French Alps: Les Deux Alpes & Les Arcs with your class
The French Alps offer the most complete school ski experience in Europe, a combination of altitude, snow reliability, resort infrastructure, and ski school quality that is simply unmatched at scale. The two flagship destinations for school groups could hardly be more different in character. Les Deux Alpes sits at one of the highest resort elevations in the French Alps, with a glacier that guarantees skiing conditions from October through June and a purpose-built resort village that handles school groups with practised efficiency. Les Arcs, linked to the vast Paradiski ski area shared with La Plagne, offers extraordinary variety across a single lift pass, from wide, confidence-building beginner slopes at Arc 1600 to genuinely challenging runs above Arc 2000. Both resorts operate dedicated ski schools for groups, with qualified ESF instructors who speak English and are experienced with school-age beginners. Evening programmes at both resorts range from supervised disco nights and torchlit descents to optional ice skating and bowling. For schools that want to add a curriculum dimension beyond PE, a morning of avalanche science or glacier geography with a mountain guide can be built into the programme at either resort.
Trip highlights
Les Deux Alpes glacier skiing, the highest accessible glacier in the French Alps, offering skiing on guaranteed snow at altitudes above 3,400 metres, with views across the Écrins National Park that put the Alpine landscape in genuine geographic context
Group ski lessons with qualified ESF instructors, structured daily lessons split by ability level, from complete beginners taking their first snowplough turns to intermediate groups tackling red runs by the end of the week
Evening programme, torchlit descent, supervised disco, ice skating, and optional fondue evening in a traditional mountain restaurant give the trip a social dimension that bonds school groups in ways that classroom life simply cannot
Curriculum links
Practical information
- Resort altitude: Les Deux Alpes 1,650m (resort) / 3,600m (glacier top); Les Arcs 1,600–2,000m (resort) / 3,226m (top)
- Ski area: Les Deux Alpes 225km of piste; Les Arcs/Paradiski 425km of piste
- Ability levels: all levels catered for, complete beginners to advanced; groups split by ability for all lessons
- Lesson structure: typically 2–3 hours of ski school morning and afternoon, with instructor-supervised free skiing between sessions
- Equipment: full ski equipment hire included (skis, boots, poles, helmet); students advised to bring thermal underlayers, ski socks, sunscreen, and sunglasses
- Evening programme: supervised disco, torchlit descent, ice skating, optional mountain restaurant dinner, varies by resort and week
- Local currency is Euro (€); spending money recommended for après-ski snacks, souvenirs, and optional extras
- A valid EHIC/GHIC card or equivalent travel insurance with winter sports cover is strongly recommended for all participants
- On the Move is the officially accredited school trips provider for the European Schools in Belgium; every trip has a dedicated project manager with 24/7 emergency support.
A day by day
✏️ This is an example timetable — we can adapt the destination, programme, duration and budget to suit your group.
Students come home with…
- a new physical skill that many will continue for life; a direct experience of Alpine geography at altitude; the confidence that comes from doing something genuinely difficult and succeeding; and the particular solidarity of a class that has fallen over together, laughed about it, and kept going.
In pictures
Ski Trips - your questions
Our ski trips work for pupils from around 10 years upwards. Valmeinier is designed specifically for primary-age beginners (P5–P6); our other resorts suit secondary groups of all levels. Lessons are grouped by ability, so everyone progresses at their own pace.
Yes. Ski hire (skis, boots, poles and helmet) and lift passes are included in your package. Pupils only need warm clothing — we send a full kit list well in advance.
Every group travels with qualified instructors and meets regulation chaperone ratios. On the Move holds ABELIO safety certification and we provide full insurance, 24/7 emergency support and a detailed risk assessment.
Popular winter dates fill up fast — we recommend booking 6 to 9 months ahead. Get in touch early and we'll hold provisional places while you confirm numbers.