Also see:
Ski Insurance to France
France Travel Information
France Travel Insurance

You will find a wealth of slopes in France. During the winter, the Alps and the somewhat cheaper Pyrenees and Vosges offer more than a hundred excellent skiing facilities -- both for 'ski alpin' (downhill) and 'ski de fond' (cross-country). There are over 102 different resorts. The island of Corsica also features both types of skiing from December to April.

In the French Alps, the most famous ski venue is Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, though skiing is by no means the only attraction. Chamonix is the oldest and largest of French winter-sports resorts and site of the first Winter Olympics, held in 1924. The world's tallest cable car soars 12,000 feet up the Aiguille du Midi, for wonderful views of 15,700-foot Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak.

Throughout the year, visitors can partake in the music and folk festivals, conferences, an alpine museum, fishing and hunting, an 18-hole golf course, 3 movie theaters, 5 discotheques, a casino, games of boules, bowling and bridge, and a library.

The adventurous can also enjoy mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, ice skating, luge, river rafting, rock climbing, squash, swimming, tennis, and tobogganing.

Chic, expensive Megève, Courchevel, and fashionable Méribel are also world-class resorts. Val d'Isère is one of Europe's most exclusive. Nearby Tignes and novice-friendly Morzine are also good bets. Serre-Chevalier is linked by cable car to Briançon.