Let’s just be clear from the start – no-one comes to Val d’Isère for the shopping, so if your idea of a fun holiday is to shop till you drop, you’re probably in the wrong place.
Yes, we have a few very upmarket boutiques, an extraordinary number of cashmere shops for such a small village and an expensive jeweller but, as befits a proper ski resort, most of the shops here are sports shops of one sort or another.
Before we go any further, we should point out that at Snowberry we literally only sell socks and sun cream, so you can be absolutely sure we’re not trying to sell you anything in this section.
If you’re in the market for a new ski suit, you couldn’t have come to a better place. We can’t think of any decent ski clothing brand that isn’t represented in at least one of the shops on the main street.
Unlike online shopping, you can browse them all in the short stretch of road between the two roundabouts, feel the fabrics, compare the colours and, most importantly, try everything on before you buy.
We especially love the Peak Performance shop and the Noronna kit at Mountain Pro!
Interested in a new pair of skis?
Actually, we can help you there. Come and see us and try as many different models as you like. Every ski we rent is a genuine retail ski, so if you fall in love with a particular model you'll be trying exactly the same ski you can go out and buy.
As for ski boots, you couldn’t be in a better place to buy them. Most of the specialist sports shops have experienced bootfitters and, because you're here skiing every day, any little pressure points can be adjusted as the boots bed in, giving you the best possible fit.
What about the essential accessories? Again, you’ll be spoilt for choice with endless options for gloves (we love Hestra), hats, socks, goggles, sunglasses, helmets and base layers. When people ask us where to buy goggles, sunglasses or helmets, we always send them to see Sandra at Top Vision, just up the main street from our Streetside shop. It’s a tiny place packed from floor to ceiling and what Sandra doesn’t know about goggle lenses isn’t worth knowing!
For your general food shopping there are five supermarkets in Val d’Isère. Two are in the town centre: Spar underneath Victor’s Bar, which is quite expensive, and Sherpa on the roundabout, which is generally cheaper. Of the two, Spar has by far the nicest fresh fruit and vegetables and a proper butcher's counter.
There’s also a decent-sized supermarket in the Les Richardes area opposite the police station, popular with the locals because it’s well priced, and two smaller superettes – one at the petrol station in Le Crêt and the other right next to Snowberry Slopeside at Rond Point des Pistes. These have a more limited range but are open all day and later into the evening, making them ideal for essentials – or that lemon you forgot you needed until you poured the first gin and tonic!
For authentic local specialities from right here in Val d’Isère there are a couple of places we’d definitely recommend. La Ferme de Claudette, between the snow front and the tourist office, sells local meats, sausages, cheeses and preserves. We absolutely love the Confiture d'Hiver ("Winter Jam") – it’s Christmas in a jar and is wonderful with cheese.
And talking of cheese, the best French cheese we’ve ever tasted (and that’s saying something after more than 35 years living here) comes from the farm at Joseray. There’s a tiny little shop selling nothing but their own cheese, made on the premises by Marie-Christine, right next to the shed where the cows are milked, so you can pop your head in and meet the girls who made it possible. Try the Iseran. We genuinely have no words to describe how good it is.
As for local drinks, most supermarkets sell various wines made in the Savoie, there is also a specialist wine shop in the main street or Antoine’s “Cave Sur Le Comptoir” if you are a serious wine buff. Savoie wines do have a taste all of their own – dry, crisp, light and with a fresh acidity that makes them ideal with heavy local cheese-based dishes. Definitely a must-try during your stay though, as is the local liqueur. Génépi is made by steeping the dried flowering stems of a tiny alpine plant (also called génépi) in alcohol for several months before sweetening and bottling. Although it’s now produced commercially, many local families still make their own, each with a closely guarded recipe and a different strength and flavour – some will blow your head off! To help protect the wild plants, picking is now strictly controlled and, in Savoie, people are limited to collecting 120 stems per person per day for their own use.
And lastly, what about something to take home to the family or a reminder of a fantastic holiday? You'll find everything from traditional-style home accessories at Seccotine to Val d'Isère-themed bags, pouches, soft toys and some wonderfully quirky cable car gifts at Chiquito or cute clothing, bags and accessories designed by one of the local youngsters at. La Maison is great for postcards, books, photographs and all those little souvenirs that somehow find their way into everyone's suitcase, while if you've danced the afternoon away on the mountain there's also the Folie Douce shop, for a memento of your crazy après afternoon.
