France isn’t short of excellent ski resorts, with some of the biggest names in the snowsports world. And one of the most popular ski areas is the Portes du Soleil, in France’s Haute Savoie region. Straddling the border with Switzerland, you’ve got some of the best Alpine ski terrain and ski resorts such as Morzine, Les Gets, Chatel and Avoriaz.
In fact, the Portes du Soleil is one of the biggest ski areas in the world, rivalling the Three Valleys (Les Trois Vallees), just down the road. But while Les Trois Vallees is interconnected, Portes du Soleil is a little more disjointed. But don’t let that put you off, as we’ll find out in this Avoriaz review…
Talking of which, how does Avoriaz stack up as a ski resort? We we went and enjoyed a spot of snowboarding in Avoriaz. So how does it stack up?
Our Avoriaz review does feature some affiliate links. This just means we may earn a commission if you click and buy via these, at no cost to you 😉
Avoriaz facts and stats
- Resort altitude: 1800 metres
- Highest point: 2277 metres
- Ski area: 130 kms
- Portes du Soleil ski area: 580 kms
- Closest airport: Geneva (GVA)
Avoriaz is in the French Alps in the Haute Savoie region, around 75 kms from Geneva. A transfer from Geneva Airport takes around 1 hour 30 mins with a private transfer or by car. This is by far the easiest way to get to the resort, although there are also regular shared transfer buses connecting the Morzine/Avoriaz area to Geneva Airport.
Avoriaz is part of the Portes du Soleil ski region which includes Morzine, Les Gets and Chatel. It spans the French/Swiss border and you can actually ski from Avoriaz over the border into Switzerland. Be advised though that the Avoriaz area lift pass only covers the ski area of Avoriaz, and if you do want to dip into the Swiss side, or explore Les Gets, Chatel and Morzine, you will need the more inclusive (and expensive) Portes du Soleil lift pass.
The resort of Avoriaz itself sits on the top of the mountain above Morzine, which is nestled in the valley below. In fact many of the hotels look over the edge of the valley down towards Les Gets and Morzine.
One thing to note if you’re driving to Avoriaz is that the resort is almost entirely pedestrianised, and cars cannot go beyond the first block of hotels. The Residence L’Amara (where we stayed) has a sprawling underground car park and there is also a large car park right at the entrance to the resort.
What is Avoriaz like?
One of the best things about Avoriaz is that it is almost entirely ski-in/ski-out. Because cars are not allowed into the resort, the only vehicles you’ll see driving around are service vehicles, snow ploughs and horse and carts. This also means that most paths and roads in the resort are skiable or snowboardable, meaning that you can ski across town – in theory.
The Boulevard des Skieurs is the main ‘high street’ which runs from the Folie Deuce at the top, to the bottom of town. There are drag lifts which pull you back up the hill, or you can also use the telesiege (chair lifts) from right at the bottom edge of town.
As for conveniences, the centre of Avoriaz contains all the important things you might need, including:
- A choice of boulangeries (bakeries)
- A small Carrefore and other small stores for general supplies (Sherpa)
- A couple of pharmacies
- Countless branches of SkiSet and other ski rental shops
- A great selection of cafes and restaurants in the town centre
- Several ski and snowboard brand clothing shops
- A public swimming pool ‘Aquariaz’
- A health care centre, doctors, police and fire station
In short, there are all the essential things you might need if you do forget some supplies or get caught short.
One thing to bear in mind is that because it is mostly ski-in/ski-out is that the streets are covered in snow. Of course. Which can make walking around a little tricky if the snow is deep. The piste bashers do smooth out some of the roads here, but not all of them.
But if you’re coming with kids for a family friendly stay, or your hotel is on the far side of town, factor in the difficulty with arriving and departing. Especially if you have big bags. You can hire a horse and cart taxi to carry you across town which is very advisable if you need to get from, say the entrance to the bottom end of town.
Prices for an Avoriaz snow taxi service/horse and cart run from about €7 up to €15 depending how far you go. They will also charge you an extra €2 for large luggage, per bag.
What is Avoriaz like for ski and snowboarding?
The Avoriaz ski resort area offers an excellent mix of terrain, for pretty much all levels of skiers and snowboarders. It’s a particular favourite with snowboarders thanks to it’s excellent snow park and two areas of managed ‘off-piste’ called ‘Le Stash’.
The main
But one main appeal of skiing in Avoriaz is that it is very beginner friendly. For starters, there is the huge Proclou run, a wide and steady green run which skirts the edge of the resort and takes you down to the ‘Super Morzine’ lift, which is the gondola which take skiers up and down to the valley below.
This is where the majority of the ski schools spend their time, and there are also several beginner and learner areas which lead onto the Proclou green. This area is mostly in the south facing part of town. Beginners will likely spend the majority of their time in this area, and it can get VERY busy.
For most advanced and intermediate riders, they’ll probably skip this area, although there is a ‘Stash’ off piste section here which is fun, with a few trees, a toboggan-style run and some rails.
Advanced and intermediate riders will instead head straight up to the Les Hauts Forts side (2466 metres), or dip into the Lindarets bowl and surrounding terrain.
Taking the lift up from Proclou drops you at the top of Crete, a blue run which carries you into the valley. From here there are variety of paths you can take to take you either all the way down to Lindarets, via a lovely wooded run (which gets a bit slushy in the afternoon) or head up the mountain and cross to the Swiss side and the infamous Swiss wall.
This is a notoriously challenging black piste which looks tricky at the best of times.
It’s worth pointing out that the Avoriaz ski area doesn’t allow you to cross into Switzerland and you will need the full Portes du Soleil pass to go exploring that side. But there is plenty to keep you amused in Avoriaz!
Lindarets is also home to The Stash, which is the snowpark with lots of fun features to try out your tricks. I’ll be honest, I didn’t check it out but it looked a lot of fun from the chairlift.
At the time I was a novice snowboarder and I found the Lindarets area a good mixture of challenging and enjoyable.
On the other side of town, the more challenging terrain on the side of the Fornet peak is definitely one for the more experienced. The access to the mountain here is via a long steady flat which is not entirely snowboarder friendly, especially if you’re not confident. The return is also quite flat and thin, but the ride on the mountain itself was worth the sketchy passage.
What is apres ski like in Avoriaz?
For party fiends, you’ll be glad to hear there is plenty of apres ski in Avoriaz. The main Boulevard des Skieurs features several bars, restaurants and pubs, which are all very vibrant throughout the week. Because the resort attracts a fairly young, and often British, demographic, there is quite a lot going on.
Many of the mountain bars are also usually bumping with tunes throughout the day, and it’s not uncommon to see the apres ski kick off at midday.
There is also a La Folie Douce which sits right at the gateway to the resort as you arrive back from the mountain. This is obviously one of the hotspots, as anyone who has been skiing or snowboarding in France before will have heard of this chain of party bars.
I was actually in Avoriaz during the Snowboxx festival, so the apres ski at the time was pretty sick. Obviously.
But even out of season you’ll find ample options for dancing and partying the aches away at various spots around Boulevard des skieurs.
How to find the best deal for ski holidays in Avoriaz?
Avoriaz is actually a relatively affordable ski holiday destination, as far as the French Alps go. Sites such as Snowtrex regularly offer incredible offers on some of the best hotels in Avoriaz.
Another benefit of Snowtrex is that they include the ski pass in the package price, and it’s super easy to upgrade and get ski hire or whatever else you need.
We also like to check Skiworld for their deals, as their prices also include flights and transfers too. So although their prices might *seem* higher, they actually offer a very convenient hassle free option. Be sure to check out their Ski-All-In deals which include lift pass and equipment too…
We found Avoriaz to be an excellent resort, perfect for intermediate skiers and snowboarders, but with plenty for both the advanced and the beginner too.
Wow, looks amazing and i am totally sure it has to be great even in sunmertime as well.
Can highly recommend! And yes I have friends who live near there and say the summer is great – with lakes for swimming and boating and mountain walks.