Home | Blog

The French Alps, All-Inclusive: Why Ski Families Need to Know About Club Med

By Michelle Branco | Ellison Travel & Tours | March 2025

Every winter, Club Med invites a group of Canadian travel advisors to experience their Alps resorts firsthand. This year, I was one of ten selected to experience the Club Med Peisey-Vallandry property in France — a genuinely immersive FAM (familiarization) trip designed to show us exactly what makes this product so distinctive. I came home a convert.

The Setting: Peisey-Vallandry in the Paradiski Area

Club Med Peisey-Vallandry sits at 1,600 metres in the heart of the Paradiski ski area — one of the largest linked ski domains in the world, connecting Les Arcs and La Plagne. With over 420 kilometres of runs, it’s all right at your door.

The Alps in early March were breathtaking — the kind of scenery that makes you stop mid-run just to take it all in. Whether you’re a serious skier or someone who wants to dabble and spend more time simply being in the mountains, the location genuinely has it all.

The Resort: All-Inclusive Done Right

Think of it as a Caribbean all-inclusive, but swap the ocean for mountains. That’s actually the simplest way to describe it — and it’s accurate.

Everything is included: meals, drinks, lift tickets for the entire stay, rentals, and daily ski or snowboard lessons with ESF (École du Ski Français) — France’s renowned national ski school.

For a Canadian family used to piecing together flights, accommodation, lifts, lessons, and meals separately, the math changes quickly. It’s worth doing the comparison before assuming Europe is out of reach.

The resort itself was full the week we were there, and you’d never have known it. No lineups, no jostling — just a warm, relaxed energy from the moment you arrive.

The staff, called GOs (Gentil Organisateurs), set the tone entirely. The rooms were comfortable and well designed. And the food was legitimately excellent — multiple stations, fresh local

options at every meal, really good wine included, and sit-down dinners featuring everything from côte de boeuf to French lamb to cheese fondue.

Every night, something worth looking forward to.

The Daily Rhythm: Predictable in the Best Way

This is where the all-inclusive format really earns its keep. Decision fatigue disappears.

Skiing with our groups generally ran roughly 9:00 to 11:30 a.m., then 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. each day. The mid-day return to the ski-in base for après just before lunch was anything but low-key.

Club Med turned their slope-side landing area into a full après-ski production — live music, dancing, champagne, ski shots, food and appetizers.

One afternoon, GOs snowboarded down the slope directly into the party wielding smoke cannons. Red, white, and blue smoke unfurled over the crowd. Shots of chartreuse slid through on a long ski. It was spectacular — and completely unexpected.

If you’ve only experienced après-ski at a Canadian resort, this is a different world.

After lunch and another afternoon on the slopes, the daylight wound down on the terrace. Happy hour followed, and evenings brought dinner and entertainment that genuinely ran for all ages.

The Skiing: Something for Every Level

I’m a moderate skier — I love it, I’m comfortable, but I’m not chasing black diamonds. Paradiski was perfect for that. Long, scenic blue and red runs where you can enjoy the mountain rather than just survive it.

On day one you self-identify your level and ESF groups you accordingly. Classes cap at twelve, but mine had naturally shrunk to five by mid-week — a surprisingly personal experience on the mountain.

Our instructor Bruno was exceptional.

One afternoon he took us off-piste through a quieter stretch, and we came across a narrow river cutting across the route. We took off our skis, tossed them across, and Bruno stood straddling the stream helping each of us hop over one by one.

One of those unplanned moments that becomes the story you tell at dinner.

Beyond the Slopes

Skiing aside, there’s plenty to fill your time.

Club Med’s Sothy’s spa, hammam, sauna, and steam rooms are a welcome reward after a day on the mountain. The indoor/outdoor heated pool is a hit at any age. Snowshoeing is available for anyone who wants to explore without skis.

And the entertainment runs well into the evening — there’s always something happening.

For Families: Kids Are at the Heart of It

Worth knowing upfront: Club Med properties vary, and some cater to families with older children (12+). Peisey-Vallandry is genuinely family-oriented.

Kids are placed in ESF groups each morning, often meet families for lunch on the mountain, and head back out in the afternoon. Programming runs from toddlers right through to teens.

By the end of the week, there’s a proper graduation ceremony — levels recognized, kids beaming — held in the resort theatre. It was a lovely moment to witness.

Happy hour isn’t just for the grown-ups either. Candy buffets, doughnut stations, mocktails at the bar. Themed evenings like laser tag night.

Parents get their mountain time and their social time — kids feel like they have their own world. It works beautifully.

The Club Med Community: Crazy Signs and 45 Night

Then there’s the culture — and it’s real.

‘Crazy Signs’ is Club Med’s signature group dance, spanning every age group in the room. Joyful, slightly chaotic, and completely infectious.

And ‘45 Night’, where everyone pulls on their Club Med shirt from a property they’ve visited — Marrakesh, Cancun, the Maldives — and you start to understand just how loyal this community is.

When you see those shirts, you get it.