We all know – those of us who have learned to ski and not found it too easy – how frustrating and even dangerous it can be to be heckled and out-flanked by expert skiers showing off their skills. To learn in safety, you need your own ski runs at an appropriate level, and with expert tutors. That is what these ski resorts give you.
Cordon
This is a pretty village community, small and it has a ski school that is highly regarded. The main virtue of the area is for intermediate skiing, it has no black runs, 5 red ones, 3 blue, and 1 green run. The pistes are also small, 11 km in length, and there are 6 ski lifts. While a small area, they do have 11 snow cannons to augment the snow that falls naturally. There is only one airport – the Geneva Airport – close by, and it is about 1.5 hours drive to the area. Over two dozen hotels are in the area, and they run the gamut from chalets on the ski slopes to name brand hotels far from the area, but with shuttles to and from the slopes. The hotels also offer fine amenities, everything from spas to saunas to child care and fine dining.
La Grande Terche
This is a small skiing resort with only six runs: three each of green and blue; so it is not a place for experts to go. As the resort is near the Swiss border, there are about two dozen Swiss and French hotels that service the area. If you get a lift pass, it gets you free use of the shuttle buses that run throughout the area. Some of the hotels are right on the slopes, making skiing easy, and others are spread across the countryside. They have all manner of amenities: spas, saunas, pools, restaurants that serve French and Swiss cuisine, and some have child care for infants and young children. There are also skiing lessons for children and adults. You can access the area via the Chambery Airport, it is closest to the region.
Saint Sorlin
Situated in France, not far from the Italian border (and the Torin region), this resort is best for intermediate skiers and snowboarders, and has some good runs for beginners, but not much for experts. There are only 2 black runs, 9 red and 10 blue, and 4 green runs. Most of the skiing is of downhill pistes – 90 km of them, and only 20 km of cross country runs. The resort is above 1,500 m in elevation, so using a snowboard or skis to get back there is possible, and many of the pistes are over 2,500 m; this means snow coverage is generally quite good during the season. There are 14 ski lifts servicing the area, and three airports are close to the region. The Chambery Airport is only an hour away, the Geneva and Grenoble airports are about two hours.
Saint Francois Longchamp
The resort sits near the Swiss-Italy border, just inside of France, and is exclusively for beginners. It has 65 km of downhill pistes, 20 of cross country runs, and 17 ski lifts. All total, it has 139 pistes, and some of them are over the 2,500 meter elevation; so you can ski and snowboard through most of the skiing season. Three airports service the area, and the Chambery Airport is only about an hour away, the Geneva Airport two hours. More than a dozen hotels serve the region, and some are right on the slopes; you can get rooms or rent full apartments. Also, there are restaurants, spas, and other amenities to partake of; you can go riding, paragliding, and hiking. Given the region, you can dine in restaurants serving Swiss, French or Italian cuisine.