Val Thorens, France
23-30 March
Trip Captain: Joey Buckley - JXBuckley@gmail.com
***********This is a U-Drive************
Spots Are still open! Email TC Directly for booking!
My European friends always like to joke that “everything is bigger in America”, the meal sizes, cars, hell even our education and medical bills…That’s true, USA has quite a few big things in comparison to our European neighbors. However, there is one thing that is bigger in Europe, in fact it is the biggest in the friggan world! I am not talking about an airport or a bridge or something boring like that… I am taking about the BIGGEST ski area in the ENTIRE WORLD. Google it… check your Britannica encyclopedias or just click This Link. Yeaaaaaah buddie! The Three Valleés tops that list and if you managed to get to this page and are still reading then I think you know where I am going with this.. Patch Ski club is headed to Val Thornes this spring for a whole dagum week! VIVA LA FRANCE!
Ok so now that we got that out of the way… Lets talk about height and elevation. So, Val Thorens is the highest ski resort in Europe at 2300 meters (7545 ft). Yeah imagine that another list topper for this place. I mean if you’re still reading and are still skeptical or on the fence, well I’m about to drop the mic so keep reading… Les 3 Valleés was awarded the “Worlds best Ski Resort” award for 2023.. Evidence is clear as day here… now I will also point out that this award started in 2013 and since the award has existed, Les Three Valleés has won it 8 times. So basically Les 3 Valleés is batting a .749 when it comes to best ski resorts in the world…
So lets recap:
1. Les 3 Vallees is the Largest Ski resort/area in the world
2. Val Thorens is the highest Ski Resort in Europe
3. Val Thorens Voted best Ski resort (2023), and 8 times out of the last 11
Those reasons alone should be more than enough to convince you to sign up!
Pricing
*Pricing includes 6 day ski pass to 3 Vallees*
- Single Room - € 1195
- Double Room - € 985/person
- Family/Group Rooms - Prices and room type depend on occupancy, reach out to TC directly for pricing specifics.
- Children 4 and under - €125
Meet your Trip Captains
My name is Joey and my wife's name is Steph. We are Ski enthusiasts! We have been in Stuttgart for the past 2 seasons and have taken full advantage of the wonderful European ski scene! We love nothing more than throwing the Skis in the car and searching for the Powder! We have been on the Patch Ski club board for the past 2 years and have hosted 3 other trips and have attended countless others. We love skiing and Après skiing with our fellow club members and love to introduce new members to the scene! So if you have questions about the trip or the club feel free to reach out and we will attempt to answer them to the best of our ability!
We have skied all over the alps and we have come to the conclusion that nothing beats the French alps! The Skiing, the snow, the Après, are all just better in France! All of Our favorite resorts are in France (Chamonix, Avoriaz, Morzine, & Alp D’Huez) . We have not been to Val Thorens yet, but the 3 Vallees have been on our bucket list since we got to Europe!
Skiing Info
If you read my blurb above I think you already know that The 3 Vallees is the largest Ski area in the world encompassing over 600k of groomed runs and almost 200 lifts across 7 resorts! The 3 Vallees has 6 glaciers and 6 peaks above 3,000m, and boasts remarkable sunshine and snow cover. Given the altitude and glaciers there is guaranteed snow until may! So you can have the Piste of mind knowing that you will not be skiing on grass!
There is a little something for everyone in the 3 Vallees! Whether you are a beginner, or an expert looking for that off piste powder, The 3 Vallees has it all!
The 7 Resorts of the 3 Vallees (all included with your ski pass):
- Saint-Martin-de-Belleville
Want More info? - Check out the official website here
The Hotel
We will be staying at the Le Chamois D'or. This is a 3 star hotel with apartment style rooms. All rooms are equipped with practical kitchens. The hotel is located right on the slopes for a true SKI IN SKI OUT experience!
Hotel has multiple room options and pricing varies based on number of people in the rooms:
*All rooms have a balcony, Kitchen, and access to a ski locker
- Studio room:
Suitable for 1-2 persons.
Sofa bed (double size)
- Studio 4 Person Rooms:
Suitable for 2-4 persons - Recommended for 2 people and one child
Sofa bed (double size)
Set of children bunk beds
- Two Room Apartments
Suitable for up to 6 persons. Recommended for no more than a family of 4 with children
Living room with sofa bed (double size)
Bedroom with 1 double bed
Set of children bunk beds
- Three Room Apartment's
Suitable for 6 persons. Recommended for no more than a family of 5.
Sofa bed in living room (double size)
2 Bedrooms (1 double bed/ 2 twin or bunk beds)
- Four Room Apartments
Suitable for up to 6 persons
Living room with sofa bed (double size)
2 Bedrooms (1 double bed/ 2 twin or beds)
2 bathrooms
The hotel has the following amenities:
- The Hotel is pet friendly and allows you to bring your furry friend for an additional €80/week.
Parking is not included and needs to be booked in advance - Here is a link to where you can book parking ahead of time.
There are NO meals included with this trip. However there is a Grocery store right next to the hotel and there are tons of resturants/pubs within walking distance from the hotel.
Also want to make it clear that these are apartment style accommodations. Linins will be provided upon check-in, there will be no turndown daily service, and you will be expected to clean the room prior to checking out to avoid additional costs. Prior trips through the agency recommend bringing extra towels'.
Rentals & Ski School
As always I will recommend renting from MWR on Kelly for your skiing needs if you do not have your own gear! They offer season rentals for a great price!
If you do not want to rent from them then there are always plenty of options near the hotel and the hotel even has package deals that you can book directly through them!
Want to put the kiddos up for Ski School? - Here is a link to an ski lesson company that has a great reputation all over France! ESF. I am sure there are plently of other options and the hotel even gives recommendations and I believe you can book directly from their website.
Not Skiing?
Not hitting the slopes? No worries! Val Thorens has plenty of other activities that you can try! Maybe you just want to hit the Spa, or truly embrace the Après scene!
Hit up the Cosmjet Toboggan Run and enjoy 6K of sledding excellence! Its the longest one in Europe!
Rent some Snow Shoes and check out the trails!
Try something new and get your cardio in and rent some XC skis!
There are plenty of other activities to do in the town - Check them out here!
Have any questions or want to book it!
Email Jxbuckley@gmail.com
