La Thuile Sneeuwverwachting

Just spent a very enjoyable sunny midweek day in La Thuile with our 5 yr old girl in tow. It has a nice, low key, laid back air about the place, the feel of a proper mountain village, and despite somewhat slightly dated ski resort architecture we were met by very friendly locals in the few bars and cafe's we visited, and enjoyed an easy day of cruising about the relatively compact but enjoyable ski area. It was a few days post a decent fall of snow. So, although mostly tracked out, you can see the potential from the very easily accessable and fun looking off-piste. As a snowboarder, the pistes themselves are definitely on the less challenging side of the scale, but again, with some fresh snow, you can see how the rolling terrain would be fun, and I am sure there are enough challenges to get the heart racing in the right conditions. I will say the lifts are a little dated, with a few slow old lifts thrown into the mix, but there were no queues to be found anywhere of any note, so it really didn't make too much of a difference. Parking was also very easy and inexpensive, and the lift passes reasonable and well tiered if you want to do less than a full day. For kids, there is a free little snow play park with inflatables and toys, and an easily accessable magic carpet area which kept our little one very happily occupied all day as we took turns on the mountain. Definitely one of the better options in the area for a family trip between this set up and the gentle terrain. All in all, a great visit, wonderful views of the Mont Blanc Massif, and a refreshingly low key and genuine feeling resort.