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In the bottom right hand corner of France, next to Italy and bordering the Ecrins National Park with views of stunning glaciers, Serre Chevalier provides over 250km of marked pistes making it one of France's largest, and least known ski resorts. It boasts around 300 days of sunshine a year as it is one of the most southerly resorts in the Alps, with north facing slopes that reach high above the tree line.
Serre Chevalier consists of three main villages: Monêtier les Bains (Serre Che 1500), Villeneuve la Salle (Serre Che 1400), Chantemerle (Serre Che 1350) and the town of Briancon (Serre Che 1200). Luc Alphand, world champion 1995-97, is probably the area's most famous son - so famous he has his own beer!
Serre Chevalier's snow record is excellent with exceptional recent winters. In the 2006/7 ski season, further snowmaking facilities were installed in the Monetier sector – and its already north-facing slopes and high-altitude (village 1500m, highest lift drop-off 2830m) holds the snow right until the end of April.
Being pretty much the last resort to get noticed or be developed in France the lift network is new and the resort full of 'real'-types.. The locals are friendly, especially up the valley and there is precious little air kissing - darling or celebs. This has kept prices down and attracted expats, many to settle here, without bringing Eastenders on tape or whelks. It's not quite tie-dye, but it is a bit sabai, sabai, as the Thais often say when skiing.
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Serre Chevalier is made up of a lot of smaller villages, all with their different charms. If you’re planning on staying for a while, why not try out a different resort half-way through your trip?
| Nearest airports | Type of resort | Stay in | Go for a |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geneva Grenoble Lyon Turin | Mega resort Mountain town | Chalets Hotels Independent Travel Self-Catered Tour operator | Week Week+ |
| Good for | On the piste | Children | Food and drink |
| Cross-country Off-piste Snowboarding | British ski schools Online lift passes Snow sure | Creches Babysitting Ski schools | Apres-ski Evening drinking Resort dining Vegetarian Family friendly Live music Late drinking Mountain dining |
| Other | Other activities | ||
| Internet access Churches | Adrenaline fuelled Sightseeing Relaxation Shopping |
| Report date: | 20 Nov 2008 |
|---|---|
| Last snowed: | na |
| Fresh snow: | cm |
| Lifts open: | na out of 66 |
Snow depth: | |
| Lower slopes: | 0cm |
| Upper slopes: | 0cm |
Piste information: | |
| On-piste: | na |
| Off-piste: | na |
| Resort runs: | na |
