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Popular Ski Schools for Val Thorens
kevin - March 7, 2018
Kids Ski Lessons (5-13 years) - Equipment incl. - All Levels
Annie - January 13, 2020
Private Ski Lessons for Adults - All Levels - Low Season
Deema - April 5, 2019
Alpine Skiing Coaching, private and small private group
Ski Schools in Val Thorens
Learn to ski in Val Thorens
Located at an altitude of 2300m and part of the Vanoise massif, Val Thorens is a French ski resort situated in the Savoie department. The Val Thorens valley encompasses three separate villages, Les Menuires, Val Thorens and Saint Martin De Belleville, and forms a natural cirque surrounded by 6 glaciers, including the Péclet glacier, the Chavière glacier and the Bouchet glacier. Topped by the Pointe du Bouchet, the Bouchet glacier has an altitude of 3230m, making it the highest skiing area in Europe.
Together with the neighbouring valleys of Méribel and Courchevel, Val Thorens forms the largest ski area in the world - Les 3 Vallées - with a total of 600km of pistes. The driving time to Val Thorens is around 1hr 45mins from Chambéry, 2,5hrs from Lyon and 2hrs 45mins from Geneva. The nearest Eurostar station is Moutiers, with a c.a. 50mins bus transfer to the resort.
Ski lessons for beginners in Val Thorens
Val Thorens has 140km of pistes with 11 green and 29 blue runs, making the resort ideal for beginners. Complete beginners do not generally need a ski pass, as the lifts in the beginners areas are free. Ski schools in Val Thorens arrange their lessons for kids according to age and ability, ski lessons for adults being arranged according to ability and interests.
Within Val Thorens village, the beginner zone is found between the Cascades, Roc and 2 Lac lifts, which also has 4 free magic carpets. In Les Menuires, the beginner area is around the Doron lift area. There is a further very gentle piste with a free lift near the Prayerand gondola, plus two small beginner zones within St Martin de Belleville.
Ski schools in Val Thorens teach their first-time skiers the basics of gliding and snowplough before moving on to some of the gentle green slopes within the resort. Ski novices who can control their speed and are steady when making turns head for the Deux Lacs chairlift or to the Deux Combes at the top of the Cascades chairlift, both of which access some ideal and easy green and blue practice runs. Other easy blues recommended by ski schools in Val Thorens are the Blanchot, Gentiane, Linotte, Moraine and Plein Sud runs.
Kids’ ski lessons in Val Thorens
Children can learn to ski from the age of 3, lessons generally lasting for 2hrs. In all ski schools in Val Thorens, the children are placed in groups that correspond to their age and level. Complete beginners learn gliding and the snowplough on very flat nursery slopes. More experienced kids will follow their instructor directly to the beginner zones before progressing onto gentle greens and blues.
Ski schools in Val Thorens take their advanced beginners to the Pionniers and Plein Sud chairlifts, to access some of the lovely, long blue runs that meander back down to the resort. Young intermediate skiers get to enjoy some of the 53 km of red slopes within the resort, such as the long and rolling Mauriennaise run in the Orelle sector.
Ski lesson prices in Val Thorens
Ski schools in Val Thorens offer group and private ski and snowboard lessons. Some kids’ ski lessons have a lunch and/or ski hire option. The prices quoted are the lowest price per lesson within the season and do not include equipment or extras:
| Kids ski lessons | Adults ski lessons | Snowboard lessons | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | from 29€/2hrs | from 29 €/2hrs | from 29 €/2hrs |
| Private | from 53€/hr | from 53€/hr | from 53€/hr |
The best ski schools in Val Thorens
Prosneige Val Thorens & Les Menuires
Founded in 1996 and under the management of Claire Jurine, this motivated and international team offers lessons in English, French, Italian & Dutch.
Meeting point Val Thorens: Chalet "Les Planches", at the bottom of the "Village Montana" residence
Meeting point La Croisette - Les Menuires: At the ski school office, La Croisette
CheckYeti customers reviews: beginner friendly, experienced, kids friendly
Ski Cool Val Thorens
This ski and snowboard school was founded in 1981 and is one of the oldest ski schools in Val Thorens. Lessons have a maximum of 5 participants and are held in English and French.
Meeting point: At the Musaraigne beginners' slopes, next to the résidence Montana
CheckYeti customers reviews: Experienced, beginner friendly, patient
Val Thorens ski pass
There are three different ski passes available for the Val Thorens area: The ski pass for the Val Thorens & Orelle area covers the resort only. The Belleville Valley Pass covers the local area and the 3 Valleys Pass covers Val Thorens-Orelle, Les Menuires-St Martin de Belleville, Méribel, La Tania, Brides les Bains and Courchevel. Passes can be bought online or at the resort and prices vary according to the length of stay, the age of the skier and whether the pass is for high or low season.
Complete beginners will generally not need a ski pass, as the lifts within the beginner areas are free. Beginners’ ski passes (3hrs minimum) are available for those who have learnt the basics and have progressed onto gentle slopes. Children under 5yrs ski for free but they still require a hands-free access pass for the lifts, which can be picked up at one of the ski pass offices.
Ski schools in Val Thorens will be happy to advise you regarding the ideal pass for your ability and stay.
Ski hire in Val Thorens
Some ski schools in Val Thorens offer lesson packages which include optional ski hire. For skiers who prefer or need to hire their skiing equipment, Val Thorens has 18 ski hire centres in total.
English ski lessons in Val Thorens
All ski schools in Val Thorens offer ski lessons in English, which means that skiers of all ages will fully understand the help and directions from their ski instructor.
What makes learning to ski in Val Thorens so special
Alongside the many skiing and snowboarding possibilities within Val Thorens, there are plenty of other specials for those looking to try something different, ice driving and ice diving, to name a couple. If these are too tame, Val Thorens also offers ice karting on a 300m ice runs circuit, fat bike mountain biking at the foot of the Péclet glacier and dog-sled rides for all the family.
Val Thorens also offers handiski lessons with sit skis, bi-skis or uniskis, which means that snow fans with mobility restrictions can also have fun on the pistes.
FAQs
How do we find a suitable activity?
In every ski resort you will find an overview of all available offers. On the left side you have filters to quickly find the right offer. For example, you can search specifically for beginner ski courses for children in groups.
How do we find offers for our desired date?
Under the menu item "Select course date" in the upper left corner of the page you can select a desired start date. At the top of the search results you will find the offers for the desired start date. Below follow offers in a similar period.
How do we find group lessons or private instructors?
Group courses are marked with "Group". You can search specifically for group courses by selecting the "Group" filter under the "Category" menu item. Private teachers are marked with the inscription "Private". You can search for private teachers by selecting the "Private" filter under the "Category" menu item.
How do we find offers in our language?
Under the menu item "Language" you can select a desired language. Afterwards only offers will be shown where this language is available.
When should we book?
During the holiday weeks, ski and snowboard courses are usually fully booked. In order to make sure that there is still a place available in the desired ski or snowboard course, the motto is: the sooner the better.
How do we find our appropriate experience level?
Next to the menu item "Experience level" you will find a description of the individual experience levels. If you're still not sure, you don't need to worry. Simply choose the experience level that best suits your abilities. Before the first lesson of a group course, ski schools will assess your abilities so that you can be placed in the right group. In any case, private instructors will take your abilities into account on an individual basis.
How do we find offers including equipment?
All offers including equipment are marked with the inscription "Ski rental included". If you find the inscription "Ski rental optional" you can book the equipment for this offer. You will find offers including equipment faster if you select the filter "Ski rental including" under the menu item "Popular options". Depending on the provider, an offer including equipment contains: skis, ski poles, ski boots and helmet. You will find a detailed list of the included rental items in the respective offer description.
There is no offer including equipment, where can we alternatively rent equipment?
In a ski resort there is almost without exception the possibility to rent winter sports equipment. If you book via CheckYeti, you will receive discounts from our partner Skiset, where you can conveniently reserve your equipment online.
How many participants are usually in a group?
This depends on the ski school. Some ski schools have a maximum number of participants per group. You can find this information in the descriptions of the offers.
At what age can children ski or snowboard?
There is no fixed age limit here. Supported by specially trained children's ski instructors, children can already learn to ski playfully at kindergarten age. Depending on the children's level of motoric and social development, the ideal starting age is between 4 and 5 years. Occasionally there are children who can already learn to ski at the age of 3 1/2 years.
How many days should the lessons last for our children?
During the holiday weeks, children's ski courses for beginners usually start on Sunday or Monday. The program is designed in such a way that the best learning results are achieved when your children take part in the ski course throughout the week. So they don't miss the final event (race, etc.) and experience a great week with their group. For advanced children the learning success usually kicks in on the third day.
Is it better to put our child in a group lesson or a private tuition?
The group lessons are generally recommended for beginners. Learning together with peers is more fun. The children are not constantly in the focus and have the possibility to catch their breath between the individual exercises, while the other children are on it. In order not to underchallenge highly talented children, a private ski instructor is recommended.
Can we join our child with a private instructor?
Yes, that's possible. Some providers even offer special family offers. Otherwise, you can simply book a private instructor for children or adults and inform the ski school after booking that you would like to go together.