Apres Ski Holidays

Yes, there may have been a few pictures of you and your friends on the beach in your shorts and bikinis but I can bet you that majority of the pictures taken where when you were out on the night; the pictures of you in the nice restaurant and the delicious food you had; the pictures of you in the lounge and exotic cocktails that were being served, the pictures of you dancing and singing along to the tunes in the nightclub; the pictures of you riding the scooters and quad bikes in the streets etc and the list goes on. The point is, the experiences you had after you left the beach and sunbeds were just as important and probably made the holiday more memorable. It may have been a beach holiday but it took more than just the beach to make the entire experience very wholesome.

In the same vein, there is a lot more to ski resorts and ski holidays than just skiing down the slopes. The ski holiday encompasses the entire experience and the apres ski forms a big part of that. What happens when you’ve sped down that last slope for the day back into the village? Coined from the French phrase ‘after ski’, Apres ski literally means or refers to the fun and entertainment activities that take place after the skiing is over for the day ( which for a good number of people, is the best part of the holiday. The term was originally coined sometime in the 1950’s and as one would imagine, over the years, the term has come to mean more than just ‘after ski’; it actually just refers to the drinking and partying that takes place on the resorts. These days, the parties tend to start a lot earlier from about 2pm or 3pm. Typical apres kick off from the bars before moving onto the live music and DJ sets usually blaring from balconies or terraces; then it's more bars and probably a nightclub or back to the lodge. If you are fresh off the slopes and have your ski gear in tow, dont worry about it, most bars and lounges have storage facilities to keep all the ski equipment secure.

Interestingly, not all resorts are renowned for having a party atmosphere and some are particularly keen on keeping the apres ski relaxed. Family friendly resorts may have a more relaxed and calm vibe and as such may not be good apres ski locations.

At Erna Low, we continually strive to provide you with the very best possible deals and options available to you. Book your skiing party holidays with us for some of the best savings. We have compiled a list of some of the resorts that offer the best apres ski europe has to offer.

It is important to note that due to the COVID-19 some bars may be operating under different sets of procedures to ensure social distancing and other health requirements are met.

Best Apres Ski Locations

Val Thorens

Officially one of the highest resorts in Europe, party goers on Val Thorens can lay claim to the fact that they have partied at the top of the world! (not really... but you sort of get the idea). Certainly the highest point of the Three Valleys ski area, Val Thorens offers one of the apres ski experiences and there is absolutely no question about it. It has rightfully earned its reputation as the heart and soul of the party in the Three Valleys let alone the French alps and is host to some of the best ski parties in the region. Located up the Plein Sud in Val Thorens, is La Foile Douce,a leading provider in ski holiday entertainment services from haute cuisine to events and entertainment. With a credible reputation that precedes them, Foile Douce brings the party to Val Thorens; with live DJ sets featuring internationally reputed DJ’s, live parties, costume parades amongst many. Other apres ski attractions include Bar 360 which hosts “Europe's Highest Party” at 2368m altitude all ski season long. Bar 360’s parties get increasingly livelier, glamorous and daring with each passing year. Still on a high note, The Frog and Roast beef also lays claim to be the highest located pub in Europe. You can always expect a vibrant holiday atmosphere here with a taste of traditional English hospitality albeit all the way up in the French Alps. All the apreski excitement at Val Thorens does not only happen high up on the slopes.Down at the resort center, there is a great deal of more apres ski to sink your teeth into. Dicks Tea Bar and the Danish Saloon Bar are other very notable attractions that are open into the early hours however, Le Malaysia is the nightclub to be at for an all night party. Located at the center of the resort and accessible via an unsuspecting tiny hut that serves as a gateway to a huge underground club and dance floor below. It is an infamous club and has been host to renowned DJ’s and music artists such as Rudimental, Calvin Harris and Chase & Status. Val Thorens is without a doubt one of the best party ski resorts in Europe.

Val d’Isere

A very highly rated ski resort for its apres ski events and atmosphere, Val d’Isere is particularly favoured amongst British visitors. Known for its gorgeous surroundings, Val d’Isere holds the reputation of being one the regions most beautiful resorts; its also holds the reputation of being the party central of the Rhone Alp region.

The original home of the famed La Folie Douce, Val d’Isere is also home to dozens of bars, restaurants and other night spots all bursting with a lively apres ski vibe. La Foile Douce usually gets the “Folie fun” party starting in the late afternoon which carries on into early evening. By the time everyone is down from the slopes, they have a very good selection of bars and clubs to carry on partying at Val d’Isere’s center. There is always a party atmosphere at Cocorico, a popular bar which features live music and Dj sets. Additional popular well known bars for an awesome apres ski evening include Bananas, Le Petit Danois, Brillon de la Rosee Blanche, Pacific Bar and Blue Note.

Families with young children are not left out of the fun though. There is a bowling alley located at the Hotel Les Barmes de L’Ours which is a favorite among young children and families. There is also the Centre Aquasportif; an aqua leisure centre located at the resort center featuring indoor swimming pools for adults and children as well as other water sports and games. In addition to the family-friendly apres ski, Val d’Isere also has an ice skating rink and a cinema.

Meribel

Meribel is your typical party ski resort with a great selection of infamous bars, restaurants and nightclubs for a memorable apres ski night. If you are after loud music, dancing, and a continuous party atmosphere, Meribel is your forte. The apres ski in Meribel centers mainly around British themed bars and live music sets and as such, this is what makes it one of the favoured apres ski destinations in the region. Just like Val Thornes and Val d’Isere, Meribel is also home to La Foile Douce so visitors at the resort do not have to feel left out of all the fun just yet; it is still possible yet to enjoy and be part of some Foile fun in Meribel. Meribel is also home to Le Rond Point, a very welcoming apres ski bar and restaurant which is open from 9am everyday with coffees and breakfast until later in the evening when it ends with jamming DJ sets and live music. A favorite amongst locals and visitors alike, Le Rond Point promises a fantastic food menu during the day and a ‘crazy’ apres ski night on the slopes. Jacks Bar offers a similar proposition as La Foile Douce and Le Rond Point with terrace partying beginning in the late afternoon with live music sets featuring house music acts. There are themed nights such as Beat the Boss and Stock Market featuring great deals and offers on drinks for the evening. Jacks Bar also occasionally features stand up comics mostly from the UK and almost always leaving guests rolling over with laughter. Jacks Bar also has satellite television so you can be rest assured that you would not miss any major sporting events happening. Away from the raucous parties and loud music, L'Abreuvoir, a rustic French lounge offers a more mellow atmosphere and thus a different apres ski experience for people looking for a bit of a change. It has built a reputation for being the most sophisticated lounge in Meribel. Whilst it has a chilled out atmosphere, it does get respectfully louder as the night progresses. Other well known popular apres ski attractions in Meribel include Scotts Bar, La Taverne; both bars are frequented for post apres ski drinks before either calling it a night or proceeding to a nightclub.

Avoriaz and Morzine

This Portes du Soliel duo are most certainly upping their apres ski game and are fast building an apres ski reputation in their own right. The infamous La Foile Douce lay their stamp of approval on Avoriaz and have opened there recently. Add this to the Rock The Piste event in March( which has so far featured live music appearances from The Klaxons and BabyShambles) and you have a bubbling atmosphere. Morzine also has a steadily growing apres ski atmosphere. Well known for its live DJ sets in the Tremplin which is a certified crowd puller located on the Taille de Mas du Pléney, otherwise known simply as “Bar Street '' for its stretch of bars and restaurants. At the bottom of the Prodians lift, you can find the Bar Robbinsons ( locally referred to as Robbos) for more live music and great beer. Still in Morzine, The Tibetan cafe offers a more chilled atmosphere and is more focused on drinks.

A few miles away over in Avoriaz, kick things off on the slopes partying with La Foile Douce until about 6pm or apres o clock. Head down to the village and join up with Le Cabanes bar and outdoor music spot featuring live music and a vibrant atmosphere. In addition to the numerous spots in Avoriaz you can find some fantastic spots for a drink at La Place or grab some exotic cocktails at Globe Trotter and enjoy the amazing view from the terrace. For a little bit of glam look no further than the posh L’Amara to spruce up your apres ski evening with a vin chaud or some more exotic shots if you are in a celebratory mood. However, if you cannot be bothered about glam or being posh, check out the really cool Mexican themed WildHorse Saloon for a lovely evening of nachos, burgers and a good selection of drinks. Le Yak is the only night club on Avoriaz so expect the party crowd to converge at Le Yak at the end of the night.

Alpe d’Huez

Famously recognised as a family friendly resort, Alpe d’Huez has only recently begun to establish its position as one of the French Alps apres ski destinations. Since the arrival and launch of the Tomorrowland festival in 2018 in Alpe d’Huez, the resort's apres ski has grown from strength to strength. Tomorrow land takes place every March, transforming Alpe d’Huez to a fantasy winter wonderland with some of the best house DJs performing incredible live sets. If you've never heard of it before, imagine involving a lot of pyrotechnics, fireworks, large sparklers, elaborate stage designs and a host of performers like acrobats all surrounding the Dj sets and across from thousands of party people dancing away.

This has since also included the arrival of France's leading apres ski promoter La Foile Douce in Alpe d’Huez. Its arrival only further served to confirm Alpe d’Huez as a well known resort for apres ski experiences. The arrival of the Tomorrow Festival and Folie Douce have no doubt boosted Alpe d’Huez but nonetheless the resort has other apres ski attractions that it could be particularly proud of with lots of bubbling bars, lounges and restaurants across the resort. Located at the top of the main street is Sphere Bar, a popular chilled out bar with a cool vibe and always a good deal on drinks as the night wears on. Smithys Tavern, is another apres ski establishment that has a relaxed atmosphere. It is set in a cosy chalet style interior, it is the perfect place for a post apres ski drink in a less raucous but relatively lively environment; open until 2am.

Booking your apres ski holidays

We have taken you through some of the best and most notable apres ski resorts anywhere in Europe. For over 40 years, we have been sending holiday goers to ski resorts in Europe and as such, have since built trusted and long lasting relationships with some of the resorts and ski operators out there in the Alps. We offer some of the very best deals on your apres ski holiday. If you require any further information or wish to chat with us, we are always delighted to be of service. Call us now! Your amazing apres ski holiday is only a call away.

Call 0203 011 1222 To Book Your Apres Ski Holiday Today!