France
Haute-Savoie, France
A car-free resort perched at 1,800m with direct ski-in ski-out access to the Portes du Soleil — 650km of pistes connecting France and Switzerland. The village itself is snowsure all season and genuinely relaxing: no traffic, no transfers, just ski out of your apartment door.
Blue runs (12) tap any run to zoom in on map
Easy Blue Blue Blue+ (tough)
Arare chairlift
D'Arare is one of the main blue runs in the Avoriaz bowl, accessible from the Arare chairlift. It runs across a wide open plateau with views toward the Swiss border and the Dents du Midi peaks. One of the most popular intermediate cruisers in the resort.
Wide, smooth and consistently easy — a perfect confidence-builder at altitude. The views of the Dents du Midi from up here are extraordinary. Well-groomed early in the morning and a great warm-up run before exploring the wider Portes du Soleil area.
Mossettes chairlift
Mossettes sits near the Swiss border — at the top of this chairlift you can ski into Switzerland toward Champéry and the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil. The Mossettes blue stays on the French side and is a rolling, scenic run through open alpine terrain.
A great run for appreciating how big the Portes du Soleil actually is — from the top you can see into Switzerland. The run itself is wide and well-maintained. A nice change of scenery from the main Avoriaz bowl.
Lindarets chairlifts (Avoriaz lower sector)
Alpages and Fornet are in the Lindarets valley — the lower, more sheltered part of the Avoriaz ski area that connects toward Châtel and Les Gets. The Lindarets valley (nicknamed the 'valley of the goats') is below the main Avoriaz plateau, with runs winding through forest and open meadows. A completely different feel from the high-altitude bowl above.
The best option on a stormy day when the upper mountain is in cloud — the Lindarets valley has tree cover and is protected from wind. Also one of the most charming parts of the ski area, with traditional mountain restaurants in the valley.
Chavannes gondola (Avoriaz village base)
The Chavannes gondola is the main lift from the Avoriaz village plateau down to the lower ski area. The Chavannes blue is the main run back up to the village — wide, well-maintained, and visible from the resort. The most-used run in Avoriaz because everyone who skis here passes through it.
Every Avoriaz guest skis this run multiple times a day — it's the natural start and finish point for skiing in the resort. Reliably groomed and consistently easy.
Les Brochaux chairlift (main Avoriaz bowl)
The Brochaux chairlift is in the heart of the Avoriaz ski bowl, above the main village. The blue run here rolls through the wide open terrain that characterises the upper Avoriaz area with good views of the surrounding peaks and down toward Morzine in the valley below.
A classic Avoriaz intermediate run — wide, open, and well-maintained. The views down to Morzine and toward the Swiss border from up here are excellent on a clear day.
Crozats chairlift (Avoriaz upper area)
The Crozats chairlift is in the upper part of the Avoriaz bowl, giving access to the higher terrain near the Swiss border. The blue run from here descends through open terrain with views of the dramatic Dents du Midi peaks across the valley in Switzerland.
One of the most scenically striking blues in Avoriaz — the Dents du Midi is a spectacular and distinctive mountain and the view from up here is excellent. The run is wide and consistently easy, making it a great combination of good skiing and dramatic scenery.
Super-Morzine gondola (from Morzine village)
The Super-Morzine gondola connects Morzine village (in the valley below Avoriaz) directly to the ski area at the Super-Morzine plateau. From here a blue run connects through to the main Avoriaz circuit. Morzine is a larger, more traditional village than Avoriaz — staying here gives you more choice of restaurants and accommodation at lower prices.
If you stay in Morzine rather than Avoriaz, this is the run you use every morning to access the ski area. Well-maintained and consistently groomed. The Super-Morzine plateau is a pleasant area for skiing in its own right.
Chavannes gondola → Seraussaix chair (toward Les Gets)
Les Gets is a completely separate resort on the far side of the Portes du Soleil from Avoriaz, reachable on a blue-run traverse with one lift connection. The route takes you across the ski area via the Chavannes sector and down toward Les Gets village — a traditional Savoyard village very different in character from Avoriaz.
One of the great intermediate ski tours in the Portes du Soleil — a proper multi-resort journey on blue terrain. Les Gets is a charming, genuinely French mountain village with excellent restaurants and a completely different atmosphere from Avoriaz. Worth making the trip at least once in a week.
Arare chairlift (main Avoriaz bowl)
The Arare area is the core of the Avoriaz ski bowl — multiple chairlifts serve an extensive area of wide, open intermediate terrain. The blue runs here are among the most consistent and well-maintained in the resort and form the main skiing circuit for intermediate visitors.
The heart of easy-to-intermediate skiing in Avoriaz — this area has excellent grooming, consistent gradient, and good lift infrastructure. A reliable choice for any day of the week and in any conditions.
Prodains cable car (from Morzine valley road)
The Prodains cable car is an alternative access point to Avoriaz from the main valley road between Morzine and Montriond. It's used by day visitors arriving by car. The blues above Prodains are lower-altitude, often tree-lined, and a good option when the main Avoriaz bowl is windy.
A good lower-altitude alternative to the main bowl — the tree cover here provides shelter in bad weather. The blues from Prodains are well-maintained and give good access to the main Avoriaz circuit.
Lindarets chairlifts (lower Avoriaz sector)
The Lindarets valley is the lowest part of the Avoriaz ski area, at around 1,450m — nicknamed the 'valley of the goats' for the goats that roam here in summer. The blues here wind through open meadows and light forest with several charming mountain restaurants. Connects toward Châtel to the east.
The most charming part of the Avoriaz ski area — the Lindarets valley feels genuinely Alpine with its old farmhouse restaurants and pastoral setting. The blues here are gentle and the restaurants (particularly Chez Nanette) are worth a long lunch stop.
Mossettes chairlift (toward Swiss border)
The Mossettes area sits right at the French-Swiss border. From the top of the Mossettes chairlift you can see into Switzerland toward Champéry and the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil. The blue run stays on the French side but the proximity to Switzerland gives it a distinctive high-border feel.
A run with a unique character — standing at the top you have France behind you and Switzerland ahead. The views of the Dents du Midi from here are exceptional. The run itself is wide and manageable throughout.
Avoriaz is a purpose-built resort, but one with genuine personality — the angular 1960s architecture is actually iconic, and the car-free policy (everything arrives by horse-drawn sleigh or snowmobile) makes it feel completely different from other French resorts. You literally ski in and out of your accommodation. No walking to lifts, no car parks, no transfers within resort.
Car-free · Ski-in ski-out · Iconic architecture · Young atmosphere
Book ski-in ski-out accommodation — the whole point of Avoriaz is never taking your skis off.
Avoriaz is reached by gondola from Morzine (in the valley below) or by driving up to the car park at the edge of the resort and taking a short ski or snowmobile in.
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