The Châtel ski resort is in the Vallée d’Abondance in the Haute Savoie region of France. The village is very close to the border with Switzerland and just a 90 minute drive from Geneva airport. If you are thinking about booking your first trip to this area, here’s a quick guide.
CHÂTEL SKI RESORT
Due to its close proximity to Geneva airport, this is a wonderful choice for a ski holiday. You will find 49km of pistes which provide a great place for beginner skiers and snowboarders. There is also some fantastic skiing for intermediates and experts too. Ski from Châtel and you can enjoy direct ski links to Torgon and Morgins in Switzerland and Avoriaz in France. One of the major selling points is that Châtel is part of the much larger Portes du Soleil which covers 650km of pistes – one of the largest linked ski resorts in the world.
THE BEST SKI PASS TO BUY
One option for first-timers is to buy the Châtel Liberté ski pass. This covers Châtel (Barbossine, Super-Châtel, Linga and Pre-la-Joux), La Chapelle d’Abondance, Torgon in Switzerland and the Corbeaeu sector of Morgins in Switzerland too. In total, there are 82 slopes, 63 lifts and 130km of skiing. There’s plenty of choice for beginners and intermediates plus off-piste terrain if that’s more your style. A five-day lift pass can be bought in advance for €161 which offers great value for money. So you don’t need to buy the full Portes du Soleil ski pass if you don’t want to.
However, if you wish to explore the full Portes du Soleil which include the more well-known resorts of Avoriaz, Morzine and Les Gets you can. You just need to buy the full Portes du Soleil ski pass. A five-day pass bought in advance costs €212. Click here to find out more information.
EXPLORE CHÂTEL VILLAGE
The Châtel village is quite a tranquil place with an ample selection of bars and restaurants. It lacks nightclubs and as a result, it isn’t noisy like some ski resorts. The plus point being it has successfully retained its old village charm. It has all the essential shops you need plus beautiful mountain views, a stunning lake called Lac de Vonnes and vast unspoiled spaces.
Châtel ski resort has numerous different areas which are well suited for beginners, novices, children, families, groups of friends plus intermediates and experts. We have been returning to Châtel for many years and it’s the perfect place to stay to explore one of the world’s largest interconnected ski areas.
THE BEST THINGS ABOUT CHÂTEL SKI RESORT
Châtel is a beautiful village located just 90 minutes away from Geneva airport. You can book a very reasonable transfer with local companies including Châtel Transfers or IBEX Transfers. Prices start from €55 per seat and private transfers are approximately €270.
This is a huge draw because arranging transfers in some ski resorts is very expensive. Due to its close proximity to Switzerland, you can walk across the border from Châtel to the Swiss village Morgins. Although there aren’t many ski-in ski-out chalets available, if you stay in central Châtel, the bus literally takes a few minutes to the chairlifts. If you stay at Chalet la Fontaine, the bus stop is right outside the house. After a good dump of snow, you can ski back to the chalet. Bear in mind, that due to its links with nearby resorts, it’s important to keep a close eye on where you are. You don’t want to end up stuck in Switzerland when the lifts have closed!
The main gondola lift offers access to Super-Châtel. This is a great place for skiers and non-skiers to meet. It’s possible to access Morgins in Switzerland by lifts or an alternative is the run from Morclan. The next area is Barbossine, suited to more advanced skiers. The Linga/Pré-la-Joux area is linked to Super-Châtel by a chairlift and offers pisted trails for intermediate and advanced skiers.
Stay at Chalet la Fontaine in Châtel and enjoy staying in the heart of the village.
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