Les Contamines - Hauteluce Ski Resort France
Les Contamines - Hauteluce ski resort straddles the Haute Savoie & Savoie in the heart of a massive French Alps skiing region near Mont Blanc. In a quiet valley between Megeve & Chamonix, Les Contamines has 120km of trails plus a lusty skiable vertical of over 1,300m; enough to pique the interest of any self-respecting powder hound. As well as great value local lift passes, anyone with a valid Evasion Mont Blanc or Mont Blanc Unlimited Lift Pass can ski at Les Contamines-Hauteluce as well.
We visited Les Contamines in early March 2023. Whilst we slowly build up the information on the resort, check out the ski trail map for Les Contamines below.
Where is Les Contamines France?
The Les Contamines ski resort has two base areas in vastly different locations spanning the Savoie & Haute Savoie regions of the French Alps. The main Les Contamines-Montjoie base is in the Haute Savoie, 20 minutes by road south of the Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, close to Megeve and Chamonix. The closest international airport is Geneva (GVA), only 94km away by road. The other sector in Hauteluce is a relatively quiet Savoie mountain valley of the Savoie, 120km (2hr drive) southeast of Geneva airport via Megeve. The Les Contamines - Montjoie sector is the busier of the two but provides brilliant accessibility to a huge number of nearby ski areas, many of which are linked on the Evasion Mont Blanc lift pass. For more solitude & quiet, choose to stay in the Hauteluce sector.
The train is the recommended mode of travel to the Les Contamines-Montjoie sector as it avoids the chaotic traffic on the nearby valley roads at peak times and helps to POW (Protect Our Winters). From Geneva Airport, catch a train to the main Geneva train station (also called Cornavin) then a connecting service to Annemasse (on the Swiss/French border) before continuing to St Gervais- Le Fayet. The entire train journey should take around 2⅕hr. From the St Gervais- Le Fayet train station, take the route 84 bus to Les Contamines. Up to 9 services run per day.
Search & book here for train tickets to Les Contamines. Buy the bus ticket from the driver.
For Hauteluce, the best option is a rental car. This provides the best flexibility to get to the ski lifts from the local accommodation or other nearby resorts like the fabulous Areches Beaufort.
For anyone with an aversion to winter driving or public transport, we recommend looking at a private transfer (particularly if in a group of 3 or more people) to get to the region. The journey from Geneva airport is short and so relatively affordable for even the tightest of powder hounds.
Search & book here for all airport transfers to Les Contamines or Hauteluce.
If you didn't get a rental car, once in Les Contamines a regular free ski bus runs throughout the day and will drop you off at either the Montjoie or Gorge gondola bases.
For hints, tips & warnings about getting to French ski resorts in winter, see our Travel in France page.
Les Contamines - Hauteluce Accommodation
Convenient to one of the French Alps most expansive ski resort regions in the Haute Savoie, but also just a little ‘off the beaten track’, the village of Les Contamines-Montjoie is the livelier staging point to ski Les Contamines-Hauteluce. The main ski lift up the mountain is only a short walk, drive or free ski bus shuttle from the centre of town. The village retains its authenticity, has a good range of affordable accommodations, quality restaurants and a few lively bars. We stayed at, and enjoyed, at the centrally located Hotel Le Christiania. See the Les Contamines-Montjoie village map.
Search & book here for all Les Contamines-Montjoie ski accommodation.
In winter, Hauteluce, the resort’s opposite village across the range in the Savoie, is a far quieter alternative. The village is quaint but not quite convenient to the ski lifts, still 5½km to the Ruelle ski lift base at Belleville. See the Hauteluce village map.
Search & book here for all Hauteluce ski accommodation.
Down valley from Les Contamines - Mont Joie, is St-Gervais-les-Bains. St Gervais has the important railway station nearby, plus is convenient to the Chamonix resorts, as well as the Evasion Mont Blanc lifts & slopes via the Bettex cable car. It is low altitude so rarely has natural snow these days. The small hamlet of St Nicolas de Veroce, between St Gervais & Les Contamines is a beautiful place to stay.
Search & book here for all St Gervais ski accommodation.
Ski Rentals, Lessons, Guiding & Services
Ski rentals are available via our local partners in Les Contamines Montjoie. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Les Contamines Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
The search for fresh tracks or skills /technique improvement can be made easier by skiing or riding with a local ski instructor or mountain. To narrow down the field, search & book a private/group lesson or mountain guide with the best providers via our partners on the Les Contamines - Hauteluce Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
If you need a new ski outfit comprising modern jacket, pants, gloves & goggles, Les Contamines is one of the French ski resorts served by our local partner ski clothing rental company, Ski Chic. Order online & your ski outfit is delivered direct to your accommodation at the resort.
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Review
The Powderhounds reviewed Les Contamines & Hauteluce in early March 2023. Despite some frightful weather when we visited, we had some fun skiing, and loved the villages, general vibe, food, & potential of the ski terrain. More information will follow when we get the time to add it!. Stay tuned for our sparkling repartee, new photos & insights.
See how Les Contamines compares to the rest of the French ski resorts on the France ski resort ratings page, or compare it to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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