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If you’re looking for the best snowboarding resorts in Europe, look no further. We know that the best ski resorts aren’t always the best for snowboarders. We’re here to point you in the right direction regarding the best snowboarding destinations.
What makes a good resort for snowboarding? There are multiple factors, but a resort with terrain parks, perfect pistes, extreme terrain and snow-sure conditions makes for the best snowboarding destination.
BEST SNOWBOARDING RESORTS
Tignes & Val d’Isere
The Espace Killy ski area is rated the best snowboarding terrain in Europe. Why? Because it has multiple snow parks for freestyle and endless off-piste terrain to explore. Tignes is your best choice if you’re on a budget, whereas Val d’Isere is a bit pricier but has a much more quaint village feel to the town.
With views of Mont Blanc and limited flat spots, your riding will easily flow across the terrain in Tignes and neighbouring Val d’Isere, making your next winter holiday even more enjoyable.
Val d’Isere is also known for its lively après ski, so if you like a boogie in your snowboard boots after a long day on the hill, you’re in for a treat! Head to Cocorico or La Folie Douce for a good time!
Tignes also has some busy bars for an aperitif after riding, and with most local businesses being reasonable in price, you can afford to let your hair down more than a few times on your next trip.
Off-Piste & Freestyle in Val d’Isere & Tignes
Are you new to the area and want to explore the Espace Killy backcountry? We run group and private Off-Piste Snowboarding lessons in Tignes and Val d’Isere. Please review our prices and availability and secure your spot before a fresh snowfall.
Val d’Isere has plenty of trails to discover on your snowboard if you prefer to stay on the pistes. Book a one-to-one private snowboard lesson if you’d like to level up your snowboarding skills and learn how to ride with style.
Terrain parks in Tignes:
GLISS’PARK
Parallel slalom and mini boarder cross. It is at the foot of the Palafour chairlift in Tignes le Lac, at the bottom of the Anémone run.
BOARDERCROSS
With over 1200m of banked turns, whoops, bumps and extreme corners, you’re in for a treat on the boardercross!
The border cross is part of the DC Park. Access via the Col du Palet ski lift
EASY PARK
Are you a beginner or intermediate snowboarder? Easy Park is the best terrain park for you! Lines of green and blue boxes and rails are perfect for getting you started in freestyle snowboarding.
SNOWPARK
Are you an advanced or expert rider? Make your way to the red and black jumps in the Snowpark! Perfect your run and get creative with some of the best freestyle riders in France.
Visiting the Easypark and Snowpark is free with your ski pass, so you can spend your holiday perfecting your 360s!
DC Park
Have fun sending backflips and front flips like the pros on the DC Park’s black line. And if you need to build up your confidence beforehand, go to the indoor trampolines at Tignespace to help you feel less intimidated by the snow. You’ll often find the British snowboarding team practising here.
Val D’Isere ski resort snow parks:
- Bump runs of varying difficulty (blue, green, red and black)
- A park of 25 rails for every freestyle level
- Other features like flat boxes, banana rails, walls, barrels, spines and bowls
- Boardercross in the Borsat Valley
- Broad open zones for beginners
- Pro events to see the top world’s current ski and board riders in action
The Val d’Isère Snowpark is underneath the Mont Blanc chairlift. This area is for all-level snowboarders, from beginners to expert riders. You can easily access the Snowpark in Val D’Isere from La Daille or the Olympique bubble, so you can spend more time in the park and less time getting there.
Why we love snowboarding in Avoriaz
Avoriaz
If you’re looking for resorts for snowboarding, then Avoriaz has to be next on the list. With high altitudes and epic winter conditions, you’re spoilt for choice in Avoriaz regarding terrain, powder and natural hits.
Freestyle Terrain parks in Avoriaz:
The Stash
The iconic, safe and eco-friendly Snowpark situated in Avoriaz 1800 was designed by the famous brand Burton Snowboard, and it has over 100 features in the Lindarets forest.
- All the features are created from dead wood found in the forest
- It’s left un-groomed
- Snake run for boardercross fans
It’s suitable for both free riders and freestylers of all levels! The Prolays 6-seater chairlift can access it.
On & Off-Piste in Avoriaz
Alongside the epic freestyle areas, Avoriaz is one of the best resorts for excellent freeriding off-piste. If you need clarification on the area or snow conditions, look out for the Snowcross Zones in Avoriaz.
These are un-groomed but monitored zones where you can enjoy the freedom of the off-piste with the peace of mind that someone has marked it safe. It’s good to note that these areas get tracked out quickly, so you must be fast to get the fresh tracks.
If you’ve never heard of Avoriaz, it’s part of the Portes du Soleil area and neighbours other popular resorts like Morzine and Les Gets. The resort also has plenty of slopes within the boundaries if you prefer to stick to the marked runs. Watch the video below to get a taste of what Avoriaz is like in winter.
If you want to improve your riding on a weekend trip, we have specific weekend snowboarding lessons to help you.
Val Thorens
Famous as one of the world’s highest resorts, Val Thorens sits at 2300m altitude, meaning there’s usually snow from late November until May. With the long season in mind, endless freestyle terrain, terrain parks, pumping après ski and unlimited piste riding, Val Thorens is one of the best snowboarding resorts in the world.
Val Thorens Snowpark
You could easily spend all day at the VT snowpark if you like a real challenge, XL and XXL kicker to test your nerves! There are also easy blues and greens if you’re a beginner, so there is something for everyone.
FEATURES IN THE VAL THORENS SNOWPARK:
- Small, medium and large jumps (labelled green for easy and black for difficult)
- Rails
- Boxes
- Half pipes
- Wall rJump’Airdrails
- Jump’Air
- A border cross-track
- An airbag
Get on the Moutière chairlift and use the Plateaux drag lift to loop the park.
Other resorts in the Three Valleys, France:
If you visit Val Thorens, the neighbouring resorts of Courchevel and Meribel also have huge parks to practice snowboarding. You can ride across to these other resorts by buying a Three Valleys lift pass, which connects all the resorts.
The Three Valleys is the largest ski resort in Europe, and you’ll never have to ride the same slopes twice! It’s good to note that the Three Valleys doesn’t have many T-bars either, so it’s easy to move around the resort on chairlifts (much more straightforward for snowboarders!)
COURCHEVEL RESORT:
The Family Park – small, medium and large kickers and jumps and an airbag
MERIBEL RESORT:
- Plattières Park (also known as DC Area 43) – A massive snowpark with rollers, jumps, two half pipes and significant features.
- Elements Park – boxes, rails, border cross and jumps (suitable for intermediate level)
If you’d like to snowboard with others of the same ability, join our group snowboarding lessons in the Three Valleys.
St Anton
St Anton: One of the best resorts for a winter holiday. There is a vast array of slopes (0ver 200km of backcountry alone) and few drag lifts, creating a snowboarders‘ paradise!
St Anton can get busy during school holidays, so visiting outside peak times is our best advice.
St Anton Snowpark is ranked in Europe’s top 3 best snow parks.
Starting from the Rendl mountain station, the St Anton snowpark area extends over three areas that guarantee freestyle fun for every level of ability. You’ll often find the pro snowboarders practising here, so even if you aren’t into freestyle, it’s great to watch!
- The Proline has big kickers and lots of rails and boxes.
- The medium kicker line offers jumps between 7 – 11 metres and various jibs.
- Snowboarders can get creative on multiple boxes and rails on the jib line.
St Anton has specialist snowboard schools to help you develop your skills on a board. So whether you’re a beginner or want to learn new tricks and skills, look at our snowboard school in St Anton.
Join us for group or private lessons to build your confidence and explore the enormous ski area the Arlberg is known for.
Are snowboarding lessons worth it?
Serre Chevalier
It is one of the best resorts for deep powder, incredible terrain, and views. The pretty resort of Serre Chevalier is in the Briancon valley in the southern Alps.
The resort is quieter and far more traditional than other international resorts like Verbier or Val Thorens. With fewer people and more tree-lined runs than you can count, you’ll be spoilt for choice in this typical quiet French ski resort.
If you like to ride between the trees, there are plenty of tree runs to explore and get off the beaten track. Due to Serre Chevalier’s high altitude, it’s a snow-sure resort sitting around 2000m above sea level.
Serre Chevalier Terrain Park:
Enjoy the exhilarating ride in Serre Chevalier’s playful and protected area, with plenty of big jumps and breathtaking views.
It’s also good to note that the Snowpark is family-friendly, so don’t be intimidated, as there are specific areas for beginners, children and experts.
SNOWPARK
- At an altitude of 2,000 meters
- A great place to learn how to get air
- Location: Villeneuve
- Access: Forest, Combes, Grand Serre, Côte Chevalier chairlifts and Alpage ski lift
Ski resorts suitable for both skiing and snowboarding
Not all ski resorts cater well to both skiers and snowboarders. If some of your group skis and some snowboard, finding a ski resort that keeps everyone happy can be tricky.
But we’re pleased to say that all the above resorts are fantastic European ski resorts for snowboarding and skiing.
Here are some other links you might find helpful when choosing the best ski resorts:
- Best family resorts
- Best beginner resorts
- Best resorts for intermediate levels
- Best resorts for couples
Whether you’re making your first turns or looking to explore some of Europe’s best off-piste skiing, we have the perfect course for you.
Book a snowboard lesson today to make the most of your holiday.
