Montgenèvre Ski Resort France

Montgenevre ski resort is the 'French Connection’ of the massive Via Lattea (Milky Way) interlinked skiing region. Allegedly the oldest ski resort in France, its high-altitude base ensures great snow quality all season long & diverse terrain ensures every winter visitor has a great time.

A large ski resort in its own right, the Grand Montgenèvre domain has the bonus of a simple ski down the valley to cross the frontier to Claviere & the rest of the Via Lattea in Italy, increasing the size of the skiable terrain by 3 times.

Pros & Cons for Montgenèvre Ski Resort

Pros

• One of the best value ski lift passes in France.
• Best variety of on-piste trails for all abilities in the Via Lattea ski area.
• Sensational learn-to-ski slopes & lifts opposite the village.
• High base elevation & reliable snow cover.
• Modern & efficient lift system (unlike the rest of the Via Lattea!).
• Lift, piste & pass connected to the Via Lattea ski area in Italy.
• Extensive off-piste freeride terrain including trees.
• Ski-in ski-out accommodation available.
• Untracked powder for days.
• Some excellent mountain restaurants.
• Good public transport access by bus via the TGV train station at Oulx, Italy or train station in Briançon France.

Cons

• Lift bases disjointed - separated by a major road (though it does have skiable connectivity between the sectors).
• Snow in the Chalvet sector can get sun-baked on certain aspects.
• Can get super-busy on weekends.
• Most of the day car parks cost money & the alternative of parking on the roadside is fraught with peril.
• Some long, low-level traverses are not snowboard or novice skier friendly.

Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)

• Compact traditional village in a sunny location but being book-ended by modern additions.
• Piste trails spread across a huge area, but not with the biggest skiable vertical comparative other French ski resorts.
• Quiet après ski & nightlife.

Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain

We highly rate the wonderfully diverse ski terrain at Montgenèvre. The consistently deep snowpack, ample skiable vertical of 820m, extensive 95km of local ski trails, plus the most modern & efficient lift system (in a region not renowned for it), make it even better. Old, crappy lifts are a great way to keep the lift pass prices down at the ridiculously cheap level, but Montgenevre bucks the Via Lattea trend!

The resort provides the Via Lattea's best combination of on-piste trails for novices, progressing beginners & intermediates. Split into three sectors (or four depending on your view), Montgenevre’s ski terrain covers all aspects. The sunny south-aspect ‘Secteur du Chalvet’, has glorious, generally treeless open slopes plus some steeper variety on the shaded backside of Serre Thibaud. Across the road the north-aspect Gondrans Sector has a full range of trails. But less for advanced riders. Many are sheltered & tree lined for easy cruising in poor visibility. The broad sunny slopes immediately opposite the village are laden with novice & child friendly runs & novice trails drop down from many of the upper lifts as well. Toward the Italian border, the third sector, l’Aigle, is the wildest. Steeper on-piste plus complex alpine freeride terrain lead to what we would call the fourth sector - Claviere. Included in the local lift pass, Claviere has long cruisy piste trails for beginners & intermediates from alpine don through larch forests.

Check out the ski trail map for Montgenevre below.

Montgenèvre Ski Trail Map

The Montgenèvre off-piste has soooo many awesome & easily achievable options: the fluted spurs coming off the perfect Le Chalvet ridge (with random hoodoos thrown in for good measure); the backside of Serre Thibaud (try to avoid the protected wildlife habitat - it is well signposted); the couloirs, bowls & trees from the high border crossing at the Roche de l’Aigle, loads of larch & pine forest tree-skiing ……… the list goes on.

Lift Passes - Moon Mountains & Milky Way

Montgenevre has three different day-pass lift ticket options. The local option is the Grand Montgenèvre ski pass for 95km of ski trails. Excellent value, it includes all the French ski lifts & several Claviere ski lifts on the Italian side up to Colle Bercia. It is cheaper if pre-purchased on the web!

For a few extra euro, a Monts de la Lune (Moon Mountains or Monti della Luna) ski pass can be purchased. The pass is valid for all the lifts in Montgenevre & Claviere all the way down to the crossing Cesana Torinese providing access to 110km of ski trails. Crossing over to Italy to get to quiet slopes of Claviere & beyond can be done via two contrasting points: a flat novice trail in the valley below the customs checkpoint on the border; or beautiful, steep trails in the high alpine from the 2,580m Roche de l’Aigle.

Check the various lift pass sector boundaries on the Monts de la Lune ski trail map.

To ski beyond Claviere from Montgenèvre, a Via Lattea (or Voie Lactee) International Pass is required. The pass is valid on all lifts & the 400km of ski trails stretching across the valley from Cesana -Sansicario to Sestriere & Sauze d'Oulx. Crossing the valley at Cesana Torinese usually requires a download on the Rafuyel chair, before strolling across to the gondola which whisks one up to Sansicario.

See the Via Lattea / Voie Lactée ski trail map.

Where is Montgenèvre France?

Montgenevre ski resort sits in a high pass on the Italy/France border at 1,850m elevation near the major towns of Oulx Italy (19km/20min by road) & Briancon France (11km/18min). Closest major international airports are Turin (TRN) (flights from the UK or European origins) (110km/1½hr) & Milan Malpensa (MXP) (for all intercontinental travellers) (229km/2½hr).

Public transport is the recommended mode of travel to area. Oulx train station makes a great gateway with fast trains from Paris-Lyon-Turin-Milan line all stop there. Trains also go to Briancon from Marseilles & Grenoble (via Gap) , so may be an option for some. Buses operated by Voyageurs regularly make the journey between the train stations at Oulx and Briancon via Montgenevre (4/day each direction). Alternatively, a private transfer from the train station to Montgenèvre or just about anywhere in the Via Lattea will be relatively inexpensive.

Search & book here for train tickets to Oulx. Buy bus tickets from the driver.

Access by car is via Briançon in France (N94 road) or Oulx in Italy (SS24 road). The road goes up over 1,800m elevation but is usually easily traversed in even the worst snow conditions. If renting a car from an Italian airport, read our Getting Around Italy page for helpful hints, tips & warnings.

Montgenèvre Accommodation

Montgenevre ski resort is centred on the pleasant, compact village of the same name. The village centre is old and with requisite narrow laneways, but thankfully no through-traffic. The main road skirts the edge of town via a tunnel. Newer accommodation developments consisting mainly of apartments surround the original village on its outskirts. Everything is within walking distance of the small number of shops, bars & restaurants in town. Accommodation types are typical for French ski resorts – mainly apartments & only a handful of hotels. Most accommodation (and the village itself) has a sunny south-facing orientation.

Search & book here for all Montgenèvre ski accommodation.

In the heart of the village, two traditional hotels worth staying in are the Hotel Chalet St Bernard & the Hôtel Alpis Cottia (with one of the best local bars - Brasserie Le Graal). Facing the ski slopes, the Le Napoléon Apartments are super-convenient & close to everything. To the east of the town centre, just past the Chalvet gondola base, a cluster of newer buildings provide the most concentrated, quality accommodation in the resort. Generally ski-in ski-out, they include what we consider the best place to stay in Montgenevre, Chalet Le Pot de Miel. Alternatives in the same location are the Anova Hotel & Spa (probably the resort’s best hotel) or Le Hameau des Airelles Apartments.

Should no accommodation be available in Montgenèvre, Briancon or the other base villages at Serre Chevalier ski resort make a great alternative in France, as do nearby Claviere or Cesana in Italy.

Ski Rentals & Equipment

Ski rentals are available from our local partners in the centre of Montgenevre village & near the Chalvet gondola. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Montgenèvre Ski & Snowboard Equipment Rentals page.

Nearby Ski Resorts

Aside from the major ski areas of the Via Lattea (Cesana-Sansicario, Sauze d'Oulx & Sestriere), the nearby ski resort of Serre Chevalier is fantastic & included in multi-day Montgenevre lift passes. Further afield in Italy but still relatively close is Bardonecchia. Similarly in France, not much further away is legendary La Grave and the secretive Queyras!

Review

The Powderhounds have skied Montgenèvre several times, most recently in 2020. We had an absolutely ripping time combining it with the entire Via Lattea and are due to return soon. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews & see extra photos.

See how Montgenevre compares to the rest of the French ski resorts on the France ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.

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