I was a bit apprehensive about skiing the hills closer to our France home. Nothing could compare to the paramountcy of Chamonix . I was pleasantly surprised by Isola 2000. (I should note that I wasn’t expecting much.) Isola was built as a mountain town, with restaurants and hotels lining the mountain – you would have to work at finding a hotel that wasn’t ski in and ski out.
We used Booking.com to arrange a stay at Résidence New Chastillon. This is an odd little hotel, you have to make your own beds, wash up and take out your garbage. For that small hassle, you stay relatively cheaply in a room with plenty of beds, a kitchenette in a hotel with European flare, a (luke warm) hot tub and great breakfast.
We went with two other families and the proximity to the hill made it very easy to meet up with everyone. Isola stretches across many peaks and has skiing for all levels except experts (although they do offer heliskiing). And they also offers “racketing” which evidently is the British term for snowshoeing.
Nicolas and Beth “racketed” to the summit with help from the guide
The food in Isola 2000 was great – the restaurant at the top of the hill was a fan favourite – Le Schuss. For supper, we all enjoyed a pound each of raclette at the aptly named “The Raclette“. The kids tobogganed right outside while we meandered to the Crocodile for one-too-many beverages.
Isola 2000 was like pressing the “easy” button on a ski vacation. Everything was connected, easy to access and not crowded. But it did lack charm. I mean, it had none. It was like a sprawling plaza made in the 70’s, connected by pokey hallways. A plus was that after a long day on the slopes, you didn’t need to go outside to buy anything. The grocery store, drug store, ski store, spa and restaurants were all connected. But, if you are looking for cobblestone streets and river walkways, you will be disappointed.
France Escape 