Shopping in Val Thorens

Wonderful local produce can be found in several specialist food stores as well as in the supermarkets – don’t leave without sampling the excellent local charcuterie and cheeses.

For souvenirs and gifts there are plenty of gift shops and Tabacs where you can pick up some knick-knacks such as magnets, mugs, tea towels and ornaments to remember your trip.

If you're after some perfume and beauty goods you can head to the pharmacies - there's nothing quite like the French pharmacy beauty brands, they are known for their high quality with a whole host of great brands that are unavailable in the UK.

As you would expect from an outdoor sports Mecca, there are plenty sports stores where you can get your hands on some of the top mountaineering brands such as The North Face, Black Diamond, Salomon and Burton to name a few.

If you're planning on shopping during the sales to pick up a discounted Gore-Tex jacket or designer handbag, you need to plan your visit to a very specific time of year. Unlike the UK when it appears that shops have almost permanent sales on, sale or “solde” time in France is strictly regulated by department and shop owners are not allowed to discount their products at any other time. End of the line (“Fin de serie”) and “Promo” is acceptable but the real bargains are to be found at the specifically designated sale times, when you can get your hands on all the big brands for 40-70% less than the normal retail price.

Opening hours vary to the UK with many shops and all service providers (banks, post office etc) closing for lunch.

You'll also find the banks are closed on Mondays, although they are open for business on Saturday morning to compensate. Most of the shops open between 09:00-10:00 and then close from 12.30 until 14:00 or 15:00 for lunch, re-opening again until 19:00 or 19:30, which allows you to browse the shops of an evening or on your way to dinner.