A Tour of the World's BIGGEST Ski Resort (Les 3 Vallées, France)

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  • Опубліковано 11 гру 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 86

  • @hoffmann6520
    @hoffmann6520 3 дні тому +41

    Good review as always, but I think it's becoming clear that your rankings method significantly favours what the average American wants from a resort: somewhere that is quick to get to for the day and simple to get around with plenty of powder to charge. I think in Europe we generally place a higher value on being able to ski around and see differnt places, great views, good food and drink. The rankings are always going to favour Jackson Hole over 3V even though 3V is probably much more appropriate for most people's ski trip.

    • @alejandroecheverria
      @alejandroecheverria 2 дні тому +5

      Agreed. EU resorts tend to be less "planned" and have a less "hand holding" experience when it comes to navigation. As with cities, EU resorts´ grids seem more organic and less grid like as opposed to NA resorts (it's a matter of preference).
      Having skied considerably in the Alps, Pyrenees, Canada, the US and Japan, in Europe, skiing is part of the overall programme rather than the only thing to do in a give town(s) (eat, ski, chill, sunbathe, etc).
      Great video though, keep 'em coming!

  • @fitofito1001
    @fitofito1001 4 дні тому +26

    The most convenient way to reach three valleys for international travelers is to take high speed train. During winter season, Paris CDG airport has a direct train to Alps. The train station is insider of the airport terminal. The train leaves CDG sometime between 8-9 am. It takes about 4 hours to arrive at Moutiers. Buses are waiting outside of the train station. The bus ride is about 40 mins to Courchevel. The entire trip is very smooth and comfortable. You can have a good sleep at the train after overnight flight.

  • @dhowe5180
    @dhowe5180 3 дні тому +24

    I think you kind of miss the point of the 3V when it comes to the navigation score. Skiing a giant ass domain (not dominion) like the 3V or the sella ronda is not supposed to be simple. The point is to tour and explore like you’re mountaineering or back country hiking or wandering around Paris just taking it in. Granted your criteria doesn’t accommodate this type of experience but it’s at the heart of the appeal of these giant ski domains in the alps

  • @adamhorsfield950
    @adamhorsfield950 4 дні тому +34

    I feel the navigation score of 2 is very harsh. To get around the whole area, you still use the same trail map and on-mountain signs as you would for the individual resorts. Maybe the ranking system does breakdown for ski areas this large - you'll probably have similar problems for other giant European resorts (Dolomiti Superski, Paradiski, Skicircus, etc.) when you get around to ranking those. Nonetheless, great video and one of the best guides I've seen for the 3 Vallées!

    • @vinwin8155
      @vinwin8155 4 дні тому +6

      fully agree with that
      i would even go a bit further and say, that other resorts with 1/2 or 1/4 the size of 3V have the same or even bigger problems! For example "Zillertalerna" - 150 km Pistes and you need more time from one end to the other, than in 3V. In other words: you can navigate very good AND quick trough 3V, considering its huge size.
      3V could never get over around a 5 in nav. in this scoring system. That has to be fixed.
      Same thing with crowd flow. Sure there are lifts with lines like cote brune, plattiers or pas du lac.
      But you DONT have to take them. There are 5 lifts, which take you from courchevel to meribel. 3 Lifts From meribel to courchevel. 5 from meribel to LM ( 2 of them also to VT) 7 from LM to meribel. 2 from VT to meribel (you can ski down to LM from any piste of VT).
      Finaly 3 from VT to orelle and 2 lifts back. With Orelle - Caron, there is a second opition for getting to cime caron too.
      So the 3V have - again considering the insane size - a very good crowdflow. The named bottlenecks arent real bottlenecks, cause you can ski around them!

    • @PeakRankings
      @PeakRankings  3 дні тому +6

      Fair enough. It’s hard to compare this mountain to another one of a similar size, and ultimately, we arrived at the score based on a lot of complications brought about by the sheer size.
      This is only the sixth ski region we’ve reviewed in Europe and we are open to reassessing as we get to more!

    • @Thunderbolt12966
      @Thunderbolt12966 3 дні тому

      @@PeakRankings Don't you have smartphones? There is the "Les trois vallees" App with easy navigation.

    • @bewati1
      @bewati1 3 дні тому +2

      @@PeakRankings It would be nice to take into account the amount of alternative routes and lifts and also the quality of the signage. Trois vallees has huge signs showing the easiest routes to go to all resorts at all major lifts, crossing hills and main route slopes. Including big warnings when you exit a ski area or when your lift only serves difficult slopes.
      I can understand giving a large ski area a 2 if the main inter area connections are slow chairs or surface lifts or if the slopes between the areas are very difficult to ski but non that is the case in Trois Vallees these days. Even Orelle has 3 lifts up from Val Thorens side and 2 From Orelle side (and even a non ski full lift connection) and there are many more option for the other villages.

  • @maxafc4695
    @maxafc4695 4 дні тому +11

    As others have said, I don't see how the overall gets a 2 for navigation. You can't mark it's navigation down just because it is big. Sure it takes a while to get across, but that is only because it is effing massive. It isn't complicated or confusing to navigate and it's layout of 3/4 separate valleys actually makes it quite simple imo.

    • @Thunderbolt12966
      @Thunderbolt12966 3 дні тому +5

      Maybe Americans don't have smartphones. With the Les trois vallees App, Navigation is a piece of cake.

    • @maxafc4695
      @maxafc4695 3 дні тому +4

      @Thunderbolt12966 tbh even as a 26 year old, I always use a paper map when skiing. Using a smartphone with gloves is a no no, and I don't trust myself not to drop it on a chair lift. Could probably use it when in a gondola though

  • @hetmonster2
    @hetmonster2 3 дні тому +3

    I have been going to Val Thorens since I was 3 years old every year with the whole family. Super fun and great skiing.

  • @isaacamores8767
    @isaacamores8767 4 дні тому +6

    I went to Val Thorens last year and I loved it and was just pure bliss

  • @redkite1056
    @redkite1056 4 дні тому +12

    Omg, I’ve been waiting for you to do this, thank you! I’m going here in January

    • @derek4358
      @derek4358 4 дні тому +1

      Same 😅

    • @bewati1
      @bewati1 4 дні тому +1

      Don't forget to use some of the amazing public picnic spots marked on the ski map. Especially the one at the top of the cote brune chairlift with clear views Mont Blanc, europes highest mountain.

  • @drob841
    @drob841 4 дні тому +5

    Excellent! Hope you guys make it out to Paradiski/La Plagne sometime!

  • @claudefrantzen6432
    @claudefrantzen6432 4 дні тому +6

    I go every year at least for a week to 3 vallées (different villages with a preference to Val Thorens) I still have not managed to do all lifts and slopes - and I always discover new amazing views and chalet restaurants

  • @bewati1
    @bewati1 4 дні тому +6

    Nice video, it would have been good to cover the fact that most resorts have supermarkets right at the snowfront for budget concious travellers. This combined with the many free scenic picnic benches allow for affordable mid tour lunches. You also missed that although the signage show the busy main routes, there are many much more quiet options to travel between resorts by taking red slopes or downboarding gondelas.
    I would disagree with Val Thorens or les Menuires not having cheap lodging with the massive amount of very cheap small basic appartments with slopeside acces.

  • @grantmason9844
    @grantmason9844 4 дні тому +3

    I skiid at Les Menuires when I was a teenager, and the scale of it is just insane. We just stayed within Val Thorens and Les Menuires because there wasn't any need to see more. Would love to do a full lap of it just to experience the full expanse.

    • @grantmason9844
      @grantmason9844 4 дні тому

      Like there's almost a diminishing return on size after a certain point. If you're staying in Val To, and want to see what Courcheval has to offer, you have to go straight there and then start heading back with enough time to get back into Val To by the end of the day. Staying in Meribel might be the optimal setup, but for people staying on the sides, it's kind of too big to really appreciate all it has to offer.

    • @bewati1
      @bewati1 4 дні тому +2

      @@grantmason9844 I don't agree with this. If you get up early and take the slope down to les Menuires from Val Thorens and go up to transfer hill to Meribel (Roc 1+ Roc 2)you can be in courchevel within 2 hours leaving plenty of time to enjoy there. I have done day trips to Moriond from Val Thorens getting back 1 hour before lift closure. Going back via cote brune chair is even quicker if you ski down Saulire.

    • @anorthernsoul5600
      @anorthernsoul5600 2 дні тому +1

      @@bewati1 Correct, in Jan we're staying in La Tania, done it a few times now and it's surprisingly affordable. Get to the lift around 8.45am with a coffee in hand waiting for it to open. Packed lunch, checked the piste maps and closing times of lifts, we usually ski all of the area in the week, occasionally have a close call where a lift is about to close with 10mins to spare. We find the Pyramides above Moriond the least busy.

  • @darylfortney8081
    @darylfortney8081 2 дні тому

    Going there in a couple months. First time skiing in Europe, excited

  • @onevideonly
    @onevideonly 4 дні тому +1

    Oh my god just from these clips the mountains look so gorgeous

  • @MrKelleyalexander
    @MrKelleyalexander 3 дні тому +3

    Do Portes du Soleil, Arlberg or Ski Amade; they’re also good and HUGE.

  • @chrislevuiqes2759
    @chrislevuiqes2759 2 дні тому

    I just want to say tyvm for your contents. More power to you

  • @CasparAbbott-cq8hy
    @CasparAbbott-cq8hy 4 дні тому +7

    Hi PeakRankings, I don’t know where you source your snow totals, but it’s important to recognize that the resorts don’t report total snowfall, and most sites are completely innacuarate. Furthermore, these figures are usually measured close to or at resort level. The one I trust with this is Fraser Wilkin, a guy who has spent his whole life studying Alpine weather patterns and snowfall, who founded Weathertoski which has lots of the averages for big ski resorts in the Alps in the bottom section of his “Who got the most snow” articles he does each year. As per the actual averages, here are some at resort level: Verbier: 6 meters 213 inches, Lech Zürs: 10 meters 400 inches, Andermatt: 9.5 meters 360 inches. Remember these are bottom mountain numbers, and are much greater as the top of the resorts, and likely is much better than the vast majority of North American resorts. Even more, Warth am Arlberg gets 11 meters at resort level, greater than that of Jackson Hole, a resort known for good snow, at resort level.

  • @OwenWelsch
    @OwenWelsch 2 години тому

    Awesome video!

  • @cypherdras
    @cypherdras 7 годин тому

    wow, what a fantastic review.

  • @Eventurefamily
    @Eventurefamily 3 дні тому

    Perfect timing as we’re taking the whole family for a week over Christmas. Thanks so much for all this amazing information!

  • @wobbecraft
    @wobbecraft 4 дні тому +3

    yess more europe, do les arcs/paradiski next- also very big, this year the're redoing the arc 1600 snow park

  • @sebastianmandrean
    @sebastianmandrean День тому +1

    Great video, thanks!
    Can you do a video about Cervinia? (I know there is one about Zermatt)

    • @PeakRankings
      @PeakRankings  День тому

      The Zermatt video covers Cervinia too!

  • @christianwestling2019
    @christianwestling2019 3 дні тому

    Next time you come to Europe, feel free to come to northern Europe, Scandinavia.
    We have some great resorts in Norway & Sweden. We're open much later than in the Alps, closing in May. There's even a place in northern Sweden called Riksgränsen that has midsummer skiing.
    But Åre in Sweden is the best one.

  • @claytonlatone8959
    @claytonlatone8959 4 дні тому +3

    It blows my mind that just one of the valleys at this place is bigger than the entirety of Park City 👀

    • @rmgw226
      @rmgw226 4 дні тому +2

      I think it’s bigger than Whistler Blackcomb also!

  • @stormforce171
    @stormforce171 4 дні тому +1

    This area is awesome in all respects. Despite some lifts have a long wait. For Cime Caron it is totally worth it with the challanging slopes that await you. I hava had many trips with only sunshine but also a few ocasions with a total white out.

    • @dhowe5180
      @dhowe5180 3 дні тому

      Cime Caron tram is damaged and out of commission for this season 😢

    • @bewati1
      @bewati1 3 дні тому

      @@dhowe5180 You can take the Orelle Caron from the Orelle side as an alternative but it's sad news indeed.

  • @itstartiks7036
    @itstartiks7036 4 дні тому +2

    it would be great if you do some pirynees resorts (baqueira/grandvalira/masella)

  • @plainsfarmboy
    @plainsfarmboy 2 дні тому

    A word of warning that sometimes link lifts between the valleys are suddenly closed when weather conditions deteriorate. Then the 3V ski area becomes 3 separate ski areas, and there is no help, or compassion, to get you back to your ‘home valley’. I was once stranded in the Courchevel valley mid afternoon when the links back to Meribel were closed. The only way back was a very expensive taxi ride. Luckily I was in a group so could share the cost.

    • @bewati1
      @bewati1 14 хвилин тому

      Did they not have the warnings up at the lift info signs to stay in your own area/return to it immediatly due to expected weather conditions? I have been in the area many times and never gotten stuck by just follwing any warnings or advice boards at the lifts.
      But it is good to know that links can close and if you are Val Thorens this will lock you out of the rest the 3 vallees as the only crossing point is an exposed 2900m peak.

  • @Henderson-m1x
    @Henderson-m1x 3 дні тому

    Was there last year, going again in March. We stay in La Tania 1400m and it's resort level snow is generally good. Also it is the cheapest of all the resorts to stay in the 3V. We do self catering apartment and there is a supermarket below the apartment block where food and drink is not much more expensive than what you pay in the UK.
    With full area lift pass, transfer, flights it comes to £830. There is only ski hire on top of that at around £100.
    A tip for ski hire, do not upgrade online ski hire to "gold". Do it at the ski hire shop when you're fitted for skis, they'll ask you your ability, weight etc. You can ask then for a good grade of ski and they don't charge you extra as you've already paid online. Saves around £30-40.
    I first skied the 3V 20yrs ago and stayed in Meribel, best ski holiday ever, Rond Point was a fantastic apres ski bar, it still is pretty good. We just about skied all the 3V pistes, but I was a lot fitter back then.
    Top tip, keep your eye on the time. We were in Val Thorens last year skiing down to Les Menuires and one of our companions wanted to carry on skiing, we objected by saying it was past 3pm we have to start heading back. We had 10mins to spare before the Pas Du Lac lift closed at Meribel taking us back to La Tania.

  • @claytonlatone8959
    @claytonlatone8959 4 дні тому +4

    I can't believe the largest ski resort in the WORLD only charges 63-79 euros for a ticket. Either Europe is much cheaper, or the US price gouges tf outta tickets or maybe both. Meanwhile, southern vermont charges $100-$150 for a mountain less than 10 times the size 🙄

    • @philippeayache9589
      @philippeayache9589 7 годин тому

      Competition and volume is why: North America is mostly a duopoly with Alterra and Vail resorts whereas there's a lot of competition in Europe which naturally leads to lower prices. Secondly volume - the region around the Alps is densely populated with a lot of medium to large cities closeby compared to the Rockies, which mean lot more footfall to amortize the heavy costs of running a resort (need lot of snow making and people expect fast lifts now). The Alps ski resorts also have a good summer footfall using their lifts which further helps recoup investment. The 3 valleys see ~10 million ski pass or summer pass days sold per year.

  • @m3kilo796
    @m3kilo796 3 дні тому +1

    Good video, but having skied the area quite a few times over the years, Meribel Centre (1450m) doesn't have as good a snow record as Les Menuires (1850m). Also St. Martin De Belleville (1450m) is just slightly higher than Meribel Village (1400m), overall it doesn't fare any worse for snow than Meribel. Just my thoughts on your otherwise pretty good video.
    BTW the cheapest place to stay in the Three Valleys is La Tania, it's below Courcheval.

  • @fabiansuccar4893
    @fabiansuccar4893 День тому

    Great video! I hope you can review les arcs and tignes-val disere

  • @BitTwisted1
    @BitTwisted1 3 дні тому +1

    It used to be possible to take all the lifts of all the resorts in one day! I'm not sure if this is still possible because another few lifts have been added in the last ten years. Obviously you have to do it in the late season when the days are longer and you need to know the resorts really well. :¬)

  • @OutsideOfficeHours
    @OutsideOfficeHours 4 дні тому

    I definitely need to go here!

  • @falco1764
    @falco1764 День тому

    You should do a video also about "4 passi" in italy (Val gardena, Alta Badia, Val di Fassa, Arabba), the most beautiful ski resort in the world and the second biggest one after le 3 valles

  • @maxafc4695
    @maxafc4695 4 дні тому +2

    I don't see how the overall gets a 7 for challenge if Meribel and Courchevel are an 8. If you are staying in Les Menuires you can still easily ski all of the hardest terrain in the resort, so the resort as a whole should get an 8.

  • @wobbecraft
    @wobbecraft 4 дні тому

    I know it is probably too late for the rankings, but I would love a kids/funpistes category or maybe a snowpark category, as these are a big part of the resorts, and I think you would need to include something like that if you include apré and such
    Here we vote for mountain entertainment category!!

  • @techer9821
    @techer9821 4 дні тому

    Skiing!!

  • @chrisnavin6668
    @chrisnavin6668 3 дні тому

    Can you do a top ten ski vehicle and set up .
    Driving is a big part of skiing.
    Plus In look to get a new vehicle on I can’t make up my mind

  • @jeremyzed6726
    @jeremyzed6726 4 дні тому

    What do you mean by upscale bonafides 0:58? have never heard that term

  • @zaphod4245
    @zaphod4245 4 дні тому +7

    Your bus info is away off. There are loads of transfer companies who offer direct bus service from GVA to all of the 3V resorts, as well as companies who offer private shuttles.
    You've also butchered almost every single name in this video lol

    • @bewati1
      @bewati1 4 дні тому

      Yeah you can always just take a bus to the bus station down in the valley with frequent transfers to all resorts. Val Thorens and les Menuires even have a free public bus service.

    • @dhowe5180
      @dhowe5180 3 дні тому

      Yup. Les Menuires is lay main-WEER

  • @PaultonsParkUnderated
    @PaultonsParkUnderated 4 дні тому +1

    Have you ever been to Zell am See Kaprum in Austria, if so would you please make a video on it, if you haven't been there don't worry (or if these videos take a lot of time i don want to waste your time :) )

  • @joshuapurdy7065
    @joshuapurdy7065 3 дні тому

    Are you ever going to rank New Yorks ski resorts?

    • @PeakRankings
      @PeakRankings  2 дні тому +1

      Yep! Still working on the videos but you can check out our New York rankings on the website here: www.peakrankings.com/new-york-rankings

  • @BlckJack123
    @BlckJack123 4 дні тому +1

    You could literally spend the entire winter skiing there and not cover it all.

  • @Matt-cp2ug
    @Matt-cp2ug 4 дні тому

    Ok, waiting for the Albergs... 'St.Anton,Lech, Zurs..next

  • @apextheprotogen2077
    @apextheprotogen2077 2 дні тому

    Please do Alyeska

  • @ozac4571
    @ozac4571 2 дні тому

    Corvara cortina is actuallh the biggest!

  • @OwenWelsch
    @OwenWelsch 2 години тому

    More people should subscribe, come on I feel like half the people who are watching is not subscribing.😢😢😢

  • @redkite1056
    @redkite1056 4 дні тому +1

    Also, first comment 😂🎉

  • @GigaChadRealington
    @GigaChadRealington 4 дні тому +4

    Courchevel > Colorado. Like no comparison, sorry.

  • @andrease2320
    @andrease2320 2 дні тому

    So I use ski from one end to other end with tool kit do job return on the skis. This idea it big ski area is so fake because the area has no bus or public transportation. So early like sailzburgh ski resort for example I can ski from the centre of Austria to Germany in day get the train back it is possible to ski end to end 3 ski area from zell me see using free bus not more than hour on one pass have to get the train back 2 hours to zell because it impossible to ski back in day. This is for race ski extremely skiing person. One ski resort an hour way alpine dorf. Has 8 valleys it would take me 5 days. To ski everyone runs ! Most ski resorts in Austria are linked by free bus from the railway station on your ski pass are in some cases 20 second away so having lived in two countries including the 3 valleys I find it small because the impacts of lack of transport the time it takes between resorts. ! France is yet again suffering from snow issues Austria is has been open from October. This looks like north France coming to Austria for second season which is great for me I get speack French in to Germany for the first time last year

  • @williba24
    @williba24 4 дні тому

    Most Rocky mountain resorts are bigger than this resort.

    • @daytonprice2141
      @daytonprice2141 4 дні тому +6

      Whistler-Blackcomb is 8,000 acres and it's the biggest in North America.

    • @alainbrouillaud484
      @alainbrouillaud484 4 дні тому +11

      Sorry… ALL resorts in North America don’t even come close in size to Les Trois Valléés

    • @richardreynolds8964
      @richardreynolds8964 4 дні тому +5

      All resorts put together in the US would likely be less than 2-3 times the size of 3 valleys resort. Not everything is bigger in the US!

    • @JL-dp1wj
      @JL-dp1wj 3 дні тому +1

      hahahahahahahah 'Americans'