Val Cenis Ski Resort France

Val Cenis is the largest & most diverse ski resort in the excellent Haute Maurienne Vanoise. Perfect to ride in a storm, its many lifts & trails will appeal to all ski or snowboard abilities, plus its off-piste freeride terrain is fabulously fun to explore. Whether you are a novice sliding down the long gentle, snow-covered D1006 road or an expert picking your way through the powder laden trees, Val Cenis will satisfy every budding or actual powder hound.

Val Cenis is the best location for a base to undertake a ski safari of the Haute Maurienne valley resorts including the Powderhounds Gems of Bonneval sur Arc & La Norma plus sun-soaked Aussois & the surprise packet of Valfrejus.

Pros & Cons for Val Cenis Ski Resort

Pros

• Reliable natural snowpack in a cold north-aspect ski resort.
• Modern & efficient lift system.
• Long skiable vertical of 1,500m, of which up to 1,350m can be skied in a single run.
• Excellent range of on-piste trails, particularly for novices, beginners & intermediates.
• Wonderfully long novice ski trails of up to 10km.
• Brilliant storm-riding off-piste terrain including mellow bowls, glades, steep trees & gullies.
• Several nice restaurants in the towns.
• Plethora of ski-in ski-out accommodation across numerous village bases
• Incredibly affordable (& exceptional value) lift pass;
• Easy public transport access by train & bus .
• Awesome central location from which to explore the entire Haute Maurienne valley.

Cons

• The lower part of the resort at Termignon may not have much snow (although the piste trails will still have snow on them!).
• Negligible terrain for advanced skiers on-piste.
• The best off-piste tree ski terrain around Termignon’s Sources chairlift is protected wildlife habitat & closed to skiing - oops!
• Several long, flat novice & beginner trails could be difficult to ride for snowboarders without walking!
• Several mountain huts & local bakeries are disappointing.
• Limited après ski & nightlife.

Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)

• Several different village bases & disjointed accommodations spread along 8.5km of valley.
• Villages are in shadow throughout mid-winter.

Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain

The best place to ski during storms in the Haute Maurienne, Val Cenis spans a wide part of the valley with north to south-westerly aspected slopes providing a total of 1,500m skiable vertical across sub-alpine & forested freeride terrain that will suit all off-piste ski abilities, The resort’s 125km of piste trails are heavily weighted toward novices & intermediates. Horizontally the resort is split into two distinct sectors - what we refer to as the Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis sector & the Termignon sector. Vertically, the mountain is split into three distinct zones, each with their own lifts: valley (perfect for novices); mid-mountain forest (full range of trails plus steep off-piste gullies & trees); alpine (mostly broad, mellow rolling pitches).

Check out the ski trail map for Val Cenis below.

Val Cenis Ski Trail Map

Val Cenis has invested heavily in lift infrastructure, with modern gondolas & chairs providing the heavy lifting out of the valley, particularly in the Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis sector. Thankfully that investment hasn’t impacted the lift pass price across the entire resort. It is still at super bargain basement levels (read further below).

Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis sector has the widest variety of terrain in the resort. For novices it is a paradise in which to learn sliding on snow. The best learn-to-ski slopes are around Lanslevillard utilising the Le Haut gondola & Colomba chair. When confident, the long Escargot trail (the summer D1006 road up to the pass!) provides kilometres of easy skiing to perfect one’s skills – maybe not so good for snowboarders though - too flat is parts). Progressing beginners & intermediates have trail options across the mountain. The mid-mountain sector below 2,100m has several ripping intermediate trails, the best of which are Ramasse & MJ St Genix.

The highest lifts in the northern sector of the resort [Met (2,800m), Solert (2,540m) & the old Plan Cardinal 2-seater (2,520m)] all have similar alpine/sub-alpine on & off-piste providing lovely turns on a reasonably mellow pitch. The 6-seater Arcellins chair is important when skiing the area in a storm. It serves a broad scope of mixed alpine, sub-alpine, forest & gullies, whilst avoiding the sometimes painfully long flat journey all the way to the bottom of the resort. The advanced piste trails at Val Cenis are light grey at best! Nothing too steep. Crowds (what little there is) tend to avoid them on powder mornings, so reap the harvest early. Experts will enjoy the mid-mountain off-piste trees & gullies.

See the Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis sector ski trail map.

One area easy to overlook, but in many respects the best in the resort, is the Termignon sector. Connected to Lanslebourg sector via the Turra chair, it is all but deserted during a storm. The sector’s lifts nay be vintage, but it has fun piste trails & marvellous off-piste. An expansive area of sub-alpine forest can be accessed via the Sources chair & Grand Coin teleski (surface tow). Whilst one needs to know the entry & exit points, it was easy enough for us to do a great run in the zone below Sources chair the first time we tried, even though technically the area is protected and skiing off-piste there is prohibited – whoops! If the snow is deep, the ski under the Turra chair through the trees back to Lanslebourg can be awesome. Otherwise, swallow your pride & download on the chair because the long flatter than flat trail back into town is just not worth it. Different if heading into Termignon, where the Bois de Coqs piste cuts through the worst of the interminable zig-zags.

See the Termignon sector ski trail map.

There is a mass of backcountry at Val Cenis, above the lifts in both sectors & east of the Plan Cardinal chair, that given time & weather would no doubt be wonderful to explore during an extended stay. Future lift projects out toward the Cime du Laro seek to utilise this vast resource.

Lift Pass

Whilst remarkably affordable already, the resort has massively discounted lift passes when purchased in advance online. Get Val Cenis lift passes online.

Worth knowing too is that the adult lift pass rate includes children from 12yr & over. Also, passes of 6-days or more duration include one day at each of the Haute Maurienne ski resorts (Aussois, Bonneval-sur-Arc, La Norma and Valfréjus).

Where is Val Cenis France?

Val Cenis ski resort is in the heart of the Haute Maurienne valley in the French Alps. Close to the Italian border, the resort village of Termignon is only 17km (20min drive) east of the transport hub town of Modane. The largest Val Cenis resort town of Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis is a further 6km (8min drive) east. A third village, Lanslevillard is an additional 3km up the valley. Lanslebourg is 220km (2½hr) drive south of Geneva, 230km (2½hr) drive east of Lyon & 128km (1¾hr) west of Turin. Gateway airports to the region are Geneva (GVA) & Lyon St Exupéry (LYS) for all travellers.

Public transport to the region is excellent. Modane has a railway station served by TGV high speed trains on the Paris-Lyon-Turin-Milan line. A major bus terminal is next to the station. Regular buses head to all five Haute Maurienne ski areas, including Val Cenis (the M12 line). Alternatively, a private transfer from the train station to just about anywhere in the Haute Maurienne will be relatively inexpensive.

Search & book here for train tickets to Modane.

Driving to Val Cenis can be incredibly quick when compared to other French ski resorts, but that speed comes at a price. The motorways leading to Modane from both France & Italy are all toll roads. From Italy, the Frejus tunnel at the French border costs significantly more than a day ski lift pass – so day trips to the region from Bardonecchia or the Via Lattea are generally out of the question! The road from Lanslebourg over the Col du Mont Cenis to Italy is closed in winter, with the French side of the snow-covered road forming a major part of the resort’s long, novice-rated ski slopes.

Val Cenis is a wonderful base of operations to make forays to all the other ski resorts in the region. Journeys can be done bus but having a rental car is preferable. From Lanslebourg, Bonneval sur Arc is 19km (31min) northeast via Bessans & its incredible network of winter walking & cross-country ski trails. To the west, back toward Modane, La Norma is 22km (28min drive) drive & Aussois is 17km (24min) via the scenic road through Sardières.

Val Cenis Accommodation

Aside from being the valley's largest ski area, Val Cenis also has the largest villages at its base. Lanslebourg is the main centre, with Lanslevillard further up the valley. The two are effectively connected by numerous resort-style apartment complexes more akin to what one would find in a major Canadian ski resort rather than France. Midway between Lanslebourg & Lanslevillard, the locality of Les Champs has a nice combination of lifts, shops, bars restaurants spread along the valley. For great value ski-in apartments it is hard to look past the Les Alpages de Val Cenis. Aside from the undercover parking, in-house pool & spa complex, restaurant & ski shop, it often has availability at short notice during the week.

Search & book here for all Lanslebourg-Val Cenis ski accommodation.

The cheapest Val Cenis lodgings are in the village of Termignon. Its relatively low elevation of 1,300m may mean it has less snow at times during the season, but one can swiftly access some of the resort's best off-piste tree skiing areas directly from the Termignon ski lifts, making it a wise option for the budget conscious powder hound.

Search & book here for all Termignon ski accommodation.

Ski & Snowboard Rentals, Lessons & Guiding

Ski rentals are available throughout Val Cenis via our local partners, Skiset. Seven shops, all close to the lifts, provide exceptional gear & service in Lanslevillard (2 options), Les Champs (2 options), Lanslebourg (1 outlet) & Termignon (2 options). The ski servicing (repair, edge & wax) at the Dalcin Sports shops in Les Champs near the Pre Novee lift was superbly priced & as good as we have had anywhere in the world.

Receive a discount when you search & book via our Val Cenis Ski & Snowboard Equipment Rental page.

Mountain Restaurants

Val Cenis has a relatively limited number of mountain dining options that throw up (not literally) a disconcerting variety of experiences. Some were surprisingly good, others were soooo disappointing. The Alpenrock restaurant at Replat des Canons in the Termignon sector, whilst having some deficiencies (i.e. the state of the toilet – a common theme in the upper areas of the resort), is a wonderful place to shelter from the storm & enjoy a meal. Similarly, La Fema at the top of the Vieux Moulin gondola was excellent in both the food & service stakes (but the toilets ..... aargh!).

Sadly, on an intense blizzard day we sought to have lunch & respite from the storm in the ironically named Bar Le Refuge near the Mont Cenis tow. It proved anything but, with no toilets, the frostiest of frosty receptions (both temperature & staff) & an owner (presumably) taking up all the space near the feeble heating source. Le Refuge clearly resented having customers, so we suggest avoiding it.

Further down the mountain, Crêperie des Glaces friendly staff will provide great drinks & crepes. The valley towns and lift bases are replete with bars & restaurants of a consistent quality, though we noted the base restaurants at Termignon seemed over-priced.

Activities

Aside from downhill skiing & snowboarding, the Haute Maurienne Vanoise has a festival of winter activities to distract you. The great Alps tradition of parasailing is popular in Val Cenis & other ski areas in the region. Val Cenis has some extended Swiss-like toboggan slopes off the Le Haut gondola plus winter walking & a few minor cross-country ski trails. Up the valley in Bessans is an incredible cross-country ski & winter walking trail network that goes all the way to Bonneval. Other toboggan, winter walking & cross-country trails exist down valley at Aussois and Sardieres. Lovers of ‘old stuff’ will enjoy wandering around the forts either side of the deep defile spanned by the Pont Du Diable (crampons needed for the climb down to access the bridge in winter!) near Aussois. The Fort Victor-Emmanuel, Fort Charles-Félix & Redoute Marie Thérèse make for an interesting distraction from the slopes. Look out for the weekday street market in the various local villages. The vendors move through all the Haute Maurienne villages through the week.

Review

The Powderhounds visited Val Cenis in January & March 2020. We found it to be an excellent all-round ski area with super off-piste freeride terrain, particularly during inclement weather, plus a magnificent base to explore the smaller resorts in the valley. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.

See how Val Cenis compares to the rest of the French ski resorts on the France ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.

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