- TRADITIONAL PEACEFUL VILLAGE
The traditional Savoyard resort of Aussois characterises an Alpine French village with its narrow alleyways and quaintly lit buildings. For its size, amenities are plentiful, with a host of shops (including a patisserie and a delicatessen) and restaurants. The village turned its attentions to tourism in 1960 and 9 years later a municipal was founded, responsible for managing the ski area. Today, the resort is burgeoning with ten lifts, 55km of pistes, and a ski area reaching 2750m. During the summer, cattle graze on the slopes and the village returns to its rural roots.
- VALUE FOR MONEY
Smaller resorts are ordinarily cheaper than their larger counterparts, but many offer surprisingly extensive skiing. A 6-day adult lift pass costs €130 (£109), whilst for children the pass is €109 (£92). In-resort (and on-mountain) food and drink is far more affordable than one may expect. A coffee typically costs €1.20 (£1.00), whilst a small beer will set you back just €3 (£2.50).
- A YEAR-ROUND VILLAGE
If you happen to visit a ski resort during the hiatus between seasons many resemble a ghost town: no life, no people and no amenities. Aussois is a year-round working village, so once the snow melts, life continues. The population is small, just 653, but the resort has over 5000 beds to offer.
- NON-SKI HAVEN
If skiing isn’t your forte, or you’re looking for alternative winter activities, Aussois is a non-ski haven. Choose between snow tubing, paragliding, sledging, ice climbing, high wire, via ferrata, or indoor climbing. Alternatively, if you’re looking to unwind, the spa in the residence “Le Clos d’Aussois” offers a range of treatments.
- EASY ACCESS
Driving distance from Calais to Aussois is 938km (approx. 8h25). The nearest airport is Chambery (106km; 1h15), served by British Airways (ba.com), Jet2 (jet2.com) and Flybe (flybe.com). EasyJet (easyjet.com) fly to Grenoble (140km; 1.5h), as do Monarch (monarch.co.uk). The resort can also be reached within 2h from Geneva, Lyon or Turin. The nearest train station, Modane, is 7km away, with a shuttle running from the train station to the resort.
