© C.Cattin / OT Val Thorens
Val Thorens is located high in the 3 Vallées, Europe’s largest interlinked ski area. It provides great snow, a fantastic ski area to explore and has been awarded a Famille Plus star for its commitment to family friendly facilities. So here are our top 9 reasons to take your kids to Val Thorens.
1. Fantastic for first timers
Val Thorens has several features which make it an excellent place for kids (or adults!) to learn to ski. First of all kids under 6 benefit from a free liftpass and all beginners get a 50% reduction on their pass as they’ll only be using a few lifts. Val Thorens has a fantastic beginners' area with covered magic carpets which keep little ones a bit warmer in bad weather. The beginners' area is also situated right at the foot of the resort so tired legs don’t have to travel too far to get home at the end of the day and it’s handy for any parents who might not be skiing but want to watch.
© C. Cattin / OT Val Thorens
2. Excellent choice of ski schools
If your kids are going to be taking lessons then a good ski school is extremely important! There is plenty of choice in Val Thorens – from the traditional ESF, ideal for kids who have started lessons elsewhere and wish to continue on the same programme, to the more tailored Free School Altitude. However, we always recommend our friends at New Generation who offer fantastic English speaking lessons for all ages and specialise in small group sizes to make sure all ages and abilities learn lots and have fun. Even better, Powderbeds customers get a 5% discount on New Generation lessons – just get in touch once you have booked your accommodation with us to get our discount code.
© New Generation
3. Junior parks and safe zones
Kids not in ski school will love the superb ski area Val Thorens has to offer too. With several fun parks, mini slaloms and family zones available throughout the resort there is something for everyone to enjoy and challenge themselves on. Join Valthy the Groundhog, Val Thoren’s very own mascot, and help him find his friends around the resort – you can download and print the treasure hunt before you travel, and you might even spot Valthy or his friends while you’re skiing around!
4. Explore Europe’s largest ski area
Children love an adventure when they are skiing and travelling to different resorts is a real treat. If you get the full area lift pass, you’ll be able to ski all the way to Courchevel (via Meribel) and enjoy the huge 3 Vallées ski area, which is entirely lift-linked. Better still, the whole area can be skied on just green and blue runs, making a big day out across all 3 valleys achievable for any intermediate (and up) skiers (we wouldn’t recommend the trip for complete beginners!). The piste map below shows just the blue and green runs, so you can plan your route…
Click map to enlarge © Les 3 Vallées
5. Childcare off the slopes
For kids who aren’t ready to hit the slopes yet or want a day off to re-charge the legs, there are plenty of kids club and crèche options in Val Thorens as well. Babies from as young as 3 months are catered for and entertained with plenty of activities including arts and crafts and sledging to keep them busy. There are also private nannies available in resort who can cater for tailored made childcare needs throughout the day or evening to allow parents a little more flexibility.
6. Convenient accommodation, close to the slopes
As Val Thorens is a purpose built resort, it’s semi pedestrianised and super easy to get around. There are shuttle buses which operate around the resort but very few cars, making it safe for little ones to enjoy walking through the village. Best of all, almost all of the accommodation is ski-in/ski-out or very close to the slopes, nothing beats skiing right back to your door at the end of the day and not having to worry about long walks in ski boots!
7. Plenty of activities
One of the fantastic things about Val Thorens is how much there is to do off the slopes, whether it’s an evening activity after a long day at ski school or something to fill a bad weather day, the Val Thorens sports centre at Place Caron is a great place to start, – there is a large activity area for kids with trampolines, soft play, swimming pool and even a bowling alley! There's also a cinema in resort which shows cartoons throughout the school holidays.
© C. Cattin / OT Val Thorens
8. Family-friendly food choices
Finding family-friendly dining options in resort isn’t always the easiest but Val Thorens has a fantastic choice of restaurants which offer a hugely varied range of cuisine, from takeaway pizza to Michelin Starred a la carte. There is also a great selection of self-catering apartments which offer the choice cooking in or dining out.
© OT Val Thorens
9. Apres ski for kids
Who doesn’t love sledging? Val Thorens has fantastic options for all ages; from age 2, little ones can enjoy the ‘Baby Fun’ sledge park for free at Place Caron and then graduate onto the banked turns of the age 6-10 park with a magic carpet returning riders back to the top of the 250m descent for another shot. Thrill seekers aged 5 and up can enjoy Europe’s longest toboggan run from Chalet du Toboggan, there is even mulled wine and local Beaufort cheese available on arrival at the chalet for the evening descents!
Can you think of any other reasons why Val Thorens is great for kids? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
OT Val Thorens
Posted on Thursday 08 Jun 2017