Sainte Foy Ski Resort France
Sainte Foy ski resort is a little gem tucked away in the high Tarentaise valley in France. Surrounded by the skiing behemoths of Les Arcs, Tignes & Val d'Isere, Sainte Foy is a French Alps sanctuary for all that is good about the snow.
Known for its powder laden off-piste freeride terrain, uncrowded piste trails, fun tree skiing & access to superb backcountry, Sainte Foy is one of those small secret stash resorts that powder hounds are naturally attracted too. Another blessing is that it has a host of excellent bars & restaurants on the mountain & in the compact village to satisfy all your gastronomic desires.
Pros & Cons for Sainte Foy Ski Resort
Pros
- Consistently rated in the Top 3 French & Top 10 European ski resorts for Powderhounds.
- High quality and reliable snow.
- Awesome off-piste freeride & backcountry terrain.
- Uncrowded, even on the busiest days.
- Simple & efficient lift system.
- Compact, beautiful village with all services.
- Excellent piste trails for beginners and intermediates.
- Superb on-mountain and village restaurants and bars.
- Excellent value for money - close to the best value ski lift pass in the world!
- Central to all the major Tarentaise mega ski resorts.
- Numerous ‘ski-in’ lodging options.
Cons
- On-piste terrain is only big enough for a few days.
- Limited piste trails for advanced riders.
- If the off-piste is not skiable, the resort can feel small (but then go to nearby Les Arcs from Villaroger, or Italy via La Rosiere!)
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- The village is small & relatively quiet after-hours.
- You may never want to leave!
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
With only 6 lifts in total but a respectable vertical of 1,072m, Sainte Foy is tiny when compared to surrounding ski resorts. But less lifts means less people and more great skiing & boarding for those fortunate enough to be here on a powder day (or any day for that matter!). Skiing here comes cheap too. Lift tickets are only €40 (24/25) - practically free! (TTF - Totally Tightarse Friendly). They are even cheaper if pre-purchased online too.
Check out the ski trail map for Sainte Foy below.
Two of the six lifts are for beginners in the base area. Sainte Foy has four chairlifts, with two extending from the base to the treeline and then the Aiguille and Marquise chairlifts access the high alpine areas. Extensive and challenging off piste skiing exists above the treeline & gentler, sheltered skiing below. Tree skiing is available, but some areas are protected as offsets for other resort developments. Sainte Foy is a ski resort with a good environmental ethic - another Powderhounds tick of approval!
Back-country ski access to awesome terrain from Sainte Foy is legendary. Several peaks over 3,000m are easily attainable from the ski lifts & tours can take one as far as the Aosta valley in Italy. Heliskiing is also available for the financially flush.
For more information on ski lifts, terrain trail maps & passes, see our Sainte Foy Skiing & Snowboarding page.
Snow & Weather
Sainte Foy is known as a Tarentaise valley snow magnet where fresh powder can lay untouched for days. The resort's north-west aspect, relatively high base of 1,550m plus low crowds means snow quality persists longer. Regular easterly winds from Italy push snow into the Sainte Foy ski resort & freshen conditions when other areas are bereft. A new top to bottom snow-making system was in season 2019/20 on numerous ski trails ensuring premium conditions at the resort from season start to finish.
Where is Sainte Foy France?
Sainte Foy is in the Tarentaise valley of the Savoy region in southeast France. It is close to several of the French Alps best known ski resorts.
The major transport hub of Bourg Saint Maurice is located 11km west of Sainte Foy village & 18km from Sainte Foy ski resort base area (a.k.a. Station Sainte Foy).
Geneva (GVA) & Lyon (LYS) airports have the most convenient train & bus shuttle connections with Sainte Foy, but the smaller regional airport at Chambery can also be utilised for limited flights from the UK & within Europe. Search & book direct airport or train station transfers to Sainte Foy.
Trains provide a convenient (& carbon emission friendly) method of transport to Sainte Foy. Trains from London, Paris & Lille terminate at the nearby Bourg Saint-Maurice station, where a bus or taxi will take you to Sainte Foy. At Bourg St Maurice train station, the T14 & T15 line buses to Tignes & Val d'Isere stop at Sainte Foy Tarentaise village in the valley where the Sainte Foy ski resort free bus shuttle will complete the journey to the ski village. Search & book train tickets to Bourg St Maurice. At Bourg St Maurice railway station, purchase bus tickets or take a taxi to the resort.
For detailed information on the best ways of getting there, see our Travel to Sainte Foy page.
Sainte Foy Accommodation
Sainte Foy ski resort has a delightful village area at the base of the ski runs & lifts referred to as Station Sainte Foy. The Station Sainte Foy accommodation includes a range of beautiful chalets, hotels & numerous apartments - most with ski-in convenience. Bars, restaurants, shops, food markets, a bakery plus several ski shops give one everything required for a wonderful ski holiday. Plus, the resort village is blissfully quiet compared to the relative hustle 'n bustle of the surrounding 'industrial resorts' and the road noise in the valley below. Well priced & equipped lodgings include the Residence Club Apartments & Black Diamond Lodge. More expensive but perfectly positioned are the CGH Residences & Spa Apartments.
Search & book here all Sainte Foy Ski Accommodation.
The actual town of Sainte Foy-Tarentaise is 7km & over a dozen hairpin bends away down in the valley from the ski resort. The two are linked by a regular shuttle bus in winter. The Hotel Le Monal is the 'go to' proposition & can be a good base if one has a car to ski all the ski resorts in the area, including Les Arcs via the nearby Villaroger lifts. Speaking of which, the tiny village of Villaroger is a time-warped piece of paradise off the main roads but close enough to everything to provide a true French village experience, but still close to the ski lifts & only a short drive from Sainte Foy.
The nearby authentic hamlets of La Masure (also spelt Mazure) & Le Miroir are connected to the ski area via the free bus (although the service is limited!). Several outstanding chalets are for rent plus rooms & suites are available at the exceptional Eleven Experience Chalet Hibou Resort in Le Miroir or the wonderful Chalet Aline & Chez Michel guesthouses in La Masure. Both hamlets can be skied to via the long off-piste Vallon de Mercuel route.
If skiing Sainte Foy for only a day or two, it is possible to stay at a nearby ski resort like Tignes or Val d'Isere, but our recommendation is to stay in Sainte Foy alpine village & use it as a base to ski the other mega resorts.
The city of Bourg St Maurice can make for a great base as well. Buses connect to Sainte Foy but are not regular & require a change in the valley. Better if one has a rental car.
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Ski Rentals, Lessons & Guides
Ski rentals are available in the two main accommodation clusters of the Station Saint Foy resort village. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Sainte Foy Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
A full range of guiding & ski instructor services are provided by several of our partners out of Sainte Foy. For options, see our Sainte Foy Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Services, Food & Nightlife
Even though small, Sainte Foy has full services & amenities for a comfortable long-term stay. With most accommodation being self-contained apartments, the resort village has 2 supermarkets, a bakery, tabac, pharmacy, 2 delicatessens plus a couple of odds & sods gift shops.
The three on-mountain restaurant/bars are all excellent. Lunches & afternoon drinks at the rustic Les Brevettes are sublime. For something less formal, the 'fast food' at the back of La Marquises is the place to be. Pull up a pew in the snow. Next to the Marquises chair, it is the highest of the resort's eateries with views stretching down the valley & across to the Aiguille Rouge.
In the village, the historic La Maison a Colonnes is the place for lunches & après on a sunny afternoon. Then head across to the La Bergerie bar & restaurant for dinner. Say hi to the friendly owners. They love a chat & have a laugh. Food & drink is top quality.
Aside from the seven or so bars in the village, the nightlife is rightfully limited in Sainte Foy. Anything too loud & raucous late into the night would be out of place. Head to Tignes or Val d'Isere if you want action after dark. Hell, go to St Anton in Austria & do it properly!
Nearby Ski Resorts
Some of Europe's best ski resorts are within a short drive from Sainte Foy, alleviating any anxieties one might have of basing here on a ski holiday. Val d'Isere, Tignes, Les Arcs & La Rosiere are all within sight of some part of Sainte Foy.
Review
The Powderhounds reviewed Sainte Foy in 2018 & found it be to be utterly delectable. We returned briefly in 2023 in order to confirm our love for the hill. Looking forward to seeing you there next season. Click on the review link in the left column (or at the top of the page if on a phone) to read its startling insight!
See how Sainte Foy compares to the other French ski resorts on our France ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of the European ski resorts on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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