Ski holidays in Risoul, France

Risoul is a sunny family ski resort in the southern French Alps, and together with the neighbouring resort of Vars it forms Forêt Blanche, a ski area with 185 kilometres of pistes. The resort sits at an altitude of 1,850 metres surrounded by larch forest, offering a combination of high-alpine skiing and wooded slopes that give the area its name, the white forest.

Risoul is one of France's sunniest ski resorts, with over 300 days of sunshine a year. Its southerly location near Provence gives it a mild climate and clear skies, making skiing especially pleasant. Despite the sunshine, the high altitude ensures good snow conditions, and snow cannons cover the main pistes.

The ski area is well suited to families, with a large proportion of green and blue runs. The beginners' area in the village is free and perfect for first attempts on skis. For more experienced skiers, the area around Crevoux and Pointe de Razis offers challenging terrain with steep descents and off-piste opportunities in the scattered larch forest.

Price levels in Risoul are among the lowest in the French Alps, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious families. Accommodation, food and lift passes cost a fraction of what you'd pay in larger resorts such as Val d'Isère or Méribel. The relaxed atmosphere and lack of mass tourism make Risoul a peaceful and enjoyable holiday destination.

5 tips about Risoul

1. Beginners The village nursery slope is free to use, which makes Risoul a great choice for a first taste of skiing without any extra cost.
2. Families should stick to the Risoul side The Risoul side of the ski area is gentler and easier to ski than neighbouring Vars, which has steeper terrain.
3. Make the most of the whole Forêt Blanche With a pass covering the entire area you get access to 185 km of pistes rather than just the 100 km on Risoul's own doorstep.
4. Look east for a challenge More experienced skiers will find steeper descents and freeride terrain in the larch forest around Crevoux and Pointe de Razis.
5. Great value for money Risoul has some of the lowest prices in the French Alps, making accommodation and lift passes considerably cheaper than in big-name resorts such as Val d'Isère or Méribel.

Pistes and lifts in Risoul

Risoul has 100km of local pistes, which expand to 185km with the Forêt Blanche pass shared with Vars. The 31 lifts serve an area from 1,850 to 2,750 metres. The piste distribution is family-friendly, with a quarter green runs, though there is also challenging terrain higher up in the area.

The larch forest surrounding the pistes provides excellent tree skiing and natural shelter on windy days. The open slopes above the treeline offer wide runs with panoramic views. The Vars side generally has steeper terrain, while the Risoul side is gentler and more family-friendly.

Piste map for Risoul

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The map downloads as an image file. On your iPhone it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the bottom of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your iPad it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the top right of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your phone it lands in the Downloads folder. Tap the download notification that appears to open the map straight away.The file lands in the Downloads folder. You can also look for the icon at the top right of the screen and open the map from there.

Snow reliability in Risoul

Risoul sits at an altitude of 1,850 metres and the ski area rises to 2,750 metres, giving it a relatively high setting for the southern Alps. That altitude helps preserve the snow cover despite the resort's reputation as one of the sunniest in France.

To ensure good conditions on the busiest pistes, snow cannon coverage has been installed, topping up the natural snow particularly at lower altitudes and during sunny spells.

Best time to travel to Risoul

Risoul enjoys plenty of sunshine hours thanks to its southerly location. The best time for skiing is from January to March. February offers the best snow conditions combined with sunshine. March and April bring excellent spring skiing in the sun, though late in the season the lower-lying pistes can be affected. January is quieter and more affordable.

Will there be lift queues in Risoul?

The lift system around Risoul carries 52,490 people an hour across 34 lifts. 12 of the 34 lifts belong to the faster class. The fastest lifts carry up to 2,800 people an hour, for example La Mayt. That is roughly the same capacity per kilometre of piste as an average resort on this site, so queues only build when it is really busy. The queue you actually notice is almost always down in the valley between eight and half past nine. If you are on the lift before eight you avoid it.

When is Risoul busiest?

How busy the slopes get is not decided by the English half term but by when the local families and the neighbouring countries are on holiday. These are the weeks that fill Risoul in the 2026/2027 season.

• France: The French winter holidays roll through three zones and together cover 6 February to 8 March. All three zones head for the same valleys, so the whole period is busy.
  6 to 22 February: zone C, including Paris and Toulouse
  13 February to 1 March: zone A, including Lyon and Bordeaux
  20 February to 8 March: zone B, including Marseille and Strasbourg
• England: The English February half term is 15 to 19 February 2027 for most councils, with a few areas breaking up a week earlier. The Easter holidays run from 26 March to 9 April.
  8 to 12 February: half term in a few council areas, for example Hull
  15 to 19 February: half term in most of England, including London, the Midlands and the North
  26 March to 9 April: Easter holidays for most English schools
• Easter holidays: Easter 2027 is early, on 28 March. Austria and Germany take their holidays around the weekend, while the French holidays fall after Easter, in April.
  20 to 29 March: the whole of Austria, all states at the same time
  22 March to 3 April: most German states, including Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia
  3 April to 3 May: the French zones, which fall after Easter 2027 and only affect the highest resorts
• Long weekends: Long weekends fill the slopes with day visitors from the nearest cities, even when no schools are on holiday.
  26 December to 3 January: Christmas and New Year, the most expensive period of the year
  6 January: Epiphany, a public holiday in Austria, Italy and parts of Switzerland
  27 to 29 March: the Easter weekend. Easter Monday is a public holiday across the Alps, but Good Friday is a working day in Austria, Italy and France
  1 to 2 May: May Day, a public holiday across the Alps

The weeks before 6 February and after 8 March are noticeably quieter and cheaper. January is the best time for anyone who wants the pistes to themselves.

Snow right now. There is no snow cover in the valley or at the top right now. The figures are modelled by Open-Meteo, not measured by the lift company, and were fetched 15 October 2026 at 20:24.

The lift pass included. The stay comes with the La Forêt Blanche lift pass, which covers 185 km of piste. The pass is worth around €298.

How to get to Risoul

Last-minute deals in Risoul

Last-minute offers, that is late dates the operator still wants to fill, appear from January onwards. Once the season is under way we will show them here on this page.

Risoul is suitable for

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Frequently asked questions about Risoul