Avoriaz

The village’s tall apartment blocks are instantly recognisable, sitting high on a plateau above the village of Morzine below. It is traffic free as all visitors must park in car parks on the outskirts of town – book a space underground to save yourself from having to dig your car out after a snowstorm – so the resort makes for a great location for a family ski holiday. Add to this the quick transfer time from Geneva and the fact that the entire resort is ski-in-ski-out and Avoriaz is as convenient as it gets.

Why not also join the resort’s Ski Club App group for the very latest from the resort, or to link up with fellow skiers whilst you’re out on the slopes. We also have the Ski Club’s Avoriaz Facebook Page

The local slopes are divided into four distinct sectors on the piste map – beginner, family, forest and expert. These should only be used as a guide but they do roughly split the resort in four. The sunny nursery slopes are good for beginners, as are the gentle blues towards Morzine, the forest area is ideal in bad weather whilst the family zone has variety for all. Experts will be kept happy in the area above Prodains or after fresh snowfall. And remember, the entire Portes du Soleil is just a couple of chairlift rides away, provided snow is good on the lower slopes.

For Beginners

Avoriaz’s beginner zone is located right in the heart of town, where sunny greens and gentle blues provide a good area for learning. The only issue can be the number of skiers and boarders using the slopes, especially at the start and end of the day as people try to reach the other parts of the resort. Progression on to longer blues is good, especially in the Super Morzine sector and through the trees down to Lindarets and Ardent.

For Intermediates

The Portes du Soleil is a vast intermediate playground and the local slopes of Avoriaz encapsulate this. In particular, the Arare and Chavenette runs are wide pistes that are great for practicing your turns. Further afield the slopes around Les Crosets on the Swiss side are ideal for intermediate cruising and the long runs down into Morgins are a great option. Although it is a bit more an effort to get to, exploring the tree-lined slopes of Les Gets is well worth it for confident intermediates.

For Advanced/Expert & Off Piste

With an average of 8m of snow per season, the slopes are not only the region’s most snowsure, but there is good chance of catching some fresh powder, which is really when the ski area comes alive for advanced and expert skiers and boarders. Head to the long blacks above Prodains or down the infamous Swiss Wall towards Champéry. Avoriaz is also home to one of the best terrain parks in the Alps and the excellent Burton Stash freestyle park in the woods by the Prolays chair.

Getting to Avoriaz is easy from Geneva airport and numerous companies offer shared or private transfers – the drive takes a little under two hours. This is by far the easiest way to arrive as hiring a car is not needed – you’d only end up paying to leave the car in a car park throughout your stay. Chambéry is another option but the drive is slightly longer, as is the case for Grenoble.

The drive from the UK is also one of the easiest and a good run from Calais could have you in resort in less than 10 hours after getting off the ferry or Eurotunnel.

• Geneva airport: under 2 hours (driving/by bus)
• Chambéry airport: 2 hours (driving/by bus)
• Grenoble airport: 3 hours (driving/by bus)
• Calais: approximately 10 hours driving (555 miles)