A genuine powder reserve deep in the Alps, spanning the French Swiss border. The huge Portes du Soleil offers a seemingly endless expanse of runs and no fewer than 12 individual resorts to explore. The skiing is not only expansive, but also includes lots of high altitude in wide open snow bowls above 2,000m, so whenever you travel, the snow follows! There are also plenty of picturesque tree lined runs down to many of the villages including Morzine and Les Gets. From the contemporary architecture of Avoriaz to the chocolate box charm of Morzine, the area offers variety to suit all tastes, and there are long, leisurely ski days to be enjoyed, crossing over to Switzerland before skiing back to France.
Portes du Soleil Ski Area
The largest international ski area in the world
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from£469pp
- Area: 150km
- Altitude: up to 2460m
Picturesque Morzine is an established favourite. This is due to an appealing and highly unusual mix of charming, traditional Savoyard village centre with easy access to a modern and truly enormous ski area. Only a short transfer from the airport, Morzine is ideal for families.
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from£369pp
- Area: 150km
- Altitude: up to 2460m
A high, traffic free resort, at the heart of the Portes du Soleil. All our properties offer doorstep skiing making this resort a superbly convenient base from which to enjoy this fantastic ski area. The architecturally unique resort buildings are designed to blend in with the surrounding rocky cliffs, giving Avoriaz a modern and unique feel.
Portes du Soleil skiing and snowboarding
Portes du Soleil for beginners
Beginners can enjoy the benefit of the world renowned ESF ski school who operate in both Avoriaz and Morzine, as well as designated green slopes and beginner areas for practicing on.
Portes du Soleil for intermediates
Intermediate skiers are the luckiest, with plenty of easy cruising blue and red slopes that seem to stretch for miles with stunning vistas of the mountains along the way, no matter what direction you head in for the day, you will find plenty of exciting skiing areas.
Portes du Soleil for advanced
Advanced skiers and snowboarders can enjoy the benefit of designated off piste areas with plenty of challenging areas and further up the mountain there are some hidden areas of powder. Areas such as Les Hauts Forts above Avoriaz and Chamossiere above Morzine, there are some great black pistes that you’ll want to ride again and again.
Portes du Soleil freestyle and terrain parks
There are a total of 7 freestyle parks across the Portes du Soleil ski area for freestylers and daredevils to try out. A range of kickers, boxes, rails and jumps are at your disposal, but don’t forget to try out the Stash in the Les Lindarets area of the mountain- a unique freestyle run with obstacles made from natural materials and blended into the woods.
Portes du Soleil things to do
Portes du Soleil restaurants, food and drink
Avoriaz and Morzine have fantastic array of restaurants to suit every palate, taste and budget.
Whether you’re looking for a quick burger on the mountain (head to Changabang in Avoriaz), a hearty full English breakfast (Rude Café in Morzine), or a fine dining experience with Savoyard cuisine (La Cabane in Avoriaz goes above and beyond) there is no shortage of places to grab a delicious bite to eat.
Portes du Soleil après, bars, clubs and nightlife
Avoriaz and Morzine really come to life in the evening with a loud, fun and vibrant après ski scene. Plenty of bars in the area, not to mention the fantastic in-chalet and hotel bars offer up beverages after a hard day of skiing, and all are within a very easy walking distance from the centre of town.
Some of our favourite après ski bars include Happy Hours Bar at the base of the Ardent gondola which has a wonderful terrace that soaks up the last of the rays of sun, and La Kinkerne welcomes the last of skiers who descend from Avoriaz to the base of the Prodains Express with big pints of beer. Avoriaz is a real party town at night with Shooters and Le Yak Club staying open late, whereas in Morzine there is the old discotheque Le Paradis club that has been a firm favourite in the resort for years, earning itself something of an iconic status amongst fond residents of the town.
Portes du Soleil shopping
If you are looking for a spot of shopping, head to Morzine. Here, along the Route de la Plagne which carves a straight line through the centre of the town you will find plenty of shops selling a variety of goods (sporting goods, gifts, fashion, accessories, pharmacy, and more), and cafes, bars and restaurants thrown into the mix.
Portes du Soleil spas and relaxation
In Avoriaz and Morzine there are a variety of different spas and wellness centres to enjoy. Morzine has the wonderful Parc des Dérêches sports and health complex, located conveniently in the centre of town and accessible with a local fee. The centre includes an indoor/outdoor swimming pool (dependent on weather and time of year), and a small spa and wellness area with 2 dry heat saunas and 2 wet heat Turkish baths that are open all year around.
Guests staying in Avoriaz have access to Aquariaz, an indoor tropical swimming pool complex with an open air spa heated to 34°c, water massage benches, and a water playhouse to keep the little ones occupied.
Inside hotels there are even further luxurious spas to be discovered. The Hotel Des Dromonts in Avoriaz is home to the stunning and newly renovated Pure Altitude Spa which embraces the hotels original 1960s roots and makes the spa a retro-futuristic blast from the past.
Portes du Soleil arts, culture and events
Music and snow sport go hand-in-hand in the Portes du Soleil ski region! Over the years, thousands of people have flocked to the area for Rock the Pistes festival which takes place in March, and as of 2016, Snowboxx Festival made its new home in Avoriaz. You can find plenty of live bands playing in and around après bars across the resorts throughout the winter season. Beyond the music, there are weekly markets held in Morzine and plenty of fantastic sights and cultural attractions to see.
All of the following activities are available in resort, and bookable locally. Our knowledgeable in resort reps are more than happy to help you book via the local tourism office or with a specified and licensed company operating in the area.
Please double check your insurance policy to see if these activities are covered before you arrange.
- Off-piste skiing
- Heli skiing
- Parapenting/ Paragliding
- Husky Sledding
- Ice Diving
- Snowshoeing
- Snowmobling
- Cross country skiing
- Cinema
- Bowling
- Geocaching
- Heli-tours
- Horse drawn sleigh rides
- Ice climbing
- Ice skating
- Igloo bar above Avoriaz
- Night skiing
- Speedriding
- Ski-Joering
- Tobogganing
- Swimming
