Val Thorens
France
Europe's highest ski resort at 2,300m, and the closest thing to a guarantee that you will be skiing on Christmas Day.
Village 2,300m · top 3,230m
84
/ 100
Very snow-sure
The Best French Ski Resorts for Christmas
France's advantage at Christmas is simple: the purpose-built Tarentaise resorts sit higher than almost anything in Austria or Italy, and altitude is the single best predictor of whether you will be skiing on the 25th.
The cost is character, and it varies more than the brochures suggest — Méribel and Val d'Isère have genuine villages, Tignes and Val Thorens do not pretend to.
The ranking
Ordered by Christmas Snow Score.
Val d'Isère
France
The rare resort that has both a real village and 3,456m of glacier-backed terrain above it.
Village 1,849m · top 3,456m · 300km of piste
73
/ 100
Very snow-sure
Tignes
France
Glacier skiing on the Grande Motte and the same Espace Killy terrain as Val d'Isère, for less money.
Village 1,810m · top 3,456m · 300km of piste
71
/ 100
Very snow-sure
Alpe d'Huez
France
Three hundred sunny days a year, 3,330m of altitude, and the longest black run in the world.
Village 1,860m · top 3,330m
70
/ 100
Very snow-sure
Les Arcs
France
Four villages at four altitudes, linked by cable car to La Plagne as the huge Paradiski area.
Village 1,600m · top 3,250m
59
/ 100
Usually reliable
Les Menuires
France
Les Menuires is a French ski resort where our partner Skiworld runs chalets. We have not finished researching it: there is no Christmas Snow Score here yet because its altitude figures are unverified, and the description below will grow.
Village 1,850m · top 2,850m
59
/ 100
Usually reliable
Montgenèvre
France
Montgenèvre is a French ski resort where our partner Skiworld runs chalets. We have not finished researching it: there is no Christmas Snow Score here yet because its altitude figures are unverified, and the description below will grow.
Village 1,789m · top 2,789m
55
/ 100
Usually reliable
Avoriaz
France
Car-free, ski-in/ski-out from almost every door, and the best resort in France for young families.
Village 1,800m · top 2,466m · 130km of piste
48
/ 100
Weather-dependent
Valloire
France
Valloire is a French ski resort where our partner Skiworld runs chalets. We have not finished researching it: there is no Christmas Snow Score here yet because its altitude figures are unverified, and the description below will grow.
Village 1,430m · top 3,000m
47
/ 100
Weather-dependent
La Plagne
France
Eleven villages, enormous intermediate terrain, and consistently one of the best-value big French resorts.
Village 1,250m · top 3,250m
46
/ 100
Weather-dependent
Méribel
France
The prettiest of the Three Valleys resorts and the one that suits families best.
Village 1,450m · top 2,952m
46
/ 100
Weather-dependent
Flaine
France
Flaine is a French ski resort where our partner Skiworld runs chalets. We have not finished researching it: there is no Christmas Snow Score here yet because its altitude figures are unverified, and the description below will grow.
Village 1,600m · top 2,561m
43
/ 100
Weather-dependent
Courchevel
France
The most luxurious address in the Alps, with the grooming, the restaurants and the prices to match.
Village 1,300m · top 2,738m
36
/ 100
Weather-dependent
Serre Chevalier
France
Serre Chevalier is a French ski resort where our partner Skiworld runs chalets. We have not finished researching it: there is no Christmas Snow Score here yet because its altitude figures are unverified, and the description below will grow.
Village 1,200m · top 2,800m
34
/ 100
Weather-dependent
Les Carroz
France
Les Carroz is a French ski resort where our partner Skiworld runs chalets. We have not finished researching it: there is no Christmas Snow Score here yet because its altitude figures are unverified, and the description below will grow.
Village 1,140m · top 2,500m
24
/ 100
Weather-dependent
Morzine
France
A working Savoyard market town with real life in it — and the lowest altitude in our French selection.
Village 1,000m · top 2,466m
18
/ 100
Weather-dependent
Samoëns
France
Samoëns is a French ski resort where our partner Skiworld runs chalets. We have not finished researching it: there is no Christmas Snow Score here yet because its altitude figures are unverified, and the description below will grow.
Village 710m · top 2,500m
12
/ 100
Weather-dependent
Not yet ranked
We cover these resorts but have not finished verifying the data this ranking uses, so they are left out rather than given a number we cannot stand behind.
The Christmas Snow Score compares resorts on altitude, terrain, snowmaking and past December openings. It describes how reliable a resort tends to be, not what the snow will do this year — Alpine conditions vary every season and nobody can guarantee them.