Top of the French Alps!

The "Top of the French Alps" label, recognized by the French Ministry of Tourism, has been awarded to a handful of French ski resorts that offer a certain level of services and facilities to meet the requirements of an ever more demanding international clientele. Skiing in the French Alps has only become a popular winter holiday option in the last 50 years but we can now say that ski holidays are part of the British holiday culture. Always in search of good service, British skiers are no longer willing to accept the low standards that can be found in some ski resorts. Hence the creation of the Top of the French Alps label!

Criteria for the Top of the French Alps label

The criteria required for a French ski resort to be awarded the Top of the French Alps label are varied and pretty strict – just as they should be when you see the prices in some French ski resorts! Below are the list of criteria that needs to be filled by the resort.

Before booking a ski holiday

The Top of the French Alps label demands various criteria which are important for the international clientele at the time of their ski holiday reservation.

• The ski resort’s own website must be translated into several languages and supply easy to access and up-to-date information about the resort and its services available.
• The ski resort needs to be close to a number of international airports and/or railway stations, with regular shuttle and/or coach airport transfers to the resort center.
• The ski resort must offer a large and varied choice of ski holiday accommodation from modern hotels and apartments to cozy, traditional chalets with friendly hosts and cleaning services.

On the slopes

To come up to the Top of the French Alps label’s standards, the resort’s ski area must fit certain criteria.

• The ski resort’s ski area must be linked to other ski areas that reach a certain number of kilometres of ski slopes.
• The ski area must be equipped with fast, modern and efficient ski lifts.
• The ski area must be able to guarantee its snow cover with snow cannons.
• The ski area must also have specific areas for children and/or beginners.
• There must be snowparks and a number of marked cross-country trails in the resort’s ski area
• There must also be a good choice of off-piste skiing in the ski area

In the ski resort itself

The demands of the Top of the French Alps label are very strict regarding the level of services in the ski resort itself.

• The ski resort staff, from hotel receptionists and ski school instructors to ski-lift controllers, must speak at least English, if not other European languages.
• There must be regular international cultural and sporting events such as exhibitions, concerts, festivals, snowboarding and ski competitions, etc., held in the ski resort.
• There must be a wide choice of entertainment and alternative activities such as tobogganing, snowshoeing and hiking tours, paragliding, well-being and spa facilities, skating rinks, bowling alleys, children’s clubs, cinema and shops.
• In the restaurants in the ski resort, there must a choice of freshly prepared, regional specialties as well as an international cuisine and speciality dishes prepared by top chefs.

Ski resorts with the Top of the French Alps label

So, I hear you asking the question “which French ski resorts have been awarded this label?” Here is the Top 10 list of ski resorts we have selected for you from the list of the Top of the French Alps label awards: Alpe d'Huez, Courchevel, La Plagne, Les Deux Alpes, Les Gets, Meribel, Morzine, Tignes, Val d'Isere and Val Thorens. You can guarantee you’ll have a great ski holiday in these resorts knowing that they have reached a certain level of services and have filled all the above criteria to be awarded the Top of the French Alps label.

The "Top of the French Alps" label, recognized by the French Ministry of Tourism, has been awarded to a handful of French ski resorts that offer a certain level of services and facilities to meet the requirements of an ever more demanding international clientele. Skiing in the French Alps has only become a popular winter holiday option in the last 50 years but we can now say that ski holidays are part of the British holiday culture. Always in search of good service, British skiers are no longer willing to accept the low standards that can be found in some ski resorts. Hence the creation of the Top of the French Alps label!

Criteria for the Top of the French Alps label

The criteria required for a French ski resort to be awarded the Top of the French Alps label are varied and pretty strict – just as they should be when you see the prices in some French ski resorts! Below are the list of criteria that needs to be filled by the resort.

Before booking a ski holiday

The Top of the French Alps label demands various criteria which are important for the international clientele at the time of their ski holiday reservation.

• The ski resort’s own website must be translated into several languages and supply easy to access and up-to-date information about the resort and its services available.
• The ski resort needs to be close to a number of international airports and/or railway stations, with regular shuttle and/or coach airport transfers to the resort center.
• The ski resort must offer a large and varied choice of ski holiday accommodation from modern hotels and apartments to cozy, traditional chalets with friendly hosts and cleaning services.

On the slopes

To come up to the Top of the French Alps label’s standards, the resort’s ski area must fit certain criteria.

• The ski resort’s ski area must be linked to other ski areas that reach a certain number of kilometres of ski slopes.
• The ski area must be equipped with fast, modern and efficient ski lifts.
• The ski area must be able to guarantee its snow cover with snow cannons.
• The ski area must also have specific areas for children and/or beginners.
• There must be snowparks and a number of marked cross-country trails in the resort’s ski area
• There must also be a good choice of off-piste skiing in the ski area

In the ski resort itself

The demands of the Top of the French Alps label are very strict regarding the level of services in the ski resort itself.

• The ski resort staff, from hotel receptionists and ski school instructors to ski-lift controllers, must speak at least English, if not other European languages.
• There must be regular international cultural and sporting events such as exhibitions, concerts, festivals, snowboarding and ski competitions, etc., held in the ski resort.
• There must be a wide choice of entertainment and alternative activities such as tobogganing, snowshoeing and hiking tours, paragliding, well-being and spa facilities, skating rinks, bowling alleys, children’s clubs, cinema and shops.
• In the restaurants in the ski resort, there must a choice of freshly prepared, regional specialties as well as an international cuisine and speciality dishes prepared by top chefs.

Ski resorts with the Top of the French Alps label

So, I hear you asking the question “which French ski resorts have been awarded this label?” Here is the Top 10 list of ski resorts we have selected for you from the list of the Top of the French Alps label awards: Alpe d'Huez, Courchevel, La Plagne, Les Deux Alpes, Les Gets, Meribel, Morzine, Tignes, Val d'Isere and Val Thorens. You can guarantee you’ll have a great ski holiday in these resorts knowing that they have reached a certain level of services and have filled all the above criteria to be awarded the Top of the French Alps label.