First ski holiday: a beginner's guide to Val Thorens

What does a first ski week look like?

At the three schools we checked, ESF, Evolution 2 and Audacius, a beginner course is usually one lesson every morning from Sunday to Friday (afternoon or full-day courses exist too). At ESF, the adult beginner morning course runs from 9:00 to 11:30. The afternoon is free: practise on your own, or rest.

Where you learn: according to the lift company (SETAM), there are three areas in the middle of the ski area with wide, gently sloping runs, and four covered carpets that are free. According to the Val Thorens website, Castor and Pollux are next to the green run Voie Lactée, and Musaraigne and Campagnols next to the green run Grenouillère. All the areas: Val Thorens pistes and ski area.

What you learn: according to Evolution 2's beginner course, to slide straight on a gentle slope, turn in a snowplough (the "pizza"), stop and control your speed. At Audacius, the goal of the beginner level is to ski a green run on your own in a snowplough.

Ski lessons: group or private, and which school?

In a group lesson you learn with other beginners of a similar level. In a private lesson the instructor is yours alone, or your family's. The differences, as the schools themselves describe them:

ESF does not say how many people the private price covers, so ask. At Evolution 2 the private price is for 1 to 3 people.

ESF: adult group lessons from age 13. In the 2026/27 season the beginner ski course starts on 29 November and the snowboard course on 6 December. Before that you can book a private lesson. The morning course meets at the Les Pionniers chairlift, equipment is not included, and a helmet is recommended.

Evolution 2: beginner ski course from age 14, snowboard from 12. According to their website, the team speaks French, English, Spanish, Italian and Czech, and you can ask at the office for a lesson in your language.

Audacius (formerly Prosneige): up to 8 per group, and 6 group mornings are usually Sunday to Friday, 9:00 to 12:00. The Val Thorens website lists more schools, for example Ski Cool, Oxyski and New Generation.

Which lift pass does a beginner need?

According to SETAM, the lift company, you move up in three steps:

• The free carpets. Four carpets you ride without a lift pass.
• The EasyRider pass. For 4 hours or a day, at 50% of the normal price. It opens green and blue runs and five lifts: the Cairn, 2 Lacs and Caron gondolas and the Cascades and Moutière chairlifts. It is sold at the ticket offices, where you also get a beginners' map.
• A Val Thorens-Orelle or 3 Vallées pass, when you are ready for the whole area. For beginners, Val Thorens-Orelle is usually enough. Les 3 Vallées, for its part, recommends its own 6-day pass to beginners too, because "you won't stay a beginner for long". And according to SETAM, a Val Thorens pass of 2 days or more can be extended to the 3 Vallées for one day at the ticket office.

And the lessons? ESF's adult beginner ski page says you need a pass from the second day. Their general advice page says from the first day, so ask when you book. For snowboard, according to ESF, the instructor tells you when to buy one.

Tip: according to Les 3 Vallées, every 6-day pass costs the same as a 5-day pass. The prices: Val Thorens ski pass prices.

Ski or snowboard the first time?

There is no single right answer. These are the differences worth knowing before you choose:

• Both have a beginner course. At ESF, in ski and in snowboard, the morning is 9:00 to 11:30 and the price starts at €270 for the week.
• Ski: each foot on its own ski, with poles. You start in a snowplough. Ski boots are stiff, and walking in them takes getting used to.
• Snowboard: both feet on one board, and softer boots. On the lifts you unclip one foot. According to Evolution 2, in a beginner week you also learn to ride the lifts alone, and the goal is to turn on blue runs.
• Age: at Evolution 2, the beginner snowboard course is from 12 and the ski course from 14. At ESF there are group snowboard lessons for children from 7.
• Groups of friends: it is easier to ski together when everyone does the same sport. In a private lesson you choose one, because according to Audacius an instructor does not teach a skier and a snowboarder in the same lesson.
• Still undecided? ESF also has a one-off snowboard taster on Sunday from 14:00 to 16:30. Check on their website which weeks.

How fit do you need to be?

You don't need to be an athlete, but skiing tires the legs. Les 3 Vallées recommends starting a few weeks before the trip: cardio (running or cycling), strength and stretching, and taking the stairs instead of the lift.

On site, according to the official beginners' map: a short warm-up before you click into your skis, and a snack and water in your bag. The village is at 2,300 m, so take the first day slowly. It is better to stop while you still have energy left.

What are the safety rules on the slopes?

These rules are from the official beginners' map and the Les 3 Vallées skier's code:

• A helmet for everyone. According to SETAM, it lowers the risk of head injury by 35% for adults and 61% for children.
• Ski at a speed you control, for your level, the snow, the visibility and the crowds.
• The skier below has priority. The skier above picks a line that does not endanger those below, and overtakes only with a wide margin. Before you set off or cross a run, look up and down.
• Stop at the side of the run, not in a narrow spot or below a bump where you can't be seen. If you fall, move off the run quickly.
• Never ski a closed run, or after the runs close. According to SETAM, the snow groomers work on the runs then.
• In fog: the poles with an orange top mark the right-hand edge of the run, and the numbers on the signs go down as you get closer to the bottom.
• In an accident: help, and call for help. The ski patrol number is on the official piste map.

What mistakes do first-timers make?

• Thinking blue means easy. On the official map key, blue is "medium difficulty". Beginners start on green.
• Learning from a friend instead of an instructor. According to Les 3 Vallées, a professional is essential for beginners.
• Booking lessons at the last minute. According to ESF, online booking closes 3 days before the course starts, and after that only their office can book you, if there is room. According to Les 3 Vallées, in the French school holidays it is worth booking ahead so that an instructor is free.
• Being late for the first lesson. ESF asks you to arrive early at the meeting point, which is in the confirmation email and the MyESF app.
• Wearing jeans and cotton. They get wet and stay wet.
• Skipping insurance. According to the official map, rescue on the slopes is paid.

How do you plan the week?

1. 1Pick a week. According to Les 3 Vallées, in March the snow is softer and easier for beginners, and April is milder. And early in the season, before 29 November, ESF offers adult beginners private lessons only. More on the weeks: the best time to ski in Val Thorens.
2. 2A few weeks before: book lessons and start training.
3. 3Book the apartment, the lift pass and the transfer. Apartments in Val Thorens. For rental equipment, collect everyone's shoe sizes and heights in advance. Getting there: how to get to Val Thorens.
4. 4Saturday: arrive. In the evening, settle in and go to bed early.
5. 5Sunday to Tuesday: a lesson in the morning. In the afternoon, practise on the free carpets, or with EasyRider on the green runs.
6. 6Wednesday to Friday: if all goes well, try one of the two day routes on the beginners' map. One of them is almost all green: Grenouillère, Traversée des 2 Lacs, Expérience Spatiale, 2 Combes and Combe de Thorens, with one blue section, Cairn, and two EasyRider lifts, 2 Lacs and Cascades. According to the map, the runs are quieter between 11:00 and 15:00.
7. 7Saturday: return the equipment and fly home.