Tarentaise snow forecast

Skiing in Tarentaise

The Tarentaise is the upper Isère valley in Savoie, running from Albertville past Moûtiers to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, and it holds one of the greatest concentrations of big, high ski areas in the Alps. This region page brings together four areas: Les 3 Vallées, Paradiski, Tignes and Val d'Isère, and Espace San Bernardo.

Les 3 Vallées, reached from Moûtiers, bills itself as the largest linked ski area in the world, with about 600 km of pistes, mostly above 1,800 m, from Courchevel and Méribel to Val Thorens. Paradiski joins Les Arcs and La Plagne by the Vanoise Express for about 425 km, with glacier terrain above 3,000 m. Tignes and Val d'Isère share about 300 km up to the Grande Motte glacier at 3,456 m, and usually have one of the longest seasons in France, from late November to early May. Espace San Bernardo links La Rosière in France with La Thuile in Italy across the Little St Bernard Pass, with about 160 km of pistes; the pass road itself is closed in winter.

Because these areas sit so high, the Tarentaise is often the most reliable choice in the French Alps in a lean or warm winter, although the lower village runs can still struggle. Snowfall is not always even across the valley: storms pushing over from Italy can favour La Rosière and the upper valley, while other weather patterns favour the resorts further west.

Access is by rail to Moûtiers, Aime or Bourg-Saint-Maurice, with seasonal TGV services, and by the N90 road. Geneva, Lyon and Chambéry are the usual airports.