Ski Areas in the French Alps

The French Alps offer some of the best skiing in the world.

The French Alps ski domains cover thousands of miles and offer a huge selection if ski runs for all levels from beginners to advanced. Some ski resorts specialize in snowboarding and off piste skiing.

Ski areas in the Haute Savoie department

§   Les Portes du Soleil

Altitude: 1 000m to 2 350m

Skiable area: 650kms of runs (407 miles)

Located to the north of Samoens.

Main resorts: Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz, Samoens

1hr from Geneva

§   Le Grand Massif

Altitude: 680m to 2 480m

Skiable area: 265kms of runs (166 miles)

Located south of Samoens

Main resorts: Samoens, Sixt Fer a Cheval, Les Carroz d’Araches, Morillon, Flaine.

§   Le Domaine de la Vallee de Chamonix

High altitude ski domain

Altitude: 1 030m to 3 860m

Skiable area: Ski Pass Mont Blanc (700kms/437 miles). Chamonix resort (140kms/88miles)

High altitude ski Domain.

Cable car run to the Aiguille du Midi (3 800m).

In the summer the Vallee Blanche descent offers 24kms of skiing in stunning scenery.

The Chamonix Valley ski domain includes the ski resorts of Le Brevent and Les Houches. Les Houches consists of several small ski domains.

§   Le Domaine du Grand Bornand-Chinaillon

Altitude: 1 300m to 2 100m

Skiable area: 90 kms of runs (57 miles)

Located between Chamonix and Annecy.

Closest ski domain to Annecy. One could be skiing in Le Grand Bornand in the morning and water skiing on Lake Annecy in the afternoon. 

§   Espace Diamant

Altitude: 1 650m to 1 940m

Skiable area: 185kms of runs (116 miles)

The Espace Diamant ski domain includes the ski resorts of Crest Voland-Cohennoz, Les Saisies, Bisanne 1 500.

The Domain offers gentle nursery slopes in picturesque scenery of forests and pastures as well as extensive alpines slopes for all standards.Les Saisies is located in a stunning area and much preserved area of woodlands and alpine pastures sometimes referred to as the French Tyrol. Crest Voland is a traditional Savoyard village 20mns from Megeve.

Ski areas in the Savoie department

§   The Tarentaise Valley ski domain

The Tarentaise Valley includes the largest and most famous ski areas in the world: The Three Valleys, The Espace Kelly and Paradiski.

Overall skiable area: over 1 325kms of runs (828 miles)

Altitude: 1 250m to 3 450m

§   Espace Killy

Altitude: 2 000m to 3 500m

Skiable area: 300kms of runs (188 miles)

Espace Kelly includes the resorts of Tignes and Val d’Isere, a legendary skiing area for confirmed skiers, children and beginners.

A renowned international resort and one of the world’s top skiing and snowboarding destination “chic”  Val d’Isere is a proper town with a bustling and lively atmosphere, elegant shops and boutiques and a wide variety of restaurants.

More down to earth the skiing and snowboarding resort of Tignes is a truly superb playground for all snow sports enthusiasts. The Tignes glacier “La Grande Motte” is France’s highest skiable glacier and provides year round skiing and snowboarding at high altitude. A real French resort Tignes and its surrounding hamlets offer a good selection of shops and restaurants and outdoor activities.

Flybe low cost flights to Chambery airport provide easy acess to Val d’Isere and Tignes.

§   Paradiski

The large ski domain of Paradiski includes the established ski resorts of La Plagne and Les Arcs now conveniently linked by the Vanoise Express cable car.

Skiable area: 425kms of runs (266 miles)

Bordered by the stunning Vanoise National Park and in superb mountain landscape the purpose built modern resorts of La Plagne and Les Arcs both offer top of the range skiing facilities for skiers of all level including beginners.

§   Les Trois Vallees – The Three Valleys

The largest fully lift-linked ski area in the world The Three Valleys ski domain includes the much sought after ski resorts of Courchevel, Meribel, Les Menuires and Val Thorens.

Altitude: 1 100m to 3 230m

Skiable area: 600kms of runs (375 miles)

With breathtaking scenery and superb skiing The Three Valleys offer an unmatched range of ski facilities for beginners, intermediate and confirmed skiers alike.

§   The Milky Way

In the Southern Alps and near the Italian border, the Franco-Italian Milky Way ski domain offers high altitude snow sure slopes which extend into Italy.

Altitude: 1 250m to 2 850m

Skiable area: 400 kms of runs (250 miles)

The resorts of Montgenevre and Serre-Chevalier are the only French resorts on the Domain and are easily accessible through Turin airport (1.15hrs), the TGV station in Oulx (20mns) and Marseille airport (1.15hrs).