Les Contamines - village

The village dates back to 1758, and its main street has a handsome 18th century baroque village church. What’s striking is how relaxed and chilled the place is.  Everyone has time to smile and say hello, there’s a sense of community and in restaurants or bars the locals remember you when you come back.

Although there isn’t a central hub to the village as such, it’s a pleasant place to walk around, and the local market, which takes place on Tuesdays, is a particular joy if you want locally produced cheese, meats, wine, honey, olives and tapenades.

At night, things are quiet – and if you walk around the village it’s clear that the focus in the evenings is on eating rather than drinking.  There’s no question that if are after nightlife, this isn’t the place to come. But for families particularly, or those who are happy with the idea of earlier nights and first tracks on the slopes, it’s great.  There’s a natural ice rink in the village too.  You can skate in front of stunning views of the Domes de Miage.  
 
There’s free night skiing every Tuesday and Wednesday during school holidays and free night cross-country skiing every Thursday throughout the winter).
 

Accommodation

You’ll find a variety of really good-value accommodation in Les Contamines, with attractive Savoyard architecture.

Self-catering specialist ski tour operators Peak Retreats and Erna Low both feature the resort, with accommodation at Le Nevez apartments, in the hamlet of lay, with spa and Jacuzzi facilities included.

A modern chalet in a renovated ancient farmhouse, the new Hameau de p’Tou is good. Similarly, the new, spacious Mont Joly chalet is a reconstructed larch wood farmhouse is composed of 13 rooms with a large dining room, lounge and kitchen.  The Alpine Lodge is a residence with nine apartments, with a comfortable library/ lounge area and a 180 ° terrace with magnificent views of the Domes de Miage to the east and the Mont Joly to the west, as well as an outdoor jacuzzi.

For a British atmosphere, La Chovettaz is a 4-bed B&B run by Fiona, from Scotland, with an outdoor jacuzzi 00 33 (0)4 50 47 73 05.  There are a selection of 2* and 3* hotels, including the 38-room La Chemenaz (+33 4 50 47 02 44) at the foot of the slopes, with sauna and jacuzzi and restaurant, La Trabla.

Ski/snowboard equipment hire

Stroll through the village of Les Contamines and you’ll find several good ski hire shops.  Close by the tourist office are JB Sport - Sport 2000 and Intersport which also offers pram rental.

There’s also Boutique de l’Etape (+33 4 50 91 50 25) and Sports 4807 Skimium and the Tasmania, which is a SKISET outlet.

Non-ski activities

As well as the skiing, there are activities for non-skiers too. Children can learn to build an igloo, courtesy of half-day courses organised by the Tourist Office, costing 20€.  To experience the slopes of the Evasion Mont Blanc ski area from high above, them paragliding is available, and a thrill well worth trying. You can also try Biathlon, which combines the endurance of cross-country skiing with the accuracy required for rifle shooting.  There’s also a ‘Nordic Package’ with a 6-day cross-country ski pas, enabling you to enjoy the 25km of cross-country trail, as well as including a guided tour of an 18th Century farm and a horse-drawn sleigh ride.

Childcare

The "Galipette" crèche (open from 8:30am – 5:30pm) caters from children aged one to seven, with a variety of indoor and outdoor games and day care. The ESF ski school has a "Jardin d'Enfants" for young leaners aged 2 and a half and upwards.  The Tourist Office can provide a list of babysitters and childminders.

Snowcarbon Founder, Daniel has made a two-minute film about Les Contamines, interviewing British skiers found at random on the slopes, to ask what they think about the resort, which you can see here: