Serre Chevalier is aiming to be Europe’s first-ever 100% sustainable ski resort. With investments in paper-free and green energy lift passes, this ski resort in France wants to be a laudable example for other European ski resorts. Serre Chevalier is less sophisticated and smaller in size than most ski resorts in France, but it is friendlier and more laidback. There are 62 lifts there, and it has a 1200 m altitude, with its top lift reaching 2800 m. Serre Chevalier’s ski area is around 250 km. Its resort is relatively affordable.

This resort is made up of 12 mountain passes of the Col du Lautaret and an old garrison town near the Italian border. This might explain the dour nightlife scene and the absence of a single massive accommodation big enough to pull in the merrymakers every night.

It compensates for the rather dour nightlife with many offerings, however. After the more popular and big resorts further north, many skiers find Serre Chevalier as a pleasantly different alternative. They love the fine tree-lined pistes and the alluring dining spots on and off the mountains. They also love the quiet, Gallic vibe and the general affordability of stuff, as prices are lower in Serre Chevalier. 

The resort’s affordability is not just about the cost of ski hire and a nice sit-down lunch. Accommodation options can be incredibly cheap as well if you book one of the lift packages offered on the official website. 

Here is what you need to know about expenses in Serre Chevalier:               

Lift Pass Prices and Equipment Hire

When you decide to visit Serre Chevalier, the prices of lift passes, ski school, equipment hire, and combined packages should determine how much you would spend to ski in the region. Several ski-tour operators remove the hassle of choosing how and where to ski, but these companies charge more at times. It is great, though, if you can afford them.

A 6-day lift pass should cost around 259 euros for adults and 209 euros for children between 6 and 11 years old. Seniors over 65 years old have reduced pass prices as well. As for a family pass, all members of the family are expected to bear the same surname or demonstrate that they live at the same address. 

For a family of 2 adults and 2 children on a 6-days pass family package, about 890 euros is the price. Meanwhile, a family consisting of 2 adults and 3 children will pay 1088 euros for a 6-day pass. For equipment hire and other packages, check the official website. 

>>Also Read: Best Places To Ski In France

Food and Drink in Serre Chevalier

In Serre Chevalier, eating out is very French, with several attractive restaurants in the villages offering traditional specialties. There are more than 100 dining spots between the villages- ranging from regular snack menus to Michelin Starred restaurants. The area does not fit a partier’s profile, but the range of bars is cracking, and there are some nightclubs too.

You can choose from the 14 restaurants with a nice range of menus in the mountains. Down to Monetiers, the locals often meet in the Peyra-Juana on the piste, where you can get a major course for as low as 10 euros and get yourself warm before a fire. At Bivouac de la Casse, on top of the Casse de Boeuf chairlift, it is hard to beat the fresh lobster served.

>>Also Read: Is Courchevel Expensive?

Where to Stay

Consisting of close to 12 villages that span along the road between Grenoble and Briancon, Serre Chevalier is the name that is given to the group of local settlements that function as a ski resort. When you visit, be prepared for a uniquely French experience with several nice Gallic hospitality in good chalets and hotels.

Perching as the entranceway to the valley, Briancon is the typical French town that is the settlements’ largest. It is the major center and the start mark for several lifts, so it can be quite helpful to lodge there while you explore the entire area.

Furthermore, this is where most of the restaurants are situated. Les Montier Les Bains is popular for its thermal springs, and at 1500 m, it is the village’s highest. This is the part of staying if you are keen on skiing to the door and want to reach the more challenging terrain. Another good village is Chantemerl, with a nice blend of apartments and hotels, while the village of Villeneuve is skiing-friendly.

 Ches Bear is among the best luxury accommodation venues in the area. It is a converted farmhouse atop Briancon. If you are a food buff, lodge at Alliey with its Michelin-starred restaurant. There is the family-managed Rif Blanc hotel with a well-known local bar that is affordable, and Plein sud has a contemporary vibe in stark comparison with most traditional buildings. 

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Best Things to Do in Serre Chevalier

Relax at Grands Bains de Montier Spa

In the Grands Bains de Montier spa, the pools are furnished by natural thermal springs that have been relieving weary limbs for about 2000 years now. Select from naturally heated outdoor and indoor pools, as well as designated rooms with water temperatures from 17° in the perfectly named frigidarium to a pleasantly warm 40° in the caldarium. Attached with a wide range of soothing massages and treatments, you can use the spa facilities if you book treatments. Do not forget that they offer a couple of rooms too. The shuttle bus that belongs to the resort often stops outside the spa, and it is free with the visitor’s lift pass.

Take a Dip for Some Nordic Bathing Experience

In Villeneuve, try out the Nordic Baths. Unlike any other spa experience, this place offers far more, especially in the evening. You can access the place through a Yurt-esque tent, where you are expected to change into your swimwear. Here are about 6 local hot spa baths that couples or family or group of friends can book.

As earlier mentioned, Serre Chevalier is environmentally conscious, so the baths are heated to 38° with the help of renewable energy. Chemicals are absent, too and what you have to do is to recline under the stars and merry. Compared with other spas, Serre Chevalier boasts of bar service, and you can select from a collection that has beer, wine, soft drinks, and an outdoor fire.

Glide on le Snooc!

To give snow-shoers an easier alternative to come back down, le snooc was invented, and it remains one of the fun things to do on the piste. Even for non-skiers, it is easy and quick to learn. Visitors can rent snoocs and book an afternoon or morning tuition from a place like Ski Experience and proceed to the mountain on the cable car. The instructor is expected to make each visitor’s snoocs which are basically plastic seats over one ski. The users can simply glide down the mountain with their bodies. This is an interesting activity for everybody.

Serre Chevalier Offers Many Ways to Challenge You

Any visitor looking to challenge themselves into new types of terrain will discover several things to do in the resort. There are many great blacks to get you in the mood, like the Casse de Boeuf, a broad ridge, through the trees to Villeneuve. Luc Alphand is another fantastic long black, together with Tabuc and Isloée blacks. 

The lift system is arranged in such a way that they allow the testing of easily-accessed terrain- including the Neyzets. If it has been long since it snowed, you will discover a lot of mogul fields here as well.

Serre Chevalier’s Green Energy Efforts

The resort plans to one day be able to manage a whole self-generated green energy. At the moment, it depends on hydroelectric power, wind energy, and solar to produce green energy. This plan has seen the resort invest at least 3 million euros in sustainable energy. It might further interest you again that snowmaking is Serre Chevalier’s major sustainable energy source. The very water that is pumped through the snow cannons also reaches the turbines, generating power in the process. Lift-installed solar panels and wind turbines also account for other environmental-friendly energy generation.

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Is Serre Chevalier Expensive? – Summary

In conclusion, Serre Chevalier offers something that distinguishes it from other European resorts- Les Cols’Portuers. This comprises of daily free 90-minute tours of the ski region. While it is for red-run skiers alone, this highlights the resort’s work ethic. Even the glamorous Courchevel can hardly boast of this. For green innovations, a lovely time on the ski runs, and affordable accommodation in the mountain, Serre Chevalier is the quintessential resort.