With some of the best slopes in the world, France is one of Europe’s top skiing destinations. France boasts several impressive mountain ranges, such as the French Alps, the Pyrenees, the Vosges, the Jura, and Massif Central.

Perhaps the most reliable snow conditions in France can be found on the French Alps. In some of the higher reaches of the Alps there is snow all year round. The northernmost area of the French Alps, Les Portes du Soleil, boasts twelve major resorts, including the kilometre-high Morzine and the famous snowboarding centre at Avoriaz. To the south is Chamonix, which boasts the mighty Mont Blanc, and Megeve, which is the fifth biggest skiing area in France. The resort at Les Arcs/La Plagne offers high mountain skiing with snow almost the whole year round.

Another high mountain area is Tignes/Val d’Isere, which has over three hundred kilometres of pistes, with areas to suit skiers of all skill levels. The Les Trois Vallees area is home to the resorts of Courchevel, Val Thorens and Les Menuires, and it is the largest skiing area in France that you can access with just one pass. L’Alpe d’Huez, near Grenoble, is one of the largest resorts in the Alps, and offers excellent off-piste opportunities. The nearby Villard de Lans resort is reputedly the most eco-friendly ski resort in the French Alps. The Isola 2000 resort, which is within driving distance of Nice and the French Riviera, is one of the sunniest – and coldest – skiing areas in France.

After the Alps, the Pyrenees mountain range, on the border between France and Spain, offers the biggest selection of resorts in France. Although they get less snow than the Alps, the resorts tend to be less crowded, which means that you can get more time on the slopes. The Hautes Pyrenees, south of Lourdes and Tarbes, is home to Tourmalet, the second oldest ski resort in France after Chamonix, and Cauterets, a traditional Pyrenean town that has been turned into a ski resort. In the Eastern Pyrenees, the resorts of Font-Romeu and Pyrenees 2000 lay claim to having some of the best cross country skiing ranges in France.

Other popular skiing destinations in France include the Vosges Mountains, with four resorts and fifteen pistes, the Jura, which is famous for its cross country ski ranges, and Massif Central, home of the Alpine-like Besse-Sancy and Le Lioran resorts.

If you are planning a ski holiday to France, but don’t fancy having to organise the accommodation, transport, and ski passes separately, you could always organise your holiday through a specialist ski travel agent such as Alpine Elements, who offer ski deals to destinations all over France on their website.