Ski areas
- Grand Montets
- Le Brévent/La Flégère
- Domain de Balme (Le Tour/Vallorcine)
- Les Houches
- Aiguille du Midi
- Beginners/Nursery Slopes
- Nearby ski resorts
Grand Montets
Les Grands Montets is recognised as a world class resort and is the largest in the valley with 153 km of pistes. Located on the edge of Argentière, it offers the greatest diversity of snowriding of all the ski areas and is suitable for everyone for the first-timer to the most advanced skier or snowboarder. The pistes are spread over 3 mountainsides and offer tremendous on and off-piste possibilities, so you need not ski the same area every day. The lower slopes (Les Chosolets) are perfect for those just starting out, while the higher slopes offer plenty of red and black runs for the intermediate and advanced skier. A great area for freeriders, Les Grand Montets is renowned throughout the extreme ski and snowboard industry as being a paradise for those searching for steeps, moguls and off-piste adventures. The top cable car takes you onto the Argentière glacier offering unpatrolled, unmarked skiing on a glacier, so best to take a guide for the first time. Freestylers can also take advantage of the snowpark near the mid-station. The selection of mountain restaurants at Les Grand Montets provide access to well needed nourishment and hydration for your hard days snowriding. With an altitude of 3300m, snow is guaranteed here through the winter and also allows you to enjoy the spring snow right up till early May.
Useful info:
The Grands Montets ski area is accessed via the Lognan cable car and the Plan Joran chair lift at the foot of Argentière. Access to Les Grands Montets cable car which takes you to the glacier at 3300m (located at the mid station after the Lognan cable car) is only included within Mont-Blanc Unlimited lift pass. Tickets or a lift pass upgrade can be purchased on the day and reservation is advised at peak season times. You can reserve you place in the lift or upgrade your ticket online at the Comagnie du Mont Blanc website.
Getting to the Lognan lift station:
- On foot: 10 minutes from the centre of Argentière
- Public transport: Chamonix Bus (Lognan Les Grands Montets bus stop) or by SNCF train to Argentière
- By car: 8 km from Chamonix centre - free car parking.
Facilities on the mountain:
- Cafeteria and snack bar "Le Spot" (1972 m)
- Cafeteria/take away/restaurant at Plan Joran
- Snack bar at the Aiguille des Grands Montets (3300)
Le Brévent/La Flégère
Connected by cable car, Brévent and Flégère offer a huge area of ski runs suitable for all levels and also spectacular views across the valley to Mont Blanc. With an altitude of up to 2500m, this combined area has generally quite wide slopes, but also has enough rollers, couloirs, natural table tops and half pipes to keep you entertained all day. The south facing slopes are a firm favourite with those who like to ski in the sun all day, whilst enjoying the amazing views.
Le Brévent
Le Brévent is the closest ski area to Chamonix's town centre with direct access via a brand new high speed gondola for the 2008/2009 winter season. Home to the annual Red Bull Extreme Skiing competition, this large bowl sporting slopes of all levels and offers great snowriding for confident intermediates and above, with lots of red runs, some blues and some excellent off-piste. For beginners the 'Plan Praz' and 'le Trappe' areas are best to start with. The restaurants offer fabulous terraces to top up your tan minus the goggle marks and conditions generally remain good throughout the season, typically staying open until the end of April.
Useful info:
The Brévent/Flégère ski area is accessed via the brand new Planpraz gondola lift in the centre of Chamonix or the Flégère cable car in the village of Les Praz. The cable car between Planpraz and the Flégère links these two areas.
Getting to the Planpraz gondola:
- On foot: 10 minutes from the centre of Chamonix. If you don't want to walk up the hill to get to the lift station, head to the Savoy Meadows nursery slope and take the longer of the two button lifts which will take you almost to the entrance to the lift station which is on the right as you head down the slope.
- Public transport: Chamonix bus
- By car: Covered car park - cost is €1 all day
Facilities on the mountain:
- Panoramic Mont-Blanc restaurant (2525 m)
- Bergerie restaurant (2000m)
- Altitude 2000 restaurant
View Le Brévent/La Flégère piste map
View the Planpraz gondola location
La Flégère
Les Praz - La Flégère cable car is directly approached from the village of Les Praz, located between Chamonix and Argentière. The south facing slopes offer snowriding for all levels with relatively gentle slopes perfect for beginners just leaving the nursery slopes and plenty of blue, red and black runs and excellent off piste corridors for intemediates and above. With the beautiful views, sunshine and the link to Le Brévent ski area, skiers and snowboarders alike revisit again and again.
Useful info:
The Brévent/Flégère ski area is accessed via the Planpraz gondola lift in the centre of Chamonix or the Flégère cable car in the village of Les Praz. The cable car between Planpraz and the Flégère links these two areas.
Getting to the Flégère cable car station:
- Public transport: Chamonix Bus to Les Praz/Flégère or by SNCF train to Les Praz station which is just 3 mins walk to lift station
- By car: 2km from Chamonix centre - free car parking
Facilities on the mountain:
- Self service restaurants at the Flégère (1894m)
- Picnic area, snack bar inside the Flégère lift station
- Take-away at the Chavanne (1900m)
- Snack bar at the Flégère (2450m)
View Le Brévent/La Flégère piste map
View the La Flégère cable car location
Domain de Balme (Le Tour/Vallorcine)
The Domaine de Balme ski area is located at the head of the Chamonix valley, close to Switzerland, is an excellent choice for groups of mixed ability with great skiing for all levels. Often the quietest of the ski areas, the tree lined runs contrast with wide sweeping pistes and is a favourite for watching the view of the Chamonix valley from one of the sunny restaurant terraces. For beginners, La Vormaine on the Le Tour side is a good area and further up the mountain are lots of blues and reds great for intermediates and those looking to improve their off-piste techniques. The eight seat gondola connection with Vallorcine opens up the whole of the back of Le Tour and offers you a long, easy run down through the trees to the station café which is a great lunch stop. With the wide open slopes, an altitude of up to 2270m and one of the best snow reports in Europe the Domaine de Balme is a ski area not to miss.
Useful info:
The Domain de Balme ski area is accessed by the Charamillon gondola lift, which departs from Le Tour, or via the Vallorcine gondola lift which leaves from Vallorcine village.
Getting to the Charamillon gondola:
- Public transport: Chamonix Bus to the village of Le Tour
- By car : 12 km from Chamonix centre - free car park
Getting to the Vallorcine gondola lift:
- Public transport: SNCF train to Vallorcine station
- By car: 20 km from Chamonix centre - free car park
Facilities on the mountain:
- Cafeteria and snack bar at Charamillon (1850)
- Restaurant/snack bar "Chez la Jeanne"
- Restaurant/snack bar at the "Col de Balme" (2186 m)
View the Domain de Balme piste map
View the Domain de Balme lift locations
Les Houches
The ski area of Les Houches offers 55 km of ski runs accessible to all levels, with magnificent panoramas over the Mt Blanc mountain range it's a firm favourite for the views. Known for its rolling hills, wide pistes and delightful forest runs, there really is something for everyone here so is a great destination if you are traveling in a mixed ability group. This north facing wooded area also has a reputation as a great place for families and is fast becoming known as jewel in the valley offering some of the best pisted descents. Often quieter than most ski areas, Les Houches is an excellent area to practice your carving and in good conditions you can have great fun skiing the powder in between the trees. A favoured resort in poor conditions due to the shelter of the trees, it is also a great base from which to explore the nearby resorts of Saint Gervais, Les Contamines and even Cormayeur. Les Houches also benefits from a good selection of mountain restaurants and is situated approximately 6km from the centre of Chamonix with free bus transfers into town.
Useful info:
The telecabin du Praion and the téléphérique de Bellevue both service the Les Houches ski area but are run by different companies. If you don't get the specific Les Houches ski pass, make sure you check out where your pass allows you to ski before heading to Les Houches.
Getting there:
- Public transport: Chamonix Bus to the telecabin du Prarion or the téléphérique de Bellevue
- By car : 6 km from Chamonix centre - free car parks
Mountain facilities:
- Restaurant Les Vieilles Luges
- Restaurant Le Praion - Self-service lunch 200m from the top of the Prarion telecabin
- Restaurant La Chalette - Bellevue 1800m
- Restaurant Le Hors Piste - near the "Verte" piste
View the Les Houches piste map
View the Les Houches lift locations
Aiguille du Midi
Accessed via one of the highest cable cars in the world, the Aiguille du Midi takes you from the centre of Chamonix to an altitude of 3800m where you have some of the most spectacular views of the Alps, including a close-up of Mont Blanc. This is also the starting point of one of the most famous descents in the skiing world, The Vallée Blanche, which offers 24km of off piste glacier skiing through breathtaking scenery. Hiring a mountain guide is a must for anyone without indepth knowledge and experience of this run as skiing here is unmarked, unpatrolled, off-piste terrain, with risks of crevasses, falling seracs and avalanches. There are a number of variants to the Vallée Blanche, the classic route is suited to confident intermediates and up with various flat sections and the others require a little more skill and involve steeper skiing over a more difficult terrain and are only recommended for advanced skiers or snowboarders. With the truly stunning glaciated scenery surrounded by spectacular mountain peaks - you can guarantee that this will be one of the most amazing and unforgettable days skiing you'll ever have.
Getting there:
- On foot: Located in the centre of Chamonix
- Public transport: Chamonix bus
- By car: Free car park at Aiguille du Midi lift station or various car parks in and around Chamonix centre.
View the Aiguille du Midi lift location
Beginners / Nursery Slopes
Everyone has to start somewhere and although Chamonix is more famous for its extreme sports at advanced levels there is certainly more than enough for all abilities, including beginners. We have listed below some of the beginner areas or nursery slopes to help you get started, but would always recommend a few lessons to get you going in the right direction and to get the most out of skiing holiday!
Les Planards
Located right in Chamonix town, the Les Planards area offers green, blue and red runs, which makes it an ideal area for groups of mixed ability learners who are progressing fast. With two drag lifts and also a chair lift it's a good place for beginner snowboarders learning to carve their first turns and a great restaurant with sun terrace for when you need a well earned break.
Getting there:
Located just across from the Montenvers Train station and ski pass office, this beginners area is just a short walk from the centre of town.
- On foot: 5 minutes from the centre of Chamonix
- Public transport: Chamonix bus
- By car: Free car park at Les Planards
Savoy Meadows
Another of Chamonix towns nursery slopes, Savoy Meadows sits at the foot of the vast Brévent/Flégère ski area and offers two drag lifts and a magic carpet. This is a great area for complete beginners and is good for mixed ability groups who can head up the Plan Praz gondola to Brévent. There is the option of a good snack bar at the nursery slopes, head up to Brévent for a meal on the mountain, or simply walk into town!
Useful info:
Located just behind the Club Med hotel, this beginners area is just a short walk from the centre of town. If you are driving, you can park in the Plan Praz gondola car park.
Getting to Savoy Meadows:
- On foot: 5 minutes from the centre of Chamonix
- Public transport: Chamonix bus
- By car: Covered car park at the Plan Praz gondola - cost is €1 all day
Les Chosalets
Les Chosalets is situated at the lower end of Argentière and is just up from the turning of the Grands Montets ski area car park. With two nursery slopes and two drag lifts, this north facing area usually has good snow and is great for beginners who may later head up the Grand Montets! This is also the location of a snow playground for younger kids and has a small snack bar and easy access to restaurants at the base of the Grand Montets.
Getting there:
- On foot: 10 minutes from the centre of Argentière - head towards the entrance to the Grand Montets car park
- Public transport: Chamonix Bus (Les Chosalets bus stop just at the entrance to the Grand Montets car park) or by SNCF train to Argentière
- By car: 8 km from Chamonix centre - free car parking at the Grand Montets
La Vormaine
La Vormaine lies at the base of the Le Tour ski area and is a great area for beginners. A sunny spot with three drag lifts over a large, very lovely, open area and with some of the best views in the valley. This is a great area for mixed ability groups and for easy progression up to Le Tour for some great blue runs for improving beginners. La Vormaine offers access to a great snack bar or the opportunity to head up to Le Tour for lunch.
Getting there:
- Just head to Le Tour and the La Vormaine slopes are just to the right of the Charamillon gondola lift station
- Public transport: Chamonix Bus to the village of Le Tour and the Charmillon gondola
- By car : 12 km from Chamonix centre - free car park
Le Tourchet
Les Houches is a great place for beginners with great options to progress on its wide gentle slopes, but there is also a dedicated nursery area at Les Tourchet which is located in the centre of the Les Houches village next to the outdoor ice skating rink. This area has two drag lifts, is also an ideal sledging area for kids and for the Christmas and February holidays offers free nocturnal skiing every Thursday with a torchlight descent by the ESF ski school at 6.00pm followed by hot drinks and snacks.
Nearby ski resorts
There are several other resorts covered by the Mont Blanc pass that are situated just outside the valley. All are between 30 and 40 minutes drive from Chamonix - Courmayeur (Italy), Les Contamines, St Gervais and Mégeve are all just a short drive away for you to explore!
Courmayeur
Located in the Aosta Valley just on the other side of Mont Blanc and only 30mins drive away through the Mont Blanc tunnel. It has an excellent ski area for all abilities, with a great lift system, great powder opportunities and of course fabulous Italian food.
Les Contamines
Is a great day out in a large snow bowl of a ski area about 40 minutes drive from Chamonix.
St Gervais and Mégeve
These make up part of the massive 400km interlinked 'Evasion' ski area and is a great day out for beginners, mixed ability skiers and family groups. The vast area offer miles and miles of tree lined blue and red pistes with plenty of green runs for beginners and more nervous skiers and boarders. With a great selection of mountain restaurants to sample and just 40 minutes drive from Chamonix.