France
Top holiday offers
15/Dec , Stansted
These comfortable apartments are well equipped for self-catering, giving guests complete freedom during their ski holiday. Boasting an ideal loc
| Resort | Date | From | Basis | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpes d'Huez | 15/Dec | Stansted | SC | £ 348 |
|
| Avoriaz | 16/Dec | Heathrow | Cater | £ 524 |
|
| Chamonix | 12/Jan/13 | Exeter | B&B | £ 508 |
|
| Courchevel | 15/Dec | Gatwick | SC | £ 314 |
|
| Flaine | 05/Jan/13 | Newcastle | SC | £ 413 |
|
| La Plagne | 05/Jan/13 | Gatwick | SC | £ 419 |
|
| La Rosiere | 05/Jan/13 | Gatwick | SC | £ 438 |
|
| Les Arcs | 15/Dec | Gatwick | SC | £ 399 |
|
| Les Deux Alpes | 15/Dec | Gatwick | SC | £ 358 |
|
| Les Gets | 20/Jan/13 | Southampton | Cater | £ 615 |
|
| Meribel | 15/Dec | Gatwick | SC | £ 328 |
|
| Morzine | 12/Jan/13 | Southampton | SC | £ 578 |
|
| Tignes | 12/Jan/13 | Gatwick | SC | £ 374 |
|
| Val d'Isere | 13/Apr/13 | Gatwick | SC | £ 433 |
|
| Val Thorens | 13/Apr/13 | Manchester | SC | £ 513 |
|
France Introduction
Sixty million French people are the lucky owners of some of the best snowboard resorts in the world, (Chamonix and Serre Chevalier should be on the calling card of all snowboarders) and without doubt, the most extreme and largest areas in Europe.
Resorts vary from the old to the new, but what makes them stand out is the variety of resorts themselves. Some are ugly, semi-modern dumps, whilst others are olde worlde hamlets. What is common however, are the facilities on offer. Fast-food and good bars are plentiful and all help to create a good snowboard scene.
Getting to French resorts is no problem; most are reached by road, although please note that motorways have expensive tolls. Flying to France offers a number of routes, with the principal airports to resorts being Grenoble, Lyon, Chambery and Geneva in Switzerland.
Train services in France are affordable, excellent and fast. Furthermore, during the winter months there is a direct train service from London's Waterloo station to Bourg St Maurice station, a short five minute walk to the funicular that serves the resort of Les Arcs. Most resorts can be reached indirectly by train and bus.
Working in France. EU national won't need a visa to work in France, however it is not as simple as passing a couple of snowboard exams. In order to obtain official stagiaire status, you will require ISIA-level qualifications and a certain number of FIS points. SnowSkool snowboard instructor courses offer BASI qualifications - check out their advice here. However, more mundane forms of work such as bar work are permitted. Many opportunities do exist, especially at the bigger resorts.
Accommodation in most places consists of apartment blocks sleeping any number from 1-21, which are usually quite easy to overload with floor scammers, provided they pay up with some beers.
On the money side, France is expensive, but you can get by if you eat fast-food or buy in supermarkets (where alcohol is really cheap). Avoid the overpriced discos as late night bars are just as good.
6-day weather forecast
| Tue 22nd | 6-day forecasted snowfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Afternoon | Night | Lower Mountain | Mid Mountain | Top Mountain | |
| Chamonix |  light snow |
light snow |
 some clouds |
0cm | 2cm | 26cm |
| Courchevel | light snow |
 light rain |
 cloudy |
0cm | 2cm | 11cm |
| Les Arcs |  cloudy |
some clouds |
 clear |
0cm | 0cm | 6cm |
| Tignes | light snow |
 snow shwrs |
 clear |
0cm | 3cm | 25cm |
| Powered by Snow-forecast.com | ||||||
White wins again in Tignes! Nicholls finishes 8th!
Fri 16 March 12Jamie Nicholls placed an impressive 8th place in the Men Snowboard slopestyle scoring an impressive 74.66.
Jamie Anderson wins X Games Tignes Slopestyle 2012
Fri 16 March 12Slopestyle gold medalist Jamie Anderson claimed victory again in the women's slopestyle at Winter X Tignes 2012.
Catch the Europe X-Games SS Quals videos
Thu 15 March 12Today saw the mens slopestyle qualifications. How would the ginger ninja do, would he drop out like he did over at the X-games in Aspen this year?
Who else but White wins the Euro X-Games Superpipe
Thu 15 March 12Bet you couldn't have predicted the final results in the mens superpipe finals in Tignes. 1st was Shaun White, 2nd Louie Vito and 3rd place went to Iouri Podladtchikov
KELLY CLARK WINS AT WINTER X GAMES TIGNES 2012
Thu 15 March 12Defending gold medalist Kelly Clark is dominating the women’s half-pipe scene, including her recent back-to-back gold at Winter X Games Aspen.
Winter X Games Tignes – Live on ESPN, ESPN Player
Fri 02 March 12Europe’s top winter action sports competition returns to France for third year. British medal hopefuls Jenny Jones and James Woods are set to compete.
SHAUN WHITE FOR WINTER X GAMES TIGNES 2012
Wed 22 February 12Shaun White Will complete at the Winter X Games 2012 held at Tignes
British Legend James Stentiford, takes on the FWT
Tue 17 January 12Big mountain legend and Quiksilver snowboarder James Stentiford killed it on the Freeride World Tour last year.
Jenny Jones Announced For Winter X Europe 2012-01-
Fri 13 January 12Top snowboarders return to Tignes, France to compete at Winter X Europe 2012.
Win a Free trip, join us on the Everest challenge!
Tue 10 January 12There is about a week left until we do the draw to see who will join TeamWSG on the Everest Challenge in Morzine, 26th-29th January. Donate now and have a chance to join us!
Useful information
Population:60 Million
Capital City: Paris
Language: French
Currency: Euros
Highest Peak: Mont Blanc 4808m
Drugs Information: Cannabis is illegal and frowned upon.
Alcohol Drinking 18
Electricity Supply: 240 Volts AC 2 Pin plugs
Driving: Drive on the right hand side
Speed Limits
d
Toll Motorways - 130 kph
Motorways - 110kph
Main Roads - 90kph
Towns - 50kph
International Phone Code: +33
Further Information:
French Snowboard Association
Route du Parc du Souvenir
06500 Menton
France
tel+33 492418000
web:www.afs-fr.com
Email:afs@afs-fr.com
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