Alpe d'Huez ski resort
Snow Range
1860-3330m
sun drenched skiing with superb facilities
Set high in the Grandes Rousses mountains, Alpe d'Huez has been nicknamed 'L'Ile au Soleil' - the Island in the sun - and boasts the fifth largest ski area in France, linking the villages of Vaujany, Oz, Villard-Reculas and Auris-en-Oisans to provide its visitors with well over 200km of piste to explore. Not just great for skiing, the resort offers a wealth of amenities including a superb sports centre and the use of a large outdoor pool and skating rink, both FREE with full area lift passes.
- the experience
- the slopes Alpe d'Huez snowboarding
- Alpe d'Huez lift passes and tuition
- ski/snowboarding tuition in Alpe d'Huez
The experience
Alpe d'Huez Après Ski
Full of action with lots of live music. Try Smithy's Tavern, and the Underground Bar in the Hotel Chamois. For a more French ambience try Zoo bar or L'Etalon.
Activities
· Sports Centre with tennis and squash courts · Archery · Gym · Indoor golf · Handball, Basketball, Volleyball and Indoor-football · Outdoor swimming-pool, FREE with full weekly lift-pass · Parapenting · Ski-dooing · Ice-skating rink FREE with full weekly Visalp lift-pass (skate hire extra) · Ice driving · Night skiing · Sledging slope
Eating out in Alpe d'Huez
More than 40 restaurants, all categories · Pizzas from €6.80 · Fondues from around €14 · 3-course menus from €17 to €30 · Les Épiciers in the resort centre for an excellent à la carte menu. Genepi and La Pomme de Pin for French cuisine, Smithy's for Tex Mex and Le Roi Ladre for pizzas.
Other amenities
· Excellent mountain access for non-skiers with many marked walks · Cinema · Fashionable boutiques
Family choice
Families will be delighted with the range of childcare facilities in Alpe d'Huez. We offer a Pepi Penguin Crèche for children aged 6 months to 4 years in both the Club Hotels Vallée Blanche and Hermitage, available to all Crystal guests staying throughout the resort. For children aged 4-11 years, we offer a Whizz Kids Club in the Vallée Blanche. Pre-booking of the Pepi Penguin Crèche and Whizz Kids Club is essential, call our Family Hotline on 0871 971 0457 (charges apply). Please note guests staying in 'Les Bergers area' cannot book Whizz Kids pick-up & drop off service (option A), but ski school is very close to accommodation in this area.
For children under 4 years ESF runs a Piou Piou club in the 'Les Bergers' area of Alpe d'Huez. Children 2.5-4 years are offered a combination of ski and play in a specially fenced off area with a magic carpet, and there is indoor playroom for when little legs get tired! Piou Piou is a French run kindergarten, though instructors do speak English. The Kindergarten can be pre-booked, please call our Family Hotline. Please note this cannot be combined with Whizz Kids pick-up & drop off.
| 6 x full days with lunch (8.45am-5.30pm) | £271 |
| 6 x half days with lunch (8.45am-2.00pm) | £212 |
| 6 x half days without lunch (8.45am-12.15pm) | £146 |
Resort features
- Crystal Ski Escort
- Crystal Snowboarding Escort
- Family Choice
- Helicopter Transfer
- Kids ski Free
- Snow Train
- Twin Centre
Transfer time
Chambery 2 hrs 15 mins, Grenoble 2hrs 15mins, Snow Train (Chambery) 2 hrs 15 mins
The slopes
Beginners
Newcomers to skiing are well catered for with a free lift and the option of buying locally a limited access daily ski pass (around €10 for 11 lifts) which covers gentle green runs. Progress can be quickly made under the expert guidance of the local ski school (a full lift pass is necessary for those in ski school).
Intermediates
There is a vast choice of blues and reds with some of the best being on the Le Signal d'Homme and Plat des Marmottes. With the possibility of 2 days skiing in Les Deux Alpes and 1 day Serre Chevalier (both covered on your lift-pass), the choice becomes endless.
Advanced
Amazing challenges lie in store for expert skiers. Try the Sarenne, the longest black run in the world at 16km but beware as once started, you have to finish it, as there are no exits on the way down! Other exciting black runs include La Balme, the Tunnel and the thigh-pumping Super Signal mogul field.
Snowboarding
Alpe d'Huez offers some amazing and varied terrain, keen freeriders will be in their element here. You can go in search of powder in areas such as Villard-Recluas, Auris and the Glacier de Sarenne. Freestylers will be smiling too as there is a pipe and snowboard park, though there is an abundance of natural kickers and rollers all around the resort.
Slope facts
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Total kms of piste
249kms
Piste type No. of runs Easy 38 Intermediate 68 Difficult 17 -
Number of lifts
84 (6 cable cars, 10 gondolas, 2 Bucket lifts, 25 chairlifts, 40 drag lifts)
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Direction of slopes
N,S,W
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Snow cannons
845
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Longest run
16kms (Sarenne Glacier)
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Mountain restaurants
16
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Cross-country trails
50kms
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Snow Range
1860-3330m
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Village Height:
1,860m (6,102ft)
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Highest Ski Lift
3,330m (10,989ft)
Lift passes and tuition
Lift pass, ski hire and tuition prices shown are correct at time of publication. However, all prices quoted may be subject to change during the ski season.
Lift Pass
| Days | Adult | Child | Senior |
| Visalp Pass | £182 | £130 | £155 |
| Family Lift Pass | 6 |
| 2 Adults & 2 Children* | £531 |
| 2 Adults & 3 Children* | £642 |
| 2 Adults & 2 Youth* | £635 |
| 2 Adults, 1 Youth* & 1 Child* | £583 |
Child 5-12 yrs Senior 60-71 years incl.
Family Pass: To qualify for a family pass all members of the family should have the same surname or provide proof they live together at the same address. For family pass exclusively child* age 5-12yrs and youth* 13-19yrs incl..
Lift pass coverage: Lift pass covers all lifts in Alpe d'Huez, plus away days in selected resorts, see "Ski away days" box. FREE night skiing Tue & Thur.
Photo required for lift pass? 9 days +
Lift pass keycard deposit: €2
FREE lift pass for under 5's and adults over 72
Ski/Board Tuition
| Adult | Child | ||
| Ski | (6 x 2hrs 45mins am) | £134 | £126 |
| Ski | (6 x 2hrs 30mins pm) | £101 | £97 |
| Ski | (6 x 5hrs 30mins) | £179 | £174 |
| Board | (6 x 2hrs 30mins pm) | £113 | £117 |
0915-1200 & 1415-1645 or 1445-1715 during French February school holidays.
Children: Ski 4-12yrs, Board 7-12yrs. Child helmets compulsory for all child tuition. Same hours as adults.
No. of instructors: 300
| ESF Piou Piou Club (Les Bergers) | Child* |
| 6 x am (no lunch) 0845-1215 | £146 |
| 6 x am (with lunch) 0845-1400 | £212 |
| 6 x full day (with lunch ) 0845-1730 | £271 |
First Time Skiing / Boarding
| Adult | Child* | |
| First Time ski | £321 | £246 |
| First Time board | £323 | £248 |
The package includes: 6 days equipment hire, 6 x 2.5hrs tuition ski or board (board is pm only) and beginners lift pass.
the savings
· One FREE child ski and boot hire for each adult pre-booking skis and boots · FREE lift passes for children under 5 (arrange locally) · FREE entry to swimming pool ('Speedo' style trunks must be worn), ice rink and sports centre with lift pass
Ski/board equipment
Ski/Board Equipment
| 6 Days | Adult | Child |
| Bronze skis | £65 | £39 |
| Silver skis | £94 | £66 |
| Gold skis | £119 | - |
| Boots | £45 | £28 |
| Snowboard | £94 | - |
| Superior Snowboard | £119 | £66 |
| Snowboard boots | £45 | £28 |
| Helmet | £28 | £17 |
the savings
· One FREE child ski and boot hire for each adult pre-booking skis and boots · FREE lift passes for children under 5 (arrange locally) · FREE entry to swimming pool ('Speedo' style trunks must be worn), ice rink and sports centre with lift pass