Alpe d'Huez, France

* Excellent snow record...

* Outstanding scenery...
* Huge extent and variety of slopes for all levels...

* Family-friendly...

* Lively by French purpose-built standards...

Sitting on a sunny plateau high above the Isère valley, Alpe d’Huez is one of France’s premier ski resorts, with a fabulous variety and extent of terrain for all levels.

Not only is Alpe d'Huez one of the best resorts in the Alps for mixed abilities, it is also lively (by purpose-built resort standards) offering plenty of après-ski action and off-slope activities.

Alpe d'Huez at a glance...

Resort height:	1860m
Slopes:	1100-3330m
Pistes:	250km
Snow rating:	☆☆☆☆☆

Suitability		Skiing
Beginners	☆☆☆☆☆	Green runs	●	31%
Intermediate	☆☆☆☆☆	Blue runs	●	28%
Advanced	☆☆☆☆☆	Red runs	●	25%
		Black runs	●	16%

Resort		Transfer time
Charm	☆☆☆☆☆	Grenoble	1hr30
Convenience	☆☆☆☆☆	Chambéry	1hr45
Après-ski	☆☆☆☆☆	Lyon	2hr
Family	☆☆☆☆☆	Geneva	2hr45
Non-skiers	☆☆☆☆☆

Snow reliability

General snow cover	4/5
Snow quality – upper	3.5/5
Snow quality – lower	3/5
Resort level snow	5/5
Powder potential	4/5

The skiing

Alpe d’Huez offers one of the best all-round ski areas in the Alps, with a huge variety of slopes for all levels of skier and boarder.

Beginners are well catered for with wide and gentle nursery slopes, accessible by free lifts. Higher up the terrain becomes steeper, with some serious blacks (and off-piste) off the Cloche de Macle and the 3300m Pic Blanc, start of the famous 16km “Sarenne”, reputed to be the longest run in the Alps!

There is also a huge choice of terrain for intermediates, both close to resort and around the numerous outlying villages such as Vaujany and Auris-en-Oisans.

The resort

Alpe d’Huez is a large resort spread over a wide sunny plateau with fabulous views both down the valley and across the surrounding peaks.

Although the resort is essentially purpose-built, it is mostly low-rise and easier on the eye than many other French “mega-resorts”. There is also plenty to do off the slopes, with an impressive indoor-outdoor pool, ice-skating rink and a good selection of shops, bars and restaurants.