Ski holidays in Samoëns, France

Samoëns is a historic stonemasons' village in Haute-Savoie offering a unique blend of heritage and modern skiing. The village dates back to the Middle Ages and is classified as a historic monument thanks to its traditional architecture, its botanical garden from the 1700s and its impressive stone church. As a gateway to the Grand Massif ski area with 265 kilometres of pistes, Samoëns is a fascinating option for the culturally minded ski holiday visitor.

Grand Massif is one of France's larger ski areas, covering Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillon and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval as well as Samoëns. The 64 lifts and 140 kilometres of local pistes are complemented by access to the whole system's 265 kilometres. The terrain varies dramatically from Samoëns' low position at 740 metres up to 2,500 metres, with one of France's longest runs at 14 kilometres.

The Grand Massif Express gondola takes you from Samoëns straight up to 1,600 metres in ten minutes, where the vast ski area opens up. Higher up you'll find wide, open pistes with magnificent views towards Mont Blanc. The run back to the village, when snow conditions allow, is a long and enjoyable journey through forest and alpine meadows.

The village of Samoëns itself is a joy to explore on foot. Cobbled streets, local craftsmen, traditional bakeries and a lively market square create an authentic French experience that's hard to find in purpose-built ski resorts. In the evenings, guests gather at the village's restaurants for Savoyard fondue and local beer.

5 tips about Samoëns

1. The gondola straight up Grand Massif Express takes you from the village at 740 metres up to 1,600 metres in just ten minutes, right into the heart of the big ski area.
2. Chase the snow in Flaine The Flaine sector sits higher in the Grand Massif network and generally has the most snow-sure pistes as well as open alpine slopes.
3. Ideal for intermediates The 140 local kilometres are dominated by blue and red runs, which makes Samoëns a great choice for intermediate skiers, with black descents on hand for anyone after more of a challenge.
4. Ski all the way down Cascades is one of France's longest continuous descents, 14 kilometres from the summit at 2,500 metres down through forest and alpine meadows to the village.
5. Village life and local food After a day on the pistes it is well worth wandering the village's cobbled stone streets and rounding off the evening with a Savoyard fondue and a local beer.

Pistes and lifts in Samoëns

Samoëns provides access to Grand Massif, with 265 km of pistes and 64 lifts. Locally, there are 140 km of varied runs from 2,500 metres down to the village at 740 metres. One of the highlights is the 14 kilometre Cascades run, one of France's longest continuous pistes, taking you through varied terrain all the way from the top to the bottom.

The Flaine sector higher up has the most snow-sure pistes and open alpine slopes. The Samoëns side offers more skiing through forest and technically interesting runs. The piste distribution suits intermediate skiers well, with plenty of blue and red runs, though there are also challenging black runs for experienced skiers.

Piste map for Samoëns

Download the piste map See all piste maps

The map downloads as an image file. On your iPhone it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the bottom of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your iPad it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the top right of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your phone it lands in the Downloads folder. Tap the download notification that appears to open the map straight away.The file lands in the Downloads folder. You can also look for the icon at the top right of the screen and open the map from there.

Snow reliability in Samoëns

Samoëns lies at 740 metres, which is low for alpine skiing, so snow cover in the village itself can vary through the season. The skiing takes place mainly higher up in the Grand Massif network, where the pistes reach all the way to 2,500 metres.

The Grand Massif Express gondola whisks visitors from the village up to 1,600 metres in ten minutes, giving quick access to more reliable snow conditions higher up. The 14-kilometre descent back down to the village needs good conditions to be skiable the whole way from the top.

Best time to travel to Samoëns

The best time for skiing in Samoëns is from mid-January to mid-March. The village sits at 740 metres, so the lowest pistes can be affected late in the season. Higher up in Grand Massif, the snow is reliable from December to April. January and February offer the best conditions at all levels.

Will there be lift queues in Samoëns?

Samoëns is part of Le Grand Massif, and the lift system there carries 101,273 people an hour across 63 lifts. 17 of the 63 lifts belong to the faster class. The fastest lifts carry up to 3,300 people an hour, for example Sairon. 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 Samoëns 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 Samoëns in the 2026/2027 season.

• 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.

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 16 October 2026 at 20:24.

The lift pass included. The stay comes with the Grand Massif lift pass, which covers 265 km of piste. The pass is worth around €378.

How to get to Samoëns

Last-minute deals in Samoëns

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.

Samoëns is suitable for

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Frequently asked questions about Samoëns