Chamonix Ski Resorts France
Legendary Chamonix in France should be on any ski or snowboard bucket list. Chamonix has an allure for the hard core & adventurous, with world renowned off-piste skiing and freeriding. Some of the lines are so challenging that one may need to wear a nappy (or diaper, incontinence pad) to avoid embarrassment!
The area is dominated by the highest mountain in Western Europe, 4,810m Mont Blanc. It serves as a playground for extreme sports enthusiasts and the ooh aah brigade. Between ice climbing, paragliding and extreme skiing, it’s not surprising that Chamonix has been described as the "the death-sport capital of the world"! One must only view the engineering for the amazing Aiguille du Midi cable cars in order to comprehend that parts of Chamonix are on the edge.
If you’re not an expert ski mountaineer, Chamonix also has a 'softer' side for those who just want a relaxed European ski holiday. The 11 Chamonix ski areas have more than 170km of piste on which to cruise, including several excellent learn-to-ski areas. The 4 main ski resorts are Grands Montets, Balme-Tour-Vallorcine, Brevent-Flegere & Les Houches. There are plenty of restaurants & bars to enjoy the famous food & wine at each resort.
Pros & Cons for Chamonix Ski Resorts
Pros
- Glorious location & surrounding mountains.
- Good range of piste trails for all abilities on all aspects.
- Superb off-piste & freeride terrain including glaciers & tree skiing.
- Generally, quite good value (for a large French ski area!).
- Excellent après ski & restaurants in a wonderfully vibrant town.
- Swift access by road, bus or train from the airport at Geneva.
Cons
- Ski areas are not lift interconnected.
- Limited ski-in ski-out accommodation.
- Powder days have got alot of 'local' competition for fresh lines.
- Transport between the different ski areas can be extremely busy during peak times.
- Lift infrastructure is getting quite dated in some sectors.
- Lift pass options are needlessly complex.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Chamonix & all the surrounding villages are lively, real towns not just resorts.
- World’s most extreme ski lift & terrain.
- Valley elevation is quite low & often has no snow.
- Ski areas spread across a wide area (but are connected by train & free bus).
- Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective Pass are now valid in the region, which could be good for some ......... & potentially bad for everyone else!
Skiing & Snowboard, Lift & Terrain
The Chamonix area offers a sensational amount of skiing & snowboarding terrain, both on & off-piste. Chamonix has a network of more than 60 lifts, but they are not all interconnected. Ninety percent of the skiing area is above 1,900m elevation and a long season is the norm, with some lifts opening in mid November and closing in early May. In good snow years, the season can be extended for adventure seekers off the piste with the Aiguille du Midi open all the way into summer.
Whatever sort of skiing you want & whatever your ability, you will find a suitable ski area in Chamonix. In the Chamonix Valley there are 4 main ski resorts, 6 small local ski hills, the Aiguille du Midi and other resorts nearby in Italy & Switzerland. Check out the Chamonix Ski Resorts Map below.
Of the 4 main resort areas, world class skiing can be found at Grands Montets, 8km up the valley near the village of Argentière. The ski resort features a huge vertical & exceptional snow quality. It’s primarily an advanced mountain with an abundance of steep off-piste terrain. Note that a fire in Sep 2018 destroyed the cable cars & neither will run for the foreseeable future, with replacements now due for the 2026/7 season. Lift access is subsequently non-existent to some of the best freeride terrain in the resort. Those willing to skin up to ride down will reap the benefits. Remember that skinners are grinners!
Sunshine abounds on the southeast facing slopes of the impressive Brevent-Flegere ski resort, the closest to Chamonix. With piste trails for all ability levels, a diverse off-piste, it’s an idyllic place to both ski/snowboard and gently acquire a tan while soaking in the stupendous views across the valley to Mont Blanc. Don’t be tempted to do the valley trails unless the valley has deep snow, or you are on crappy hire skis/board.
At Balme Tour Vallorcine ski resort you will find the most mellow of the Chamonix resorts above the villages of Le Tour (3 km further up valley from Argentiere) & Vallorcine (on the opposite side near the Swiss border). With no real advanced trails, it is best suited to beginner & intermediate skiers on the piste, whilst it has some tasty freeride powder offerings on the shaded north side under the chairlift (including tree runs) & either side of the excellent valley trail into Le Tour.
Tree lined slopes can be found at Les Houches ski resort, the lowest elevation of the main Chamonix ski areas. Located 8km down valley, it is a great spot for sheltered tree skiing or during a blizzard.
For beginners & children there are 6 small learn-to-ski areas in the Chamonix valley that offer exclusive slopes for novices. One of the best is La Vormaine at the base of Balme near the lovely village of Le Tour. The area has glaciers hanging over the high ridges, adding to the experience.
The Vallée Blanche is the most famous (& crowded) 18-22km long off-piste run in the world. It is accessed by a spectacular cable car up to the Aiguille du Midi (3,842 m), which when constructed in 1955 was the highest cable car in the world. In addition to wonderful views & incredible feats of engineering at the Aiguille du Midi, it also provides access to a host of other ski routes, many of them serious enough that a fall will result in death. An easier access route for the Valle Blanche is via Punta Helbronner in Italy.
Lift Passes
Getting your head around the different types of ski passes for the Chamonix can be a complex task. See the various lift pass areas on the Chamonix ski resorts map. For the cheapest Chamonix Le Pass rates, pre-purchase online. International visitors may be pleased to know the 'Ikon Pass' and 'Mountain Collective Pass' are both valid in the valley, but with conditions/limitations.
For more information on lift passes, ski lifts, terrain and trail maps, see our Skiing & Snowboarding Chamonix page.
Where is Chamonix, France?
The town of Chamonix and the Chamonix Valley are in south-eastern France in the French Alps. Lying at the foot of Mont Blanc, Chamonix is remarkably close to the borders of Italy and Switzerland. Gateway airports are Geneva (GVA) & Lyon St Exupéry (LYS). It is possible to access the Chamonix valley via Italy & the expensive Mont Blanc Tunnel from Milan Malpensa (MXP) airport if one has a rental car or happy to pay for a private transfer.
The airport at Geneva is about 1¼hr (105km) by road. There are various options for airport transfers from Geneva airport to Chamonix including the train, bus or private transfer. Buses provide the cheapest and most efficient journeys between Geneva or Lyon airports to Chamonix & are the recommended mode of transport. Useful train stations exist at Les Houches, Chamonix, Argentiere & Vallorcine.
Search & book bus tickets to Chamonix.
The Mont Blanc Express train runs between Saint Gervais les Bains & Martigny in Switzerland. From Switzerland, trains from Geneva to Martigny & onward to Chamonix via Vallorcine are straight forward. From Lyon train journeys to Chamonix are best undertaken by bus! From Paris Gare de Lyon there’s a Snow Special TGV that operates on Friday nights and the weekend. The train trip from Paris takes 5½hr.
The Powderhounds usually recommend taking the train & bus to any ski resort, but for those that just cannot abide public transport or are travelling in larger groups, a private transfer from Geneva or Lyon may be the most efficient mode of travel if one doesn’t have a car. Search & book private airport transfers.
The ski areas in Chamonix Valley are not lift-linked (Brevent & Flégère are the exception), so it’s necessary to use the free buses to get to the various ski resorts. We recommend leaving your car parked!
For more information, see our Travel to Chamonix page.
Chamonix Accommodation
Accommodation for the Chamonix ski areas is either in the vibrant, historic town of Chamonix or one of the many nearby villages. No single place provides the perfect accommodation location for skiing in the valley. As the ski areas are not interconnected you’ll need to catch a bus to get to most ski resorts regardless of where you stay.
A few nights in Chamonix is a must on any visit to the area. If you want to experience the restaurants, shops, services & nightlife downtown, we recommend choosing a hotel in Chamonix itself. Accommodation styles vary somewhat with a wide variety of hotels, guest houses, holiday centres or furnished apartments of all categories - both modern & traditional. Chamonix chalets abound, many of which provide plush accommodations. At the other end of the spectrum there are various budget options including cheap hostels.
Search & book all Chamonix ski accommodation.
If you prefer a peaceful and quiet place but still in splendid mountain surrounds & quick access to ski lifts, the village of Le Tour is the perfect option. Access to Chamonix is via bus.
Search & book all Le Tour ski accommodation.
Between Chamonix & Le Tour, Argentière sprawls around the base of Grands Montets. Nice in the old town near the Gare (station), not so nice near the ski lift base, Argentiere has loads of apartments for rent that will suit many. Access to Chamonix is via bus or train.
Search & book all Argentiere ski accommodation.
Toward St Gervais at the start of the valley, Les Houches has a range of good value ski accommodation, away from the thrust & parry of Chamonix. Connect to Cham via bus or train.
Search & book all Les Houches accommodation.
The quietest & most remote the Chamonix villages is Vallorcine. Close to the Swiss border, Vallorcine is in a deep dark valley but has the benefits of low crowds & a train station, gondola & valley trail all in the same location. Connection to Chamonix can be on the train or if skiing to Le Tour, via the bus.
Search & book all Vallorcine accommodation.
Chamonix Ski Rentals, Guiding Lessons & Clothing
Snow equipment rentals are available from our local partners in all the Chamonix valley ski villages. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Chamonix Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
A confusing array of ski instructors, ski schools & guides ply their trade in the Chamonix valley ski resorts. For more information and options, see our Chamonix Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
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Why Ski or Snowboard at Chamonix?
The town of Chamonix has a classic lively European ski resort feel, offering the oldest and most famous ski resort culture. It has a long rich ski history & its vibrancy is palpable, particularly in the hours immediately after skiing. The Chamonix locals do a great “fondue savoyarde” (but let’s face it, it is just expensive melted cheese with bread!) and they certainly know how to do seriously good après-ski. Hell, they probably invented it!
Chamonix has it all and more - sensational skiing & snowboarding terrain across multiple mountains & countries, awesome scenery, great non-ski activities, friendly locals, easy access & full resort facilities. But with all that comes the crowds ……..
Nearby Ski Resorts
A range of superb ski resorts are very close to Chamonix. Just to the west of the Chamonix valley is the collection of ski resorts with 445km of combined piste called Evasion Mont Blanc. The ski resorts include Megeve - St Gervais, Les Portes du Mont Blanc & Les Contamines.
In Italy on the southern side of Mont Blanc in the Aosta valley is wonderful Courmayeur & La Thuile. Nearby across in Switzerland is the mega resort of 4 Vallees which includes the challenging Verbier plus a smattering of lesser known 'local' resorts that we are in the process of discovering for ourselves!
Review
The Powderhounds reviewed Chamonix in 2019 plus March 2023, and even though we had no fresh snow still managed to have a fantastic time. We can’t wait to get back to ski in powder! Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how Chamonix compares to the rest of the French ski resorts on the France ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe the European ski resort ratings page.
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