Find ski jobs in France

When people talk about skiing and working in a ski resort, the first place that comes to mind is the Alps. You can travel as far as Japan, New Zealand, Canada, but for the majority of Brits, the European Alps are the most popular destination for those wishing to work a winter season. The area stretches more than a thousand kilometres and encompasses eight different countries. If the Alps are the most popular ski region in the world, the favourite place to find ski jobs is France.

Why does everyone want to work in France?

location, location, location

The magnet that is French skiing is certainly felt by us Brits, with thousands and thousands of us heading out each winter to find jobs that allow us to enjoy the seasonaire lifestyle. Although the popularity of the French resorts guarantees a higher cost of living while you are out there, if you have your wits about you, there will be ways to avoid the obvious tourist traps.

One of the biggest plus points for France is its location. A short flight or long train ride (heck you could even drive there!) means you aren’t too far from home, and as a member of the EU, there are no restrictions for British nationals in terms of work permits and visas. Make sure you have an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) to cover the cost of any medical treatment – don’t assume you will never actually need it, you’d be surprised how many people do themselves damage while working a ski season.

Don’t expect to earn big wages in France – think more about the perks of the job! An amazing working environment that people back home would trade every day of the week. Your employer will likely provide everything you will need in terms of ski or board hire. They probably have an arrangement with the local hire place that will get you boots and skis, though you will need to take your own appropriate winter clothing. Season long lift passes will also be included as a perk for the majority of jobs.

Ski resorts in France

Choosing your working environment

Ski resorts like Alpe d’Huez, Chamonix, and Val d’Isere will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has even the slightest knowledge of skiing. If you are looking for reliable powder and ski conditions, slopes and snow parks that will suit all abilities from complete beginners to advanced skiers, and places with a great night life, France has it all, in spades! As winter sports attract so many tourists it is hardly surprising that numerous ski areas have become established to take their money. There are more than 350 resorts attracting upwards of ten million people a year, contributing billions of Euros to the French economy.

Types of ski resort in France

Occupying a large chunk of the Western Alps, France has every type of resort you can imagine, but is perhaps most famous for linking resorts together to create huge ski areas. Examples include the Paradiski and The Three Valleys.

Mega resorts – attracting the most tourists, they are found at higher altitudes where snowfall will be more predictable and reliable and will allow the tour operators to extend the season at both ends due to early and late snowfalls. In order to attract the maximum number of visitors, each ski area will have plenty of interest for all ski abilities, so plenty of blue as well as black runs. The associated towns will have more hotel beds, and there will be more restaurants and bars. This means more staff to keep the resorts ticking during the season.
Example resort: Tignes. Resort altitude 2000m. Capacity 30,000 beds

Small to medium resorts – tend to be quieter, sometimes more picturesque, and attract more in the way of families and French tourists. Resorts in this category may target beginner to intermediate, or intermediate to expert skiers – certainly worth thinking about if you plan to take a ski job off the beaten track. On the up side as far as we are concerned, a resort of this size is likely to give you a feeling of being in France, rather than on the side of a mountain that could be anywhere in Europe.
Example resort: Le Corbier. Resort altitude 1550m. Capacity 9000 beds

Requirements for ski jobs in France

rules and regulations

- You may be looking after British guest most of the time but you are still living in France, so the ability to speak at least a bit of the language is often a benefit if not a requirement.

- Some jobs will have age restrictions. If your job requires you to drive you will need to be +21 for insurance reasons.

- Make sure you have a UK bank account and that you have a national insurance number. It is cheaper for British companies to pay you this way so most of them insist upon it.

- Although (at the time of writing) we still don't know exactly how Brexit is going to affect your opportunities to work a ski season, we will keep you posted with any new developments. At the moment, ski companies are still recruiting British staff for the up coming 2019/20 European ski season.

Types of ski jobs available in France

As we have already said, French resorts attract as many as ten million people. Chances are, if you wanted to go and find work as a plasterer or a dentist you’d be in with a chance, but the bulk of jobs in France will fall into the following broad categories: