Saint Francois Longchamp: a weekend of skiing with friends
I am taking advantage of this period of confinement to share with you the best moments of this weekend spent skiing with friends in Saint François Longchamp, a beautiful small ski resort with a superb ski area. 3 days of skiing, excitement, and endless laughter!
Where is Saint François Longchamp located?
The ski resort of Saint François Longchamp is located at the gates of the Maurienne Valley in the French Alps, at an altitude of 1650 meters. Access to the resort is relatively easy! You can get there in two hours by car from Lyon, Geneva and Turin. It takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to get there from Grenoble and just 1 hour by car if you are coming from Chambéry.
As for us, we ended up at a friend’s place in Valence (a friend from Nice and I from Montpellier), then it took us 2h30 to get to Saint François Longchamp.
If you are coming by train, the nearest station is located in St-Avre La Chambre, about a dozen kilometers from Saint François Longchamp. Note that there is also a shuttle bus service to get to the station.
Visit here for more information about access to the station
Where to sleep in Saint François Longchamp?
In Saint François Longchamp you can find different types of accommodations. Chalets, tourist residences, refuges, hotels, campsites, holiday villages, etc… In other words, there is something for every taste and every budget.
Moreover, I was pleasantly surprised by the urban landscape, which does not detract from the local environment, unlike other resorts where you only find rows of apartment buildings.
For this weekend of skiing with friends, we stayed in an apartment at the Odalys Bellevue residence. Clean, comfortable, located at the foot of the slopes and the shops of the resort, this apartment was superb in every way.
Are you planning to come? Book your accommodation in Saint François Longchamp via the station's booking center.
Things to do in Saint François Longchamp
Saint François Longchamp is renowned as a family-friendly resort par excellence. Before coming, I had some preconceived notions regarding the variety of activities offered, as well as the quality of the ski area. Once again, I was pleasantly surprised!
A skiable area, with a view!
The Grand Domaine includes the skiable areas of Saint François Longchamp and Valmorel, connected by the famous Col de la Madeleine. In total, the Grand Domaine offers 165km of slopes with 103 alpine ski runs (25 green, 49 blue, 21 red, 8 black).
But what surprised me most was the beauty of the panoramas! From the ski lifts or high up on the slopes, you can see Mont Blanc, the Etendard glacier and the Aiguilles d’Arves. Before we all went on the slopes to challenge ourselves, we always took a few minutes to enjoy this magnificent scenery.
The resort has put the little ones first to please everyone. There are plenty of activities and entertainment for families with dedicated trails and fun facilities. More information on Label Famille Plus
There are several high-altitude restaurants where you can have lunch in the afternoon without having to descend back to the station. Among them are Banquise 2000 and Alpage, which we tested during our stay.
And what if we don't want to go skiing or snowboarding?
During this short stay skiing in Saint François Longchamp, we took the opportunity to try out other activities, and there is no shortage of them here.
The electric fatbike on snow, a first!
This is the first time we’ve tried snow biking and it’s simply amazing.
First of all, Matthieu Taboury welcomed us at 7:30 in the morning to enjoy the experience at sunrise, before the lifts opened. The advantage of the electric Fatbike is the ability to reach the top of the slopes by pedaling without too much effort.
Once we reached the top of the slopes, Matthieu prepared us a breakfast of croissants, coffee and a spectacular view of the valley at sunrise.
Then it’s time for the sensations. After a few explanations on how to handle the Fatbike downhill, it’s time to have some fun on the fresh, freshly snowed-covered snow. Bliss!
Beyond the great activity, we really liked Matthieu, very knowledgeable and warm. We recommend him!
A walk on a Segway
For those of you who have followed me all these years, you probably know that I am a fan of the Segway, this self-stabilizing two-wheeled vehicle where you simply have to lean forward to move forward. That’s right, you can see it? For your information, for 7 years I worked at the Mobilboard Nice agency as the head of the individual and group tourism department. Needless to say, I know the Segway inside out.
When I was offered the chance to test the Segway on snow, I immediately accepted! And for once it was a first… My overall impression: mixed. I’ll explain why:
It was a guided tour, but not really a guided tour. Although driving a Segway is extremely simple and safe, it is important to undergo a short training session to ensure that participants feel comfortable. Otherwise, it was far too light… There was very little information about safety, traffic rules, and so on. There was also very little feedback and information.
In an hour of activity, we spent 40 minutes on the road and only 20 minutes on snow. Well, we were eagerly waiting for this moment and I must say that the sensations are great! The Segway all-terrain vehicle grips well on snow, so the risk of losing control is minimal. We then returned to the starting point by making a few turns and some nice slides as we crossed the skiers’ eyes, surprised to see us on these vehicles.
The rail sled
Another surprise. I was expecting a family activity for children, but I had no idea what sensations I could feel during the descent. We loved it! The descent is over 900m of turns and you can reach speeds of 40km/h. It may seem little, but honestly, once you’re on board the feeling is completely different, especially in the turns at full speed. You can fit up to two people in the sled. The site manager told me that it was possible not to use the brakes during the descent to fully enjoy the sensations in complete safety. In short, it was great!
Other activities in Saint François Longchamp
There are many other activities to discover in Saint François Longchamp, such as the snake gliss, paragliding, sled dog sledding, hiking with snowshoes and many more. Visit here for more information Activities in Saint François Longchamp
After-ski: the day continues!
It is 4:45 p.m., it’s closing time for the slopes… But it’s not yet the end of the day.
During this weekend of skiing with friends in Saint François Longchamp, we took advantage of the après-ski to relax and unwind at the spa center. The center covers 2500 square meters and offers 5 different temperature pools, a sauna, a hammam, and indoor and outdoor whirlpools with magnificent views of the snowy mountains.
Good deal, right above the spa center there is a bar and a bowling alley. « Two rooms, two atmospheres » ah ah.
Visit here for more information about Balneotherapy in Saint François Longchamp
Zoom in on 3 restaurants in Saint François Longchamp
We had the opportunity to try 3 restaurants this weekend with friends in Saint François Longchamp.
The restaurant of La Perelle A real treat for the taste buds: the cuisine using wood fire and the varied menu
The restaurant Le Slalom A real treat for the eyes: the owners (from Brittany) are very kind and their homemade specialties are delicious. Don’t miss the Bougnettes, a real treat…
It was the restaurant we preferred, unanimously.
The restaurant le Galta Variety of cuisine, but expect more pub atmosphere than a traditional mountain restaurant. The burgers might appeal more to children 🙂
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