Champoussin Ski Resort Switzerland
Champoussin ski resort is a small but delightful sector within the gargantuan Portes du Soleil which straddles the Swiss-French border south of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman). Propped between the Swiss resorts of Morgins & Champery-Les Crosets, Champoussin is a petite high alpine delight, perfectly located to make the most of the fabulous skiing & snowboarding terrain. Powder hounds will be pleased with the high alpine bowls that hold unsullied powder long after a snowfall.
Pros & Cons for Champoussin Ski Resort
Pros
- High snowfall region.
- Efficient lift system that is a tiny part of one of the world’s biggest & best interlinked ski areas.
- Uncrowded.
- Broad alpine bowls hold untracked powder for days.
- Pleasant on-piste trails all above 1,600m altitude.
- Massive off-piste & freeride terrain options for everyone from beginner to expert in the broader Portes du Soleil.
- Long valley trails to other villages easily accessed from Champoussin.
- Ski-in ski-out accommodation available.
- Good value local lift pass price.
- Several fabulous mountain huts.
- Splendid views in all directions from the highest lifted points.
Cons
- Shortish local skiable vertical.
- Aging lift infrastructure.
- Public transport access is not the greatest (particularly for Switzerland)!
- Heavy skier traffic transiting through from other areas can occur at times through the middle of the day.
- Beyond the local resort area it can be easy to end the day stuck in the wrong resort, or worse, the wrong country (& that truly sucks)!
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Small alpine village with limited services & quiet after-hours.
- Part of the Portes du Soleil interconnected ski region - is that good or bad? - you decide (we think its exceptionally good)!
- No high-end (5-star et al) accommodation in the area (if this is a problem, go to nearby Gstaad or Verbier).
- Ski two countries but speak one language - French (the Swiss sector is in the French speaking part of Valais).
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lift & Terrain
Propped between Champery-Les Crosets & Morgins, Champoussin is a small but important part of the Portes du Soleil’s greater sum. With a local skiable vertical of around 500m on two main chairlifts but with easy access to the region’s highest lifted points & longest valley trails, skiing & snowboarding Champoussin is all about heading out & about once the local powder is finally tracked. Extended descents of over 7km are possible off the Pointe de l'Au & Aiguille des Champeys, plus France (Avoriaz & Chatel) is only a few lifts away via neighbouring Les Crosets & the Mossettes chair.
All village accommodation is ski-in by virtue of open meadows & easy trails extending down the road. Don’t expect a hooded, heated seat express six-seater chair to get you up to the hill in the morning though. Surface tows do the heavy lifting for first turns. Novice snowboarders beware.
Interlinked with CLCF & Portes du Soleil
Champoussin is part of the CLCF ski pass area which includes the magnificent contiguous Swiss resorts of Champery, & the Foilleuse sector of Morgins. The link into Morgins is via either a surface tow into the Foilleuse sector, or the terrific 7 - 8km valley descent all the way into town. Take the later! Options exist for all abilities.
See the Champery-Les Crosets-Champoussin-Foilleuse/Morgins ski trail map (CLCF).
Whilst a large ski area in and of itself, Champoussin & the CLCF ski pass area is only a fraction of the terrain available in the vast interconnected Portes du Soleil. Lift passes for the entire Portes du Soleil (a.k.a. Doors of the Sun) are 10 to 16 Swiss Francs (CHF) more than local lift passes, but forays into the broader region are definitely worth the extra coin & a must when skiing the region.
See the Portes du Soleil ski trail map.
Where is Champoussin Switzerland?
Champery is in the canton of Valais, only 55km east of Geneva & 26km south of Montreux ‘as the crow flies’ in southwest Switzerland. The most convenient airport is (naturally) Geneva (GVA), 122km (1½hr) away by road via the north shore of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva). Champoussin steps up the mountainside at 1600m altitude, a 12min drive from the valley floor via the village of Val d’Illiez.
From Geneva airport, the IR15 train in the direction of Brig, runs several times every hour via Montreux to Aigle, usually taking around 1½hr depending on how many stops are along the way. Trains in the direction of Champery leave from the platforms outside the Aigle train station. Journey time to Val d’Illiez is between 50min & 1hr. From the Val d’Illiez Gare, the route 82 bus travels to Champoussin at least 5 times a day during ski season, taking between 30min for the measly 7km journey. Services depart twice in the morning, twice in the late afternoon/evening and once around midday.
With due consideration of connections & timetables, the full journey on train & bus to Champoussin from Geneva airport can take between 2¾ to 4½hr.
Search & book train tickets to Aigle & Val d’Illiez Gare.
By rental car or private transfer, Champoussin is 12min drive from Val d’Illiez. The full 128km road journey from Geneva airport is around 1½hr via the northern side of the lake. A shorter route via France & the south side of Lake Geneva actually takes longer due to poorer roads & more towns. It can be done in 2 to 2½hr.
For hints, tips & warnings about getting to Swiss ski resorts in winter, see our Travel in Switzerland page.
Champoussin Accommodation
The petite alpine village of Champoussin is perched on a sunny east-facing ridge overlooking the Rhone River valley & the peaks of the Dents du Midi & Dents Blanches. Whilst accommodation can be tough to get here, we recommend trying. It will provide the simple pleasures & feel of a traditional small Swiss Alps ski resort village that is so lacking in many other Portes du Soleil locations. For extended stays try the ski-in Hotel Champoussin Lodge. Alternatively, a wonderful overnight experience can be had at the ski-in ski-out Chez Gaby Inn. A range of apartments & chalets can also be rented.
Search & book here for all Champoussin ski accommodation.
Alternatives to the north & south are all lift & piste interlinked with Champoussin. To the south, Champery is the most convenient to reach via public transport from Geneva & has swift access to the best terrain in the region. Its charming village has the best services, bar & restaurants in the area. Les Crosets is the perfect ski-in ski-out location & one of our picks to stay at if you don’t mind limited services. To the north, Morgins is a full service town with a surprising amount of affordable accommodations.
Down in the valley, Val d’Illiez has the super-convenient Hotel Communal on the town square & next to the train station. The restaurant gets rave reviews. Make sure to ask for a quiet room with a mountain view. Trips up to the mountain at Champoussin or Les Crosets can be made by bus (or your own car of course!), or to the cable car at Champery by train.
Ski Rentals, Lessons & Guiding
Ski rentals from our local partners are available in the Champoussin village near the ski lifts & pistes. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Champoussin Ski & Snowboard Equipment Rental page.
If you are looking for a ski or snowboard instructor, or local mountain guide, you can search, compare & book via our Champoussin Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Review
The Powderhounds checked out Champoussin in 2019 & found some glorious powder stashes in the shadows of the Aiguille des Champeys. We rate Champoussin as a classic Swiss Alps traditional ski resort & mountain hamlet, with the added bonus of being interlinked to the impressive Portes du Soleil. We look forward to returning. 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 Champoussin & Portes du Soleil compares to the rest of the Swiss ski resorts on the Switzerland ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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