Tips for the World's Largest Ski Resort: Les 3 Vallées, France

Les 3 Vallées, France is the largest ski and snowboard resort in the world. Here are some tips in case you plan to go there:

1) Plan for the Day. Les 3 Vallées is so big that depending on where you're staying, you may need to plan AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY where you want to go to ensure that you have enough time to get back. This includes being aware of wind and storms. If they get bad during the day, certain chairlifts may close and you may not be able to transfer between valleys.

2) Activities. Les 3 Vallées has many activities that other winter resorts have, but it also has some unique ones. Definitely take advantage of them.

3) Chairlift Lines. If you haven't skied or snowboarded in Europe, be aware that lines are not as organized as they are in the U.S., Canada, or South America. There are rarely formal lanes with a resort employee directing everyone when to go. It is more like a mass traffic jam of cars merging. However, the plus side is that lines are rarely long. They're typically much shorter than in the U.S.

4) Travel Logistics. Geneva Airport is the closest city to Les 3 Vallées. You can take a bus or rent a car to get to the resort. It makes sense to check French school vacation schedules. The French tend to take Saturday to Saturday vacations, so try to avoid traveling to the resort on Saturdays during school holidays, particularly during the Paris school vacation. The traffic can add hours of extra time.

5) Where to Stay. If you can manage the extra cost, it may be better to stay at as high an elevation as possible because if there isn't a lot of snow, you'll have better odds of snow coverage. The towns with the highest elevation are Courchevel 1850, Meribel-Mottaret, and Val Thorens.

6) Courchevel Airport. If you don't mind small planes, paying more, and waiting for perfect weather, you could fly to Courchevel Airport. You take off downhill and land uphill, so it may only be for the brave.

7) What to Expect in Town. No matter where you stay, you'll have access to plenty of restaurants, cafes, bars, shopping and grocery stores. So you don't need to plan as if you will be in an isolated winter environment, or one with very limited options.

8) Lift Tickets. You can buy chairlift tickets for each valley independently or for the combined 3 Vallées. If you do the former, make sure you don't ski or snowboard into a different valley since your pass will not work there. If you have the Epic Pass, you can go to the ticket office and they will give you a pass that works on their lift system.

9) Saturday to Saturday. Because the French tend to take Saturday to Saturday vacations, many hotels and apartment rentals are only available from Saturday to Saturday. If you want to stay on a different schedule, you may need to have patience in your search, but you should be able to find an option.