What should you know about healthcare and emergencies in Val Thorens?
Emergency number
112
Police: 17. Ambulance: 15.
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: valthorens.com, sno.co.uk
Scope: named hospitals/ER-trauma facilities. Val Thorens itself has no full hospital — only an on-site medical clinic; nearest true hospitals with 24/7 ER are down the valley.
Good to know
Good to Know
- If you only remember one number in Val Thorens (or anywhere in France), make it 112 — it works even on a locked phone or one with no SIM/credit, and operators can switch to English.
- Because Val Thorens is a high-altitude resort, mobile signal can be patchy off-piste; if a voice call won't connect, try an SMS to 114 as a fallback, or head to open, elevated ground to find signal.
- On the ski slopes, your first port of call for an accident is the resort's own ski patrol (pisteurs-secouristes) via the number printed on the piste map — not 112 — since they're the ones actually stationed on the mountain.
- There is currently no active official French government emergency-alert smartphone app (the earlier SAIP app was discontinued in 2018) — rely on the phone numbers above rather than expecting a push-notification app.
- There is no full hospital physically inside Val Thorens — the in-resort 'Centre Médical de Val Thorens' is a well-equipped traumatology/general-medicine clinic with x-ray that handles the vast majority of ski injuries, but anything serious gets transferred out by ambulance or helicopter.
- For any life-threatening emergency, call 15 (SAMU/medical emergency) or 112 (general EU emergency number) rather than trying to drive to a hospital — dispatch will coordinate mountain rescue, ground ambulance, or helicopter transfer as needed.
- If you're injured on the slopes, ski patrol (pisteurs) typically bring you directly to the on-site medical clinic first; onward transfer to Moûtiers/Albertville or Chambéry only happens for more serious cases.
- Because the real hospitals are 35km+ away down a mountain valley road, weather and traffic can meaningfully affect transfer times — factor this into how seriously you take minor injuries or altitude symptoms.
Official Safety Apps
112 Où Es-tu / Geolocation Via 112 Call
- Status
- No dedicated general-purpose government safety/alert smartphone app is currently active nationwide.
- Details
- France's earlier public terror-alert app, SAIP (Système d'Alerte et d'Information des Populations), launched in 2016, was shut down by the Interior Ministry in June 2018 after it was found to be crippled by false alarms and failed to warn the population during real attacks. The government now relies on alerts pushed via social media (X/Twitter, Facebook, Google) and public transport/TV systems rather than a standalone app.
114 (SMS/relay App)
- Status
- fully legal and regulated government service
- Details
- An app-based videophone/relay channel for the deaf and hard-of-hearing to reach 15, 17, 18 or 112 in writing or via sign-language video relay, available 24/7.
SOS Autoroute
- Status
- Official Ministry of Interior app, but motorway-specific
- Details
- A free app from the French Ministry of Interior that connects users directly to the motorway gendarmerie with automatic GPS location, useful for breakdowns or accidents on France's autoroutes. Not relevant to mountain/resort emergencies in Val Thorens itself since it only covers motorway travel to/from the resort.
3117 / 31177
- Status
- Official transport-safety line and companion app
- Details
- For reporting assault or harassment on public transport, reachable by phone (3117) or SMS (31177) 24/7, with a companion app to help pinpoint location — most relevant for the train/bus journey to Val Thorens rather than within the resort.
National Dedicated Numbers
SAMU (Medical Emergencies / Ambulance)
- Number
- 15
- Notes
- Reaches SAMU for medical emergencies and ambulances. Free and available 24/7 from any phone in France.
Police / Gendarmerie
- Number
- 17
- Notes
- Reaches the police or gendarmerie for crimes, assaults, and road incidents with disputes. In rural areas like Val Thorens, calls are typically handled by the Gendarmerie Nationale rather than Police Nationale.
Fire Brigade (Sapeurs-Pompiers)
- Number
- 18
- Notes
- For fires, gas leaks, road accidents, and persons trapped. In rural/mountain areas the pompiers often arrive faster than SAMU and are equally trained for medical first response.
Deaf / Hard-of-hearing Relay
- Number
- 114
- Notes
- Reach 15, 17, 18 or 112 by SMS, fax, real-time text or video relay. Also usable as a backup way to alert services by text if voice-call network signal is too weak for a call, such as on the mountain.
Hospitals
Centre Médical De Val Thorens (Medical Clinic)
- Phone
- Bookable via Doctolib; contact via valthorens.com resort health services page
- Hours
- Staffed daily during winter and summer operating seasons; official Val Thorens resort materials describe it as providing round-the-clock coverage for night-time valley emergencies during winter season, though the clinic's own booking widget shows variable daily opening/closing times (closed overnight, reopening in the evening on some days) — treat exact daily hours as seasonal and call ahead.
- Address
- Rue du Slalom, Quartier Slalom, 73440 Val Thorens, France
- Capability
- General medicine, traumatology and sports medicine practice with on-site x-ray; handles the large majority of ski/snowboard injuries (fractures, dislocations, lacerations) directly on the mountain.
- Trauma Level
- Not a designated trauma-center — it is a ski-resort medical practice. Serious/critical cases (e.g., major trauma, suspected internal injury) are stabilized here then transferred by ambulance or SMUR helicopter to a full hospital (commonly Chambéry or the Moûtiers/Albertville hospital).
- Facility Type
- On-site medical center / trauma clinic — NOT a full hospital (no inpatient ER department, no ICU)
- Location Note
- In-town, Péclet/Slalom area — within the resort itself
04 79 09 61 66 / 04 79 09 60 60
- Name
- Centre Hospitalier Albertville-Moûtiers (CHAM) — Moûtiers site / Centre d'Accueil Médical
- Hours
- Centre d'Accueil Médical open 8:00–20:00; walk-ins accepted without appointment for non-scheduled care and minor trauma (sutures, casting).
- Address
- 43 Rue de l'école des mines, 73600 Moûtiers, France
- Capability
- Imaging (scanner access), lab work, specialist consultations; can stabilize and redirect patients into the appropriate care pathway.
- Trauma Level
- Not a full 24/7 trauma ER — outside 8:00–20:00 hours, emergencies route to the Albertville site or Chambéry.
- Facility Type
- Public hospital site — unscheduled-care/walk-in medical center (not a full 24/7 ER)
- Distance From Val Thorens
- Roughly 35–40 km down the valley (for reference, the nearest veterinary clinic in the same town is cited as 38 km from Val Thorens) — well beyond a 10-minute drive, typically 45–60+ minutes depending on road/weather conditions.
Centre Hospitalier Albertville-Moûtiers (CHAM) — Albertville Site
- Phone
- See CHAM official site (cham-savoie.fr) for department-specific numbers
- Hours
- Emergency department operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Address
- Albertville, Savoie, France (CHAM's Albertville site)
- Capability
- CHAM is described as Savoie's second-largest public hospital, with a particular strength in sports medicine and traumatology given its location below major ski resorts, plus surgery, obstetrics, imaging, and an on-call mountain-rescue-trained emergency medicine team.
- Trauma Level
- Regional trauma/emergency referral hospital for the Tarentaise valley; runs ground SMUR mobile emergency units and, during peak tourist season, a helicopter SMUR for mountain rescue.
- Facility Type
- Full public hospital with 24/7 Emergency Department
- Distance From Val Thorens
- Further down the valley than Moûtiers — over an hour's drive from Val Thorens in typical conditions.
Centre Hospitalier Métropole Savoie (Chambéry)
- Phone
- Dial 15 (SAMU) or 112 for emergency dispatch, which coordinates transfer
- Hours
- 24/7 emergency department (adult and pediatric)
- Address
- Chambéry, Savoie, France
- Capability
- Higher-acuity trauma, surgery, and specialist care beyond what CHAM or the on-resort clinic can provide.
- Trauma Level
- Effectively the major-trauma referral point for severe Val Thorens ski accidents requiring helicopter evacuation.
- Facility Type
- Major regional hospital — referral center for serious/critical trauma from the Tarentaise valley
- Distance From Val Thorens
- Approximately 1.5–2 hours by road; used as a helicopter-transfer destination for critical cases directly from resort medical centers, bypassing local hospitals.
Universal EU Number
- Number
- 112
- Details
- The pan-European emergency number 112 connects callers to police, fire, or ambulance services from anywhere in the country at no charge. Operators are trained to take the call in English or French and will switch language or fetch a colleague if needed. It works from any phone, including a locked phone or one without a SIM/credit, and is the recommended number for foreign visitors who are unsure which service to call.
Callback Number Notice
Since October 2024, if a French emergency dispatch centre calls you back (e.g. to clarify your location), the call will display as 0 800 112 112 — this is the genuine official callback number, not spam or a scam.
How To Call From Abroad
The short numbers 15, 17, 18, 112 and 114 only work on a French network and are not reachable from a foreign mobile network or a phone line outside France.
Mountain And Ski Specific
- Note On Direct Numbers
- Direct PGHM lines exist but French authorities recommend dialling 112 rather than a direct number, since 112 geolocates the call and routes it automatically.
- On Slope Ski Patrol
- On the marked ski runs (domaine skiable), rescue is handled first by the resort's own pisteurs-secouristes (ski patrol), not the public emergency services. The direct phone number for Val Thorens' piste rescue service is posted on the trail maps (plans des pistes) at lift departure points and should be noted on arrival; alternatively call 112 or 15 if that number can't be found, or alert a lift-station agent who will relay the call.
- Off Piste And Backcountry Rescue
- Beyond the marked ski area (off-piste, mountaineering, hiking), mountain rescue falls to the PGHM (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne). For Val Thorens, which sits in the Tarentaise valley of Savoie, the relevant unit is PGHM Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Official guidance is to always call 112 first rather than a direct PGHM line, since 112 automatically geolocates the caller and dispatches the correct département's rescue service.
Healthcare
- Hospital Access
- Nearest full hospital in Moûtiers with emergency/maternity services, referral basis
- Payment Note
- Upfront payment required unless you hold French Carte Vitale; GHIC/EHIC holders pay ~20% patient contribution after claim; private healthcare non-refundable
Primary Facility
- Name
- Centre Médical de Val Thorens
- Address
- 51 Rue du Slalom, Quartier Slalom, Val Thorens
- Emergency Contact
- Call 15 outside regular hours; on-call doctor available via 3624
- Appointment System
- Doctolib
- Opening Hours Weekday
- 10:00–12:30, 15:00–19:00
- English Speaking Staff
- Yes
- Opening Hours Saturday
- 10:00–12:30
Services
- General medicine
- Traumatology
- Sports medicine
- X-ray imaging
- Dental practice
- Osteopathy
- Physiotherapy
Pharmacies
- Note
- Staff trained for minor medical advice; outside opening hours call 15
Primary
- Phone
- +33 479 00 02 72
- Name
- Pharmacy Les 3 Vallées
- Location
- Galerie Péclet (upper shopping centre)
- Services
- Full range including cold remedies, pain medication, over-the-counter products
- Winter Opening Hours
- 08:30–19:30 daily
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this emergencies research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Val Thorens
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.