Avoriaz is a ski resort in France with 120 km of pistes and 34 lifts. Skiing reaches up to 2,466 m above sea level and the village sits at 1,800 m. Accommodation with lift pass included can be booked directly, you arrange your own travel there.
Cheapest places to stay in Avoriaz
Lift pass options
Prices above include the resort's default lift pass. Here is how the price per person changes if you pick another one when booking:
| Lift pass | Price change per person |
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Avoriaz is a unique, entirely car-free ski resort perched on a mountain ledge at 1,800 metres above sea level in Portes du Soleil, one of the world's largest interconnected ski areas with 650 km of pistes stretching across the border into Switzerland. A stay in Avoriaz offers a different kind of Alpine experience, where horse-drawn sledges replace cars and ski-in/ski-out is standard.
The resort's architecture is distinctive and tends to divide opinion. The futuristic cedar-wood buildings, designed by architect Jacques Labro in the 1960s, stand out against the white snow like sculptural works of art. The whole village is built for skiers: you step out of your apartment straight onto the piste, and children can move about freely without any car traffic.
Avoriaz is a paradise for families and has been named France's best family destination on several occasions. Village des Enfants (the children's village) welcomes children from three months old, with dedicated ski areas, playgrounds and activities suited to all ages. Aquariaz, a tropical water park right in the heart of the resort, is popular with children and adults alike.
From Avoriaz you can easily reach the rest of Portes du Soleil, including Swiss resorts Champéry, Les Crosets and Morgins, as well as the French resorts Morzine, Les Gets and Châtel. This gives an enormous variety of terrain and the chance to ski in two countries in a single day.
Ready to book a ski holiday in Avoriaz? Find accommodation with lift pass included in the price. You arrange your own travel there.
The lift pass included covers the ski area at Avoriaz. The offer at the tour operator states which pass is included. Regional passes covering several ski areas are bought locally.
Accommodation with lift pass in Avoriaz ›Did you know this about Avoriaz?
Avoriaz was founded in the mid-1960s by French Olympic downhill champion Jean Vuarnet, who wanted to create a resort built entirely around the needs of skiers rather than cars. That is why the village is still car-free, with horse-drawn sleighs for transport and a distinctive cedar-wood architecture that blends into the rocky surroundings.
5 tips about Avoriaz
- Perfect for beginners Avoriaz has plenty of green and blue runs close to the village, making it easy to practise without having to take a lift far away.
- Make the most of the big lift pass With a lift pass covering the whole of Portes du Soleil, you can ski over to both French and Swiss villages and experience two countries on skis in a single day.
- Leave the car out of the equation As the village is car-free, you can stay ski-in/ski-out and avoid carrying your gear long distances, so pack light and let the horse-drawn sleighs take care of your luggage.
- Travel outside the holidays Book weeks outside the school holidays for lower accommodation prices and quieter pistes, particularly as the resort is hugely popular with families.
- Relax in the water Take a break from the skiing at the tropical water park in the middle of the village, a favourite with children and adults alike on a rainy or cold day.
Pistes and lifts in Avoriaz
Avoriaz has 120 km of its own pistes and 34 lifts, with direct access to Portes du Soleil and its 650 km in total. The high altitude (1,800 m) ensures good snow reliability. The piste mix is family-friendly, with plenty of green and blue runs. The famous "Mur Suisse" (Swiss Wall) offers a steep challenge for advanced skiers. The snowboard park in the Arare sector is one of the best in France.
Piste map for Avoriaz
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Snow reliability in Avoriaz
Avoriaz sits at a lofty 1,800 metres, with the ski area reaching up to 2,466 metres, giving it a high, cold setting compared with many other Alpine resorts. That elevated position is a big reason why the resort is considered snow-sure.
The combination of altitude and a large, interlinked ski area means the odds of good skiing conditions are strong throughout much of the season, both on the home slopes and in the surrounding parts of Portes du Soleil.
Best time to travel to Avoriaz
December to April. January and February bring the most snow and the best conditions. The high altitude protects against mild weather. March and April offer spring skiing with sunshine. The February half-term weeks are peak season for families.
Will there be lift queues in Avoriaz?
Avoriaz is part of Les Portes du Soleil, and the lift system there carries 252,976 people an hour across 164 lifts. 55 of the 164 lifts are gondolas or high-speed chairlifts and 13 are drag lifts, which take longer to get through when it is busy. The fastest lifts carry up to 4,200 people an hour, for example La Rosta. Per kilometre of piste there is more lift capacity than at an average resort on this site, and you notice it: queues clear quickly. The queue you actually notice is almost always down in the valley between eight and half past nine. If you are on the lift before eight you avoid it.
When is Avoriaz busiest?
How busy the slopes get is not decided by the English half term but by when the local families and the neighbouring countries are on holiday. These are the weeks that fill Avoriaz in the 2026/2027 season.
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France: The French winter holidays roll through three zones and together cover 6 February to 8 March. All three zones head for the same valleys, so the whole period is busy.
6 to 22 February: zone C, including Paris and Toulouse
13 February to 1 March: zone A, including Lyon and Bordeaux
20 February to 8 March: zone B, including Marseille and Strasbourg - England: The English February half term is 15 to 19 February 2027 for most councils, with a few areas breaking up a week earlier. The Easter holidays run from 26 March to 9 April.
8 to 12 February: half term in a few council areas, for example Hull
15 to 19 February: half term in most of England, including London, the Midlands and the North
26 March to 9 April: Easter holidays for most English schools - Easter holidays: Easter 2027 is early, on 28 March. Austria and Germany take their holidays around the weekend, while the French holidays fall after Easter, in April.
20 to 29 March: the whole of Austria, all states at the same time
22 March to 3 April: most German states, including Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia
3 April to 3 May: the French zones, which fall after Easter 2027 and only affect the highest resorts - Long weekends: Long weekends fill the slopes with day visitors from the nearest cities, even when no schools are on holiday.
26 December to 3 January: Christmas and New Year, the most expensive period of the year
6 January: Epiphany, a public holiday in Austria, Italy and parts of Switzerland
27 to 29 March: the Easter weekend. Easter Monday is a public holiday across the Alps, but Good Friday is a working day in Austria, Italy and France
1 to 2 May: May Day, a public holiday across the Alps
The weeks before 6 February and after 8 March are noticeably quieter and cheaper. January is the best time for anyone who wants the pistes to themselves.
Who skis in France?
54,800,000 skier days in the 2024/25 winter season. Tap a country or a segment of the circle to highlight it.
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1
French
71.0%
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2
British
11.0%
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3
Belgians
5.0%
- 4 Other Europe 4.0%
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5
Dutch
3.0%
- 6 Rest of the world 3.0%
- 7 Scandinavians 2.0%
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8
Germans
2.0%
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9
Spaniards
1.0%
Source: Domaines Skiables de France. France publishes no breakdown by resort, so the figure covers all French ski resorts together. The measure is skier days in the lifts, not overnight stays.
Snow right now. There is no snow cover in the valley or at the top right now. The figures are modelled by Open-Meteo, not measured by the lift company, and were fetched 7 October 2026 at 04:24.
The lift pass included. The stay comes with the Avoriaz lift pass, which covers 53 km of piste. The pass is worth around €323.
How to get to Avoriaz
You arrange your own travel: we sell the stay, not the transport. Here are the three ways people get to Avoriaz, so you can pick the one that suits you.
By air. The nearest airport is Geneva (GVA). Pure flying time from London is around 1,5 hours, and from there it is 1.5 hours on to Avoriaz. You can cover the last stretch in one of two ways:
- Private transfer. Kiwitaxi meets you in the arrivals hall and drives you to the car park below Avoriaz. Avoriaz is car-free, so the last stretch is by gondola or horse-drawn sleigh. The price is per car, not per person, ski boxes can be booked in advance, and the driver waits even if the flight is late.
- Hire car at the airport. With SmartCarRental you collect the car in the arrivals hall. That gets you to the neighbouring villages on the same lift pass, lets you shop at valley prices rather than resort prices, and frees you from transfer timetables. Winter tyres are standard at Alpine desks. Avoriaz is car-free: the car stays in the car park below the village all week, and the last stretch is by gondola or horse-drawn sleigh.
By car. Many drive. Taking the Eurotunnel from Folkestone and arriving at Calais, it's roughly 895 km to Avoriaz, around 9.3 hours of pure driving time through France. Remember that studded tyres are banned in France and Germany.
Last-minute deals in Avoriaz
Last-minute offers, that is late dates the operator still wants to fill, appear from January onwards. Once the season is under way we will show them here on this page.
Avoriaz is suitable for
⭐ Excellent choice
Suitable to some extent
Limited selection
⭐ Very snow-reliable
Read more about ski holidays
Ready to book? Choose from accommodation in different price ranges. Lift pass is included in the price, and you arrange your own travel there.
Accommodation with lift pass in Avoriaz ›Frequently asked questions about Avoriaz
Yes, Avoriaz is entirely car-free. Cars are parked in garages at the entrance to the resort. Within the village, transport is by horse-drawn sledge, ski lift or on foot. This makes the resort very safe for children and gives it a truly special atmosphere. All luggage is transported to your accommodation by sledge.
Yes, the Portes du Soleil ski area stretches across the border into Switzerland. From Avoriaz you can ski to the Swiss resorts of Champéry, Les Crosets and Morgins. With the Portes du Soleil pass, you have access to 650 km of pistes in both countries.
Avoriaz is regarded as one of France's most family-friendly ski resorts. The car-free environment makes it safe for children. Village des Enfants welcomes children from three months old. The tropical water park Aquariaz is a popular attraction. Ski-in/ski-out makes logistics easy for families.
Avoriaz has 120 km of its own pistes and 34 lifts, and sits at an altitude of 1,800 metres. From here you have direct access to the whole of Portes du Soleil, with 650 km of pistes in total.
