Overview of Ski Area
The largest ski area in the Southern Alps; La Forêt Blanche features 180km of pristine pistes spread across the famed Risoul and Vars resorts. These sit at 1850m, with skiing reaching up to 2750m. With unparalleled sunshine hours and a good snow record, this is an excellent area to visit for all abilities and provides sublime views of the surrounding area.
Resorts in La Forêt Blanche
SKI RESORTS IN LA FÔRET BLANCHE
Risoul
Overview of Ski Resort
Risoul is a world famous resort which boasts excellent snow conditions in a beautiful area, with traditional architecture creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere which is ideal for families. The resort is north facing, which allows for plenty of sunshine and great snow on the varied runs. In addition to the favourable conditions and stunning scenery, Risoul also has a lively atmosphere with many shops, bars and restaurants in the area.
Best for:
- Families
- Budget
- Beginners
- Intermediates
Piste Guide
Risoul features a number of nursery slopes and easy pistes, making it a great place to come for beginners who are sure to progress here. There are also several red and blue runs in all sectors, ensuring that intermediates will find fun, challenging and rewarding pistes each day. Although not the greatest resort for advanced skiers, there are a few steep descents and tree skiing through the superb off-piste terrain.
The La Zing terrain park is targeted towards beginner freestylers and has a number of simple yet fun jumps and rails.
There are also cross-country opportunities with 17km of trails, whilst snowboarders will also feel at home thanks to a large amount of space for free-riding.
Facilities
It is easy to access the slopes due to the three excellent fast chairs, with queues also being rare. There are also many draglifts (not ideal for beginner snowboarders).
Beginners are sure to progress at the schools and with the excellent ESF guides on hand.
Snowboarders will be in awe of the facilities and wooded slopes at the nearby resort of Serre Chevalier.
Après
Although largely considered to be a family resort, there is still a lively après scene up at Risoul which provides plenty of fun once the sun goes down. It may not be as wild as some resorts, but there is a host of bars at the base of the slopes (try Babao and the Chalet) and the Reflex nightclub which stays open into the early hours.
Risoul also has a number of varied restaurants which serve delicious food at reasonable prices. This ensures that you will be able to find something no matter what you are in the mood for.
Vars
Overview of Ski Resort
Vars is a charming resort with beautiful tree-lined runs, idyllic Alpine villages and plenty of entertainment away from the slopes. Slightly secluded, this makes it a wonderful place to come for a relaxed family holiday whilst honing your skills on the varied and spectacular slopes. There are plenty of cosy pubs, restaurants and boutiques for a pleasant atmosphere. Vars is ideal for beginners and intermediates, who are sure to progress with a fantastic variety of slopes available to them.
Best for:
- Budget
- Amenities
- Families
- Quiet and secluded
Piste Guide
You will struggle to find a better place for beginners to come, as Vars features 66 green and blue runs which will help them to hone their skills and develop their confidence. Intermediates will also have plenty to keep them entertained, with 40 runs of reds and blues which include the signature Olympique red. This thrilling run drops 920m and runs from the top of La Mayt to Ste-Marie. Advanced skiers are unlikely to feel too challenged here on the 10 expert runs, but there is a lot of excellent off-piste terrain available.
Vars has 10km of trails for cross-country skiers, whilst there is plenty of great free-riding for snowboarders.
Facilities
Vars has three fast lifts out of the village, but elsewhere you will have to use draglifts and slow chairs to get around.
There is a highly rated ski school and the possibility for private lessons, plus the school also has a nursery and a ski kindergarten for the little ones.
Après
Primarily as a family resort, Vars does not have the wildest Après scene. That is not to say evenings are dull here, as the laidback surroundings and cosy bars and restaurants serving fine food provide a luxury getaway. Those seeking music should head to Escondus hotel’s piano bar, whilst Le Lam is where people head for a party with dance music played till late.
How to Get to Resorts in La Forêt Blanche
La Forêt Blanche is very easy to reach and is just 2 to 3 hours from a handful of airports.
Turin (TRN) airport is 172km away and can be reached in two and a half hours, but be warned that public transportation links are complicated. Grenoble (GNB) is the most popular and is 166km away, with a private transfer taking a little over 2 and a half hours.
Other options include Chambéry (CMF) which is 200km away, Marseille (MRS) (240km) and Lyon (LYS) (240km).
For a fast and stress-free journey from any of these airports to either resort in the La Forêt Blanche region, book a Shuttle Direct transfer today. They will be able to pick you and your equipment up and drop you to the door of the resort, allowing you to sit back and take in the views as you enter the Southern Alps.
About Shuttle Direct
Shuttle Direct provides professional, reliable and affordable transfers from airports, cruise ports, hotels and train stations all across Europe.
Winter ski transfers are an area that they have extensive experience in, with transfer options from Turin, Grenoble, Chambéry, Marseille and Lyon for all sized groups and budgets.
Book today and their team of experts can handle the logistics to ensure a smooth, reliable and efficient journey to your destination.
