Skiing the Portes du Soleil from Morzine-Avoriaz

From Mont Blanc to Lake Geneva, the Portes Du Soleil ski area connects 12 resort towns and boasts 600 km of pisted terrain across France and Switzerland, forming one of the largest ski areas in the world.

All accessible under one lift pass, with many of the resort towns being connected by piste, the area caters to every level of skier and snowboarder, whether you’re just starting out or are hitting the terrain parks.

Steve and I had the opportunity to work a full season based in Morzine-Avoriaz, and we got to know the entire area quite well. Having recently returned this season to celebrate our wedding with friends on a week-long ski holiday, we were reminded how much we loved the area.

WHAT’S IN THIS POST

Resorts at a Glance 
How to get here
Pass options
Where to stay
Getting from your accommodation to the slopes

Resorts at a glance

Image by piste-maps

• Avoriaz 1800, France

• Champéry, Switzerland  

• Abondance, France 

• Châtel, France 

• La Chapelle d’Abondance, France

• Les Gets, France

• Montriond, France

• Morgins, Switzerland 

• Morzine- Avoriaz, France *

• St. Jean d’Aulps, France

• Torgon, Switzerland

• Val-d’illiez- Les Crosets- Champoussin, Switzerland

How to get here

By plane

The closest airport to the PDS is Geneva, about an hour and a half drive away from Morzine- Avoriaz (depending on conditions). Once you’ve arrived, the most straightforward way to get from the airport to Morzine is via a ski transfer company, be sure to organise this well in advance. We recommend Skiddy Gonzales, who offer door-to-door services.

By car

If you live in the UK or another part of Europe, consider driving to get to the PDS if you have the time to extend your trip by a few days. It will give you the added option of having a car rented to get to/from the lifts or other parts of the ski area or surrounding ski areas (close by is Chamonix and Grand Massif, which are both excellent ski areas).

By public transport

Although there aren’t any public transport options that get you straight to Morzine-Avoriaz, there is always the option of getting the train to one of the closest stations and then organising a taxi or transfer to your accomodation.

The closest train stations are Cluses (29 km- and also on the way from Geneva to Morzine), Thonon-Les-Bains (33 km), and Geneva (61km), all of which have connections to Paris. Enquire with ski transfer companies to see where they are able/ willing to pick you up from before you book, and/ or price up private taxis.

Pass options

There are two main pass options for the Portes Du Soleil from Morzine-Avoriaz; the full Portes du Soleil, and the Morzine- Les Gets pass. Both are offered at daily and weekly rates as well as full season passes.

The full PDS pass will give you unlimited access to every single resort town within the PDS (and the pass we recommend), whereas the Morzine-Les Gets Pass is only for the Morzine- Les Gets ski area (meaning all of the lifts that bring you into the Les Gets ski area from Morzine). The latter option is best for beginners.


Once you have your dates, keep your eyes out for deals on passes, as there are quite a few schemes that run pre-season (early bird and black Friday sales), mid-season (weekend rates, beginner access, group offers etc.), and end-of-season (spring rates). The area also runs deals on age group passes (youth/senior), so keep this in mind if you’re under the age of 25 or over 75.

Whichever pass you decide on, we recommend purchasing your pass online before you arrive. You can either get it sent to you via mail, or you have the option to pick it up at one of the lift stations. Some higher end chalets also offer organising your passes within their services, so enquire with the company you’ve booked with if you’d like your pass organised for you.

Where to stay

The ski-in, ski-out town of Avoriaz 1800 is built right on top of the cliffs overlooking Morzine- Avoriaz. If you’re wanting to get on the slopes straightaway, this could be a good open.

Although there are quite a few options of where to stay within the PDS, we really enjoyed being based in Morzine-Avoriaz because it’s so central to the area. It connects to the majority of the resort towns either by piste or roadway, it’s central for transfers to/from the airport, and because the town acts as the base for many holidaymakers and seasonaires, it offers all of the amenities that you may need during your stay- including loads of great restaurants and shops.

If you’re really big into ski in-ski out, consider staying in Avoriaz 1800, which is a cable car ride (Les Prodains) up from Morzine. If you’re looking to stay for the season and want something a bit less busy but still wanting that proximity to lifts and amenities, consider staying in Montriond or St. Jean D’Aulps, a short drive from Morzine town.

Chalet stays are the norm around the PDS, with chalet companies offering a wide range of services within catered and self-catered accomodations. Consider your budget, and which amenities you’d like to have included within your stay, and go from there.

Getting from your accommodation to the slopes

If you’re staying within Morzine town, you will need to find your way to the nearest lift. Super Morzine and Pleney can be accessed from town centre on foot, which will give you access to Avoriaz and the Les Gets area respectively. The other lifts closest to the centre are Les Prodains (which takes you directly up into Avoriaz 1800), the Nyon cable car (which takes you into the Les Gets ski area), and Ardent (from Montriond, into Lindaret, the closest link to Chatel and Swiss side).

• Bus/ public transport
  A free bus service is offered within Morzine, so look out for the nearest bus stop to your accomodation, see their updated timetable here. Look out for Line A to get to Prodains/ Avoriaz, Line M to get to Ardent, or Line E or N for Nyon.
  
  There is also a smaller train that you’ll see around the town centre (it does a small loop and is also free of charge). If you’re staying here, or hitting the town for some apres after your day on the hills, it stops at the Super Morzine telecabine, which is the main gondola from the centre of town.
  
  

• By your chalet company
  A few of the higher-end chalet companies offer private chauffeur services, and this can be a great way to get around if you are staying in Morzine. We recommend Alikats Mountain Holidays, we’ve stayed with them and worked for them and they are without a doubt the best chalet company in the PDS.
  
  

• Self-driving
  Whether you’ve driven to Morzine and now have your own car, or are renting one for the week, self-driving is definitely the most flexible option if you’re wanting to be on your own time. To rent, we recommend using the app Get Around to source a rental vehicle in the area.
  
  

• Ski-in/ ski-out
  If you’re keen to get the most of the slopes and avoid the to/from accommodation, consider looking out of Morzine and book into a ski out/ ski out section of the PDS. Avoriaz 1800 will be the most popular option on the French side (and the closest direct link to Morzine), with Les Crosets offering sweet on-mountain chalets on the Swiss side.

One of the best parts of the PDS is being able to explore areas in both France and Switzerland, with some runs crossing the border and back.

---

The PDS is one of our favourite ski areas in the world, and we absolutely recommend it for anyone looking to explore a new part of Europe.

Happy travels,
Sam

---

You may like…..

---