Ski Holidays in Avoriaz
If you’ve been searching for a high-altitude, snow-sure French Alps ski resort with stunning clifftop scenery and fabulous family facilities, Avoriaz is your dream come true.
Perched on a south-facing plateau above the Morzine Valley in the popular Les Portes du Soleil ski area its North facing slopes are a snowsports paradise for novice, intermediate and experienced skiers, with all manner of green, blue, red and black runs as well as plentiful off-piste opportunities.
This charming car-free resort delivers authentic Alpine village vibes with traditional transportation like horse-drawn sleighs, sledges and snowcats, and its award-winning architecture is an ambient blend of contemporary geometric lines incorporating organic wooden facades in a fusion that’s strikingly modern yet sympathetic to its surroundings.
While Avoriaz is an awesome set-up for families, its lively après-ski scene makes it perennially popular with the younger ski crowds who frequent its trendy bars and bouncing clubs, while adults who prefer slightly more serene soirées have plenty of chic wine bars, live music pubs and piano bars to choose from.
Portes du Soleil is an expansive cross-border ski area that comprises 12 resorts spanning France and Switzerland, and as well as Avoriaz, it also includes iconic resorts like Morzine and Les Gets. It’s suitable for all styles and abilities of skiers and snowboarders, with the multiple red and blue runs of its family sector enabling family members of different abilities to ski next to one another, black runs for more adventurous expert enthusiasts and a choice of freestyle parks for all.
As if all the above benefits weren’t enough to convince you, Avoriaz is also considered by many to be the snowboarding capital of the Alps. It was one of the first in years to open a pioneering terrain park and superpipe, complemented by ‘Village Snowboard’ area aimed at children. There are now no less than five terrain parks here, so whatever your age and ability, it’s one of the best places in the world for boarders to build their confidence, carve up the slopes and progress to pulling off some spectacular moves. Avoriaz is the French Alps ski resort that has it all – you’re guaranteed to make magical memories here that last a lifetime.
Avoriaz ski resort epitomizes the quintessential alpine experience, offering visitors a perfect blend of breathtaking scenery, diverse ski terrain, and modern amenities. With its unmatched ski experience, state-of-the-art amenities, and exciting après-ski activities, it's the perfect place for winter sports enthusiasts looking for action and relaxation. Ski holiday makers will absolutely love Avoriaz's lively après-ski scene, which consists of a variety of bars, pubs, and clubs that provide a lively atmosphere, after spending a day on the slopes. The après-ski areas dotted around the resort provide a great place for guests to relax and mingle, whether they're dancing late into the night or just having a casual drink.
Avoriaz ski resort epitomizes the quintessential alpine experience, offering visitors a perfect blend of breathtaking scenery, diverse ski terrain, and modern amenities. With its unmatched ski experience, state-of-the-art amenities, and exciting après-ski activities, it's the perfect place for winter sports enthusiasts looking for action and relaxation. Ski holiday makers will absolutely love Avoriaz's lively après-ski scene, which consists of a variety of bars, pubs, and clubs that provide a lively atmosphere, after spending a day on the slopes. The après-ski areas dotted around the resort provide a great place for guests to relax and mingle, whether they're dancing late into the night or just having a casual drink.
Avoriaz boasts a range of accommodations, from cozy chalets to luxury hotels, ensuring a comfortable stay for visitors. Its pedestrianized layout enhances the resort's charm, while a plethora of restaurants, bars, and shops cater to guests' needs. Families flock to Avoriaz for its family-friendly facilities, including dedicated children's ski areas, ski schools, and childcare services. The resort's commitment to providing a safe and enjoyable experience for all ages makes it an ideal destination for winter getaways with loved ones.
With an efficient lift system, a vast network of blue and red runs for intermediate skiers, black and off-piste opportunities for more advanced enthusiasts and a central Children’s village, Avoriaz has it all tied up when it comes to family Alpine adventures. Snowfall volume is excellent, but the resort has also recently invested € 2 million in snow-making facilities with capacity to cover half of the ski area in artificial snow if necessary.
With a resort altitude of 1800m (Avoriaz is also referred to as Avoriaz 1800) and a summit elevation of 2466m, this is the highest of all the Portes du Soleil resorts and has plenty of excellent north-facing runs.
The local Avoriaz ski area comprises four zones consisting of 76km of slopes accessible by 14 drag lifts, two cable cars and 17 chair lifts.
Intermediates will find ample blue and red runs and there’s 40km of cross-country trails between Avoriaz and Morzine. As well as its blue and red runs, the family ski area includes a boardercross zone and four snowcross zones.
The Swiss Wall is a mind-bending mogul-heavy run beloved of expert skiers. Its real name is Pas De Chavanette, it’s totally ungroomed and, depending on the latest snowfall, the moguls can be massive. If you track to the left you can access a slightly easier gradient, but if you’re feeling bold, head straight down into a thrilling natural halfpipe. At the bottom, you can head on to the Swiss resort of Les Crosets or hop on the Chavanette chair back to Avoriaz.
All Ski Resort Accommodation in Avoriaz
Fornet is an amazing freeride area located just two chair journeys from the top of the main lift to Avoriaz – it’s surrounded by brilliant blue and red runs to cruise around, but go with a guide if you want to push yourself with cliff drops, powder runs and more.
La Chapelle Snowpark is suitable for all levels. It has four lines with many kickers that allow you to practice and improve your technique, no matter your starting point. Two jib lines are also available and it has a dedicated Teleski de la Chapelle lift.
Le Snowpark D’Arare first opened in 1993 and is perfect for advanced boarders and skilled intermediates. It has red and black kickers, cool rails, boxes and a Big Air Bag. Interesting to note that the park can also record your runs so you can share them with friends!
The Stash is a 100% natural ecological snow park developed by snowboarding legend Jake Burton. There are three slopes of varying levels of difficulty and each has hidden obstacles and secret passages. Furthermore, each slope takes you through a central wooden cabin where you can pause for a breather, take in some subtle yet powerful environmental messaging and carve your name into the wood – pretty cool indeed!
With an amazing average 8m of snow per season and a summit of 2466m, Avoriaz is the most snow-sure location (at resort level) in the region. The best spots for fresh powder are the top of Les Hauts Forts and Arare, where some superb steep and lengthy runs into Les Prodains are available, but the snow on the nursery slopes and network of blue and red runs is always excellent too. Here’s some more info on snow conditions in Avoriaz:
A resort height of 1800m contributes to the great snow quality in Avoriaz, but its geographical position is a huge help too – it’s almost completely exposed to storms approaching from the north west and there are no natural barriers in the way.
Les Hauts Forts is barely touched by sun throughout the winter and is often skiable to car park level for the duration of the season, right through to late April. The slopes between Avoriaz and Châtel also retain their snow very well.
In bad weather, head to the Lindarets sector of Avoriaz, which has the thickest tree covering in the area, but the runs below Avoriaz leading down to Prodains also offer some shelter.
The most recent seasonal snowfall stats reveal that Avoriaz had a total snowfall of 592cm, a total of 43 snowfall days, a largest snowfall of 50cm, maximum base depth of 225cm, average base depth of 135cm, maximum summit depth of 440cm and average summit depth of 252cm.
Avoriaz is a family-friendly resort, but it still has a first-rate range of après-ski venues. Here are some of the hotspots in this cool town:
Le Tavaillon is a traditional British boozer in the centre of the resort with a heated patio – it’s a great place to catch up with pals over a beer or three. If you want a quiet, laid-back venue which shows live sports and hosts pub quizzes, this is right up your street.
Le Shooters is the ideal place to liven things up a little. There are over 50 different types of shots to choose from and the house special beverage is Les Metres de Shooters – not for the faint-hearted!
The Place is a friendly Danish pub that features a different live band each evening – there’s always something interesting going on and it’s a marvellous place to mix and mingle.
La Folie Douce has an outlet on the piste near the entrance to Avoriaz and it follows the franchise formula with a wide selection of beers and spirits, pumping beats and tabletop dancing.
Le Yak is the resort’s only nightclub – open from midnight to 5am, resident and guest DJs spin a selection of genres, but four on the floor House beats are heavily favoured.
Avoriaz offers facilities and activities for every member of the family – choices include cinema, bowling and laser quest, and the Aquariaz waterpark is the biggest in the Alps. Find out everything you need to know about facilities in Avoriaz below.
There’s loads for kids to do in Avoriaz, both on and off the slopes – your only problem might be packing every activity on offer into your busy itinerary!
All Ski Resort Accommodation in Avoriaz
