottaret
* Courchevel
A confident skier can cover an extraordinary amount of terrain during a week's holiday.
And you don't necessarily need a 3 Vallées pass every day. Depending on your level and plans, some days can be spent entirely in Val Thorens-Orelle.
### Is there a downside?
Of course, no resort is perfect.
Val Thorens is a purpose-built ski resort rather than a traditional old Alpine village, so anyone looking mainly for old wooden chalets and a historic village atmosphere may prefer somewhere such as Saint-Martin-de-Belleville.
The altitude can also take a little time to get used to when you first arrive.
And during the busiest French and European holiday periods, like most major resorts, it can become very busy.
But if your priority is **skiing, snow reliability, convenience and access to a huge ski area**, those disadvantages are relatively small.
### My conclusion
I think Val Thorens works particularly well because it doesn't cater for just one type of skier.
A complete beginner can start on easy slopes close to the resort.
An intermediate skier has an enormous amount of terrain to explore.
An expert can spend the week looking for more challenging pistes and discovering different parts of Les 3 Vallées.
Add the high altitude, easy ski-in/ski-out access, free resort transport, wide choice of hotels and apartments, and the possibility of skiing to several other major resorts, and it becomes a very complete destination.
**If you have skied in Val Thorens, what do you think is its biggest advantage — the altitude, the skiing itself, or the access to the rest of Les 3 Vallées?**
