A day in the life: Staying at a luxury ski chalet in Val d'Isère

You wake slowly, in no hurry to move. The room is warm, the duvet is heavy and the light slipping through the curtains has that soft, bluish glow that can only mean one thing: it has snowed overnight.

You pad across to the window and pull back the curtains. Beyond the glass, the mountain is dusted white in every direction. Pines are sagging under a fresh layer of powder, the pistes are corduroy-perfect and the ski lifts are opening soon. Somewhere downstairs, a door clicks and the smell of freshly brewed coffee begins to drift up the stairs.

This is a luxury ski chalet holiday in Val d'Isère, and this is what a day looks like when you stay with VIP SKI. Pour yourself a coffee and come along.

You follow your nose downstairs to find the table already laid. Your chalet host has been up for a while and breakfast is a generous spread of cooked and continental options, with plenty of hot coffee or tea to go with it. You enjoy a second helping. Today is going to be a big day, after all.

Over that second coffee, your host talks you through the day ahead: what the weather is doing, how the snow is looking and where might be good for a spot of après later on. You nod, top up your cup and quietly slip a pain au chocolat into your pocket for a snack on the chairlift.

Fuelled and ready to go, the rest of the morning could not be simpler. Your boots have been warming up in the ski room, so you step into them toasty and ready, clip on your helmet and pick up your skis.

That is the beauty of a piste-side chalet. Our luxury chalets in Val d'Isère sit right by the slopes, so there is no trudging through the village in ski boots. You have two easy options: book our driver service, which runs to the piste between 8am and 10am, or ski down the bottom of the Santons piste to the ski school meeting point. Either way, you are soon at the lift, ready for your first tracks of the day.

The skiing here is exceptional. Val d'Isère shares its pistes with neighbouring Tignes, giving you around 300km of terrain to explore across the Tignes - Val d'Isère ski area, so you can ski a different corner each day and still not run out of options. If you want to get your bearings first, our Val d'Isère piste map tips are a good place to start.

By mid-morning, that pain au chocolat is long gone and you are ready for a break. Brasserie Le Bellevarde, up on the Bellevarde side, is known for gourmet snacks, pancakes and waffles on a sun-drenched terrace, which is exactly what you need before the next run.

Lunch is a long, leisurely affair. You could settle in at Maison Louly, at the top of Bellevarde, for traditional French cooking, or ski across to La Fruitière at the top of the La Daille gondola for burgers, oysters and fish and chips. There are plenty more ideas in our round-up of our favourite restaurants in Val d'Isère.

In the afternoon, the fun carries on. Many guests like to experience the legendary après-ski scene in Val d'Isère, and there are plenty of places to do it. La Folie Douce, reached via the La Daille gondola, is known for its open-air party, whilst Cocorico, near the ski school meeting point, lets you ski almost right up to the bar (and is easily accessible on foot for non-skiers). You will find more options in our Val d'Isère après-ski and bars blog.

Or you could skip it altogether and make the most of the last lifts and a couple more runs. Just remember to check the daily lift timetable, as the last lift connections typically run around 16:30 to 17:00.

As the light starts to fade, it is time to head home. If your legs have had enough, our driver service operates from the bottom of the funicular in La Daille, between 16:00 and 18:00 and takes you straight back to the chalet, or you can ski back if you still have energy to burn. However you get home, you step through the door and the rest of the day gets even better. There, waiting for you, are homemade cakes or cookies, fresh bread, jams and tea and coffee. If you fancy something stronger instead, we won't tell anyone.

Your room has been tidied and your bed made, so there is nothing to do but flop down and put your feet up. Or, if you would rather, head for the hot tub. Many of our Bellevarde chalets have outdoor hot tubs, and some come with pool and spa access too, so you can sink into the bubbles with a drink in hand and watch the last of the light fade on the mountains. A perfect end to a day on the pistes.

By the time you've showered and changed, the chalet has filled with the smell of something wonderful cooking. On your first and last evenings, you will be welcomed with champagne and canapés, so there is something to toast the week with.

Dinner is a three-course affair, served with carefully selected wines and followed by cheese and coffee. Your chalet team will already have thought of any dietary requirements, so there is no need to explain or ask twice. The music is low, the candles are lit and the conversation drifts easily between the day's best runs and tomorrow's plans. Your hosts are always happy to share a story or two about life in the Alps, and just as happy to melt into the background when you would rather chat amongst yourselves.

After dinner, you carry your coffee through to the sitting room, where the fire is crackling and the sofas are deep and inviting. Someone suggests one more game, or one more glass. Soon enough, though, your eyelids start to droop and the stairs begin to look very tempting.

Tomorrow you get to do it all again: another fresh breakfast, another bit of mountain to explore and another long, lazy evening to look forward to. Not a bad way to spend a week, is it?

If this day in the life has you wishing you were already there, we would love to help. Take a look at our Val d'Isère chalets, or find out more about Val d'Isère as a resort. If you want to fill a rest day, there are plenty of activities in Val d'Isère, from dog sledding to snowmobiling, and our A-Z of Val d'Isère is full of local knowledge. Travelling with children? Find out why Val d'Isère is perfect for family ski holidays.

Get in touch with our team and we will help you plan the perfect week. This is skiing made easy.