Serre Chevalier

Serre Chevalier Ski Resort

Often considered the hidden gem of the southern French Alps, Serre Chevalier is comprised of four villages sharing a huge 250km of high quality, varied terrain.

There are four resort bases to choose from in the Serre Chevalier valley, with Villeneuve and Le Villard Laté providing the best bases at the heart of the ski area. Terrain is on offer for all abilities, including some good beginner zones both on the hill and in the valley, great intermediate cruising terrain both within and above the trees and open powder bowls capping the ski area.

To make the most of the resort’s off piste potential, join one of the four Ski Club Freshtracks Off Piste Instruction Holidays heading out to the resort this winter.

Our Serre Chevalier Resort Ratings

• Beginner ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Intermediate ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Advanced ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Snow Reliability ★ ★ ★ ☆☆
• Fast Lifts ★ ★ ★ ☆☆
• Resort Activities ★ ★ ★ ☆☆
• Après ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Value ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Serre Chevalier Skiing and Snowboarding

The resort’s north facing slopes sit between 1200m and 2800m, though in reality 80% lie above 2000m, giving great snow reliability. In addition, the high treeline at over 2100m means there are some great places to head to in a snowstorm. The once-antiquated lift system has seen investment in recent years and more new lifts are planned to speed up getting around even further, which is welcome as many of the lifts are still slow and old.

There are good beginner areas in the valley at Villeneuve and Le Monêtier, as well as higher up the hill at Serre Ratier. Fast learners will quickly get to enjoy the resort’s longer greens – we’d recommend those at Grande Alpe. Much of the rest of the pisted terrain is ideal for intermediates and there are great options both within and above the treeline. On a powder day, the area comes alive for advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders, particularly in the high bowls at L’Eychauda and beneath the Pic de L’Yret.

• Total Pistes: 250km
• Green: 23%
• Blue: 32%
• Red: 32%
• Black: 13%
• Lifts: 55
• Altitude: 1200m – 2800m

Serre Chevalier Piste Map

The local area map can be downloaded here.

Serre Chevalier Resort

Each of the Serre Chevalier villages are based on a simple old centre, with narrow cobbled streets lined by small shops, cosy bars, hotels and traditional restaurants. These give each a very French feel. Briancon is more of a town and its 17th Century, fortified centre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – it is well worth exploring one afternoon or on a bad weather day.

There are numerous hotels in the valley, most of which are very reasonably priced and many have excellent facilities for children – the resort is very popular with French families (which also means it is best to avoid the French February half term as it can be crowded). Each village has its own quiet après ski scene, with the action focussed on small local bars and a quiet beer or vin chaud very much the order of the day.

How to get to Serre Chevalier

Its location in the southern French Alps means Serre Chevalier is slightly harder to get to than other resorts. However, Turin in Italy is the closest airport – the transfer takes a little under two hours. Access from France can be tricky if the road via La Grave is closed, but if open, Grenoble is around two and a half hours away and Lyon is approximately three hours drive.

• Turin airport: 2 hours
• Grenoble airport: 2.5 hours
• Lyon airport: 3 hours
• Calais: approximately 12 hours driving (610 miles)

Serre Chevalier Contact Details

• Website: www.serre-chevalier.com
• Email: contact@serre-chevalier
• Telephone: +33 04 92 24 98 80
• Facebook: @SerreChevalierEN
• Instagram: @serrechevalier
• Twitter: @SerreChe_EN