Avoriaz ski resort guide Ski area, apres-ski, things to see & do in Avoriaz
Resort review
Skiing in Avoriaz - one of 12 resorts in the Portes du Soleil ski system that combine giving a massive 650km of pistes spanning France and Switzerland. It is a fully pedestrianised ski resort where horse-pulled sleighs replace buses and taxis to take you to your accommodation.
In fact, everywhere in Avoriaz, whether a hotel, ski chalet or apartment is ski-in / ski-out making it hassle free and that's why, for young families, we think this is one of the best ski resorts in the Alps.
Childcare
Avoriaz has spent a lot of time making sure it offers top class child care and activities for the children. There is a children’s village that is primarily a ski school although there are indoor activities so any child who wants to stop skiing or when the weather conditions are bad can pop in.
Après-ski
Apres-ski in Avoriaz is on the lively side. When night falls, Avoriaz lights up in every sense of the word. A typical evening starts with a show on snow, cabarets or concerts, then continues with sampling of local specialities in a restaurant and ends in one of the resort’s numerous bars and clubs.
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1800m |
| Top lift | 2350m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 650 |
| Longest run | 6 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 45 km |
| Season | Winter & Summer |
| Snowboard parks | 13 |
| Heli Skiing | ✘ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✘ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Lively |
Avoriaz & Portes du Soleil ski guide
Skiing in the Portes du Soleil system means you can ski all day and never touch the same piste twice from the rabbit runs in the Lindarets forest to the long cruising blues and reds on Morzine . The entire area provides a great mix of piste for all levels of skier and for families wanting to ski together, there is a network of inter-connecting blues and reds serviced by the same lifts.
Beginners
With 140 green and blue slopes across the Portes du Soleil, there is no shortage of beginner slopes. In Avoriaz, the beginner area is in the centre of the resort making life a little easier in the first few days with the 8-man chair running back up through the resort centre. Perhaps one of the best beginner areas is France is the Super-Morzine area reached by heading down the Proclou run at the lower end of the resort.
Intermediate
Avoriaz is heaven for the intermediate skier with almost too much to choose from. You can ski clockwise or anti-clockwise around the Portes du Soleil taking in resorts such as Les Gets, Chatel, Morzine and Champery in Switzerland.
Advanced
Some very challenging runs can be found with 25 very long black slopes including the famous "Wall" with moguls as high as an adult! There is also a black snowcross. Its upper part offers wonderful panoramic views and its lower part is made of slopes that run in the middle of the forest.
Cross-country
Abondance, La Chapelle d’Abondance and Châtel have linked their cross-country trails so there are now 40km of tracks by the side of the River Dranse ranging in altitude between 900 and 1500m.
Snowboard
Avoriaz is well known for its snowcross areas (secured off piste areas), boardercross and its numerous snowparks designed for all levels: La Chapelle, the Stash, Burton Kids Parkway and Arare snow parks to name a few.
Featured chalets
Avoriaz has grown rapidly from its humble beginnings in the 1960s and keeps expanding as demand outstrips supply. The new holiday rental apartments and residences are state-of-the-art with acqua parks, spa and wellness facilities and all close to the cafes, bars, restaurants and lifts.
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MyChaletFinder view
We think Avoriaz is a top class ski resort offering great skiing and extremely child friendly. Not the prettiest of resorts but it's snow-sure, great fun with ski-in, ski-out chalets and apartments. If you like Avoriaz, we think you will also like the resorts in the Italian Dolomites such as Canazei. These resorts are linked to the famous 24km Sella Ronda tour and provide some amazing scenery of the jagged peaks and superb touring options.
