Val d'Isère or St Anton am Arlberg for Christmas?

Chalets available in Val d'Isère and St Anton am Arlberg ↓

Val d'Isère and St Anton am Arlberg side by side

Val d'IsèreSt Anton am Arlberg
CountryFranceAustria
Village altitude1,849m1,304m
Top of the ski area3,456m2,650m
Christmases with 30cm+ of snow13 of 17 (Le Molard (Val d'Isère), 2310 m)22 of 22 (Galzig, 2079 m)
Snow lying in the village30 of 30 Christmases24 of 30 Christmases
Christmas Snow Score73/10068/100
Christmas atmosphere (our rating)5/55/5
Families (our rating)4/53/5
Beginners (our rating)3/52/5
Chalets we list469
Typical Christmas week, 19 Dec – 26 Dec 2026£16,395 (12 chalets priced; checked 12 October 2026)Too few priced

Snow figures are Christmas-morning measurements by national and regional weather services, shown on the Christmas Snow Report. Ratings are our editorial view. Prices are Booking.com’s cheapest total for the week for each chalet’s full capacity, among chalets still available when we checked.

What Christmas is like in each

Christmas in Val d'Isère

Val d'Isère does Christmas properly. The village centre is decorated without being gaudy, there is a Christmas market and a torchlit descent by the ski school on Christmas Eve, and there is a wide choice of restaurants. It is the one French resort in this guide where the evening is as much a part of the holiday as the skiing.

Christmas chalets in Val d'Isère · See the chalets we list

Christmas in St Anton am Arlberg

Excellent. St Anton is a real village with a pedestrianised centre, and the week before Christmas it is decorated beautifully. The combination of a proper Austrian Christmas and busy bars is unusual and works better than it sounds.

Christmas chalets in St Anton am Arlberg · See the chalets we list

Chalets available for Christmas in Val d'Isère and St Anton am Arlberg

Three from each resort, available for Christmas week when we last checked.

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See the chalets available for Christmas →

Questions about Val d'Isère and St Anton am Arlberg at Christmas

Which has more snow at Christmas, Val d'Isère or St Anton am Arlberg?

St Anton am Arlberg is the safer bet for snow: at least 30cm on Christmas morning in 22 of 22 years, against 13 of 17 for Val d'Isère. Measured on Christmas morning at the nearest weather station to each resort since 1996; how often there has been snow, not a forecast.

Which is better for christmas atmosphere at Christmas, Val d'Isère or St Anton am Arlberg?

On Christmas atmosphere we rate them the same (5 out of 5).

Which is better for families at Christmas, Val d'Isère or St Anton am Arlberg?

Val d'Isère is stronger on families (4 out of 5 against 3), in our editorial view.

Which is better for beginners at Christmas, Val d'Isère or St Anton am Arlberg?

Val d'Isère is stronger on beginners (3 out of 5 against 2), in our editorial view.