Val Thorens is a resort in Les 3 Vallées (France) skied between 2300 and 3230 metres, with 600 km of pistes and 31 lifts.
Val Thorens is in Les 3 Vallées, France, with the base at 2300 m and the top at 3230 m.
Val Thorens has not announced its opening date for the 2026/27 season yet. Our own estimate, based on the resort's altitude and its past seasons, puts it around November 22, 2026: that is a forecast, not an announcement. The resort confirms the date each autumn and we keep it up to date at https://www.caranva.app/en/esqui/fechas-apertura/val-thorens.
Val Thorens is expected to close for the 2026/27 season on May 3, 2027. The real date depends on how the snow holds up at the top (3230 m) late in the season, and the resort usually announces it only a few weeks ahead: the up-to-date version is at https://www.caranva.app/en/esqui/fechas-apertura/val-thorens.
It changes daily and the resort itself publishes it every morning: snow depth by altitude, open runs and open lifts. The Val Thorens daily report and forecast are at https://www.caranva.app/en/nieve/francia/val-thorens, and the live cameras at https://www.caranva.app/en/webcams/esqui/val-thorens. When it blows hard, the most exposed lifts are usually the upper ones (3230 m), so it is worth checking before driving up.
Between 2300 and 3230 metres, a vertical drop of 930 m. That difference is why the snow is not the same across the whole resort on the same day: the upper slopes hold up better late in the season, while the lower part, at 2300 m, is the first to feel rain or warm weather. That is why the Val Thorens report is read by altitude band, at https://www.caranva.app/en/nieve/francia/val-thorens.
Val Thorens has 600 km of pistes and 31 lifts, between 2300 and 3230 m of altitude.
On Caranva you book the full kit for Val Thorens — skis, boots and poles, or a snowboard if you prefer — at https://www.caranvasports.com/products/ski-rental-val-thorens: you pick the dates and give your height, weight, shoe size and level, and the gear is waiting assembled with the bindings set to those figures. You pay online, you skip the sizing counter, and you can swap the gear in the shop if something does not fit. The alternative is walking into a shop at the resort on a first-come basis, which over a bank holiday or at Christmas means queuing for whatever is left.
Yes. The live Val Thorens webcams, with piste conditions and the snow report, are at https://www.caranva.app/en/webcams/esqui/val-thorens.
In the same valley or the next one: Méribel (600 km of pistes, up to 3230 m) and Les Menuires (600 km of pistes, up to 3230 m). Comparing their top altitudes helps when snowfall is scarce: the ones that top out higher tend to open earlier and hold on longer at the end of the season.
The rental shops we have found in Val Thorens, with address, opening hours, phone and Google rating.