The Tarentaise Valley – Idyllic for a Catered Chalet Holiday

If you're on the lookout for a skiing holiday in a fully catered chalet, with gourmet meals and complete amenities, then the Tarentaise Valley could be just the ticket.

Vallée de la Tarentaise

The Tarentaise Valley is located in the heart of the French Alps, and is famous the world-over for its natural abundance of reliable snowfall. You can always count on finding excellent snow cover to arrive on time in the Tarentaise Valley – making it perfect for skiing, snowboarding and other sporting activities.

Another major draw is the diverse cultural landscape of the region. There is a mix of idyllic villages with a unique culture of their own, and high-altitude resorts designed to challenge hard-core skiers. This blending of history and modern accommodation makes visiting the Tarentaise Valley a unique experience in and of itself.

One important thing to note, however, is the presence of many village resorts like Les Trois Vallées and Paradiski. These resorts cater almost exclusively to those seeking a luxurious winter getaway while connecting visitors to the best that the Tarentaise Valley has to offer.

Les Trois Vallées

Les Trois Vallées is chock-full of resorts with catered chalet accommodations, most notably the La Tania resort located in the Saint-Bon valley and Les Menuires located in the Belleville valley. The great thing about Les Trois Vallées is that you can access to interlinked ski valleys using only a single ski pass, making it the single largest ski area in the world, with over 600 kilometres of interconnected slopes.

Paradiski

Paradiski is another skiing area located within the Tarentaise Valley. While it offers a slightly smaller skiing area of about 425 kilometres, it does offer fantastic views of the French Alps thanks to the Vanoise Express. The ski resorts of La Plagne, Peisey-Vallandry and Les Arcs are connected together by a double-decker car stretching over 1,800 metres and suspended over 380 metres in the air. This not only makes it so much easier for skiers to quickly zip between slopes, but also gives them quite the view of the slopes while doing so.

Getting there

The easiest and most convenient way to get to the Tarentaise Valley is to find a tour operator that provides airport transfer services. Vans and minibuses make travelling a breeze, especially when you end up needing transport to and from your catered chalet. You need only worry about enjoying your holiday while leaving the transportation up to your driver.

You can also opt to simply drive your own vehicle, board a ferry, get on the European motorway network and drive all the way. Just work closely with your tour operator in order to obtain specific directions on where you need to go, and make sure to pack snow chains so your car won’t get stuck.

You could also opt to take the Eurostar, which will take you directly to Aime, Moutiers or Bourg St Maurice. Once in France, you can take a minibus to your resort in the Tarentaise Valley. A word of caution for the latter two options: make sure you time it so you arrive right when your catered chalet is ready. Nothing is worse than having to wander about the resort, tired and loaded with luggage, because your accommodation is still occupied.

Keep all these tips in mind and you’ll have a better understanding of what the Tarentaise Valley has to offer, and the various ways to make the most of your ski holiday.

Danielle Hodges is the Marketing Manager for Ski Amis, a specialist ski travel agency and booking service offering bonded holidays staying in a catered or self catered chalet in La Tania and other fantastic destinations. For a luxury or good-value skiing holiday and the best catered chalets call Ski Amis.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.