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The skiing area Les Portes du Soleil in France and Switzerland is one of the largest skiing areas in the world. Here you will find simple green and blue pistes for beginners and children. For advanced skiers there is plenty to do on the red and black pistes. And there are also great off-piste opportunities and the area lends itself perfectly to long trips.
In Les Portes du Soleil there are several charming and atmospheric villages. Especially Morzine and Les Gets are known in the ski area for their cosy après-ski. Portes du Soleil is easily accessible by car, train and plane. Les Portes du Soleil is not very high, but the snow conditions are generally fine during the winter sports season. The advantage of this low location is that it is never very cold and bleak on the slopes. And you can ski beautifully between the trees.
Impression of the skiing area Les Portes du Soleil
The Portes du Soleil ski area is a huge ski area with no less than 580 kilometres of pistes. The area is located partly in France and partly in Switzerland. In Europe, only the skiing area Les Trois Vallées is slightly larger with 600 kilometres of pistes. Les Trois Vallées is even the largest ski area in the world. That says a lot about the size of Portes du Soleil.
Les Portes du Soleil is aimed at skiers of all ages and levels. The ski area is very child friendly and suitable for beginners and advanced skiers. Children up to 5 years old do not pay anything for a ski pass and seniors get a discount. In low season reduced ski pass prices apply. The network of lifts has been expanded and modernised in recent years. To be able to explore the entire ski area, buy a Portes du Soleil ski pass. This ski pass gives you access to all the villages in the ski area, including Châtel, Morzine, Avoriaz and Les Gets.
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Special features of the Portes du Soleil ski area |
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| Highest point | 2254 metres |
| Lowest point | 900 meters |
| Total kilometres of pistes | 580 |
| Green slopes | 37 kilometers |
| Blue slopes | 123 kilometres |
| Red slopes | 350 kilometers |
| Black slopes | 70 kilometers |
| Villages | France:
Châtel, Avoriaz, Morzine, Les Gets, Abondance, Saint Jean d'Aulps, La Chapelle d'Abondance, Montriond Switzerland: Morgins, Champoussin, Les Crosets, Champéry, Torgon |
| Snow security | Moderate |
| Après-ski possibilities | Very good |
| Child-Friendliness | Good |
| Oportunities for beginners | Very good |
| advanced options | Good |
| Post ski pass (6 days) in 2020 | € 285 |
| Ski lesson costs (4 days x 4 hours) | € 150 - € 200 |
| Cost lunch on the slopes | € 5 - € 25 |
| Best travel period | January-February |
| Travel time from Geneva Airport | 1 hour |
| Distance to Utrecht | Only 1000 kilometers |
| Pistecards | Pistecards |
In the ski resort Portes du Soleil you will find several authentic villages. The only exception is the modern concrete village Avoriaz. Overnight stays in Les Portes du Soleil are excellent in a beautiful chalet or apartment. There are also a number of hotels and guesthouses. The villages have nice restaurants and shops. Châtel is centrally located in the ski area. From here you can ski in both Switzerland and France. Châtel is with two modern lifts directly connected to the ski area at Linga. It is a quiet and cozy farming village with traditional chalets.
Morzine is also a charming authentic village with a cosy village square. Here you'll find various shops, restaurants and cosy après-ski places. The village is situated on the main road, but that doesn't bother you in the centre. As you can see on the map of Portes du Soleil, Morzine is quite centrally located in the ski area at an altitude of 1000 meters. The lifts are usually within walking distance. You can spend the night in one of Morzine's many traditional or modern chalets.
Les Gets is a beautiful mountain village on the edge of the ski area. This makes the village quite quiet and very family friendly. Also on the slopes at Les Gets is often less crowded than in other parts of the ski area. In the village of Les Gets you will find many authentic wooden chalets. And also the new buildings with apartments in Les Gets are very tasteful and built in traditional style. In the village there is a ski museum and an authentic cheese factory. Nice to visit if you want to spend a day or afternoon other than standing on the slats.
Avoriaz is the only concrete village in the skiing region Les Portes du Soleil and is situated at an altitude of 1800 meters. Its location on the border of Switzerland is ideal. Here you can easily go in all directions and the snow conditions are high. What's more, during winter sports you can step from any apartment in Avoriaz onto the slopes of the skiing region Les Portes du Soleil. Ski in, ski out. Authentic it is not, but very practical.
Avoriaz consists of a number of separate neighborhoods with apartment buildings. In the elevated district ´Centre´ you will find cozy cafes and terraces. The district "La Falaise" at the large parking lot is a lot quieter. A little lower and closer to the mountain station of a large elevator are the districts Ruches, Les Dromonts and Hauts-Forts.
Other villages in the ski area are Morgins, Champoussin, Les Crosets, Champéry, Torgon, Abondance, Saint Jean d'Aulps, La Chapelle d'Abondance and Montriond. Each village has its own characteristics. In the table below, the characteristics of each village are listed.
| Village | Height (m) | Dal | Lift | Snow | Price | Authentic village | Après-ski | Children | Achievable |
| Châtel | 1200 | + | + | +/- | + | + | + | + | + |
| Avoriaz | 1800 | + | + | ++ | +/- | - | + | +/- | + |
| Morzine | 1000 | + | + | +/- | +/- | + | ++ | ++ | +/- |
| Les Gets | 1172 | + | + | +/- | +/- | + | ++ | ++ | + |
| Morgins, | 1333 | + | + | +/- | +/- | + | - | + | +/- |
| Champoussin | 1580 | + | + | + | +/- | + | +/- | + | +/- |
| Les Crosets | 1660 | + | + | + | - | + | - | - | +/- |
| Champéry | 1050 | - | + | +/- | +/- | + | +/- | - | +/- |
| Torgon | 1100 | + | + | +/- | +/- | - | - | +/- | + |
| Abondance | 930 | + | + | +/- | + | + | - | + | +/- |
| Saint Jean d'Aulps | 800 | + | + | +/- | + | +/- | - | +/- | + |
| La Chapelle d'Abondance | 1020 | + | + | +/- | + | + | - | + | +/- |
| Montriond | 900 | - | - | +/- | + | + | - | - | + |
Portes du Soleil is a large and wide ski area on the border of France and Switzerland. It is perfect if you like skiing between the trees. Very cold and bleak it is nowhere in the ski area. From the highest peaks you can enjoy beautiful views. So you look from the Hauts Forts (2466 m) beautiful Mont Blanc. For beginners the skiing area Les Portes du Soleil is very suitable. Think of many green and blue slopes, but also beautiful and simple red slopes. The slopes at Châtel are highly recommended. Wonderfully quiet, easy and the snow quality is good. And views of Lake Geneva is a pleasant bonus.
If you make some progress on skis or snowboard you can already make beautiful trips in the area. For advanced skiers there is also plenty to do in Portes du Soleil. Think of long trips, steep slopes, tightly groomed carving slopes and various off-piste possibilities. The famous Mûr Suisse is definitely a must. This is one of the steepest slopes of the Alps and consists of large icy buckles on a steep slope. Do you dare? La Coupe du Monde above Avoriaz is also a tip!
Dare you descend the Mûr Suisse?
Touring is therefore excellent in this ski area. However, you sometimes come across flat connecting roads. If you don't make enough speed you will quickly come to a standstill here. Thump on your skis and walk with your snowboard is the result. If you know the flat stretches to lie, you can easily plan your trip around it. Or just make good speed. The off-piste possibilities are great in Portes du Soleil. Discover the snow on a high slope or take a nice path between the trees. However, it is good to know the road a bit. A good guide or ski instructor can help you. The most beautiful freeride routes are in fact a little hidden.
In several villages you will find floodlit slopes where you can go night skiing. In addition to skiing and snowboarding, the ski area is also ideal for winter hiking, cross-country skiing, ice skating and tobogganing. Anything else? Visit the special tropical swimming paradise Aquariaz in Avoriaz.
Portes du Soleil is a child-friendly ski area. There are several simple practice slopes, children's countries, ski schools and other facilities for children. The only thing that is sometimes lacking are Dutch-speaking ski instructors. Châtel is a very child friendly family village in the ski area with beautiful children's slopes, activities for children and a ski school completely focused on children. The village also has a car-free main street.
Avoriaz is a bit more massive than the other villages. You will find several easy slopes between the apartments. Because of the high altitude it can be cold in winter. Other child friendly villages are
Ouder children can quite well go out on their own in the ski area. The area is well-organized and with little experience you can make long trips on easy pistes.
The skiing area Les Portes du Soleil is quite low by French standards. Moreover, its western location is not ideal. The snow conditions are therefore poor. Advantage is that the temperatures on the slopes are a bit higher. It is rarely unpleasantly cold or bleak. If necessary, snow cannons are used. During the high season from mid-December to mid-March you can always ski. The snow security and snow quality is optimal in January and February.
The village of Avoriaz is situated at a considerable altitude of 1800 meters. Around this village you will find the most snow-sure slopes. The villages that are lower, such as Morzine at an altitude of 1000 meters, Châtel at an altitude of 1200 meters and les Gets at 1172 meters, are less snow sure.
The Portes du Soleil ski resort is a good choice if you like après-ski. In the afternoons and evenings you can enjoy the conviviality. Both at the bottom of the slopes and in different villages. The evenings with night descents are highly recommended! Especially Les Gets and Morzine are known for their excellent après-ski possibilities. In Morzine you have the Tibetan Café for the real après-ski lovers. For festive après-ski in Les Gets you have to go to L'Après-ski or L'Igloo be.
Yeti bar in Avoriaz is a tip on the slopes. In the village you can visit Shooters, La Cabane and the discotheque Le Yak in the evening. In Châtel the cozy Chez Crepy is a great option. Or make a later trip to Le Sloopy's or Pub L'Avelance. In the other villages there is little to do in terms of après-ski.
In the Le Yak discotheque in Avoriaz you can have an excellent party
Are you going on winter sports for the first time or haven't quite mastered the technique of skiing or snowboarding yet? Then arrange ski or snowboard lessons at one of the ski schools in Les Portes du Soleil. Skischool ESF in Morzine for example or skischool Les Gets. You have a choice of group lessons or private lessons. Group lessons are cheaper, but private lessons are more effective. And of course you can also hire a private instructor with friends or family members. This way a private lesson is suddenly a lot friendlier in terms of price.
Calculate for a group lesson at an amount between € 150 and € 200 per person. This at a time of 4 days of 4 hours. The prices for children and adults are similar. For a private lesson you can count on about € 250 for 4 hours.
In the ski resort Les Portes du Soleil you will find all kinds of cozy restaurants. From nice authentic huts to modern restaurants. From good extensive food to a quick bite. The costs vary per restaurant and per dish. The French side of the ski area is cheaper than the Swiss side. Count on an amount between 5 and 25 euros for a normal lunch. The specialties are fish from Lake Geneva, the local cheeses and meat. Of course you can also order the famous dishes from most restaurants such as wienerschnitzel, apfelstrudel, croque-monsieur, a salad or gröstl.
Be aware that you will not find extensive restaurants with fries, wienerschitzels and other typical Austrian dishes.
Avoiraz is located in the middle of the mountains.
Compared to other winter sports areas in France, Les Portes du Soleil is relatively cheap. This applies to both the ski pass and the accommodations. You pay a good price for a large ski area and good accommodations. In the Portes du Soleil ski area, a chalet and apartment are among the most common accommodations. There are also a number of fine hotels and guesthouses.
In Châtel, Les Gets and Morzine you will find several chalets and apartments for excellent prices. Christmas is the most expensive period. It is very atmospheric in these authentic villages. Prices in most restaurants and shops are normal. An apartment in Avoriaz is quite cheap. This is mainly because travel agencies often offer cheap package holidays to this village. The food and drinks and the shops, on the other hand, are a bit more expensive than in the other villages. The cheapest villages in the ski area are:
The Swiss Les Crosets is the most expensive. During the holidays and weekends it can be busy in the ski area. Sometimes you have to join the queues at the lifts and connecting paths are busy. Due to the size of the ski area it is easy to look for quiet slopes.
The accessibility of the ski resort Portes du Soleil is excellent. From the Netherlands you drive mostly on highways and easily passable mountain roads. Avoriaz is the highest on the mountain. The climb over the mountain road is a bit longer and more difficult than the route to the other villages. Note that it can be busy on changeover days. Due to the low altitude of the ski area, snowfall is almost never a problem. Winter tires are sensible, but snow chains are rarely needed. Make sure you have snow chains in the car, because you never know. Especially if you spend the night in an apartment in Avoriaz, you can be surprised by a lot of snow.
Portes du Soleil is also easily accessible by plane. It is best to fly to the airport of Geneva. For most accommodations in the ski area you can assume a travel time of one hour from the airport. You can also travel to Geneva by train. Through various organizations it is also possible to book a bus trip to Portes du Soleil.
In Les Portes du Soleil there is plenty to do for the whole family. The ski area is very child friendly and suitable for both beginners and advanced skiers. Make long trips, enjoy the beautiful views and paths between the snowy treetops. Good food, cozy après-ski and good accommodations. Winter sports in the huge and varied ski area of Les Portes Soleil are highly recommended!
