Discover skiing in Isère in the heart of the French Alps
Located in the heart of the beautiful French Alps, Isère is France’s third-biggest mountain destination. Best known for the resorts of Alpe d'Huez and Les 2 Alpes, it has no fewer than 23 ski resorts in its four famous massifs - Belledonne, Chartreuse, Vercors and Oisans - which will not disappoint with incredible scenery and views, great amounts of snow, family-friendly facilities and accommodation.
Ski Collection features bustling Les 2 Alpes and Alpe d'Huez plus family-friendly Vaujany, Oz en Oisans and Auris en Oisans, great value Chamrousse and hidden gem villages like Villard de Lans/Corrençon and Les 7 Laux, which can all be booked through our sister company, Peak Retreats. These six resorts offer a wide variety of skiing and accommodation to suit all party types and budget.
Easy Access: Isère is in an ideal location
Lying at the gateway to the Alps, Grenoble Alpes Isère Airport boasts an ideal location and superb transport links to discover the diversity of the Isère area. Direct transfers to the main resorts can have you donning your skis in as little as two hours from touch down. You can take a direct private transfer (pre-bookable with us) or hire a car from Grenoble (which we can also pre-book). Flights can be booked independently (we don't book these) through major airlines such as easyJet, Jet2, British Airways etc - our flying page has more details.
Isère Ski Resorts
All the Isère resorts we feature have been awarded the prestigious Famille plus Montagne quality hallmark by the French Ministry of Tourism. This means the whole family can enjoy a special welcome and excellent facilities specifically geared to families, and activities that you can all enjoy together.
Les 2 Alpes is just a 1-hour drive from Grenoble (75km) and is surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery and has slopes on both sides of the resort, so you’re never far from a lift!
Highlights:
- High-altitude skiing with an excellent snow record.
- Les 2 Alpes has one of the largest glaciers in the Alps and is Europe’s largest summer-skiing area.
- It has above-average sunshine conditions.
- It’s excellent for all standards of skiing, with massive off-piste potential. La Grave should be on your off-piste bucket list but take a guide.
- There’s very good après ski with plenty of bars, restaurants, and nightclubs.
- It's very family-friendly, holding the Famille Plus Montagne label for its childrens' facilities.
- A previous winner of the European Resort of the Year at the World Snow Awards.
EXPLORE LES DEUX ALPES
Alpe d'Huez is a world-renowned ski resort and has been growing since the 1930s. It's on a large sunny plateau (1860m) above the tree line.
Highlights:
- A friendly ski resort with a lively atmosphere.
- On average, Alpe d’Huez is lucky enough to get an impressive 300 days of sunshine per year!
- Snow cover guaranteed the whole season thanks to 1000 snow cannons.
- The 250km of piste skiing is spread over a huge area, providing endless opportunities and terrain for all levels of skier and boarder (including an incredible vertical drop!).
- Beginners can access the nursery slopes without a lift pass, and families will love the two new fun play skiing areas.
- Ski the famous 16km Sarenne black slope, the longest in Europe.
- Exceptional off-piste area.
- It holds the ‘Famille Plus Montagne’ label for its children’s facilities.
- Plenty of events designed for children such as carnival parades, lantern processions, fireworks, concerts, face-painting, and ice sculptures.
EXPLORE ALPE D'HUEZ
Vaujany is a very pretty, charming, and peaceful village built on a sunny slope in an area where a micro-climate ensures optimum snow conditions. There’s first-class skiing for all a Vaujany is part of the massive Alpe d'Huez ski area.
EXPLORE VAUJANY
on our sister site, Peak Retreats
Chamrousse is just 30km from Grenoble and features a varied alpine ski area set among attractive fir trees. It's a popular resort for young families or families taking to the mountains for the first time. It's one of the most accessible ski resorts in the Alps.
EXPLORE CHAMROUSSE
on our sister site, Peak Retreats
The typically French resort of Les 7 Laux (translated as 7 Lakes) is in a great accessible location and is made up of 3 lift-linked villages and has access to 120km of piste in the Belledonne mountains.
EXPLORE LES 7 LAUX
on our sister site Peak Retreats
Villard de Lans is a lively and traditional alpine ski resort. Connected to Corrençon, these two lift-linked villages form the Espace Villard-Correncon ski area, the largest and highest Alpine area of the Vercors.
EXPLORE VILLARD DE LANS
on our sister site Peak Retreats
Auris-en-Oisans is located on the edge of the Ecrins National Park at 1600m. From Auris, there is a spectacular panoramic view of La Meije mountain range and the national Parc des Ecrins peaks. Another great value resort, linked to the same impressive ski area as Alpe d'Huez.
EXPLORE AURIS EN OISANS
on our sister site Peak Retreats
Located between the Belledonne and Grandes Rousses mountain ranges, Oz-en-Oisans is set amidst fir trees just above the village of Oz. It's an easy 45 minute drive from Grenoble and perfect for families and those seeking a peaceful base.
EXPLORE OZ EN OISANS
on our sister site Peak Retreats
Did you know?...
The 286km long Isère river gives its name to the region. Its source is on the glacier under the Grande Aiguille Rousse in the Vanoise National Park near Val d’Isère (which incidentally isn’t actually in Isère). The river then crosses the Savoie, runs through Isère’s main city, Grenoble, and ends in the Rhône river.
Recommended stays
Below we have listed three great places to stay, but if you would like advice on which accommodation would suit your group best, please send an email or call our friendly team on 023 9289 0960.
Ideally located at the heart of Alpe d'Huez, Le Cristal de l'Alpe is 200m from the ski slopes and just 50m from the nearest ski lifts and shops. There is also a free shuttle bus which takes you to the ski slopes.
Facilities at Le Cristal de l'Alpe apartments include free access to ‘Le Centre Ô des Cimes Spa d’Altitude’ with a swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, steam room and fitness room.
Located in the popular Eclose quarter of the resort, the Residence Daria-I Nor and its adjoining hotel of the same name, offers easy ski-slope access, thanks to the new 10 person gondola built in the 2018/19 winter season located about 150m from the residence.
Facilities at this residence include a swimming pool, sauna, hammam and fitness room. Guests can also use facilities at the adjoining hotel which include a spa, 2 swimming pools, 2 saunas, hammam, hot tub, salt wall, solarium and fitness room.
Opened for the 2020-21 season, the apartments at Neige et Soleil have everything needed for a comfortable ski holiday. The residence is located in the Grand Plan area of Les 2 Alpes with a number of good shops, bars, restaurants and mini-market available.
The apartments at Neige et Soleil have a elegant take on mountain style yet are warm and welcoming. They all have a balcony or terrace as well as their own ski locker. Facilities include a wellness area with relaxation pool and massage nozzles, sauna, steam room and spa.
Isère has all the elements for a ski holiday that will leave you refreshed, inspired, and recharged in unspoiled surroundings, a perfect place to unwind and there's a whole host of activities to help you do this. Try snow yoga at 2000m altitude while enjoying the fresh mountain air combined with unforgettable panoramic views while meditating to harmonise your body and mind, great for reducing stress and improving flexibility and balance. For something completely different, take a 2.5-hour snowshoe hike to the wintering home of Chamois to learn more about the distinctive mountain animal and how it adapts to the mountain territories.
In the midst of the mountains, nowhere could be more natural...
