France is one of the world's best and most famous snowboarding destinations, with a great choice of resorts. Freeriders, almost spoilt for choice, can experience extreme verticals and ideal terrain with fantastic views. Freestyle boarders will also be happy, as many of the better French resorts have great snow parks and half pipes. So, how to choose your next French snowboarding holiday?
Tignes in the Val d'Isere area of the French Alps is reckoned be one of the premier snowboard resorts; last year the Observer magazine actually named it top snowboard resort in the world. With 300km of piste, half pipes, terrain parks and great off-piste boarding, you can see why. Because Tignes is part of the massive L'Espace Killy you're guaranteed never to run out of terrain, which makes it a popular return destination. The resort itself is classic Alpine French, with a good dose of cool.
Morzine - again in the Alps but in Les Portes de Soleil region - is currently buzzing among snowboarders in the know. With great access to Avoriaz, it has top quality snow parks, few drag lifts, trails for riders of all abilities and endless opportunities to board off-piste. The resort of Morzine is a busy market town so there's plenty going on away from the slopes. Upmarket Chamonix also has access to miles of slopes and is a happening town, with floodlight tobogganing, ice skating and bowling as well as clubs, restaurants and bars.
A relaxed resort with a quieter scene is Alpe d'Huez. This free rider's heaven in the Southern Alps has off piste runs through stunning scenery and a high quality snow park for freestyle boarders.
Whether you travel as a couple or large group, self-catering accommodation is a good option for comfort, freedom, economy, access to slopes and stunning mountain views. French holiday specialist French Connections lists chalets and apartments that sleep between two and ten people. Most have satellite TV and some offer music centres with mp3 port. For those who want meals provided, they also list catered lodges with facilities such as a sauna room, wi-fi internet access, computer and games console.
To get to your French snowboarding holiday destination, the travel options are road, rail or air. Morzine, for instance, is about 9 hours drive by autoroutes from Calais, with the choice of ferry or Eurotunnel for your channel crossing. By train, you'll need to change at Paris for the line to Grenoble and the closest airport is Geneva, about 47km distant. Low-cost carriers fly from both Luton and Gatwick.
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ABOUT AUTHOR:
Glynis Shaw is www.frenchconnections.co.uk, the French property website for renting a holiday home, farm house, gite or villa in France, or to buy and sell property in France.
