Nicola, from the Peak Retreats team, headed to Val Cenis with her family and two other families in March 2025. Read all about their trip including their first time self-driving, where they stayed, what the skiing was like and her favourite bar and restaurant recommendations…
This was our second ski trip with our children. The previous year we had headed to Sainte Foy with two other families with similar age children. Sainte Foy had ticked a lot of boxes so we were very keen to find somewhere that lived up to it.
This year we were travelling with one of the families from last year and a new one. We had a mixture of skiers in our group including 2 pre-schoolers, 3 children in ski school, a beginner adult, 2 intermediate skiers (myself and my husband) and 3 expert skiers, as well as a non-skiing under 2.
We decided on Val Cenis, staying at Chalets de Flambeau.
This ticked a lot of boxes including:
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Compact, family-friendly feel
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Plenty of green runs for our beginner skier including the 6km Escargot
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The ski school meeting point was a stone’s throw from our apartment (this was very important to us)
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Everything we needed on our doorstep (ski hire shop, a restaurant (café & bar), Sherpa convenience store, bakery and souvenir shop (most important to my 7 year old!).
Getting to Val Cenis
For my family, our holiday started with a drive to the Alps! This was our first time doing a self-drive ski holiday. We departed on Friday afternoon, heading straight for the Eurotunnel LeShuttle terminal.
We flew through check in and passport control and through to the FlexiPlus lounge where we stocked up on sandwiches, cakes and drinks which we ate during the crossing so that we could keep going to our enroute hotel in Reims without having to stop to eat.
We drove straight onto the next departing train with our FlexiPlus ticket
The next day we drove from Reims to the resort with just a couple of stops. Our final stop was at the Intermarché supermarket at Mondane, just off the motorway and a short drive to the resort.
As we had driven ourselves, we had brought quite a few cupboard staples from home (pasta, tinned tomatoes, oil, herbs and spices). We then used this supermarket stop to buy the majority of the fresh food we’d need for the week so that we only did a couple of small top up shops once in resort.
Our Val Cenis accommodation
Les Chalets de Flambeau
We arrived at our accommodation, Les Chalets de Flambeau at around 5pm. We were able to park in a short stay bay outside the residence while we checked in and unloaded. Once we’d finished unloading, we moved our car to the underground car park which was payable locally (make sure you ask the Peak Retreats team to reserve your space).
After that, we needed to get ourselves sorted so that we’d be ready to get the children to ski school first thing. We had received our lift passes in our Peak Retreats voucher pack but as we were getting a free under 5s lift pass for my daughter, we did need to pay a quick visit to the lift pass office to show proof of age and collect her pass. Fortunately the lift pass office was within one of the Chalets de Flambeau buildings and there was no queue so this was really quick and simple.
Next up was the ski hire shop. This was a 1 minute walk from the lift pass office. There were a couple of other families in there but we were seen to straight away so again a painless exercise.
We’d planned oven pizzas for dinner which we'd picked up from the supermarket so we headed back to the apartment and popped these in the oven while we did some unpacking and got everyone to bed at a decent time ahead of our first day on the slopes.
A little more about Les Chalets de Flambeau
The residence is located in a compact area of Val Cenis midway between the villages of Lanslebourg and Lanslevillard. This may sound cut off but it really is its own resort centre with everything you’d need for a week on the slopes. We did have a walk to each of the villages for a mooch but it wasn’t essential.
Our apartment was a 2-bedroom apartment which had a duel aspect, one side overlooking the hills on the other side of the valley, the other on the piste side where we were able to see the Piou Piou nursery slope.
It was really well kitted out and had everything we needed for the week. It even had things we didn’t need like a lemon juicer! We made regular use of the bread delivery service offered by the residence. Order your bakery items by 6pm the day before and either collect from reception at 8am or have delivered to your door by 8.30am. We opted to collect as we needed to be out early for Piou Piou drop off. To order you can either pay a visit to reception or we discovered after a few days, you can use the online portal which saved a trip and meant we could order when we were out and about in resort.
Another great benefit of the residence was the pool and wellness area. There was a large indoor pool with a baby pool (and small slide) next to it. This was a hit with all the children in our group and made for a fun late afternoon activity before dinner. Some of the adults in our group managed to steal a moment or two to relax in the hot tub, sauna and steam room.
Large pool area in Les Chalets de Flambeau
Myself and one of the other mums even managed to book in for a massage at the Ô des Cimes spa (Peak Retreats can pre-book this for you). We had this on the afternoon of the final day which was just the perfect way to end a busy week on the slopes.
The Skiing in Val Cenis
As mentioned, we were a mixed bunch of skiers and there was something for everyone.
Ski school
Within our group, we had 5 children in ski school across different levels....
Piou Piou
We had two four year olds who attended Piou Piou lessons with ESF (booked through Peak Retreats), which are designed for three to five year olds and delivered in more of a kindergarten style on a dedicated enclosed nursery slope. This was a two-minute walk from our apartment so very convenient.
The children had two wonderful instructors who encouraged them with their skiing and helped them progress over the course of the week. Both of them achieved their “Garolou” award so they’ll be ready to progress to proper ski school lessons next year.
Crèche
We booked a brilliant ski school and childcare package for the little ones through Peak Retreats, delivered by ESF. They did the Piou Piou session 9-10.30 and then were taken over to the crèche where they were until around 12.15. This worked really well and they absolutely loved it.
I must admit I had been a little daunted about leaving my daughter with other people on holiday but I needn’t have been. My daughter thought the staff were so kind and she loved the soft play area within the crèche.
Val Cenis Piou Piou
Val Cenis ski school
Kids’ ski school
We then had one child in our group who started in Ourson but was quickly moved up to Flocon and two children in 1st star. It was fantastic to see them progressing with their skiing day by day.
My son in 1st star did find it tiring as they covered a lot of ground in their lesson but he nevertheless really enjoyed it and names it as the highlight of the holiday.
They were all thrilled to receive their badges at the end of the week and are excited to progress next year.
As with last year, seeing the children learning a new skill with such enthusiasm and determination was the highlight of the holiday for me.
Beginner adult
The beginner adult in our group joined the beginners’ group ski lesson. The ski area had plenty of confidence building greens and they really felt like they were able to explore the resort, rather than being restricted to one particular area.
Intermediate adults
Myself and my husband consider ourselves to be intermediate skiers although my confidence level varies from year to year. We used the green runs to get our ski legs back on the first day and then progressed to blues. There were plenty of blues to choose from and we felt like we could cover a lot of ground.
We did feel a little rusty though so we decided to book a private ski lesson with ESF which was very reasonably priced. A 1.5 hour lesson gave us some brilliant pointers on our technique and showed us some good reds that we knew we could confidently return to.
I would definitely recommend booking a private lesson, particularly if you do get a bit nervous and want a confidence boost. Over the week, we enjoyed a lovely mix of treelined pistes and pistes above the treeline.
Expert adults
The three expert skiers in our group had a fabulous week skiing all over the ski area. They made good use of their ski pass and headed over to the Termignon area where they reported really quiet pistes and exciting terrain.
Exploring together
I’m not hugely confident taking my children out on the piste so the gentle green pistes, including the Escargot were a great place to ski with my 7-year-old. Because the greens cover quite a wide area, it felt like we were exploring the resort together but in a safe environment.
The food (and drink)
Les Chalets de Flambeau is self-catered which really suited us.
For breakfast, we enjoyed pastries from the residence delivery service – croissants, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisin and chaussons aux pommes (apple) – along with cereal and juices.
Giant pain aux raisins from the residence bakery delivery service
Lunches were mainly taken in our apartment or on our friend’s balcony which was a bit bigger than ours to accommodate us all. We enjoyed the delivered bread and added a range of cold meats, cheeses, pickles and salad that we’d picked up at the supermarket and the Sherpa in the resort.
Lunch on the balcony at Les Chalets de Flambeau
With young children who are very tired after a day on the slopes, eating out in the evening isn’t for us. We created a meal plan before we went and split out food shopping between the UK for store cupboard items and the French supermarket for fresh food.
We did have one lunch out on our last full day in resort. Two of the families went to Aux Deux Mousses which was the restaurant/bar on our doorstep. There I enjoyed a delicious tartiflette.
Between meals, we made plenty of use of the bars and restaurants on and off the pistes for hot chocolates, coffees, crêpes and beers. Aux 2 Mousses already mentioned was great for a drink inside or outside any time of day (and they did crêpes too). My favourite drink was the Baileys hot chocolate.
A firm favourite with my husband and I when the kids were at ski school was the slope-side Ferme du XXIII. This was perfect for a hot or cold drink out on the terrace. It’s towards the bottom of the Escargot green piste so accessible to most skiers. A stop there for a hot chocolate would make a lovely reward at the end of the 6km Escargot for little legs.
Another favourite with our wider group was La Fema which sold drinks and delicious crêpes. The lunch looked lovely although we didn’t personally eat there. La Fema was situated right at the top of the Vieux Moulin gondola so was accessible to everyone in our group including non skiers.
They have a lovely big terrace which is a sun trap on sunny days. It’s also a great place to people watch.
One day my husband and I were sat there and even saw our son ski past in his ski school lesson. A real holiday highlight!
Café au lait at La Fema
Exploring further afield
We didn’t really feel like we needed to leave Val Cenis but several people had recommended Bonneval sur Arc to me. Considered one of the most beautiful villages in France, it felt like a must-see. All 3 families travelled there one afternoon, taking about 25 minutes in the car.
It was a lovely drive, passing through Bessans which is also very pretty. A few in our party even took their skis and did a bit of skiing in Bonneval sur Arc which they said made a nice change.
The rest of us went for a wander about on foot. It's a gorgeous historic village with stone walls and slate roofs.
Exploring Bonneval-sur-Arc
After an explore we headed back to a little outside bar we’d found at the bottom of the nursery slopes. There we had a drink in the sunshine and as time was getting on, we bought crêpes for the children for their dinner which were delicious! Had we had more time, I’d have loved to have eaten in one of the village’s restaurants which looked lovely.
Weather and conditions
We were very fortunate to have a good dump of snow on our first evening in resort and over night. It was very exciting for the children to wake up in the morning, look outside and see winter wonderland.
Snowing on our first night in resort
Snowy view from our apartment on the first morning
Us adults also felt very spoilt to have a powder day for our first day of skiing. My husband and I opted to stay down lower in resort that day and enjoy the tree-lined skiing. With the trees covered in snow and light snow fall throughout the day, it felt very magical.
The following day was a bluebird day which was stunning...
Over the rest of the week we had a mixture of cloudy and sunny days. The pistes had a really good coverage of snow throughout the week and as we left, there was more snow forecast for the following day.
Final thoughts
Val Cenis really was an ideal resort for our group of families, catering to all our requirements from ski schools to convenience of amenities to variety of pistes for the varying levels of skier in the group.
We’re already eying up a resort for next year that that ticks as many boxes.
Book your Val Cenis ski holiday
Are you ready to book your Val Cenis ski holiday or would you like to pick our brains? Peak Retreats are French Alps experts and we have a small friendly team on hand to help with any questions you may have. Give us a call on 023 9283 9310 or email reservations@peakretreats.co.uk.
Why book with Peak Retreats?
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We pride ourselves on going the extra mile, from helping you navigate ski school options to offering tailored advice on the best resorts and accommodation.
Our support doesn’t end when you book. With years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the French Alps, we’re committed to ensuring your ski trip is as smooth as fresh snow.
We provide 24/7 support while you’re away, personalised info packs, and regular travel updates to keep you informed.
To get tailored advice for your next ski holiday, give us a call on 023 9283 9310 or email reservations@peakretreats.co.uk.