About an hour and a half from Geneva, just south of the lake, Avoriaz and Morzine anchor the French side of Portes du Soleil.

This region vies for the title “largest ski area in Europe,” with 206 interconnected lifts servicing a mind-boggling 650 km. of runs sprawling across 14 areas — eight in France and four in Switzerland. There are 288 marked ski runs as well as 243 km of cross-country trails.

Click for an interactive Morzine-Avoriaz resort map.

Morzine
Traditional Morzine is the largest settlement of Les Portes du Soleil, with 3,000 residents, 54 hotels, 39 restaurants and 25 ski shops. Although Morzine is at a relatively low 3,000 feet, a network of lifts reaches the panoramic Chamossière at 6,006 feet. And Avoriaz, at 7,080 feet, is a mere cablecar ride away. Free shuttles now connect the center of Morzine with all the lift systems.

Morzine attracts an English-speaking crowd, so rudimentary English is widely spoken, a plus for Americans who don’t want to grapple with French.

The old part of town, dating back to the 16th century, rises to a 19th-century church and the tumbling Dranse River. With its own Gallic identity, the town is a pleasant place for walking and relaxing. Although nightlife lacks the glamour of Megève or Courchevel, there is plenty to do, with two discos, two cinemas, many bars and an ice-skating arena that has hosted the world’s top skaters.

Most out-of-towners come in for the standard Saturday-to-Saturday week. Be sure to stop by the Tourism office all day Sundays for free hot chocolate and local cheeses. This is a good time to get the weekly entertainment brochoure and any maps you may need for the week. During the high seasons (Christmas and Febuary), you may want to check out the “History of Skiing” program at Pleney every Tuesday, night skiing every Thursday, or the Decente au Flambeaux when at the end of the day when the ESF instructors ski down the mountain with flaming torches.

Avoriaz 1800
More than just a lodge or restaurant at the top of the cablecar, car-free Avoriaz (pronunciation: Avoriah) sits perched above steep rock cliffs at 5,400 feet with a racy angular outline that the French call “integrated architecture.” By any name, it’s visually spectacular; a village in the snow, where sleighs and skis replace cars and where the condominiums, hotels, restaurants, shops and cafés are all truly ski-in/ski-out.

Jean Vuarnet, the sunglass king, returned to France with a gold medal from the 1960 Olympics at Squaw Valley and persuaded a big real estate agency to invest in the altitudinous Avoriaz 1800. The original structures of 1966 have now grown to a cluster of 42 modern condos, a Club Med, three hotels and 30 restaurants.

Avoriaz’s Children’s Village, managed by Olympic-medalist Annie Famose and a staff of 120 instructors, is acclaimed for teaching youngsters 3-16 to ski.

Avoriaz 1800 is at the center of the Les Portes Du Soleil wheel, the main link between France and Switzerland. The question becomes, “Do you go there to ski, for a meal, for a drink and a look around,” or “Do you stay?” In the old days, getting there meant climbing into a cablecar and then taking a reindeer-drawn sled to your room. Today, there are a number of choices. A road climbs up from Morzine — 14 km. and a half-hour drive away for those with cars. For those without, a gondola and two ski lifts reach from the heart of Morzine up to the Avoriaz hub — a 25 minute trip on skis. You can also take a free bus from Morzine to the cablecar base. The cablecar runs every 15 minutes and continues well into the evening for those who want to explore one town or the other. Finally, those planning an extended stay in Avoriaz may choose to arrive by bus from Geneva and avoid the parking fees and hassle of having a car since you really don't need a car here.

Avoriaz Tourist Information:
L’Office du Tourisme d’Avoriaz, Place Centrale, 74110 Avoriaz-Morzine, France
Country code: 0033
Telephone: 450 74 02 11
Fax: 450 74 24 29
Email: info@avoriaz.com
Internet: www.avoriaz.com

Note: All prices are in Euros unless otherwise noted.

For more information on skiing and staying in the country of France, click the map.