Sunny French Alps Skiing

I have just returned from a wonderful week skiing in Alpe D'Huez. This is my second year in a row to the resort as it has everything I want from a skiing holiday. We had perfect snow conditions and wonderfully sunny days.

I travelled with my partner and two other couples. We stayed at the Chalet Hotel Les Cimes. The hotel is in a good central location, just a two minute walk from the nearest lift. What really made the hotel was the staff, service and food! All the young British staff were fantastic! Very well organised, polite, efficient and friendly. The hotel sleeps around 80 guests in total and the day begins with a choice of cooked breakfast, pastries, toast, cereals etc. Your choice from the menu is taken for dinner and then we head out for our days skiing.

Upon returning to the hotel, afternoon tea is laid out with homemade cakes, biscuits, tea and coffee. Dinner begins with a welcome drink and canapés each evening followed by the most delicious four course meal. The food was amazing, 5* restaurant standard easily. The chefs did a fantastic job.

The rooms were large and clean, fairly basic but what you expect with skiing. Most have a lovely south facing balcony with beautiful views of the mountains. The hotel has a cosy bar with games area, boot room, dining room and reception area.

The resort itself is just a two hour transfer from Chambery airport. You travel up the '21 bends' - famous as part of the Tour De France route. Alpe D'Huez lies on a high sunny plateau surrounded by a snow bowl offering mile after mile of varied pistes. The resort has an excellent snow record due to the high altitude, glacier and over 800 snow cannons. It’s an ideal resort to learn to ski or for children to learn as the nursery slopes are long and wide. There are over 100 red and blue runs so it’s great for intermediate-advanced skiers like myself. You can ski off for the day and have lunch at one of the connected villages. Advanced skiers won’t be disappointed either. The notoriously tricky 'Tunnel' run provides a difficult challenge and the black Sarenne run is the longest black run in Europe.

The resort offers great après Ski. There are numerous bars and clubs. The resort also has supermarkets, shops, a large outdoor pool complex and ice skating rink of which one visit is included in your lift pass.

I can thoroughly recommend a visit to this resort for skiers/boarders of all abilities.