Travel to Vallee Bleue with ski insurance from Essential Travel

At Vallee Bleue, there is a great choice of runs to appeal to skiers of all abilities, from beginners to the advanced. Snowboarders are welcome on all pistes, and there is also a snow park.

Opened in 1963, Vallee Bleue is still family-owned, hence the emphasis on family values. Amenities include a boutique and ski rental shop, as well as the excellent ski school which is mainly aimed at children but caters for all ages. There are also childcare facilities.

Vallee Bleue’s four lift systems have an uplift capacity of 5,850 people per hour and feed 17 runs, the longest of which is just over a kilometre. Sixty per cent of the terrain is covered by snow cannons.

Saint Agathe-des-Monts (West) is the nearest town with accommodation and adequate facilities. It has a range of places to stay and a variety of shops and boutiques. There is also the magnificent Lac des Sables, located in the centre of town. For après-ski activities, there are plenty of restaurants and bars.

The ski season at Vallee Bleue runs from mid-November to mid-April. The lifts are open from 09:00 to 16:00 every day, and seniors and children receive discounts. The easiest way to get here is to fly to Montréal-Dorval Airport and take a taxi or bus to the resort.

Skiing in Vallee Bleue

Vallee Bleue has runs to suit skiers and snowboarders of all abilities. There is an excellent ski school especially for children, and lessons are also available for adults. Snowboarders can also enjoy the terrain park.

The resort’s 17 runs are accessible via four lift systems and are divided into 25 per cent for beginners, 55 per cent for intermediates and 20 per cent for advanced and expert snowboarders and skiers. Sixty per cent of the slopes are covered by snow cannons, and the longest run is just over one kilometre.

The nearby town of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts has hundreds of reasonably priced beds in a variety of hotels, condos, and bed-and-breakfasts. It also boasts many sightseeing opportunities and a multitude of winter-based entertainments. For even more variety, it is possible to stay in Montréal itself.

The ski season at Vallee Bleue runs from mid-November to mid-April, with the best snow conditions in February. Cheaper rates for the young and seniors apply throughout the season. Flying to Montréal and catching a taxi is the quickest way to get to Vallee Bleue. A cheaper, but slightly slower alternative, is to catch a bus or shuttle.

Après-ski in Vallee Bleue

Apart from skiing, Vallee Bleue resort offers hiking, fishing, swimming. For the children, there is a playroom and special entertainment. Additionally, the resort boasts a selection of shops and boutiques; while a number of restaurants and bars provide the après-ski.

Nearby, to the north, Mont Tremblant and Mont Blanc boast some huge verticals for the more daring, while the resort of Saint-Saveur-des-Monts is to the south. If you want a break from the snow, there are plenty of activities and sightseeing in the 100-year-old town of Saint-Saveur; while for a bit more activity, the vibrant metropolis of Montréal is only a short drive away.

Transportation in Vallee Bleue

Vallee Bleue is situated in the Laurentian Mountains and is only directly accessible by road. Fortunately, it is only 100kms northwest of Montréal. The easiest way to get here is to fly to Montréal-Dorval Airport and catch a shuttle bus or taxi. Montréal is well served by road and rail, and is easy to get to from other Canadian and US cities.

If you are driving from Toronto, take autoroute 401 to Montréal. From New York, take I-87 and autoroute 15 to Montréal, from where routes 115 or 117 lead to the resort. From Ottawa, take routes 50, 317, 321, 323 to Saint-Jovite, and then route 117 to Vallee Bleue (190kms; three hours).

Via Canada runs regular train services throughout the day and some night trains to Montréal from various Canadian cities. There is also one Amtrak train a day from Washington, DC and New York, which makes frequent stops.

Dorval International Airport in Montréal is well served by flights from Canada, the US and the UK. The quickest and easiest option is to take a taxi/limousine to Vallee Bleue (it is possible to share these taxis). A cheaper but slower option would be to catch a bus or shuttle. Alternatively, you could hire a car and head out of Montréal on autoroute 15, take the exit at junction 76 on to route 117, and follow the signs to Vallee Bleue.

Greyhound buses run from Boston, New York and Toronto to Montréal. Voyageur buses run to Saint-Agathe near Vallee Bleue, and from all over Quebec to Montréal.

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