Located in the southern Alps, near the Italian border, Vars is a high altitude ski resort with a good snow record and boasts 300 days of sun per year. Vars is one of the largest ski areas in the southern Alps and shares its terrain with the nearby resort of Risoul 1850, forming part of the Foret Blanche ski circuit.

Vars les Claux is a very compact resort comprised of two small shopping parades with a complete variety of shops, including: sport shops, grocery stores, bakeries, a pharmacy, souvenir shops and a hairdresser.

There are 18,000 beds available in two- and three-star hotels, guesthouses, holiday centres and club-hotels, and you can find excellent cafés and restaurants both on and off the mountain. Après-ski is lively, with a selection of bars, some with live music, and quality nightclubs. Kids can enjoy skating and a games hall, and there is a school for children ages two and up.

Together with nearby Risoul 1850, Vars ski resort has 180kms of pistes that are mainly aimed at intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders, while there are also plenty of beginner and expert slopes, as well as some challenging off-piste powder. Two gondolas, 13 chairlifts and 42 surface lifts provide access to all pistes.

The ski season at Vars ski resort runs from early December to May and the lowest rates are in early December and towards the end of the season. The most convenient means for getting here is to fly to Turin and hire a car or take a train/bus transfer.