The World’s Number #1 France Ski Holiday Specialist

There’s nothing quite like hitting the slopes for a refreshing run surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of nature.

Planning that ultimate, destination ski trip requires expert guidance with a personal touch. Your time away deserves to be treated with respect and consideration; you shouldn’t have more work to do while on holiday.

With Top Snow Travel, you can relax while our well-respected team provides a premium experience on your next ski holiday to the French Alps, led by our team of professionals who will make this an unforgettable journey.

Founder
Gilles Riou

“Our key aim at Top Sow Travel is to inspire skiers and snowboarders to discover the exquisiteness of the French Alps by providing seamless tailor-made itineraries founded on expert advice. Thanks to our local knowledge and expertise, we can guide you in choosing the perfect France ski holiday.

At Top Snow Travel, we only provide The Best of The French Alps. We believe that where you stay, what kind of ski resort and the quality of your lodging are the pillars in creating an unforgettable ski holiday. Building on this, we add the finishing touches to weave our magic and exceed all your expectations.

That’s why we can say with 100% confidence, that the experts at Top Snow Travel know what it takes to create an amazing seamless, once in a lifetime France ski holiday experience for you and your family.”

From small to world class ski resorts, Gilles has experienced all types:

France (40+)

Abondance, Alpe d’Huez, Auris-en-Oisans, Aussois, Avoriaz, Brides-les-Bains, Champéry, Champagny-en-Vanoise, Chamonix (Brévent-Flégère, Les Houches, La Vallée Blanche), Châtel, Champoussin, Courchevel, La Chapelle d’Abondance, La Norma, La Plagne, La Rosière, La Tania, Le Grand Bornand, Les Arcs, Les Crosets, Les Gets, Les Menuires, Les Deux Alpes, Megève, Méribel, Montriond, Morgins, Morzine, Orelle, Oz-en-Oisans, Peisey-Vallandry, Saint-Foy, St Jean d’Aulps, St Martin de Belleville, Tignes, Torgon, Val-d’Illiez, Val Cenis, Valfréjus, Val d’Isère, Valmorel, Val Thorens, Vaujany, Villard Reculas.

Italy

Pragelato, Sestriere, La Thuile.

Switzerland

Andermatt, Gstaad, Grindelwald, Wengen, Zermatt.

Canada

Whistler Blackcomb, Banff (Mt Norquay & Sunshine), Lake Louise, Jasper.

USA

Heavenly, Northstar, Squaw Valley, Mammoth Mountain, Aspen, Snowmass, Park City, Canyons, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone.

New Zealand

Mt Hutt, Remarkables, Coronet Peak, Treble Cone, Cardrona, staying in Queenstown, Wanaka & Methven.

Australia

Perisher, Thredbo.

Our Product Services Include:

Private Transfers

From any airport or train station to your accommodation, a seamless experience.

Accommodation

Carefully selected with the highest standard of accommodation in the best locations in the best French ski resorts.

Lift passes

Unrestricted lift pass for the duration of your stay, no hassles.

Ski rental

The highest quality of rental ski equipment.

Lessons & guides

Local highly qualified English speaking guides and instructors.

Winter activities

Unique experiences and so much fun for the whole family or with friends.

Expert Advice

For 30+ years, the stunning French Alps have been personally explored, experienced and tested by our snow travel experts. We eat, sleep and breath the French Alps.

24/7 Client Support

When booking with Top Snow Travel, you can feel relaxed knowing that your holiday will run seamlessly. Unexpected situations can happen while travelling which is why we have a dedicated 24/7 client support to assist you while travelling with us.

Our Rock-Solid 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee

When you travel with us at Top Snow Travel, you can book with confidence because you’ll always be covered by our 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. In the extremely unlikely event you aren’t satisfied with our service for your booked travel arrangements with Top Snow Travel, simply let us know and we’ll happily offer you a $1000 voucher to use on your next booking with us.

Our History…

My name is Gilles Riou, Top Snow Travel Founder and world-class ski enthusiast who understands the needs of a luxury ski holiday.

My expertise comes from having skied at more than 70 ski resorts around the world, including Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, and more than 40 different ski resorts in France alone.

Not only have I explored the French Alps while on holiday from my current home in Australia, I have also spent much of my childhood & adolescence on these remarkable mountains.

From just 2 years old until I was 15, I was fortunate enough to visit my family-owned home at a ski resort in the French Alps. Every school holiday, my loved ones and I would leave our home in Paris and enjoy the atmosphere and excitement of this stunning mountain region. It was here that I developed a sincere love for the sport of skiing, as well as a wealth of knowledge regarding the best places to stay and ski. These memories stayed with me long after I moved to Australia as a teen.

After school, I spent the first decade of my career working in the travel and tourism industry selling worldwide ski holidays to the Australian market. However, I knew I had more to offer so I decided to venture out on my own.

In 2015, Top Snow Travel was created to give fellow Aussies the incredible experience of elite skiing on some of the very best slopes in the world. My desire to share this passion with others is just one of the reasons Top Snow Travel is a top-rated travel company today.

Not only does a lot of heart go into planning these trips, but you can also rest easy knowing the big and small details have been handled with care just for you. From pick-up at the airport to amazing accommodations, and the necessary logistics to have a fabulous ski experience, it is all given special attention and carried out impeccably.

The ski experts at our world-class travel agency have personally explored and tested the vast snow playgrounds and exquisite resorts the French Alps have to offer to ensure you are getting the very best treatment possible while out on the snow, as well.

Whether this is your first time hitting the slopes of the famous French Alps, or it is your annual getaway, Top Snow Travel is here to deliver a holiday unlike any you’ve had before. Let our team of one-of-a-kind professionals lead the way so that you can truly indulge in the holiday you’ve been dreaming of.

Build those lifetime memories on fresh powder among some of the most idyllic views in the world.

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Google Rating

4.9

Based on 48 reviews

Top Snow Travel

4.9

Steve Ginder

20:18 15 Jan 24

Gilles at Top Snow Travel was terrific. He handled everything seamlessly and stepped in whenever needed to make our ski trip one to remember for a life time by all!!!

Alexandra Hopley

11:16 10 Mar 23

Thank you to Gilles for organising our ski trip in France. The choice of resort ticked all our boxes - an amazing village, resort, hotel (the pool with the view of the slopes!) and food. All was seamless, from transfers to/from the train station to the hotel, ski hire, lift tickets, lessons. We had a fantastic time and would go back to the exact same place again (next time without the teenagers!). Highly recommend Top Snow Travel - Gilles' recommendations and organisation made for an unforgettable experience.

Jane Anne Dempsey

05:21 16 Feb 23

This was my second holiday I booked with Gilles from Top Snow and this time we returned as a group of ten. We had a week in Meribel and then a few of us travelled onto Chamonix. Gilles advice and attention to detail made for a fantastic holiday. From the airport transfers, accomodation, ski hire and lift passes, ski guides, all of it was effortless for us and made for a great holiday. Gilles even advised us on where to lunch on the mountain and dine at night and we followed all his recommendations. He knows his resorts, understands our requests and I wouldn't hesitate to book with Gilles again. Love skiing in France, we will return. Btw I had a little accident with my knee and Gilles was extremely helpful with my situation, so appreciated his concern.

matt leivesley

02:50 06 Feb 23

I would highly recommend using Gilles and Top Snow Travel to make arrangements for a France ski holiday. We had an excellent experience. Gilles was interested in finding out details of our 2 x families, ski abilities, interests etc. so that he could recommend the best resort and accommodation options. We stayed at La Rosiere and both families absolutely loved it. The quality of the accommodation with ski-in ski-out access was amazing, the transfers, lessons, equipment all worked out really well. Communication with Gilles was great and he was quick to respond to any questions we had.

Edward Parker

03:04 30 Jan 23

We recently used Top Snow Travel to book 2 ski packages during our trip to France in January 2023. Gilles recommended La Rosiere (which he was able to book at very late notice) and Avoriaz.Both locations were perfect for our family in terms of quality of resorts, ski runs, accomodation, apres ski and access to local villages / shops etc. In both cases we had ski in / ski out accomodation and really easy access to local cafe's, restaurant's and supermarkets. Accomodation was better than the pictures presented, especially La Rosiere.Gilles was incredibly helpful and knowledgable in guiding us on which resorts to choose and the Trip Plans App which has details and documents for train and ski rental bookings was incredibly helpful.We'll definately use Gilles again for our next France ski holiday as his knowledge of the ski resorts and matching our requirements against the most suitable location was superb.

Danny Diab

11:07 27 Jan 23

Gilles was very helpful and took care of all our travel needs.

Costas Condoleon

05:27 27 Jan 23

We’ve used Gilles Riou (at Top Snow Travel) a couple of times to book our ski holidays in France. He is absolutely top shelf. He knows all about the resorts and the accommodation, and dealing with him is both a pleasure and so easy. We will definitely be using Gilles again and recommend him highly.

kate Henderson

10:00 25 Jan 23

Incredible. This was our second trip with Top Snow Travel and is was just as amazing as our first. Every detail, down to restaurants, transfers, recommendations, and even the Christmas tree that was organized for us at our accommodation was perfect. 10/10. Thank you Gilles for a wonderful holiday.

Henson Parker

07:33 25 Jan 23

Gilles at Top Snow Travel is excellent. He was very helpful and informative (and patient) through our decision making process and as a result we had an outstanding holiday in Meribel. The accomodation was all it promised and more (Le Havana, Meribel). Gilles even responded to a message on Christmas Day, so he goes over and above for his clients. Highly recommended, and Top Snow Travel will be our go-to for skiing holidays. Thanks Gilles.Simon & Anna, Sydney

belinda robson

23:34 22 Jan 23

This is the 2nd time we have used Gilles at Top Snow Travel and it won't be the last. We were a large group and Gilles helped co-ordinate us all - accommodation was fantastic and everything went off as planned. A great trip all round.

Edward Alder

12:09 06 Jan 23

Top Snow Travel offer a fantastic experience for French skiing. We had an enormous 3 bedroom apartment in Val d’isere over Xmas 2022. Gilles arranged accommodation, transfers, ski passes, ski hire and recommendations for meals and ski school / ski guides. We would use Top snow again for our next French ski experience!

Tabletop Farm

10:34 06 Jan 23

Jennifer Sangster

19:32 05 Jan 23

Clayton Miller

12:49 09 Jan 22

NOT A GOOD VALUE FOR THE HIGH $$Chamonix is a worthwhile destination. Be aware that Top Snow will charge premium pricing for mediocre quality. The ski equipment rental was 40% overcharged and the rental company didn't have anything ready for us. Stuck with 1-2 yr old gear and had to bounce around town to assemble four packages. Pre-paid arrangements like dinners and packages were not registered with the businesses. We had to produce vouchers (thankfully we had copies on us at all times) to convince them that we should be seated and served. Ultimately, we got everything that was promised but couldn't help knowing we were skinned alive for the pricing compared to making most of the arrangements on our own.

James Marijanovic

03:39 10 Mar 20

10/10 customer service from Gilles.Holiday went by without a hitch!

Jackie Cross

03:05 08 Mar 20

Libby Dobson

03:10 03 Mar 20

We had a fabulous 2 week holiday in the French Alps, the transport from airport to accommodation went smoothly and the accommodations were perfectly located. This was our 2nd holiday organised by Gilles at Top Snow and we highly recommend them .

Alastair Taylor

23:02 02 Mar 20

Just got home from a fantastic holiday in Meribel. Gilles organised the transfers, lift tickets, ski hire and accommodation at The Hotel La Chaudanne.Everything was first class and worked like clockwork.

Louise

07:21 02 Mar 20

Hi Gilles, I can't thank you enough for organising our trip to Meribel in January, we had the most fabulous family ski trip and can't wait to plan the next one! The accomodation was absolutely outstanding and it was so easy having the ski hire under the building. I was particularly grateful for your expertise in organising everything from ski hire, lift tickets, trains and transfers, as it all ran seamlessly. Your local knowledge made all the difference to our trip, as little tips like upgrading to first class on the trains meant we had ticketed seats and a very comfortable journey. We will definitely be calling you for the next trip and I will recommend you to all of our friends if they want fantastic travel advice and friendly efficient service. Thanks Gilles!

Ash

01:32 21 Feb 20

Seamless booking and travel experience. The local knowledge of the team was very helpful.

Vinny Mamo

22:58 15 Feb 20

Top Snow Travel organised our trip really well and the apartment at Les Arcs we stayed in was fantastic. This resort was excellent for poor skiers and black run snowboarders and skiers alike

Wendy Mackay

06:51 15 Feb 20

Gilles organised a fabulous trip for our family to Avoriaz in January 2020, including transfers, accommodation, lessons and ski passes. He saved us a huge amount of time in recommending everything, taking into account what we needed (e.g. a good place for beginner skiers, lessons in French for our kids). We also did a cost comparison and it seemed to be cheaper than if we had booked everything ourselves.We will be back for another trip next year!

N Curtis

05:14 15 Feb 20

Communication with Gilles at Top Snow Travel was excellent. His knowledge of the French Alps helped us to decide where and when to ski and then our particular needs were accommodated for. Thank you forcoordinating a stress free and memorable ski holiday

Helen Smart

04:17 12 Feb 20

Top Snow are great a providing advice to first time skiers and I was so glad I took their recommendation and booked a resort located higher in the Alps to be sure we got proper snow. The accommodation and resort recommended was also great and we had a great one week stay over Christmas 2019. I will certainly use Top Snows services again now my teenage boys love skiing!!

Nicholas Pachter

12:49 22 Jan 20

Jayson Cambourne

22:58 16 Jan 20

We have just returned for our trip to Avoriaz with 7 days snowboarding, everything was absolutely perfect.We can’t thank Gilles enough for all his knowledge and advice, he had so many ideas that really made the experience magical.We had no dramas at all all transfers too and from Avoriaz, flights and paperwork where all so great.If you’re looking for a French snow holiday DONT go anywhere else but top snow travel!!!!Thank you so much and we will definitely book with you again.

Amanda Thurbin

10:42 16 Jan 20

It had been a number of years since we skied in France and felt comfortable organising our recent trip to Val Thorens through Top Snow. Gilles was helpful and friendly in our communications and gave excellent advice. All the arrangements went seamlessly from our private transfer from the train station right through to collecting our lift passes, ski hire and registering the children for ski school. Our accommodation at Residence Oxalys was perfect for us; ski in/out, well appointed rooms, modern bathrooms and a kitchenette. The daily bakery delivery for breakfast was fabulous. A shout out also to the staff at Oxalys, everyone was polite and so helpful; Sandrine in particular. Thank you Gilles and Top Snow, such a fabulous holiday.

Alisa B

11:11 15 Jan 20

Don't look anywhere else to book your snow travel! I was in charge of organising three families (including my own) for a ski holiday in France. Having some family in the UK, I was recommended a number of UK companies. I became overwhelmed with the information and the hard push to sell me the holiday asap through these companies. By accident I came across Top Snow Travel and contacted Gilles and his team. I was asked a few questions about who is in the party, exactly what we intend to do and what we wanted from a resort. We were recommended Avoriaz which all the other companies told was out of my price range. It was smooth sailing from there. We could pay in two instalments which included everything from ski pass' and equipment to transfers and accommodation. Gilles and his team were in constant communication including wishing me safe travels just before our travels and check up when we returned.The top selling points for me was I could pay in AUD and contact them in local time. I highly recommend Top Snow Travel who are now my snow travel agents for all future ski holidays for my family and I. Thank you Gilles and Team! x

Katie Divall

01:44 14 Jan 20

Very impressed with level of knowledge at top snow - they booked an amazing holiday for us in Val Thorens

Tim Richings

09:21 13 Jan 20

Alyson Gundry

06:23 06 Jan 20

We deeply appreciate all the help offered to us by Gilles from Top Snow Travel. From the outset, we were provided with exceptional service, excellent suggestions about travel and accommodation options and welcome advice about how best to fully embrace the experience of staying in a French ski resort . This level of support ensured that our much-anticipated holiday unfolded smoothly and even when we encountered travel hiccups due to the transport strikes in France, without hesitation or delay, we received timely assistance.Val d’Isere as a ski resort was amazing, and we were most fortunate with the amount of snow which only added to the experience ! The village is enchanting – a magical winter wonderland. Equally, the dining options on and off the mountain were superb and bounteous. Suffice to say, we ate extremely well!We will cherish our 2019 ski holiday in the French Alps and attribute its success to the guidance of Gilles and the team at Top Snow Travel. Thank you so much.

Kirsty Gregory

03:53 12 Apr 19

Meribel in late March was fantastic and ALL our bookings by Top Snow were excellent and met all our needs. With 5 adults and multiple transfers to organise from different locations all went really smoothly.The hotel was 3 star but was very good: food, room service, pool and spa.And the staff were very friendly and helpful.thanks to Top Snow we had an amazing holidayKirsty

Maxwell Green

01:32 20 Feb 19

Great service and great advice

Claudine Cordony

03:29 18 Feb 19

Chalet Or Blanc was everything we hoped for and so much more! The Chalet itself was so beautiful; great position with a stunning view and such a beautifully finished space. As for the the staff... they really made the experience!! Nothing was a problem, they were all so obliging and helpful, and Angelique's breakfasts... amazing!! We loved every minute of our stay.

Eric van Leeuwen

05:45 13 Feb 19

Janiece Euston

05:02 04 Feb 19

Really knowledgeable agent - recommended where to go and where not to go and found us great prices. Have recommended to a friend

Jacinta Milne

12:36 03 Feb 19

Top Snow Travel organised a brilliant European ski trip for our family. In every way they were reliable, informative and approachable. We would highly recommend them.

peter itten

02:30 23 Jan 19

Gilles was very supportive and offered some practical tips. We will use his service again.

A Normal

06:51 15 Jan 19

Gilles was absolutely amazing - his vast knowledge and patience was incredible, our family had a gorgeous white Christmas in a picture pretty postcard village that they will never forget, and all the little details were looked after so well by Top Snow Travel. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

Peter Renton

12:41 13 Jan 19

Top Snow Travel turned my headache of arranging our ski trip in France into an enjoyable experience. Gilles was so friendly and easy to deal with and also had a great knowledge of what was available for us within our budget. They were able to arrange all the details; from accommodation, transfers, lift passes and equipment hire. It was a fantastic trip minus the stress of having to arrange everything myself. I highly recommend giving them a call.

Rachael Norris

05:17 12 Jan 19

Top Snow was brilliant - Gilles is very professional and knowledgeable, we had a fantastic holiday and will book through him again!

A Fogarty

08:17 28 Dec 18

We left our Christmas skiing plans to the last minute and had never skiied in Europe. Within 24 hours, Gilles had put forth options for guaranteed snow in the French Alps in mid December at Val Thorens, flights, transfers and ski-in/out from the Hotel Kashmir on the piste. This was the best family holiday of our lives with some runs taking over an hour and crossing 10's of km's. My boys are 21 and 18, but were very happy to spend all day with me in this sensational and relaxed setting. We skiied all day across the 3 Valleys (Meribel and Courchevel, but loved La Masse and other areas too), roller-coasted and ate like kings at Les Menuires, danced on tables at altitude at La Folie Douce on Plein Sud, sat outside at Place de Caron with fireworks, Santa & Crosby carols on Christmas Eve and had the most sensational cosy/woolly seated Christmas lunch high up at Chalet de Marine where, after lunch, we sat on the terrace in the sun with mulled wines and then headed off for another 2 hours skiing. The Savoie cheeses, bread, steak tartare, snails and charcuterie were incredible. The only thing missing was the roast turkey on Christmas Day, but that was just a passing moment. We did not miss a minute with all of our flights, transfers, ski passes and hire. Thanks to Gilles and the Topsnowtravel team. We would do it all again.

Cindy S

00:32 22 Apr 18

Seamless service delivery and beyond expectations in terms of the quality of the resorts and services. Gilles was knowledgeable, prompt and gave great advice. Highly recommend going through Top Snow if you are thinking of skiing France.

Margaret Yu

03:37 30 Jan 18

We are very happy with all the advice that Gilles from Top Snow has given us. We are a family of four with teenage children and we just had a wonderful trip to Switzerland and skiing at Avoriaz. Gilles has organised a great trip for us!!

Neil Cambourne

10:19 07 Jun 17

Great experience from the start, easily contactable and prompt replies. The family holiday was amazing, everything we wanted and more.

sally kubiak

01:06 11 Apr 17

Thank you to Top Snow Travel in assisting us to plan our ski holiday in France (march 2017). The team were amazing in quickly addressing our multiple questions in order to select the right resort that met our needs. When we got to our resort all our needs were met and the food was amazing just as Top Snow had noted!!!

Cara Page

07:53 13 Feb 17

Top snow was fantastic and Giles was exceptional! He organised our holiday from beginning to end and it was a real pleasure not to have to worry about bookings and taxis and ski passes, etc. He did it all and we had the most amazing skiing holiday ever.

Gary Thomas

03:28 13 Feb 17

Gilles of Top Snow Travel personally organised every travel and accommodation detail for our family of five that travelled to Switzerland, France (Val D'sere and Les Arc) and Dubai over a four week period in 2016-17. Everything Gilles organised, down to advice on which side of the train to sit to get the best view of the mountains while travelling, or which restaurant to eat at in each ski village was beyond reproach. His professionalism, reliability and incredible personal knowledge of the areas we visited made the holiday of a lifetime. We cannot recommend Top Snow Travel more highly. Please feel free to contact us via Gilles should you wish to verify this review. Gary and Jen Thomas

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