Ski resorts near Geneva save precious time on the road, meaning you have more time on the slopes. Plus nobody enjoys spending 2-3 hours sitting on a bus while it winds up through the mountain roads. Even though there are no Geneva ski resorts, here’s a quick round-up of resorts you can reach within 90 minutes of Geneva Airport.
PORTES DU SOLEIL
One of the most popular ski resorts near Geneva, this one is just over the Swiss border and can be reached in approximately 90 minutes from Geneva. The area covers 12 different ski resorts which all have a slightly different vibe. These include: Abondance, Avoriaz, Châtel, La Chapelle d’Abondance, Les Gets, Montriond, Morzine, St Jean d’Aulps, Champery, Champoussin and Les Crosets.
Avoriaz offers great options for ski-in ski-out accommodation in high-rise apartment blocks. These are all set within a charming pedestrianised village.
Châtel is our favourite ski resort near Geneva because it’s a lovely, traditional, French village. It offers many chalets with hot tubs close to the ski lifts and mixed skiing for all abilities. Apres-ski isn’t as lively as other resorts. There are no real nightclubs but there are plenty of bars and restaurants. You can book a transfer from €55 per seat with Chatel Transfer.
Les Gets is a popular family-friendly resort with lovely tree-lines ski routes, perfect for children and beginners.
Morzine is a big hit with the British and offers a good range of accommodation and lively nightlife, many places stay open until 2am.
GRAND MASSIF
When people look for a Geneva ski resort, the search often leads to Grand Massif. This resort is made up of four towns and villages called Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillon and Samoëns. The Grand Massif offers a wonderful choice of runs. The villages offer plenty of options to stay in. Compared to other resorts in France it offers good value and is around 90 minutes from Geneva Airport.
Flaine is the highest resort in the Grand Massif and offers amazing panoramic views of Mont Blanc. Apres-ski is quiet as it’s a self-catering resort. Most people eat in the hotels, on the slopes or cook in their accommodation which makes it a great choice for families.
Samoëns is a lovely ski area that offers a choice of picturesque tree-lined runs. It’s a charming traditional ski village that’s pretty quiet in the evenings.
Les Carroz offers a lot of intermediate skiing and is very family-friendly with quiet apres-ski.
Morillon is also very quiet but it’s a great ski area with tree-lined runs and links to the other resorts.
CHAMONIX
Another ski resort near Geneva is Chamonix which can be reached in around 1 hour 15 minutes. Some people love it, others hate it. This is probably the place to visit if you’re a competent skier. Those who enjoy skiing multiple types of terrain and are confident on steeper runs tend to like Chamonix. It’s home to lots of charming places to stay at the foot of Mont Blanc.
You’ll also find the streets brimming with Michelin-starred restaurants. It’s also home to chic sportswear shops and some of the fanciest hotels in the French Alps. There’s plenty of nightlife too. What people really come to Chamonix for is the glacial void of La Vallée Blanche – one of Europe’s most celebrated off-piste adventures.
SAINT GERVAIS
Saint Gervais is nestled between two classic French resorts. The exclusive Megève and the adventurous winter sports capital Chamonix. As ski resorts near Geneva go, this can be reached in a little over an hour. This means that you can leave home early in the morning and realistically be skiing by lunchtime.
There’s a wide mix of private, chalet, B&B and hotel options without the prices of Megève. Saint Gervais is an excellent resort for mixed ability groups and there are some really long green runs. The resort is part of the largest lift-linked ski region in the Mont Blanc area and also part of several regional passes.
The largest includes Megève and Chamonix plus Courmayeur in Italy, the Swiss 4 Valleys around Verbier and another eight ski villages in the area. Saint Gervais is a lovely old spa town that is less busy than some of its neighbours. It’s known as a peaceful place packed with history.
LES CONTAMINES-MONTJOIE
Located opposite Mont Blanc, Les Contamines is a quiet, sunny resort just over one-hour from Geneva Airport. The resort offers great snow conditions and is on the border between the Savoie and Haute Savoie. The ski resort of Les Contamines is suitable for all types of skiers.
The area offers wonderful panoramic views of the Mont Blanc and the Beaufortain mountain ranges. There’s exceptional snow cover and the ski runs wind down between valleys. Expect wide slopes, lots of trees, chalets and traditional alpine farms.
A shuttle bus service helps to reduce the number of cars. This is a great way to get around the village and to the bottom of the ski lifts. There are also horse-drawn carriages that can take you to the bottom of the slopes too.
The Les Contamines ski area has 120 km of varied ski slopes suitable for all abilities. The Evasion Mont-Blanc ski pass also offers access to Saint-Gervais, Megeve, St Nicolas de Véroce, Combloux and La Giettaz.
VILLARS, SWITZERLAND
Villars is one of the popular Swiss ski resorts near Geneva. A refined resort, it has a lovely traditional Swiss feel. There’s a mountain railway, timber-clad chalets, fine restaurants and luxury hotels. It’s also one of the best family ski resorts close to Geneva. The ski area stretches across to Les Diablerets, Gryon and the high, snowsure Glacier 3000.
Villars ski area is one of the best resorts to learn and develop your skills. This is especially true for beginners and intermediates. With around 100km of slopes, there is also enough in the area for a challenge with some high-altitude skiing on offer for those wanting to ski the glacier. The dining and vibrant après-ski scene can be found in the resort’s hotels; however, there are some lovely authentic bars too.
Villars is a 90-minute drive from Geneva Airport. For a more scenic experience, you can go by train. Jump on at Geneva Airport to Aigle or to Bex then on to Villars. The train does take longer as you wind your way up the mountain to the ski slopes but offers fantastic views.
LA TANIA
If you’re willing to compromise on time slightly, La Tania can be reached in 2 hours and 15 minutes from Geneva Airport. As part of Courchevel, La Tania has links to Méribel and the 3 Valleys (Les 3 Vallées). La Tania is a great place to base yourself to explore the rest of the 3 Valleys without the expensive price tags. It’s a friendly little resort with less to do than others but there are bars to suit different tastes and the restaurants serve decent food.
The skiing into the village is limited. To link up to Courchevel and Meribel, you can use the lift out of the village. Look out for the lovely green, tree-lined run back to the village, perfect after a hard day on the slopes. If you would like to check out Courchevel, look for the free bus.
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