Avoriaz is a purpose-built, car-free ski resort at 1,800 m, perched on a line of cliffs above Morzine in Haute-Savoie. It was designed in the 1960s as a pedestrian resort: the streets are snow all winter, you get around on foot, on skis or by snowcat, and every apartment building is ski-in/ski-out. It’s also the highest village in the Portes du Soleil, one of the biggest linked ski areas in the world, spread across 12 resorts in France and Switzerland.
For a short-notice trip, Avoriaz has two big things going for it: it’s only about 1 hour 40 minutes from Geneva airport, and its village sits higher than most of the Portes du Soleil, so the home slopes usually hold snow well. The car-free set-up takes a little planning on arrival day, which we explain below.
Avoriaz ski area: the high point of the Portes du Soleil
Avoriaz’s own slopes have 35 lifts and 59 runs: 8 green, 33 blue, 12 red and 6 black. That’s enough for a week on its own if you’re a beginner or a cautious intermediate. The bigger draw is the link into the Portes du Soleil, with around 600 km of slopes, 209 lifts and 308 runs, across Abondance, Avoriaz, Champéry, Châtel, La Chapelle d’Abondance, Les Gets, Montriond, Morgins, Morzine, Saint-Jean d’Aulps, Torgon and Val-d’Illiez Les Crosets Champoussin.
There are two kinds of lift pass: one for Avoriaz only, and one for the whole Portes du Soleil. You need the Portes du Soleil pass to ski over the border into Switzerland or across to the other French villages.
Avoriaz is also strong on freestyle, with 4 snowparks, a boardercross and 4 snowcross areas (secured but not groomed).
Skiing in Avoriaz for beginners
Green and blue runs start right from the resort, and the Plateau and Proclou sectors are the dedicated beginner zones. Beginner lift passes are sold for these areas, so you don’t need a full pass on day one; check the current prices with the lift company. Two of the runs from the resort, one green and one blue, lead to the Lil’Stash, a gentle snowpark with tree huts and a picnic area. With eight ski schools in the resort, there’s plenty of choice for lessons.
Skiing in Avoriaz for intermediates
Intermediates get the best of the Portes du Soleil. From Avoriaz you can ski into Switzerland towards Les Crosets and Champéry, or head towards Morzine and Les Gets. Days spent touring between villages, with lunch in another country, are what the area is known for. The catch is that some of those links are much lower than Avoriaz (see the snow section below).
Skiing in Avoriaz for experts
Experts head for the Chavanette and Arare sectors, the freeride zones and the Swiss Wall. There’s a lot of off-piste around the resort, but it’s avalanche terrain: go with a qualified guide.
The Swiss Wall: Avoriaz’s famous black run
The Swiss Wall (Le Mur Suisse), also called the Chavanette, is the run that gives Avoriaz its reputation. The resort describes it as one of the most vertiginous slopes in Europe. It drops from the French-Swiss border at the Pas de Chavanette down the Swiss side.
To reach it, take the Stade chairlift, follow the blue Aller de Chavanette run, then the Choucas chairlift or the Chavanette drag lift up to the border. At the top, you choose: ski the Wall, or ride the Chavanette chairlift down into Switzerland. There’s no shame in taking the chair. It’s a serious run, especially when the snow is hard.
Snow in Avoriaz and the 2026/27 season
For 2026/27, the lift company plans a partial opening on 28 November 2026. The resort lists its main season as 11 December 2026 to 18 April 2027, and the Portes du Soleil says the whole ski area will be open from 19 December. All dates depend on snow.
At 1,800 m, Avoriaz itself usually has reliable snow, and the slopes around the village are the place to be early and late in the season. The weakness is the wider area. Much of the Portes du Soleil, and several of the links between villages, are lower down, so in a poor or warm winter some circuits can close or turn slushy. If you’re booking a short trip to tour the whole area, check which links are open first.
Is Avoriaz good for a last-minute ski trip?
Often, yes:
- It’s quick to reach. Geneva airport is about 1 hour 40 minutes by road, and Lyon about 2 hours 45 minutes, so you can wait for a good forecast before committing.
- The village is high. Even when lower resorts struggle, the slopes around Avoriaz usually have snow.
- There’s a lot of terrain. With around 600 km in the Portes du Soleil, a partial opening still leaves plenty to ski.
Two last-minute catches. Covered parking can’t be booked less than a day ahead, and it fills up in busy weeks, so book it as soon as you’ve booked your room. See where to stay in Avoriaz for the options.
Avoriaz lift passes
Passes are sold through the lift company’s website, skipass-avoriaz.com. Things worth knowing for 2026/27:
- Children under 5 ski free. The child pass runs up to age 15 inclusive, and 16 to 19-year-olds get a reduced rate.
- Early Booking: passes of 5 days or more bought by 30 November 2026, outside school holidays, come with a free pass for children under 12.
- Season passes: children under 12 (born on or after 1 January 2015) get a free Portes du Soleil season pass when a parent or legal guardian buys an adult season pass at the same time.
- Pedestrian passes are available for non-skiers.
Après-ski and things to do in Avoriaz
The best-known après spot is La Folie Douce Avoriaz, with free live shows and clubbing every afternoon. In the village, Le Shooters has live music and DJs from 5 pm to 2 am, The Place has live music and DJs, and Le Yak is the resort’s only nightclub. The Snow district, near the bars and clubs, is the lively end of town.
Off the slopes:
- Aquariaz, an indoor water park with wild-water rivers, a big pool and an outdoor hot tub.
- A cinema, bowling, a bouldering gym and an outdoor ice rink.
- Dog sledding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, fatbike outings and tobogganing.
- A weekly programme of events, including torchlit descents and shows.
Who Avoriaz suits, and who it doesn’t
- Great for: families (no traffic, ski-in/ski-out apartments, two children’s ski villages), beginners, intermediates who want to tour a huge cross-border area, freestylers, and anyone who wants a quick transfer from Geneva.
- Think twice if: you want a traditional Savoyard village (Avoriaz’s angular, wood-clad blocks divide opinion), a wide choice of hotels (there are only five), or an easy arrival with lots of luggage and small children.
Skiing with children? Read our guide to Avoriaz with kids.
How to get to Avoriaz
By car
The resort recommends two routes: from Cluses on the A40 motorway, via the D902 and D907, or from Thonon-les-Bains on Lake Geneva, via the D902. Both bring you to Morzine, and the road then climbs to the resort entrance at 1,800 m. Allow about 1 hour 25 minutes from Geneva and 2 hours 40 minutes from Lyon in good conditions.
Haute-Savoie is a French mountain zone: from 1 November to 31 March, carry chains or snow socks or fit four winter tyres marked 3PMSF.
At the top, you can’t drive into the resort:
- Stop at the unloading docks at the resort entrance. There’s a welcome desk, staffed around the clock in the holiday season, a heated waiting room, toilets and a luggage room.
- Take a luggage sledge (they unlock with a €1 or €2 coin).
- Park. The three covered car parks (Plateau, Falaise and Proclou) have 1,730 spaces and can be booked in advance. Half the spaces have a 2.3 m height limit, a problem for roof boxes. The open-air car park, about 800 m from the entrance, can’t be booked.
- Call for transport on +33 (0)4 50 74 01 55 once you’re outside and ready. It can’t be booked in advance.
Horse-drawn sleighs: the sleigh service ended on 7 April 2026, ahead of the demolition and rebuilding of the stables, and snowcats took over. We couldn’t find an official date for the sleighs’ return, so for 2026/27 plan on snowcats and check with the resort.
The alternative is to park at Les Prodains, just above Morzine, and take the Prodains Express cable car up to the resort in about 4 minutes.
By train and bus
The nearest TGV stations are Cluses (about 41 km) and Thonon-les-Bains (about 45 km). Léman Express regional trains run to both from Geneva, Annecy and Bellegarde. From the stations and Geneva airport, Altibus and SAT Léman run transfers, SAT Léman to the foot of the Prodains Express or straight to the resort entrance. Swiss Tour runs transfers from Geneva airport and Geneva station to Les Prodains.
Nearest airports
Geneva is the closest major airport, about 94 km and 1 hour 40 minutes by road. Annecy (about 98 km), Chambéry (about 137 km) and Lyon (about 212 km) are the alternatives.
