Skiing in Les Houches

Country: France

In a nutshell: A quiet resort in the Chamonix valley with relaxed skiing in a gorgeous setting

We like:

• The pretty traditional village
• The resort organises lots of events for families throughout the season
• Easy access to the rest of the Chamonix valley for skiers wanting to explore more and find more challenging skiing
• Stunning mountain scenery and views of Mont Blanc
• Short transfer from Geneva means it’s a great option for ski weekends

We don’t like:

• Low altitude can mean unreliable snow cover in a bad snow year
• Limited challenges for advanced skier, but the extreme skiing Mecca of Chamonix is on the doorstep
• Apres-ski is quiet and low key. Party animals are better suited to Chamonix

SKI INFORMATION

Download Piste Map

• Resort altitude: 1,000m
• Highest lift: 1,900m
• Lowest piste: 1,000m
• Transfer time from most convenient airport: Geneva – 1h
• Number of lifts:
  • Les Houches 18
  • Chamonix-Mont Blanc: 72
• Number of runs
  • Les Houches
    • Green: 2
    • Blue: 6
    • Red: 12
    • Black: 2
  • Chamonix Mont-Blanc
    • Easy: 51
    • Intermediate: 190
    • Difficult: 21

RESORT HIGHLIGHTS

RESORT DESCRIPTION

A Les Houches ski holiday is a laid-back and relaxed affair, especially when compared to its more famous neighbor of Chamonix further up the valley. However it has access to the same extensive skiing for skiers who purchase the full Chamonix-Mont Blanc ski pass.

The skiing in Les Houches is all below the treeline, so has the best skiing in the valley when the weather closes in. The skiing in Les Houches best suited to beginners and intermediates, with the relaxed atmosphere in the village and high quality ski schools making it a great place to learn to ski. Intermediates will love the the cruisy treelined runs, and options to explore more skiing further up the valley.

There is some challenging skiing for advanced skiers, such as the world cup Kandahar run, but a Les Houches ski holiday for experts will appeal to those wanting to explore the world-famous extreme skiing in Chamonix from a quiet and relaxed village base.

The pretty resort is a year-round living village, so a very different experience to the purpose build ski resorts elsewhere in France. There are a number of shops, bars and restaurants, but skiers wanting lively apres-ski are better off staying in Chamonix