Is Avoriaz a good ski resort?
Avoriaz is the most practical base in the Portes du Soleil for keen skiers. It sits about 800 m higher than Morzine, so snow is more reliable, and almost every apartment is ski-in, ski-out. It was built from scratch in the 1960s on a cliff edge, with wood-clad towers that look like part of the rock, and it has no cars: you arrive, park, and move around on skis, on foot or by horse-drawn sledge.
The skiing
Avoriaz is the hub of the French side of the Portes du Soleil. From the village you can ski towards Les Lindarets and Chatel, down to Morzine, or over the border into Switzerland at Champery and Les Crosets. The best-known run is the Swiss Wall at Chavanette, a steep mogul field on the Swiss side, which you can take a chairlift down if you look over and change your mind.
Beginners have gentle slopes and ski school areas right in the village. Children have a dedicated ski village.
Snow and when to go
At 1,800 m, Avoriaz holds snow better than most of the area, and it’s the place to be in March or April when the lower villages are struggling. The open slopes above the trees are less pleasant in a storm or flat light.
Getting there
Drive from Geneva to Morzine and up the hill to the car parks at the village entrance, or take the Prodains cable car up from the valley. There is no driving in the village itself.
