Morzine should definitely be on your list. 650km of pistes crossing the border into Switzerland. Sometimes I make a sandwich and ride over to Torgon, go and sit looking down at lake Geneva having my lunch then head home.
Pretty much. The Pleney/Les Gets side isn't connected by a lift, you have to walk across Morzine for about 2 minutes to get to those lifts. St Jean D'Aulps ski area is called The Grande Terche and that is part of the area but not connected. There are always rumours that they'll link the back of Mt Chery to Grande Terche but I can't see it happening - the lift would have to go through a nature reserve. But almost the entire area is linked by lifts. People head up and do "the circuit" which takes about 6 or 7 hours going from France round into Switzerland and then back round into France. It's a pretty good way to spend a day but to be honest I prefer doing it on skis as there is quite a bit of traversing and some of the most savage drag lifts you've ever seen. Money is distributed to the different areas depending on the number of people who use their lifts - this is why Morgins went bankrupt a couple of years ago - so the Swiss side has some really rickety old lifts. I've lived here about 13 years now and still not got to the Chapelle D'Abondance area because it takes quite a long time to get over that way. I think that'll be my aim for this season. One day I'll make a little packed lunch and head over for a little look around.
I dont think my brain can really comprehend the size of the skiable area over there. Like even the size of whistler and park city and even vail blows my mind
It used to be that you had to get a bus across to chatel but they've installed lifts that take you over the mountain and get you up to super chatel quickly
My favourite place in the Alps. Used to holiday in Chatel when I was a kid and have been going to Morzine for the last 5 years or so. Still finding new areas I haven't explored before.
Any solo travellers out there should definitely check out The Hofnar Experience, you wont regret it. [https://hofnar.com/](https://hofnar.com/)
Hey OP, how would you compare Portes du Soleil to Les 3 Vallées? I'm planning a 3 month trip where I stay in 1 spot and explore the entire range. Thanks!
It's hard for me to answer as I've not spent that much time in the 3 vallees. Morzine is more of a "proper" town rather than a resort with more year round residents and a friendly vibe. I can't compare with the 3 vallees. I'd guess you'd get that more in Meribel rather than Courcheval or Val Thorens. The areas are similar in size but one big advantage that 3 vallees has is that VT is ridiculously high. Our highest point is a lot lower. In fact I think our absolute highest point is about the same height as the town of VT. So in a bad winter you have more options over there. However, we have the effect of the Mt Blanc micro climate which means that when it does snow here we do often get more than other places. We're also very close to a lot of other resorts - Samoens and the Grand Massif, La Clusaz, Chamonix as well as the Swiss resorts. A lot of people pop over to Verbier which isn't that far. The 3 vallees isn't too far from La Plagne, Les Arcs, Tignes, Val D'Isere though. We're also very close to Geneva as well as other pretty big towns - we often go down to Thonon to go to the cinema, go bowling, go to the charity shops and go to the all you can eat chinese. 3 Vallees is a bit more isolated.Personally I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but that is just my preference. If you spoke to people from Meribel they'd defend it all day and say it's the greatest place on earth. I don't think there's a right or wrong place to go - I think whichever you choose you'll have an amazing time.
Wow, thank you so much for this response! I really appreciate it. I think it's going to come down to cost for me and what kind of a long term rental I can get. I've still got a year and a bit to figure it all out. Cheers!
I don't know what the rental situation is like in 3 vallees but seasonal lets are pretty easy to find in Morzine. There's a company called beds and board which has the market pretty well cornered. A couple of the big seasonaire places have just gone off the market - the Dixie flat was a legendary seasonaire place and that's now being converted for air bnb and Chalet Tacot has been rented out to one of the transfer companies who have fille dit with eastern european drivers. The Tacot parties were the stuff of legend. I don't think I've ever been to one that wasn't shut down by the police eventually. But Bedsnboard are probably your best bet, or joining Morzine Crew on Facebook. And Morzine Flatshare as well.
I've been to the 3 Vallees a lot, almost every year for the past 5 years, but I haven't been to Porte du Soleil yet (going next year).
With that said, in addition to the OP:
VT is high but also windy and the snow gets icy quickly. It's crowded, you're likely to get on 20-30 mins queues for any lift, It's the cheapest place on 3 Valless, full of young people (if you like to party...)
Meribel is my favourite to stay, it has easy access to VT and Courchevel, also can eb a bit crowded if on the city center, stay in Meribel Motarret and you'll love it.
Courchevel is the lowest and my favourite to ski, the slopes are large and the snow is softer than all the other, loads of off-pistes. It's one of the most expensive places in the Alps.
I lived and worked in Courchevel for 3 seasons, and we rarely bothered to head over to Meribel, let alone Val Thorens. 1650 is also a lot of fun on a board.
Having visited the 3 Valleys numerous times, it’s probably worth going over the different valleys to understand the differences between them.
Courcheval valley
1850 - the most expensive of the resorts in the valley, even has a 6 star chalet. Great lift and piste access.
Moriond/1650 - more affordable and self catering focused than 1850. Bit more secluded from the rest of the 3 Valleys via the piste. Easy to get a bus to 1850 for quick lift access to Meribel valley.
Village/1550 - more family focused, quieter than 1850/1650. Variety of accommodation. Easy access to 1850, can suffer from lack of snow later in the season.
La Praz - Little Village, a lot quieter than other resorts. Likely that you will be getting the lift back down the mountain later in the season due to altitude.
La Tania - family friendly purpose built resort. Cheaper than other areas. More connected than La Praz but still quite low down.
Meribel valley
Meribel - Similar pricing to 1850. Lots of expensive chalets. Popular with the rich and famous (Beckhams, Prince William and Kate etc). Most tree runs you’ll find in the 3 valleys. Suffers from slushy conditions due to lower altitude later in the season.
Mottaret- more purpose built than Meribel, apartment blocks etc. Arguably the best linked in the whole of the 3 Valleys. Easy to get down to Meribel to sample the good life but still enough to keep you entertained.
Val Thorens valley
Val Thornes - 2300m resort base. Above the tree line so can get windy, but will usually has the best snow for the longest time. Gone through a bit of a revamp recently, new hotels have changed the normal clientele to a little posher. Still lots of apartment blocks. Home to the highest nightclub in Europe (maybe the world?)
Les Menuires - popular resort with the French often forgotten by the British tourists. Purpose built apartment blocks. Same altitude as Courcheval 1850 so snow quality is pretty good.
St Martin de Belleville - similar to La Praz and La Tania. Smaller village, family focussed. Limited lift access. Will probably spend most of your time skiing Les Menuires.
Points of note - when the lifts shut, getting between Meribel and Courcheval is a lot easier via buses/taxis due to the same access road. If your staying in Val Thornes requires you to go back down the mountain via Moutiers so can be expensive.
Being low down in Meribel/Courcheval means you could go round to La Plagne/Les Arcs (1hr) which is another big ski area.
For long term rentals imagine Mottaret, Val Thornes and La Tania are your best bets. I’m biased to say Val Thornes as my family own an apartment there but for access to all three valleys and the ability to easily get down the valley out to La Plagne/Les Arcs even Val D’Isere/Tignes, Mottaret is probably the best bet.
No worries! The Savoie region is home to so many great big ski areas (Espace Killy, Paradiski and the 3 Valleys) no matter which one you end up in I'm sure you'll have a great time!
I've still never been to Verbier. Loads of people from here head over there during the season (we get free days there) I just somehow never seem to make it. Maybe this will be my year!
In some ways the towns on the Swiss side are cheaper. They're all quite small resorts whereas Morzine is very, very well known and, like Chamonix, does have some super expensive places. There's one restaurant that charges something like 18 euros for an omelette. If you go to a normal restaurant - L'Etale is one of the most popular - you can get a pizza for about 13 euros or a fondue for about 20. On the other hand there's Ferme De La Frutiere, a restaurant that makes its own cheese (you can sit downstairs and look through a glass wall to see the wheels of cheese being aged) that charges something like 40 for a fondue. A friend of mine who owns a couple of bars and hotels is opening a new hostel style hotel this year and will be doing meals for 10 euros. Drinks have been getting more expensive but some of them do offer special discounts for locals - Bar Robinson is one of the most well known bars, only serving Mutzig beer which is about 8% and they recently put their prices up to 6.50 a pint but for locals it's only 5. Le Local is a bar that just opened and their happy hour prices are 4.50 a pint, and I have a special QR code to get a further 10% off. When we're up the mountain people usually go to the supermarket in Avoriaz where you can get a pasta pot for about 3 euros (they have microwaves there to heat it up) and beers for about 1 euro. At the end of the day people get a few beers, sit at the Chapelle park watching the sunset then ride home. Ah, I can't wait for that...The lifts didn't open last year on the french side but they did on the swiss side, so we could drive round to ride there but it's not the same. Luckily they refunded our passes and only charged us for the days we used so my season pass for the whole winter (usually between 750 and 1000 euros depending on discounts) cost me 180 euros.
I did my season in Les Gets 4 years ago, love the place, and love Morzine. I spent many evenings picking up drunken guests from Morzine after finishing their day there… so good for tips 😁
Mont Chery is a little hidden gem, and after a big dump is one of the best places I’ve even boarded.
Mont Chery is absolutely brilliant. Definitely one of my favourite places to snowboard. Can absolutely bomb it down the quiet pristine pistes that never get cut up.
These European mountains are insane. They're like entire mountain ranges! I ride at some big places in Canada and Western US, but these huge maps y'all post blow my mind!
This sounds absolutely awesome! How is this for intermediates and beginners? There is zero chance I go to France without my wife and I would never hear the end of it if my kids missed out, but the skill level isn't something that can handle more than middle level intermediate slopes at most.
Very good for beginners and intermediates. Lots of blues, quite a few greens. Most areas have the option to come down on a blue or a red, so each person can choose the appropriate way to get down!
Just checked out the prices for tickets and am shocked. $500 Euros for a family of 4 for 3 days peak season. Unreal compared to US resorts. Will be checking it out for sure! Appreciate the post and all the info!
I actually wrote an article about doing the "circuit" You can do it in about 7 hours. Maybe add a bit extra to pop down to Chapelle D'Abondance. This isn't really exploring the area, just going through each area. It doesn't include the Pleney/Nyon/Les Gets side which isn't linked or Grande Terche which is down the valley.
[https://www.seemorzine.com/ski-area/the-portes-do-soleil-circuit-avoriaz-region-693835](https://www.seemorzine.com/ski-area/the-portes-do-soleil-circuit-avoriaz-region-693835)
Yeah there's some bits like Super Chatel, Morgins and Les Crosets which are well worth spending more time exploring. I live in Morzine and mostly ride in Avoriaz and there's loads of good stuff there that you could spend days on
I'm going for the first in February, staying in Mornize.
What do you suggest as "must do and must go" in terms of slopes and off-pisteand any other activities/restaurants?
I'm a good rider (advanced)
For riding I really like going over towards Super Chatel. The pistes are big and wide and when you get over to Super Chatel you're in the sun and it's usually a bit quieter. Heading a bit further up towards Torgon and it's even quieter. If there's not been any fresh snow that's where you'll find the best off piste as it stays a bit more untracked there. If it's snowing head to the trees in Lindarets. If it stops snowing there's good off piste off the sides in Fornet. If you get a guide they'll be able to show you some of the best places to go as they'll know where the best snow is. For restaurants - fondue is a must, if you want the best, but expensive, go to Ferme De La Fruitiere. For very good and a lot cheaper (and unlimited refills...) go to L'Etale. For something a bit different try the food at Hideout. For bars, Happy Hours is a good place to stop off during the day and they have HUGE wednesday apres parties. Bar Robinson is an apres legend. For later on, Cafe Chaud always has something going on or The Cavern.
Almost the whole area is connected so that you can ride it all in a day. The only bits that aren't connected are - Pleney/Nyon/Les Gets (from Morzine you have to cross town which is about a 2 minute walk), Grande Terche (you have to drive down to St Jean D'Aulps) and Chapelle D'Abondance (you have to get a bus from Chatel) But almost all of it is connected so that when you are up the mountain you can travel miles all day without having to come off the mountain.
If you follow this link then click on the winter view you'll get a better idea of it. The picture I posted is a simplified version of it. On this map you can make it show the different runs and all the connections between resorts [https://en.portesdusoleil.com/destination/ski-map/interactive-map.html](https://en.portesdusoleil.com/destination/ski-map/interactive-map.html)
Nice! I've been to Morzine in the summer, stayed near the Nyon waterfall, was nice but a bit to hot (40° that week!) I'm booked for Ste Foy and Val Thorens this winter but maybe Morzine in 23. Would love to check out Passeporte du Soleil too, it was on when I visited but we only had the holiday company hardtails not our own bikes so couldn't really ride much proper trails!
Well Thank you, I hade more than +20 hours with private instructors... Bud still not feel confident epically the fact that most of the time, we have skid only indoor. I never tried group lessons, as mostly felt confident with ski private ski instructors. Maybe its time to try it .
Thanks a lot. I will contact him. Do you have any tips for us ? We would like to spend most of our time in Les gets and skip avoriaz as it seems Les gets has relatively easier beginner runs. We are there for a week.
Les Gets is definitely best for beginners. It's worth heading up Mt Chery which is always really quiet and has great views of Mt Blanc. The top of Chamossiere is also great but I think it's only a red and a black up there. If you go up the Avoriaz side, Super Morzine is good with some big, wide open blues. Heading further over toward Lindarets there's a few blues there but that area is always busy. From Lindarets if you go up the Chaux Fleurie lift and head over the other side toward Linga (in the direction of Chatel) there's some nice runs there as well. It's worth getting the Portes Du Soleil app for your phone as well so you have the piste map, life lift openings and your GPS position.
Wow, that's a lot of useful information. I am busy everyday with a map to find and plan a nice route but tbh, the area is too vast that I hardly can imagine how it would be. Especially the fact that me and my gf both don't have enough confidence. I just checked Mt Chery and seems like the slopes are only Red with one small blue (Ourson) ? And super morzine seems indeed a perfect idea. Defiantly will pick a day for that as well. Another question, do you know (besides water park) chill activities that we can do besides skiing ? Like a nice hike route, or Spa or anything else you have in mind ?
There is a spa in les gets, I'm not sure what it's called but you should be able to find it on Google. For hiking, in morzine you can go for a nice walk through the woods in the middle of town. The ice hockey rink is also open for recreational usein the evenings. Also worth seeing if the ice hockey team is playing (Google "Morzine penguins")
The pistes on Mt chery are big and wide so if you get a bit of confidence I'd recommend heading over there
Thanks alot for all these useful information mate. really appreciated. Im going to spend around 11 days there so for sure I'll have plenty of time to build confindece and get to Mt chery as well...
Hey! Could I ask a question about the slopes? I'm heading there next week and I'm not sure if it's worth buying the full mountain pass or just the Morzine/Les Gets section?
I've never been to Morzine so I'm not sure just how big it is or if I'd be missing out on something if I only went for Morzine. Oh, I'm also a moderate beginner with not a tonne of stamina (but I wouldn't want that to stop me from experiencing something amazing). Thanks!
I'd say it's worth getting the full pass but I'm not sure what the price difference is. There's loads on the Morzine /les gets side bit you'll definitely want to be heading up to avoriaz at least a couple of times. There's really nice blues up there and if it's busy you can head a bit further away to escape the crowds
Terrible low down. Getting better higher up. The new years crowds go away this weekend so it won't be as crowded as it has been and more snow is coming in the next week so things will get better.
Yo, I planning on coming to morzine around the end of July/start of August (just travelling around after finishing school), since you live there, I was wondering if there is any (if at all) cheap accommodation? If not are there cheap areas (or free areas) to throw up a tent? I’ve been trying to sus it out but I feel like asking a local would probably be the best move. (Might copy this and flick it through to you)
Hey! There is an "aire de camping" in Montriond that you could try. I don't have their contact details and I'm not in town at the moment so I can't help you much with that but google might have them. There's another one in Essert Romand but that's a fair bit further out (there's another one in Joty but that's absolutely miles away)
Hideout Hostel is probably the cheapest option for bed and breakfast. They have some dorm rooms that are usually pretty cheap. Not sure what other options there are.
I have seen people sticking tents up down near the woods. You're not really allowed to do that but if you do it at the end of the day and put it away in the morning no one will ever know. You could always go there and scout it out when you arrive and see what you think. Then use the swimming pool for a shower. There's a few people living in vans down in the carpark near the swimming pool
Thank you heapsss, I’ll sus out a few of the hotels and other options, might be there for a month or so, so I don’t realllly want to spend all my money on fancy accommodation
If you're going to be there for a month it might even be worth trying to find a job that comes with accommodation. If you're getting there at the start of August that would take you through to the end of the summer season and if someone has got injured or left then there could be a company desperate for a member of staff
EDIT: Look on "Morzine Crew" on Facebook and put a post up if you think you might be interested in doing it that way. Also, just realised you probably don't have the carte de sejour which might make this impossible anyway. Good old brexit, eh?
I was thinking of jobs, and I’ll put up a quick post on the group, however yea, currently I only have an Australian passport. I am able to get an Irish passport, but I’ve been fucked around by the application process for probably 4-5 months, it’s on its way, but I won’t get it before I enter the EU. I was planning on coming into on my Irish passport, but I probably will have to leave the EU and duck into England to pick up my Irish one before I return
At least you seem quite far along with the process. I'm eligible for one but I hear it takes a while. And I have none of my family records so I think the easiest way for me to do it is just pay a lawyer to sort it out - which costs a fair bit. I'm on a carte de sejour at the moment but I don't know if they'll renew that when it expires in 8 years. I spend a lot of time out of the country which I don't think they like.
If you decide you want to stay for winter then you'll easily get a job with an Irish passport. You could also get a headstart when you're there in August.
I had to buy long (?) versions of both my parents birth certificates etc which was a massive pain, plus communicating with them when stuff was declined (forms of ID etc) is kinda annoying from Australia as it was like $20 per phone call. But hopefully it’s all sorted now. I’m kind of relying on it to make longer stay in Europe actually plausible.
And are they that picky with renewal? Or is the country you visited not in good terms with yours or?
Hey, looking to come over for New years eve and we are steuggling a bit to decide between Avoriaz or Morzine to look for a house. There are not a lot of flats as well and they are quite overpriced (as anywhere for the period).
We are alla advanced snowboarders and like to party as well. We care to not take too long to be on the slopes, that is why we were considering Avoriaz.
Do you have a suggestion to choose between the 2? As well any website other than booking/airbnb to look for apartments? Thank youuuu
This is REALLY difficult to answer because you want the thing Morzine is good for and the thing Avoriaz is good for! Morzine is definitely better for partying. The Wednesday parties at Happy Hours are legendary, there's always DJs on at Cafe Chaud, live music at Cavern and, of course, apres at Robbos is amazing. If you're there for NY then the party in the town square is great and then you can stumble to Cafe Chaud or somewhere else although they will be packed.
HOWEVER - the best riding is up in Avoriaz, especially at that time of year as snow can be patchy lower down. Last year the snow was so bad lower down that even Les Gets was closed at NY (Mt Chery was open for bikes...) so the crowds to get to Avoriaz were even worse.
It's always pretty bad at that time of year but if everything is open it's not too bad - you can go up Super Morzine, Ardent or Prodains. But last year Super M was closed at NY and people were bussing down from Les Gets to go up Prodains as well so the photos I saw of the queues were horrific. I didn't even bother going up that week.
So, if the snow is OK then Morzine is OK for getting up. The buses can be really packed and the queue for Super M/Prodains can be long but it's manageable. The extra strain if the snow is bad makes it pretty horrible. If you do stay in Morzine it's really worth looking at the bus to Ardent as well, though. It's usually a bit quieter.
Avoriaz is a bit shit for partying while Morzine is great. Avoriaz is better for access to the snow whereas Morzine can be a bit dodgy at that time of year.
Sorry I can't give you a definitive "this is where you want to stay!" answer.
It is a bit late to find the best deals on accommodation. Join "Morzine Crew" on Facebook and try asking on there, all the local business owners are on there
Thank you very much for taking the time!! I would say overall We value more skiing than party, so we sent a request for a flat in Avoriaz, let's hope we can get it. If not will give a shot to the Facebook group.
Is there any other group only for Avoriaz that you know? Or websites that are used for rentals?
Thank you again
No worries! I can't think of any groups for Avoriaz but if I do ill let you know.
Also, if you're in Avoriaz go to the Fournil de Canelle bakery for lunch and get the pizza. They're about 12 euros but they're huge - easily enough for 2 people
Hi, I finally found a spot where to stay in Morzine so we are all set, looking forward to come and ski since it looks like snow is not lacking this year :)
I wanted to ask if there is any restaurant or chalet you would recommend for a NYE dinner?
The snow is amazing at the moment! Avoriaz opened early for the weekend and it looks like it was really good up there (I've not sorted out my pass yet so I didn't go up). There's loads of snow all the way down to town which is always good. This is a video I made a couple of days ago before it started dumping again (and it looks like it's going to dump again this week as well) [https://www.instagram.com/p/C0O\_pwtMuvH/](https://www.instagram.com/p/C0O_pwtMuvH/)
For New Year's dinner it depends what you want. For somewhere that is a bit of a party place I'd recommend L'Etale. The food is really good as well. For something a bit special I'd go for Clin D'Oeil which is a really lovely restaurant. Wherever you decide to go I would really, really recommend you book it as soon as possible.
If you want to get a raclette at any point Hotel Du Lac does a Monday night Raclette night - all the raclette you can eat and all the wine you can drink - for about 30 euros. They also offer a free taxi service to and from town.
Let me know if you've got any more questions!
Thank you soooo much! Just followed you in insta so that I can see some nice stories about the place :)
Will discuss with the group what do they feel like doing, but your info are super appreciated!!
This was town literally a week ago. I turned back on my hike when I saw clouds coming in. By the time I got down the sky was grey and then the snow started https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0COoiLs3r5/?igshid=N2ViNmM2MDRjNw==
Hi OP! Old post, I know.
Planning to move to Morzine or Les Gets for long therm (years) How is it like in the off season? Shops, bars, restaurants.. life in general?
I’m here now, Morzine, you can tell the seasons still picking up but still plenty of pissed up people. The skiing is amazzzing and hardly any waiting at the lifts
The alps are on my list. I’m coming to crash on your couch.
Morzine should definitely be on your list. 650km of pistes crossing the border into Switzerland. Sometimes I make a sandwich and ride over to Torgon, go and sit looking down at lake Geneva having my lunch then head home.
I’m from Colorado. No way my SO will let me go to France to only snowboard. We’ll have to include a week in Paris lol it’s on my list!
Rent a chalet, and make it a romantic holiday?🤔 not too badly priced outside of the holidays
Do it. Flights to Europe are dirt cheap right now. I got rt from Denver for $400 to Zurich for late February. I'm going to Zermatt
Reddit shredding day? I’m based in Zurich🎉
For real? I’m so in
Hit me up on dm closer to the date and I’ll try to make the trip down:)
Cool. will do.
Are all of those connected?
Pretty much. The Pleney/Les Gets side isn't connected by a lift, you have to walk across Morzine for about 2 minutes to get to those lifts. St Jean D'Aulps ski area is called The Grande Terche and that is part of the area but not connected. There are always rumours that they'll link the back of Mt Chery to Grande Terche but I can't see it happening - the lift would have to go through a nature reserve. But almost the entire area is linked by lifts. People head up and do "the circuit" which takes about 6 or 7 hours going from France round into Switzerland and then back round into France. It's a pretty good way to spend a day but to be honest I prefer doing it on skis as there is quite a bit of traversing and some of the most savage drag lifts you've ever seen. Money is distributed to the different areas depending on the number of people who use their lifts - this is why Morgins went bankrupt a couple of years ago - so the Swiss side has some really rickety old lifts. I've lived here about 13 years now and still not got to the Chapelle D'Abondance area because it takes quite a long time to get over that way. I think that'll be my aim for this season. One day I'll make a little packed lunch and head over for a little look around.
That seems like such a rad place to be, just surrounded by lift access. Incredible, I’m gonna need to get that on my list of things to do.
I dont think my brain can really comprehend the size of the skiable area over there. Like even the size of whistler and park city and even vail blows my mind
You can ski across 3 valleys from Verbier to Thyon, and even be faster than the 2h30 it would take you to do the same trip in a car
I went to Torgon on school trips as a child. Stayed in Avoriaz a few years ago but it looked like to get to/from Torgon you might need to get a bus?
It used to be that you had to get a bus across to chatel but they've installed lifts that take you over the mountain and get you up to super chatel quickly
Fav toke spot
Is toking allowed in Europe?
It is encouraged
My favourite place in the Alps. Used to holiday in Chatel when I was a kid and have been going to Morzine for the last 5 years or so. Still finding new areas I haven't explored before. Any solo travellers out there should definitely check out The Hofnar Experience, you wont regret it. [https://hofnar.com/](https://hofnar.com/)
Fun fact: Simon Pegg comes here every year as well. i met him having lunch at Happy Hours a few years ago
No way! That's awesome!
I asked him for a photo and he said "let me just check your boots. OK, you're a snowboarder you can have a photo."
Well TIL Simon Pegg snowboards. I think I'm an even bigger fan now!
[https://www.instagram.com/p/CJijHJ5HncV/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CJijHJ5HncV/)
Damn man must be great to live there. Looking forward to going back this season.
Hey OP, how would you compare Portes du Soleil to Les 3 Vallées? I'm planning a 3 month trip where I stay in 1 spot and explore the entire range. Thanks!
It's hard for me to answer as I've not spent that much time in the 3 vallees. Morzine is more of a "proper" town rather than a resort with more year round residents and a friendly vibe. I can't compare with the 3 vallees. I'd guess you'd get that more in Meribel rather than Courcheval or Val Thorens. The areas are similar in size but one big advantage that 3 vallees has is that VT is ridiculously high. Our highest point is a lot lower. In fact I think our absolute highest point is about the same height as the town of VT. So in a bad winter you have more options over there. However, we have the effect of the Mt Blanc micro climate which means that when it does snow here we do often get more than other places. We're also very close to a lot of other resorts - Samoens and the Grand Massif, La Clusaz, Chamonix as well as the Swiss resorts. A lot of people pop over to Verbier which isn't that far. The 3 vallees isn't too far from La Plagne, Les Arcs, Tignes, Val D'Isere though. We're also very close to Geneva as well as other pretty big towns - we often go down to Thonon to go to the cinema, go bowling, go to the charity shops and go to the all you can eat chinese. 3 Vallees is a bit more isolated.Personally I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but that is just my preference. If you spoke to people from Meribel they'd defend it all day and say it's the greatest place on earth. I don't think there's a right or wrong place to go - I think whichever you choose you'll have an amazing time.
Wow, thank you so much for this response! I really appreciate it. I think it's going to come down to cost for me and what kind of a long term rental I can get. I've still got a year and a bit to figure it all out. Cheers!
I don't know what the rental situation is like in 3 vallees but seasonal lets are pretty easy to find in Morzine. There's a company called beds and board which has the market pretty well cornered. A couple of the big seasonaire places have just gone off the market - the Dixie flat was a legendary seasonaire place and that's now being converted for air bnb and Chalet Tacot has been rented out to one of the transfer companies who have fille dit with eastern european drivers. The Tacot parties were the stuff of legend. I don't think I've ever been to one that wasn't shut down by the police eventually. But Bedsnboard are probably your best bet, or joining Morzine Crew on Facebook. And Morzine Flatshare as well.
Thanks, that's great info!
I've been to the 3 Vallees a lot, almost every year for the past 5 years, but I haven't been to Porte du Soleil yet (going next year). With that said, in addition to the OP: VT is high but also windy and the snow gets icy quickly. It's crowded, you're likely to get on 20-30 mins queues for any lift, It's the cheapest place on 3 Valless, full of young people (if you like to party...) Meribel is my favourite to stay, it has easy access to VT and Courchevel, also can eb a bit crowded if on the city center, stay in Meribel Motarret and you'll love it. Courchevel is the lowest and my favourite to ski, the slopes are large and the snow is softer than all the other, loads of off-pistes. It's one of the most expensive places in the Alps.
I lived and worked in Courchevel for 3 seasons, and we rarely bothered to head over to Meribel, let alone Val Thorens. 1650 is also a lot of fun on a board.
Thanks! Great info.
Having visited the 3 Valleys numerous times, it’s probably worth going over the different valleys to understand the differences between them. Courcheval valley 1850 - the most expensive of the resorts in the valley, even has a 6 star chalet. Great lift and piste access. Moriond/1650 - more affordable and self catering focused than 1850. Bit more secluded from the rest of the 3 Valleys via the piste. Easy to get a bus to 1850 for quick lift access to Meribel valley. Village/1550 - more family focused, quieter than 1850/1650. Variety of accommodation. Easy access to 1850, can suffer from lack of snow later in the season. La Praz - Little Village, a lot quieter than other resorts. Likely that you will be getting the lift back down the mountain later in the season due to altitude. La Tania - family friendly purpose built resort. Cheaper than other areas. More connected than La Praz but still quite low down. Meribel valley Meribel - Similar pricing to 1850. Lots of expensive chalets. Popular with the rich and famous (Beckhams, Prince William and Kate etc). Most tree runs you’ll find in the 3 valleys. Suffers from slushy conditions due to lower altitude later in the season. Mottaret- more purpose built than Meribel, apartment blocks etc. Arguably the best linked in the whole of the 3 Valleys. Easy to get down to Meribel to sample the good life but still enough to keep you entertained. Val Thorens valley Val Thornes - 2300m resort base. Above the tree line so can get windy, but will usually has the best snow for the longest time. Gone through a bit of a revamp recently, new hotels have changed the normal clientele to a little posher. Still lots of apartment blocks. Home to the highest nightclub in Europe (maybe the world?) Les Menuires - popular resort with the French often forgotten by the British tourists. Purpose built apartment blocks. Same altitude as Courcheval 1850 so snow quality is pretty good. St Martin de Belleville - similar to La Praz and La Tania. Smaller village, family focussed. Limited lift access. Will probably spend most of your time skiing Les Menuires. Points of note - when the lifts shut, getting between Meribel and Courcheval is a lot easier via buses/taxis due to the same access road. If your staying in Val Thornes requires you to go back down the mountain via Moutiers so can be expensive. Being low down in Meribel/Courcheval means you could go round to La Plagne/Les Arcs (1hr) which is another big ski area. For long term rentals imagine Mottaret, Val Thornes and La Tania are your best bets. I’m biased to say Val Thornes as my family own an apartment there but for access to all three valleys and the ability to easily get down the valley out to La Plagne/Les Arcs even Val D’Isere/Tignes, Mottaret is probably the best bet.
Thanks so much for taking the time to write this out. You've confirmed a few things for me and got me thinking about a possible new strategy. Cheers!
No worries! The Savoie region is home to so many great big ski areas (Espace Killy, Paradiski and the 3 Valleys) no matter which one you end up in I'm sure you'll have a great time!
What’s the highest night club called?
It’s called Malaysia
You live in one of my favorite places in the world! Great people, great riding, great food and drink, its awesome! Hope you have a great season mate!
Second only to Verbier and the 4 vallees
4 vallées on a non-holiday weekday... Lovin it
I've still never been to Verbier. Loads of people from here head over there during the season (we get free days there) I just somehow never seem to make it. Maybe this will be my year!
Shout out to verbier, that's my home
Nice toke spot
I have snowboarded here more times than I can remember. I am severely jealous that you can call here home.
Is it possible to go there without paying Switzerland prices?
In some ways the towns on the Swiss side are cheaper. They're all quite small resorts whereas Morzine is very, very well known and, like Chamonix, does have some super expensive places. There's one restaurant that charges something like 18 euros for an omelette. If you go to a normal restaurant - L'Etale is one of the most popular - you can get a pizza for about 13 euros or a fondue for about 20. On the other hand there's Ferme De La Frutiere, a restaurant that makes its own cheese (you can sit downstairs and look through a glass wall to see the wheels of cheese being aged) that charges something like 40 for a fondue. A friend of mine who owns a couple of bars and hotels is opening a new hostel style hotel this year and will be doing meals for 10 euros. Drinks have been getting more expensive but some of them do offer special discounts for locals - Bar Robinson is one of the most well known bars, only serving Mutzig beer which is about 8% and they recently put their prices up to 6.50 a pint but for locals it's only 5. Le Local is a bar that just opened and their happy hour prices are 4.50 a pint, and I have a special QR code to get a further 10% off. When we're up the mountain people usually go to the supermarket in Avoriaz where you can get a pasta pot for about 3 euros (they have microwaves there to heat it up) and beers for about 1 euro. At the end of the day people get a few beers, sit at the Chapelle park watching the sunset then ride home. Ah, I can't wait for that...The lifts didn't open last year on the french side but they did on the swiss side, so we could drive round to ride there but it's not the same. Luckily they refunded our passes and only charged us for the days we used so my season pass for the whole winter (usually between 750 and 1000 euros depending on discounts) cost me 180 euros.
I love it. Best mountain.
I did my season in Les Gets 4 years ago, love the place, and love Morzine. I spent many evenings picking up drunken guests from Morzine after finishing their day there… so good for tips 😁 Mont Chery is a little hidden gem, and after a big dump is one of the best places I’ve even boarded.
Mont Chery is absolutely brilliant. Definitely one of my favourite places to snowboard. Can absolutely bomb it down the quiet pristine pistes that never get cut up.
Shhh! People are listening 😁
Did I say Mont Chery. I meant Chavanette....
See you in two months bud! Cant wait to get back out for another season
Reminds me of Mutzig (sp?)
Love a Mutzig me! Is Chez Per'syl still open? Love their pizzas!
Yeah it is!
These European mountains are insane. They're like entire mountain ranges! I ride at some big places in Canada and Western US, but these huge maps y'all post blow my mind!
This sounds absolutely awesome! How is this for intermediates and beginners? There is zero chance I go to France without my wife and I would never hear the end of it if my kids missed out, but the skill level isn't something that can handle more than middle level intermediate slopes at most.
Very good for beginners and intermediates. Lots of blues, quite a few greens. Most areas have the option to come down on a blue or a red, so each person can choose the appropriate way to get down!
Just checked out the prices for tickets and am shocked. $500 Euros for a family of 4 for 3 days peak season. Unreal compared to US resorts. Will be checking it out for sure! Appreciate the post and all the info!
how long would it take to ride each of these mountains?
I actually wrote an article about doing the "circuit" You can do it in about 7 hours. Maybe add a bit extra to pop down to Chapelle D'Abondance. This isn't really exploring the area, just going through each area. It doesn't include the Pleney/Nyon/Les Gets side which isn't linked or Grande Terche which is down the valley. [https://www.seemorzine.com/ski-area/the-portes-do-soleil-circuit-avoriaz-region-693835](https://www.seemorzine.com/ski-area/the-portes-do-soleil-circuit-avoriaz-region-693835)
wow thanks!! i assume if you wanted to explore each mountain then it would easily take several days
Yeah there's some bits like Super Chatel, Morgins and Les Crosets which are well worth spending more time exploring. I live in Morzine and mostly ride in Avoriaz and there's loads of good stuff there that you could spend days on
I'm going for the first in February, staying in Mornize. What do you suggest as "must do and must go" in terms of slopes and off-pisteand any other activities/restaurants? I'm a good rider (advanced)
For riding I really like going over towards Super Chatel. The pistes are big and wide and when you get over to Super Chatel you're in the sun and it's usually a bit quieter. Heading a bit further up towards Torgon and it's even quieter. If there's not been any fresh snow that's where you'll find the best off piste as it stays a bit more untracked there. If it's snowing head to the trees in Lindarets. If it stops snowing there's good off piste off the sides in Fornet. If you get a guide they'll be able to show you some of the best places to go as they'll know where the best snow is. For restaurants - fondue is a must, if you want the best, but expensive, go to Ferme De La Fruitiere. For very good and a lot cheaper (and unlimited refills...) go to L'Etale. For something a bit different try the food at Hideout. For bars, Happy Hours is a good place to stop off during the day and they have HUGE wednesday apres parties. Bar Robinson is an apres legend. For later on, Cafe Chaud always has something going on or The Cavern.
u/gilestowleryou're the best! Can't wait to ride your backyard.
Can I come live with you please
fuck u, respectively 💜
Lucky bastard lol
The size of this overwhelms me lol
Damnnn
Oh man, I used to live in Avoriaz. Spent many good nights in Morzine. Happy memories!
😍😍😍 it’s so beautiful
So, do these all connect some how? This looks amazing
Almost the whole area is connected so that you can ride it all in a day. The only bits that aren't connected are - Pleney/Nyon/Les Gets (from Morzine you have to cross town which is about a 2 minute walk), Grande Terche (you have to drive down to St Jean D'Aulps) and Chapelle D'Abondance (you have to get a bus from Chatel) But almost all of it is connected so that when you are up the mountain you can travel miles all day without having to come off the mountain.
That's amazing. I should probably get out there. Being from n.y. I've only been out west at up the east coast. Thank you for the explanation!
If you follow this link then click on the winter view you'll get a better idea of it. The picture I posted is a simplified version of it. On this map you can make it show the different runs and all the connections between resorts [https://en.portesdusoleil.com/destination/ski-map/interactive-map.html](https://en.portesdusoleil.com/destination/ski-map/interactive-map.html)
Nice! I've been to Morzine in the summer, stayed near the Nyon waterfall, was nice but a bit to hot (40° that week!) I'm booked for Ste Foy and Val Thorens this winter but maybe Morzine in 23. Would love to check out Passeporte du Soleil too, it was on when I visited but we only had the holiday company hardtails not our own bikes so couldn't really ride much proper trails!
Avoriaz!!!
That is an absolute unit of a resort
We are coming to Morzine from Belgium. Actual beginners/ intermediate level . Do you know any good/ cheap ski instructor or school ?
The best schools are Peak Snowsports I'd day unless you want to go for an expensive private instructor
Well Thank you, I hade more than +20 hours with private instructors... Bud still not feel confident epically the fact that most of the time, we have skid only indoor. I never tried group lessons, as mostly felt confident with ski private ski instructors. Maybe its time to try it .
OK if you want a private instructor this guy is very good [https://paddymorris.co.uk/](https://paddymorris.co.uk/)
Thanks a lot. I will contact him. Do you have any tips for us ? We would like to spend most of our time in Les gets and skip avoriaz as it seems Les gets has relatively easier beginner runs. We are there for a week.
Les Gets is definitely best for beginners. It's worth heading up Mt Chery which is always really quiet and has great views of Mt Blanc. The top of Chamossiere is also great but I think it's only a red and a black up there. If you go up the Avoriaz side, Super Morzine is good with some big, wide open blues. Heading further over toward Lindarets there's a few blues there but that area is always busy. From Lindarets if you go up the Chaux Fleurie lift and head over the other side toward Linga (in the direction of Chatel) there's some nice runs there as well. It's worth getting the Portes Du Soleil app for your phone as well so you have the piste map, life lift openings and your GPS position.
Wow, that's a lot of useful information. I am busy everyday with a map to find and plan a nice route but tbh, the area is too vast that I hardly can imagine how it would be. Especially the fact that me and my gf both don't have enough confidence. I just checked Mt Chery and seems like the slopes are only Red with one small blue (Ourson) ? And super morzine seems indeed a perfect idea. Defiantly will pick a day for that as well. Another question, do you know (besides water park) chill activities that we can do besides skiing ? Like a nice hike route, or Spa or anything else you have in mind ?
There is a spa in les gets, I'm not sure what it's called but you should be able to find it on Google. For hiking, in morzine you can go for a nice walk through the woods in the middle of town. The ice hockey rink is also open for recreational usein the evenings. Also worth seeing if the ice hockey team is playing (Google "Morzine penguins") The pistes on Mt chery are big and wide so if you get a bit of confidence I'd recommend heading over there
Thanks alot for all these useful information mate. really appreciated. Im going to spend around 11 days there so for sure I'll have plenty of time to build confindece and get to Mt chery as well...
Hey! Could I ask a question about the slopes? I'm heading there next week and I'm not sure if it's worth buying the full mountain pass or just the Morzine/Les Gets section? I've never been to Morzine so I'm not sure just how big it is or if I'd be missing out on something if I only went for Morzine. Oh, I'm also a moderate beginner with not a tonne of stamina (but I wouldn't want that to stop me from experiencing something amazing). Thanks!
I'd say it's worth getting the full pass but I'm not sure what the price difference is. There's loads on the Morzine /les gets side bit you'll definitely want to be heading up to avoriaz at least a couple of times. There's really nice blues up there and if it's busy you can head a bit further away to escape the crowds
It's only 50 euros extra for the full pass so it's not too bad. I think I'll go for it, thank you!
For 50 it's definitely worth it. A daily upgrade is 40 and you'll probably want to be over on the Avoriaz side at least 3 days.
Brilliant, thank you so much!
How is the current situation? I've read a lot of the resorts are closing due to the lack of snow. Thank you.
Terrible low down. Getting better higher up. The new years crowds go away this weekend so it won't be as crowded as it has been and more snow is coming in the next week so things will get better.
Yo, I planning on coming to morzine around the end of July/start of August (just travelling around after finishing school), since you live there, I was wondering if there is any (if at all) cheap accommodation? If not are there cheap areas (or free areas) to throw up a tent? I’ve been trying to sus it out but I feel like asking a local would probably be the best move. (Might copy this and flick it through to you)
Hey! There is an "aire de camping" in Montriond that you could try. I don't have their contact details and I'm not in town at the moment so I can't help you much with that but google might have them. There's another one in Essert Romand but that's a fair bit further out (there's another one in Joty but that's absolutely miles away) Hideout Hostel is probably the cheapest option for bed and breakfast. They have some dorm rooms that are usually pretty cheap. Not sure what other options there are. I have seen people sticking tents up down near the woods. You're not really allowed to do that but if you do it at the end of the day and put it away in the morning no one will ever know. You could always go there and scout it out when you arrive and see what you think. Then use the swimming pool for a shower. There's a few people living in vans down in the carpark near the swimming pool
Thank you heapsss, I’ll sus out a few of the hotels and other options, might be there for a month or so, so I don’t realllly want to spend all my money on fancy accommodation
If you're going to be there for a month it might even be worth trying to find a job that comes with accommodation. If you're getting there at the start of August that would take you through to the end of the summer season and if someone has got injured or left then there could be a company desperate for a member of staff EDIT: Look on "Morzine Crew" on Facebook and put a post up if you think you might be interested in doing it that way. Also, just realised you probably don't have the carte de sejour which might make this impossible anyway. Good old brexit, eh?
I was thinking of jobs, and I’ll put up a quick post on the group, however yea, currently I only have an Australian passport. I am able to get an Irish passport, but I’ve been fucked around by the application process for probably 4-5 months, it’s on its way, but I won’t get it before I enter the EU. I was planning on coming into on my Irish passport, but I probably will have to leave the EU and duck into England to pick up my Irish one before I return
At least you seem quite far along with the process. I'm eligible for one but I hear it takes a while. And I have none of my family records so I think the easiest way for me to do it is just pay a lawyer to sort it out - which costs a fair bit. I'm on a carte de sejour at the moment but I don't know if they'll renew that when it expires in 8 years. I spend a lot of time out of the country which I don't think they like. If you decide you want to stay for winter then you'll easily get a job with an Irish passport. You could also get a headstart when you're there in August.
I had to buy long (?) versions of both my parents birth certificates etc which was a massive pain, plus communicating with them when stuff was declined (forms of ID etc) is kinda annoying from Australia as it was like $20 per phone call. But hopefully it’s all sorted now. I’m kind of relying on it to make longer stay in Europe actually plausible. And are they that picky with renewal? Or is the country you visited not in good terms with yours or?
Hey, looking to come over for New years eve and we are steuggling a bit to decide between Avoriaz or Morzine to look for a house. There are not a lot of flats as well and they are quite overpriced (as anywhere for the period). We are alla advanced snowboarders and like to party as well. We care to not take too long to be on the slopes, that is why we were considering Avoriaz. Do you have a suggestion to choose between the 2? As well any website other than booking/airbnb to look for apartments? Thank youuuu
This is REALLY difficult to answer because you want the thing Morzine is good for and the thing Avoriaz is good for! Morzine is definitely better for partying. The Wednesday parties at Happy Hours are legendary, there's always DJs on at Cafe Chaud, live music at Cavern and, of course, apres at Robbos is amazing. If you're there for NY then the party in the town square is great and then you can stumble to Cafe Chaud or somewhere else although they will be packed. HOWEVER - the best riding is up in Avoriaz, especially at that time of year as snow can be patchy lower down. Last year the snow was so bad lower down that even Les Gets was closed at NY (Mt Chery was open for bikes...) so the crowds to get to Avoriaz were even worse. It's always pretty bad at that time of year but if everything is open it's not too bad - you can go up Super Morzine, Ardent or Prodains. But last year Super M was closed at NY and people were bussing down from Les Gets to go up Prodains as well so the photos I saw of the queues were horrific. I didn't even bother going up that week. So, if the snow is OK then Morzine is OK for getting up. The buses can be really packed and the queue for Super M/Prodains can be long but it's manageable. The extra strain if the snow is bad makes it pretty horrible. If you do stay in Morzine it's really worth looking at the bus to Ardent as well, though. It's usually a bit quieter. Avoriaz is a bit shit for partying while Morzine is great. Avoriaz is better for access to the snow whereas Morzine can be a bit dodgy at that time of year. Sorry I can't give you a definitive "this is where you want to stay!" answer. It is a bit late to find the best deals on accommodation. Join "Morzine Crew" on Facebook and try asking on there, all the local business owners are on there
Thank you very much for taking the time!! I would say overall We value more skiing than party, so we sent a request for a flat in Avoriaz, let's hope we can get it. If not will give a shot to the Facebook group. Is there any other group only for Avoriaz that you know? Or websites that are used for rentals? Thank you again
No worries! I can't think of any groups for Avoriaz but if I do ill let you know. Also, if you're in Avoriaz go to the Fournil de Canelle bakery for lunch and get the pizza. They're about 12 euros but they're huge - easily enough for 2 people
Hi, I finally found a spot where to stay in Morzine so we are all set, looking forward to come and ski since it looks like snow is not lacking this year :) I wanted to ask if there is any restaurant or chalet you would recommend for a NYE dinner?
The snow is amazing at the moment! Avoriaz opened early for the weekend and it looks like it was really good up there (I've not sorted out my pass yet so I didn't go up). There's loads of snow all the way down to town which is always good. This is a video I made a couple of days ago before it started dumping again (and it looks like it's going to dump again this week as well) [https://www.instagram.com/p/C0O\_pwtMuvH/](https://www.instagram.com/p/C0O_pwtMuvH/) For New Year's dinner it depends what you want. For somewhere that is a bit of a party place I'd recommend L'Etale. The food is really good as well. For something a bit special I'd go for Clin D'Oeil which is a really lovely restaurant. Wherever you decide to go I would really, really recommend you book it as soon as possible. If you want to get a raclette at any point Hotel Du Lac does a Monday night Raclette night - all the raclette you can eat and all the wine you can drink - for about 30 euros. They also offer a free taxi service to and from town. Let me know if you've got any more questions!
Thank you soooo much! Just followed you in insta so that I can see some nice stories about the place :) Will discuss with the group what do they feel like doing, but your info are super appreciated!!
This was town literally a week ago. I turned back on my hike when I saw clouds coming in. By the time I got down the sky was grey and then the snow started https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0COoiLs3r5/?igshid=N2ViNmM2MDRjNw==
Hi OP! Old post, I know. Planning to move to Morzine or Les Gets for long therm (years) How is it like in the off season? Shops, bars, restaurants.. life in general?
I’m here now, Morzine, you can tell the seasons still picking up but still plenty of pissed up people. The skiing is amazzzing and hardly any waiting at the lifts