While the charming alpine atmosphere will make you feel like you've stepped into a traditional winter wonderland, you'll find that Morzine is a contemporary resort with all mod-cons. The vast range of shops, restaurants, pubs, clubs and off-slope activities pretty much have everything for everyone. There's more to do on and off the slope than you can shake a ski pole at, including lots of activities for non-skiers, and a lively après ski scene.
Morzine is highly acclaimed as a family ski resort. The town has been stamped with the prestigious Famille Plus label by the French Ministry of Tourism. Kids are welcomed enthusiastically with child-friendly establishments and a great range of free activities, including children's entertainment and snow fun for all the family. Childcare services are fantastic - ski schools are known for their excellent children's lessons and for a charming finishing touch, there's a merry-go-round.
Another family-friendly aspect to the resort is the convenience of its location - only a 75-minute drive from Geneva makes it perfect for those who want to avoid a lengthy transfer. Morzine's attractive positioning doesn't stop here: the area lies in the very centre of the Portes du Soleil's 12 interconnected resorts which cover both the French and Swiss Alps. You can either ski with the local pass, which gives access to 120km pistes in the Morzine-Les Gets area, or get a Portes du Soleil lift pass covering 650km of vast and varied terrain including around 30 snow park, boardercross and ski-cross areas. This area pass covers all 12 resorts: Morzine-Avoriaz, Les Gets, Abondance, La Chapelle d'Abondance, Châtel, Montriond and St Jean d'Aulps in France and Champéry, Torgon, Morgins and Val d'Illiez-Champoussin-Les Crosets in Switzerland.
Location: France, Alps.
Established: 1934
Open: December - April
Downhill: 650km
View our detailed Morzine snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our Morzine snow history.
Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
Geneva (GVA) | 90km, 1h30 |
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Top Altitude: | 2,466m |
Bottom Altitude: | 1,000m |
Resort Altitude: | 1,000m |
Longest run: | 11km |
Slope Orientation: | N, S, E, W |
Vertical Drop: | 1,466m |
Skiable Vertical: | 1,466m |
Night Skiing: | Yes |
Glacier: | Yes |
Downhill Runs: | 650km |
Beginner slopes: | 44% |
Intermediate: | 42% |
Advanced slopes: | 14% |
Lift Pass Price: | Morzine Local Pass (Adult 6 days): €240 Portes du Soleil Area Pass (Adult 6 days): €295 |
Nearby resorts: Avoriaz & Les Gets |
The scale of the mountain terrain is impressive and with the Portes du Soleil pass, seemingly endless. All abilities are catered for well and to top it off, you can heli-ski, speed ride and go night skiing on the Pleney.
With excellent ski schools and conveniently located nursery slopes, Morzine is popular for novices. You'll find lots of gentle greens and easy blues for snowploughing including Gernes and Proclo. Beginner boarders are in expert hands too: Mint Snowboarding is a top school specialising in snowboard tuition.
In keeping with its family-friendly reputation, even toddlers can ski in Morzine thanks to Babysnow - a scooter-meets-snowboard contraption which ages 1-3 will love. To inspire the younger generation of freestylers, there is the Nyon Snowpark which has small jumps, tunnels, boxes and a fun penguin-themed area with banked turns, slalom and a tunnel.
Much of Morzine's mountain is intermediate friendly; whether you like tree-lined pistes, steeps, powder or a bit of everything you'll find a lot to please. Chamossiere has some great high altitude trails with a stunning 360° panorama of Mont Blanc, the Alps and Lake Geneva. The Arbis red run has a bit of everything - speeds, moguls, steeps and a pretty tree-lined ending. Les Creux is a tremendous black run for testing your skill on a steep mogul field.
If you are after a real challenge, head up the Super Morzine lift to Avoriaz and the French/Swiss border to ski La Chavanette, more commonly known as the Swiss Wall. This black run is known as one of the world's most terrifying runs in the Alps and offers steep moguls for the adventure thirsty.
As well as extensive freeriding terrain, there are snowparks, boardercross and ski-cross a-plenty in the Portes du Soliel, with around 30 in total. This includes one of the few true European superpipes permanently carved out of the mountain in Avoriaz, snowparks in Morzine, Chatel, Les Gets and Avoriaz catering to all abilities and the first eco-friendly Burton Stash park.
Because it's an excellent resort for those with children, the high quality of après ski in Morzine can be overlooked. You'll find a lively, friendly atmosphere after hours with a good range of venues to suit everyone. Popular pubs and bars in Morzine include:
Le Robinson is a popular vintage bar offering a relaxed atmosphere.
Crowds tend to gather at the foot of the slopes to party in Le Tremplin while local beers and cocktails can be enjoyed at Aubergade.
La Folie Douce is now firmly established as a go-to destination on the European apres scene. The popular bar now has a venue in Avoriaz, if you don't mind a short bus ride at the end of the day.
Other favourite bars include The Dixie Bar, Cavern, Café Chaud and Tibetan Café. To experience Morzine's après ski at its height, book a ski holiday during the Rock the Pistes festival in March.
With 90 slopeside restaurants, Morzine has a range of dining to suit all tastes and budgets, including some lovely family-run establishments. Le Clin D'Oeil is a family and group favourite, La Grange is good for fondue, and if it's a fast-food hit you're after, Cuisine 22 does excellent pizza and fish and chips to take away.
You don't have to be strapped to a plank or two to appreciate Morzine - there are plenty of alternative activities on offer. Have fun on the snow on a yooner, sledge, snowmobile or segway or try snowshoeing, ice-skating, paragliding or ice-diving for an alternative winter experience.
As expected from a top family resort, there are many activities for all ages to enjoy. Free children's activities are regularly on offer including arts, crafts and entertainment. There's a fun sledge run down the Pleney where a tipi-dinner is served at the bottom and teenagers are kept entertained with a disco, ice-rink and two cinemas. In the centre of the village, you'll find a state-of-the-art leisure centre with three pools, sports courts, a gym and a well-being area.
Don't overlook Morzine because of its moderate altitude. Because the local ski area covers pastureland (i.e. grass, not rocks), it only needs 20cm of snow to be skiable. Morzine also has its microclimate thanks to its proximity to Mont Blanc and is usually in fine fettle from December through to the middle of April.
The Portes du Soleil area has an average annual snowfall of 8m and slopes facing N, S, E & W. With 130 snow cannons in the Morzine/Les Gets area and 900 in Portes du Soleil, snow cover is provided even if the weather isn't up to scratch. If there's too much snow, head to the tree-covered slopes for some sheltered skiing.
Please have a look at our Peak Dates section to see the best time to visit Morzine. We also love Morzine during the Rock the Pistes festival (usually late-March) and après ski lovers won't want to miss the End of Season Slushy Social held on the last week of the season. If it's a quieter holiday you're seeking, visit Morzine in January and avoid school holidays.
Enjoy a magical Christmas during Christmas in Morzine. The Ice show and firework display are spectacular and with Christmas carols filling the air and festive food to fill your stomach, it's hard not to get caught up in the exciting atmosphere. Morzine Christmas ski holidays ‣
New Years Eve in Morzine has shows for children, music in the streets and a spectacular firework display - an ideal way to see in the New Year with your loved ones. Morzine New Year ski holidays ‣
With off-slope activities for everyone including free children's activities and teenage discos, families love February half term in Morzine. Morzine Half Term ski holidays ‣
With this in mind alongside the extensive ski terrain and good snowmaking coverage, Easter in Morzine is great too. Morzine Easter ski holidays ‣
This is one of our favourite family resorts and has France’s prestigious Famille Plus label to mark its excellence for family ski holidays. There’s some brilliant family accommodation to choose from, whether you prefer a chalet, hotel or apartment. Enjoy not having to lift a finger in our family-friendly chalets and hotels where all the food is prepared for you or opt for more flexibility in a self-catering apartment. We have everything from budget-friendly rooms to luxurious suites to suit all kinds of ski holiday. If you’re travelling with children who are too young to ski, pick one of our hotels with childcare or if your children are having lessons, book somewhere near the ski school meeting point.
The tourist office put on lots of free activities throughout to keep little ones happy – particularly over Christmas, New Year, half term and Easter. Morzine is an excellent place to take your children to ski for the first time with terrific tuition, convenient nursery slopes and loads of gentle green and easy blues runs. Little ones too young to ski are well looked after with various childcare options available – they can even enjoy their own kind of skiing thanks to ‘babysnow’ (a scooter-cum-snowboard that toddlers will love). The Nyon Snowpark is excellent for more confident children wanting to try some tricks and older children can venture to Avoriaz for a Snowpark at a higher scale.
It’s not just the resort and ski area that cater excellently to families – Morzine’s position in the Alps is ideal for a family getaway. Only a 75 minute transfer from Geneva airport, you won’t have to hear the all-too-familiar ‘are we nearly there yet?’ for long – book a package including accommodation, return flights and transfers for an easy journey to the mountains - they’re 100% ATOL protected. This is also an excellent place to ski if you’re planning to drive, as it’s one of the closest resorts to Calais – check out our self-drive packages including channel crossings. Look out for our accommodation-only deals if you want to prepare your travel independently.
Our chalets, hotels and apartments are the best in Morzine and make the perfect base for an amazing week on the snow. Book Chalet La Source if you’re a group of 10 looking for somewhere authentic where you can spend cosy evenings in an alpine home-from-home. All of our chalets are catered so you can really relax while meals are prepared for you. Hotel accommodation works fantastically for groups where everyone can socialise in on-site restaurants and bars. Hotel Le Cret is a large property with only a 6-8 minute walk to town centre and ski lift. For an authentic but cheap group holiday, stay in one of the Chalet Matine Apartments – they sleep up to 7 and have an ideal location on the piste only 1 minute from the town.
Wherever you all decide to stay, you can be sure to have a fantastic time in Morzine. Skiers and boarders of all abilities will find lots to please them in the local area and wider Portes du Soleil, whether you’re looking for somewhere to practice, glide amongst the trees, take challenging steeps or do some freeriding or freestyling. Any non-skiers tagging along for the ride can still enjoy the snow on sledge, snowmobile or snowshoes or stay indoors in a fantastic leisure centre, cinema and plenty of shops. The après ski is lively and friendly from cosy pubs to cocktail lounges, promising quality time together after a day on the snow.
Morzine is only a 75 minute transfer if you’re flying into Geneva - book accommodation, flights and airport transfers in one of our money-saving packages for the best deal. The resort is also well located for self-drive holidays and you can book accommodation with channel crossings in a self-drive package if you’re all planning to drive to the mountains. If it’s proving too difficult to arrange a journey that suits everyone, book your accommodation on its own and let everyone sort out their own travel.
Accommodation | Number of nights | Price (per person) from |
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Hotel La Clef des Champs | 7 | £ 987 |
Hotel Les Champs Fleuris | 7 | £ 1049 |