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Top 5 early season ski resorts in France

by Fraser Wilkin, 7 August 2025

France is home to many of the highest and most snow-sure ski areas in the Alps. However, unlike in other alpine countries, you generally have to wait until late November for any serious early season skiing to open up, as ski resorts (like Tignes and Les 2 Alpes) generally no longer attempt to open their glacier ski areas in the autumn.

That said, there can be unscheduled glacial or non-glacial openings earlier in November (usually at weekends only) if there have been excellent early season snowfalls – but this is very much the exception rather than the rule.

Unscheduled openings aside, the first major resorts to open in the French Alps these days are Val Thorens and Tignes, usually at the end of the third week in November. Of these two, Tignes is marginally the more reliable due to its extensive glacier area, the Grande Motte. The next major resorts to open, at the end of November, are usually Val d’Isère and Les 2 Alpes, which are then joined by several smaller ski resorts when snow conditions permit.

The next wave of big French ski resort openings comes in early December when the likes of Alpe d’Huez, Courchevel, Méribel and Les Menuires all crank up their lifts. Snow conditions in early December can vary enormously from year to year, and snow making in France is generally not as comprehensive or effective as it is in the eastern Alps (in regions like the Dolomites). For the most extensive and snow-sure early season skiing in France, Tignes, Val d’Isère and Val Thorens are the best places to hedge your bets.

As December progresses, more and more French ski areas open, with the last wave of lower ski resorts scheduled to open just before Christmas (snow-permitting). Even in the leanest years for natural snowfall, just about all major French ski resorts have historically opened some terrain by this point, thanks to a combination of snow-making and skilful piste management. But, if you are booking a ski holiday in advance, it still pays to aim high, ideally to a resort where most of its terrain is above 2000m.

For a combination of reliable snow and extent of open terrain, Tignes and Val d’Isère (collectively known as L’Espace Killy) are the best bet for an early season ski holiday in France.

L’Espace Killy is one of the most snow-sure ski areas in the Alps for several reasons. The first is that it is exceptionally high, with at least half of its skiing above 2500m, meaning that most of the precipitation here falls as snow (even if it can rain occasionally lower down) and that snow preservation is excellent.

Secondly, Val d’Isère and Tignes receive significant snowfall from two different directions. Not only do they benefit from storms coming from the north-west, like the rest of the northern alps, but they are also two of only a handful of northern French resorts that significantly benefit from Mediterranean storms to the south thanks to the weather phenomena known as the ‘Retour d’Est’. This is the process by which moisture is thrown back up through the Po Valley in Italy, spilling across the border into France.

Thirdly, both resorts are also exceptionally well endowed with snow cannons by French standards, with state-of-the-art snow making covering about half of the L’Espace Killy ski area. This guarantees  at least some on-piste action even in the leanest of early seasons.

In most years there will be plenty of natural snow here, though, and with the added insurance of the ski area’s two glaciers (the Grande Motte in Tignes, and the Pisaillas in Val d’Isère), early season snow conditions in Tignes and Val d’Isère are about as reliable as you can get in Europe, let alone France. 

Best for: Intermediates & Advanced

Looking for hotels in Tignes?  Click here

Looking for hotels in Val d'Isère?  Click here

As the highest ski resort in Europe, it stands to reason that Val Thorens is also one of the best early season ski resorts in France. Unlike Val d’Isère, Tignes and Les 2 Alpes, it may no longer have any on-piste glacial terrain to fall back on, but its exceptional altitude combined with comprehensive snow making means that a decent amount of piste-skiing is likely here from the get-go in late November.

Val Thorens sits at 2300m, some 200m higher than any other ski resort in France! This makes a big difference in its chances of getting significant resort level snow, making it the most snow-sure ski resort in France for complete beginners.

The ski area also offers more experienced skiers the opportunity to reach altitudes of 3000m or more on three separate peaks, with the resort making every effort to open as much terrain as possible as soon as it gets into December. In most years the available terrain will increase rapidly in early December, especially as more of the linked resorts in the 3 Valleys ski region start to join the action. 

By the second week of December it is usually possible to ski to other parts of the 3 Valleys like Les Menuires, Méribel and Courchevel, all of which offer further, extensive high-altitude terrain. 

Best for: All levels

Looking for hotels in Val Thorens?  Click here

Les 2 Alpes has both the highest pistes and largest glacier skiing area in the French Alps. Once upon a time, this allowed it to open during the October half-term week before its annual winter season re-opening in early December. However, these days, climate change has put pay to any October openings.

Nonetheless, thanks to its exceptional altitude, the ski area remains one of the top picks in France for skiing in December, even in years where there isn’t much natural snow cover lower down.

Key to Les 2 Alpes’ fabulous early season snow record is its impressive glacier. This not only offers easy open terrain between 3200m and 3570m, and consistently excellent snow conditions, but can also be reached in just 17 minutes from resort by the brand new Jandri Express gondola.

A number of non-glacial runs are also likely to be open from the start of the season in late November, in the high and relatively shady bowls beneath the glacier.

Natural snow cover will be more variable at lower altitudes early in the season, though good artificial back-up means that it is usually possible to return to base from early in December. 

Best for: Intermediates

La Plagne has numerous resort bases, including some relatively low outlying villages but also half a dozen or so high, purpose-built centres located close to 2000m in altitude. Above these, its ski area offers an extensive array of high-altitude runs reaching just over 3000m, including some terrain on a small glacier (the Bellecôte), although this lies somewhat out on a limb.

Not only is much of the terrain in La Plagne north-facing, making for excellent snow preservation, but a high proportion of the ski area is also located above 2000m, which is a big bonus if snow conditions are poor lower down.

Add to this a good natural snowfall record, together with plenty of snow making, and the resort has most of the ingredients needed for reliable early season snow conditions, although it isn’t normally scheduled to open until the second weekend in December.

Note that La Plagne is linked by cable-car to Les Arcs, with their combined ski area known as the ‘Paradiski’, the world’s third largest ski region. 

Best for: All levels

Looking for hotels in La Plagne?  Click here

Les Arcs comprises multiple resort centres, which are set at varying altitudes and different locations across its ski area.

Looking at the ski area as a whole, Les Arcs would not quite make our top 5 early season ski resorts in France. However, it makes the cut thanks to the extensive Arc 1950 and Arc 2000 bowl which, in isolation, provides an area of exceptionally reliable early season snow cover.

There are several reasons why the Arc 2000 bowl has particularly reliable snow, the first being its impressive altitude, with most of the skiing located between 2000m and 3000m. The bowl is also surrounded by a tight ring of mountains, which offers lots of shelter and makes for good snow preservation. This snow preservation is further enhanced by the aspect of many of the local runs in the Arc 1950/Arc 2000 area, which are north-facing and don’t see much sun early in the season.

Add to that the runs off the 3200m Aiguille Rouge (which includes the small Glacier du Varet), and good snow making, and you have in this part of Les Arcs one of the most reliable ski areas for December snow in France. Although (as with La Plagne) the resort's official opening isn’t usually until the second weekend in December.

Note that Les Arcs is linked by cable-car to La Plagne, with their combined ski area known as the ‘Paradiski’, the world’s third largest ski region. 

Best for: All levels

Looking for hotels in Les Arcs?  Click here

See our:

 Complete guide to early season snow conditions in the Alps

 Top 10 early season ski resorts in Europe

Top 5 early season ski resorts in Austria

Top 5 early season ski resorts - Italy

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