What to pack for a ski holiday: a Val Thorens packing list

How cold is Val Thorens in winter?

The village is at 2,300 m. We worked out the averages from the monthly data Météo-France publishes for its Val Thorens station (2,277 m), over the eight winters 2018/19 to 2025/26:

What the table shows: January is the coldest month. On average, on 20 days a month the temperature never rose above 0 °C all day. In March the middle of the day is warmer, but mornings are still as cold as in February, and April is milder. The coldest reading at the station in these winters: minus 21.6 °C, in January 2019.

That is in the village. The ski area goes up to 3,200 m, and up there, and in the wind, it is colder. So pack for the cold morning, not for midday. How much snow there is each month: Val Thorens weather and snow. Which month to go: best time to ski in Val Thorens.

What to wear skiing: the three-layer system

Instead of one thick coat, wear three layers. You take one off when it warms up at midday and add it back when you go higher. The official Val Thorens beginners' map recommends clothes that are waterproof, warm and breathable.

Why not cotton? It soaks up sweat and stays wet, and then you get cold. Jeans don't work on the slopes either: they get wet from the snow and don't dry.

Hands, head and neck: waterproof gloves, a hat and a neck warmer. According to the official map, on the coldest days mittens are better than gloves with fingers.

What to rent there and what to bring

• Skis or snowboard, boots and poles: rent them. That way you don't carry them on the plane. According to Les 3 Vallées, when you book equipment ahead you send your sizes and level, and the final fitting is done when you arrive.
• Bringing your own gear? Check on your airline's website what you can take and at what price before you book the flight.
• Helmet: according to the Val Thorens lift company (SETAM), a helmet lowers the risk of a head injury by 35% for adults and by 61% for children. If you have one, take it. If not, ask ahead whether it is included in the rental.
• Children: according to ESF, a helmet is compulsory in lessons, and the school does not supply equipment. The child comes with skis and boots, gloves, goggles or sunglasses and children's sun cream. Poles only from the 1ère étoile level. More in Val Thorens with kids.

What to buy before you go, and what you can skip

• Worth having your own: thermals, ski socks, gloves, a hat, a neck warmer and goggles. They are personal, and it helps when they fit you.
• Can be borrowed: ski jacket and trousers. For one week that is enough, as long as they are waterproof.
• You can skip: skis, ski boots and poles (rent them), jeans and cotton for skiing, and lots of evening clothes. In the village in the evening, your ski jacket, a jumper, a hat and warm shoes that don't slip are enough.
• Check before you leave: that your goggles and helmet fit each other. Try them on together.

Which documents and money do you need?

• A valid passport or ID card and your travel tickets. How to get there: how to get to Val Thorens.
• Travel insurance that covers skiing. According to the official map, rescue on the slopes is paid. You can add Carré Neige insurance to your ski pass for every day of your stay. ESF and Evolution 2 write on their websites that they do not insure their pupils.
• Bought your ski pass online? According to SETAM, keep the booking number and the confirmation email. You need them if the card gets lost, and after an accident if you bought Carré Neige with the pass.
• A child under 5? Their pass is free, but you collect it at the ticket office with a document showing the date of birth, such as a passport. According to SETAM, the photo can be taken at the ticket office.
• Money: a payment card and a few euros in cash.
• Driving? Your driving licence. And according to Les 3 Vallées, winter tyres or chains are compulsory in Savoie from 1 November to 31 March.

What do people forget to pack for skiing?

• Sun cream, and a lip balm with SPF. At this altitude the sun is strong, and the snow reflects it onto your face. Put it on in the morning and again at midday, even when it is cloudy.
• Sunglasses, not just goggles. The Les 3 Vallées equipment list has both. Goggles for snow, wind and fog, sunglasses for clear days and the terrace.
• Ski socks. Long socks, one pair at a time. Two pairs squeeze inside the boot, and then your feet are actually colder.
• A power bank for your phone. Batteries run down faster in the cold. And your phone matters on the slopes: in the Les 3 Vallées app you see which lifts are open, and you can see where your friends are.
• A snack and a bottle of water in a small bag. The official beginners' map recommends it, so you don't run out of energy in the middle of the morning.
• Shoes for the village. You don't walk to the supermarket in ski boots. You need warm shoes that don't slip on ice.

Ski holiday packing list

The list is based on the Les 3 Vallées equipment list and the checklist on the official beginners' map, with a few additions of ours:

1. 1Documents: passport or ID card, travel insurance that covers skiing, travel tickets, ski pass confirmation.
2. 2Money: a payment card and a few euros.
3. 3Base layer: 2 sets of thermal tops and leggings.
4. 4Ski socks: at least 3 pairs.
5. 5Mid layer: one or two fleeces, or a thin jumper.
6. 6Outer layer: waterproof ski jacket and trousers.
7. 7Hands and head: gloves (and mittens for the coldest days), a hat and a neck warmer.
8. 8Protection: helmet, goggles, sunglasses, sun cream and lip balm with SPF.
9. 9Phone: charger, power bank, and the Les 3 Vallées app.
10. 10For the village and the apartment: warm shoes that don't slip, comfortable evening clothes and slippers.
11. 11A small bag for a snack, a water bottle and the sun cream.
12. 12Your regular medicines, if any.
13. 13Don't pack: skis, ski boots and poles. Rent them there.

Skiing for the first time? What happens in lessons, which ski pass you need and what the week looks like: first ski holiday in Val Thorens. Looking for somewhere to stay: Val Thorens apartments.