• Ski Hire
Ski Hire
Ski Hire

Ski hire

YSE recommends several excellent ski/snowboard hire shops, listed below and marked on the village map at the bottom of this page.

We definitely recommend renting skis rather than buying your own. Rental skis are up-to-date, edged and waxed. You won’t have to drag them from home (paying a small fortune to your airline). And if you want to change them mid-week – if there’s fresh powder, for example – that’s no problem.

Boots are a different matter. We think it’s best to have your own, but if you are planning to buy do so in Val d’Isère, so you can try a few pairs before you buy. You may be surprised how much better you ski in one make than another.

We strongly advise pre-booking equipment for children travelling on a main school holiday date. Contact any of the shops (not before December) saying you are coming with YSE. For skis, the shop needs to be told the child’s height. For boots, the foot size. Children will usually have to try on more than one pair of boots on arrival in the shop, but an advance order helps.

SNOWBERRY

00 33 479 55 15 35 (landline – during the season only)
Email: service@snowberry-valdisere.com
www.snowberry-valdisere.com

Snowberry have brilliant equipment and service as well as highly trained and hugely experienced English-speaking staff, all available in two shops: Snowberry Streetside in the middle of Val d’Isère’s high street, and Snowberry Slopeside at Rond Point des Pistes, both open every day.

What’s more, they will collect you from your chalet, take you to the Slopeside shop (so make sure you book that one if you want this service) to be fitted and then take you and your kit back to your chalet afterwards. They cannot provide this after 19.30. Your chalet staff can call Snowberry when you are ready to be collected or you can call them yourselves on mobile number +33 616 28 50 08. (NB calls to the landline given above cannot arrange this.)

Their Chalet Fit service – they bring equipment to your chalet – is also available to pre-book online with a supplement of around €50 per adult and €30 per child on top of the rental prices.

Snowberry’s Premium equipment is all guaranteed brand new for 2024 for all levels of skier from beginner to expert, with a huge range of models and ski styles available. Do make sure you are comparing like for like if looking at other companies – everyone uses different descriptions of their “levels” but some skis come into the top category with one company and not with another, and no other shop offers new equipment for all levels.

For online bookings only, there is also the option to book Standard (last season’s skis) or Eco (older skis). These options are not available for in-shop rentals and must be booked online at least 6 hours before arrival.

New this year is a range of high-end junior skis aimed at the ever-increasing number of children who come to ski with the Mountain Masters Academy or who are at competition level.

Snowberry are happy to change skis or boots if you aren’t happy (or want a snowboard or off-piste skis for a day) and they will service them midweek should you feel your rental skis need this for no extra charge. Every pair of skis has a full service before every rental.

People renting at Slopeside can use the services at Streetside at any time, and vice versa.

Equipment hired from Snowberry can be stored overnight at Slopeside, so you can leave your normal shoes during the day while you’re skiing, then drop your skis or snowboard in at the end of the day. As well as your rented skis or snowboard you can also leave your own ski boots or snowboard boots overnight. Even non-Snowberry customers may use this daytime/overnight storage (subject to capacity) for €5 per person per day.

For online advance booking, go to www.snowberry-valdisere.com and quote the code 412YSE. Online advance prices are lower than renting on the day in either shop, but saying you are with YSE will still give a discount off the Premium in-shop prices, shown below, though not as much of a discount as booking online in advance. Rental for durations other than 6 days are shown on the Snowberry website.

Snowberry operate a ‘no questions asked’ cancellation policy with full refund if you cancel your booking for any reason whatsoever.

2023-24 PRICES

Adult Equipment

Premium, 6 days

Skis
Limited Edition/Expert €231 (advance online), €236.60 (in shop)
Advanced/Expert €209.30 (advance online), €216.20 (in shop)
Intermediate/Advanced €180.60 (advance online), €186.90 (in shop)
Lower Intermediate €161.50 (advance online), €165.30 (in shop)
Beginner €146.20 (advance online), €151.30 (in shop)
Boots €65.70 (advance online), €80.10 (in shop)

Snowboards
Advanced/Expert Board €209.30 (advance online), €216.20 (in shop)
Beginner/Intermediate Board €161.50 (advance online), €165.30 (in shop)
Boots €65.70 (advance online), €80.10 (in shop)

Helmet €30

Online-only special offers
Standard Adult skis – deduct €5 per day
Eco Adult skis – deduct €10 per day
Eco Adult boots – deduct €5 per day

Junior Equipment

Premium, 6 days

Skis
Junior Limited Edition €120 (advance online), €145.60 (in shop)
Intermediate/Advanced €90 (advance online), €95 (in shop)
Beginner €70.40 (advance online), €75.20 (in shop)
Boots €35.10 (advance online), €40.05 (in shop)

Helmet €18

Online-only special offers
Standard Junior skis – deduct €2 per day
(NB there is no Standard option for Junior Limited Edition equipment)

MATTIS – INTERSPORT FRONT DE NEIGE

00 33 479 41 13 90
Email: location@intersport-valdisere.com
https://frontdeneige.intersport-valdisere.com

The Mattis ski shop, officially known as Intersport Front de Neige, is highly renowned in France but practically unknown to the British clientèle, which is strange, because it offers excellent equipment at surprisingly low prices. YSE guests receive 20% off online in advance or and in the shop when you arrive for your holiday. The discounted prices are shown below.

To book online, use the website link above, which goes to the French version of their Home page because the English version is out of date. Select your dates and click ‘louez en ligne’ to see the 7 categories of skis from Blue (beginners) to Platinum. At this point you can switch to the English version to show the same results in English.

Adult Expert skis are guaranteed new each season, while other ranges are at most a year old, except for children’s skis which are used less and hence last longer. A helmet (‘casque’) is available with every rental from €23.10.

Intersport Front de Neige is on the Snow Square, on the edge of the nursery slopes, so is particularly convenient for Les Chardons and also easy to walk to from most of YSE’s chalets – rather welcome on a Sunday evening when you’ve been sitting for most of the day. The shop opens earlier than other ski shops, and stays open through lunch. The staff are friendly and speak English. Customers can leave their skis and boots overnight, with boots placed on a boot warmer.

2023-24 PRICES

Adult, 6 days
Skis/snowboard
Blue, beginner skis, €100
Red, intermediate skis/snowboard, €130.40
Black/Freestyle skis/snowboard, advanced €151.20
Gold/Platinum skis/snowboard, expert €174.40

Skis/snowboard & Boots
Blue, beginner skis, €133.40
Red, intermediate skis/snowboard, €174.70
Black/Freestyle, advanced skis/snowboard, €201.60
Gold/Platinum, expert skis/snowboard, €231.20

Helmet €26.40

Junior, 6 days

Skis/snowboard
Baby skis up to 6 years €43.20
Child 7-12 years, beginner skis €61.20
Child 7-12 years, intermediate skis/snowboard, €85
Teen 13-17 years, skis €100.10

Skis/snowboard & Boots
Baby skis up to 6 years €57.60
Child 7-12 years, beginner skis, €81.60
Child 7-12 years, intermediate skis/snowboard, €113.30
Teen 13-17 years, skis €133.40

Helmet €26.40

PRECISION/SKI REPUBLIC

Precision: www.precisionski-rent.com
Ski Republic: www.ski-republic.com

Precision and Ski Republic amalgamated and have dozens of shops in twenty French ski resorts, and the biggest servicing centre in the Alps.

There are four Precision shops in Val d’Isère: Squaw Valley near the church, La Poudreuse on the road leading up to the Olympique/Bellevarde lifts near Dick’s Tea Bar, Precision Freeride on the Snow Square that specialises in snowboards, freestyle and back country equipment, and Precision La Daille where the tobacconist shop used to be. All shops offer a week’s overnight storage for €20.

Ski Republic also have three shops in Val d’Isère: in the Portillo building on the main road into Val d’Isère, at the Rond Point des Pistes across the road from Snowberry, and on the Snow Square. Being so big they can’t be as personal as the other, family-run shops we recommend, but there are definitely economies of scale, and it is rare that we hear serious criticisms.

Their USP is really extraordinarily low online prices, though it is impossible for us to quote them: they vary by the day like easyJet flights, and the earlier you book the less you pay – often with up to 60% reductions! You simply have to visit their websites – see links above – and use code VDI_YSE24. The prices they give are shown as a package with skis, so be sure to untick the ski boot icon if you only want to rent skis.

There are various categories of equipment and you can change between different types of skis free of charge during the week, depending on snow conditions. Performance (gold) are this year’s models for powder, carving and freestyle. The Sensation (black) category is often last year’s Performance equipment but also includes a percentage of new equipment and is for advanced skiers. Evolution (red) is an intermediate range, some new, some re-conditioned, and Initiation (beginner) equipment is at least one year old. Precision offers breakage, theft and cancellation insurance for 12€ per week.

General terms and conditions include free cancellation (excluding insurance and booking fee) up to 24 hours before the start of any hire period.

2023-24 PRICES

Adult, 6 days

Skis/Snowboard
Prestige €102.50 (average online price), €190 (in shop)
Performance €92.50 (average online price), €170 (in shop)
Sensation €82.50 (average online price), €150 (in shop)
Evolution €72.50 (average online price), €130 (in shop)
Initiation €57 (average online price), €110 (in shop)

Skis/Snowboard & Boots
Prestige €135 (average online price), €250 (in shop)
Performance €125 (average online price), €230 (in shop)
Sensation €115 (average online price), €210 (in shop)
Evolution €105 (average online price), €190 (in shop)
Initiation €90 (average online price), €170 (in shop)

Helmet €10 (average online price), €20 (in shop)

Junior, 6 days

Skis
Sensation 13-17 years €85 (average online price), €115 (in shop)
Evolution 13-17 years €70 (average online price), €80 (in shop)
Sensation 7-12 years €60 (average online price), €105 (in shop)
Evolution 7-12 years €50 (average online price), €70 (in shop)
Initiation 3-6 years €20 (average online price), €35 (in shop)

Skis & Boots
Sensation 13-17 years €117.50 (average online price), €175 (in shop)
Evolution 13-17 years €102.50 (average online price), €140 (in shop)
Sensation 7-12 years €80 (average online price), €140 (in shop)
Evolution 7-12 years €70 (average online price), €105 (in shop)
Initiation 3-6 years €40 (average online price), €70 (in shop)

Helmet €10 (average online price), €20 (in shop)

BORASO LES EQUINOXES

00 33 479 06 01 37
www.boraso-location-ski.com/tarifs-location-ski-val-disere-chez-boraso-sport

This tiny shop is located 50m from the Funival, and is particularly convenient for guests staying at YSE chalets La Maison du Rocher and Le Vieux Crêt. You can leave your hired kit there overnight, which makes bussing and walking to and from the chalets much easier. The only people this wouldn’t work for is those who have lessons starting in the centre of Val d’Isère. Otherwise picking up skis from Boraso and taking the Funival is the quickest way to start the day for these chalets. Prices shown are advance and walk-in prices – so no need to pre-book – and they include a 15% discount for YSE guests.

2023–24 PRICES

Adult, 6 days

Skis and boots
Eco, €93.5
Blue, €120.70
Red, €140.25
Black, €160.65
Premium, €211.65

Skis only
Eco, €70.55
Blue, €90.95
Red, €105.40
Black, €120.70
Premium, €158.95

Boots only
Performance, €50.15

Snowboard and boots, €140.25
Snowboard only, €105.40

Helmet €25

Junior, 6 days

Skis and boots
0-6 yrs, €52.70
6-12 yrs Blue, €65.45
6-12 yrs Red, €95.20

Skis only
0-6 yrs, €39.95
6-12 yrs Blue, €49.30
6-12 yrs Red, €71.40

Helmet €22

Map of Val d'Isère

© Copyright - YSE Ski LTD 2019