Ecole du Ski Français
Ecole du Ski Français
4
8:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 7:00 PM
About
Welcome to the Ecole du Ski Français (ESF) in Val d'isere. Our 350 instructors invite you to explore a whole world of freedom and fun! We were the first French ski school established in 1936, so come and discover our ability to listen and teach!
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
208 reviews
Excellent
122
Very good
45
Average
20
Poor
9
Terrible
12
Amir M
Cairo, Egypt4 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
We had a very bad experience today. After booking lessons for our kids and a raquette for my wife and I at the same time, we were surprised by the instructor saying they cannot take our children as their level was below the group.
To compensate us, we were offered a private ski lesson on the next day for our family. However, this is not what we had in plan - we wanted to do raquette and kids wanted ski. The only solution was a refund or we pay more!!
Very shameful attitude and does not encourage us to use your school anymore.
This is the worst experience in Val d’Isere for us.
To compensate us, we were offered a private ski lesson on the next day for our family. However, this is not what we had in plan - we wanted to do raquette and kids wanted ski. The only solution was a refund or we pay more!!
Very shameful attitude and does not encourage us to use your school anymore.
This is the worst experience in Val d’Isere for us.
Written December 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mamenard
Cape Cod, MA226 contributions
Jan 2023 • Family
Our two children 12/8 have never skied and this was the perfect place to bring them! They both had lessons morning and afternoon for 5 days. The instructors were both amazing and by the end of the week we were running into our kids on the mountain on the same pistes we were on! We are one million percent happy with their skills and knowledge the instructors gave them. I was worried the classes would be too large and that was not the case. There was never more than 4 children in a lesson. And I think once or twice it was only them! I would definitely recommend!!!
Written January 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vladislav M
18 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
We booked 5 lessons for my girlfriend this week. Instructor (@juchau) was very friendly and a true professional, she paid great attention to my girlfriend.
The attitude of the staff in the ESF office was truly unprofessional and disrespectful- at the time of enrollment we asked if we can have a free day and shift one of the lessons and we got an affirmative answer. Two days later when we notified them that we want to move the lesson they refused to do this and made us pay for another lesson contrary to the initial agreement.
The attitude of the staff in the ESF office was truly unprofessional and disrespectful- at the time of enrollment we asked if we can have a free day and shift one of the lessons and we got an affirmative answer. Two days later when we notified them that we want to move the lesson they refused to do this and made us pay for another lesson contrary to the initial agreement.
Written January 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AninaBijl
Pretoria, South Africa57 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
My husband and I haven’t skied in 16 years.
We did a 2 hr skiing lesson with a wonderful instructor,(who even understood some Afrikaans), he speaks 5 languages. Daniel even took us down a black slope. We loved it, and saw so many areas we wouldn’t have found otherwise. Gentle and patient instructor who inspires confidence. Thank you.
We did a 2 hr skiing lesson with a wonderful instructor,(who even understood some Afrikaans), he speaks 5 languages. Daniel even took us down a black slope. We loved it, and saw so many areas we wouldn’t have found otherwise. Gentle and patient instructor who inspires confidence. Thank you.
Written January 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NzGetupandgo
NZ10 contributions
Dec 2016 • Family
Beware. Sells ski lessons to English speaking customers but instructors have very basic command of the English language and cannot be understood by customers. When complaints made to management they decided in their infinite wisdom that they would not provide a new instructor that could competently speak English. They would then not refund the cost of the lesson and refused to provide any level of customer satisfaction. It took in excess of three visits and escalation to management to get any level of satisfaction. These lessons are not cheap and are a waste of time if you cannot understand them and they cannot understand you. Extremely disappointing level of service
Written December 27, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bama14to15
Mobile, AL91 contributions
Feb 2019
Their reputation precedes them. If you are not French don't bother is the common word on the street. But this was who the hotel recommended and had arrangements with so I used them for an off-piste guide. He showed me some great places and good snow but relentlessly harped on a couple of things I didn't do up to his standards. This was not really a lesson and I'm aware that I'm not a professional or expert skier. However, I'm fairly advanced. I don't mind criticism and welcome the opportunity to improve but give it a rest! Not one time did he have to wait on me and we went down every run together efficiently but he never shut up. I am the customer paying 500 euro to be guided not to listen to his voice all damn day. He also demanded we stop for lunch. After I bought him a nice 1 1/2 hour 80 euro lunch, at the end of the day he stayed we could have done more had we not stopped for lunch. ?????!!!! I never stop for lunch skiing just with him. Do yourself a favor and stay away from these clowns. My wife is in a group lesson with them and it seems to be going well, but still the same condescending behavior. Perhaps American guides or instructors are too gentle but there is a happy medium. I think it's called Austria. I would not use them again. For the record none of the shops around town like them either.
Written February 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark_Pork_Scratching
London60 contributions
Feb 2018 • Family
My child (6) attended group ski lessons for the week. Very, very few of the instructors (that we met) spoke English of any consequence. In addition to that (or maybe because of) the majority of English-speaking children use other schools, so the mixing with other kids thing that used to be so wonderful when I was learning is non-existent with ESF unless you're really lucky and: 1) your child speaks French; or 2) there happens to be another child there who speaks English (we found that to be rare ... 2/10 other children in my child's class ... so if they don't gel it's not fun).
As well as the language challenge, I observed the progress to be very slow ... not that the kids weren't trying, I just think they weren't stretched much.
ESF seem to have created so many levels to progress through now (in my view, to generate more revenue) that they really weren't doing much more at the end of the week than they were at the start. A little smoother and a fewer crashes but no big steps. My child and his new found friend found it dull.
I'm not sure this is consistent with all ESF locations, as it's in stark contrast with the speed of progress and challenges that were presented previously by ESF in Sainte Foy (who I cannot fault in any way).
Next year, if we visit Val d'Isere again, I will use a different school or have fewer lessons and go private.
As well as the language challenge, I observed the progress to be very slow ... not that the kids weren't trying, I just think they weren't stretched much.
ESF seem to have created so many levels to progress through now (in my view, to generate more revenue) that they really weren't doing much more at the end of the week than they were at the start. A little smoother and a fewer crashes but no big steps. My child and his new found friend found it dull.
I'm not sure this is consistent with all ESF locations, as it's in stark contrast with the speed of progress and challenges that were presented previously by ESF in Sainte Foy (who I cannot fault in any way).
Next year, if we visit Val d'Isere again, I will use a different school or have fewer lessons and go private.
Written February 19, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WiseGlobetrotter
London, UK27 contributions
Feb 2017
We stayed two weeks in February 2017, and had pretty good teachers the first week...but the second week, my daughter got a teacher who would yell at them, humiliate them publicly "you are so bad" "you don't understand, are you stupid" and who would leave them at meeting point 15 to 20 mn early as he was fed up with them. Un-believable! I complained to the school, who said they would talk to that teacher....he should retire ( as he was not young) and probably do something else, or work with adults only...see if he would dare talking to them the same way he talks to his group of kids who were terrified of him.
Written July 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
abager
London, UK430 contributions
Feb 2017 • Couples
We were 'instructed' by ESF at Club Med as part of the all-inclusive package, but our instructor, Jerome, provided no instruction at all, simply guided us, albeit very pleasantly, around the pistes. I learned nothing.
Written February 7, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DrNic1
Gaithersburg, MD949 contributions
Dec 2016 • Friends
I imagine the lessons are good - but despite asking for English lessons and English teacher what was allocated was someone who had little knowledge or capability to speak English much less instruct in it. There are better English based options that start 30 mins earlier than the French Ski school
Written January 18, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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