Les Contamines always strikes us one of those places where despite having lots of people on-piste skiing groomers, there are way less here hunting powder off the pistes. And it is relaxed too. There’s seemingly no hurry, no pressure – so different to neighbouring Chamonix, and that’s Les Contamines’ strength. Slightly off the radar, there is enough at Les Contamines to keep one occupied for a week but its proximity to a host of other resorts makes skiing alternatives easy too.

Unlike our previous visit in 2023 where storms played havoc with lift operations, having started in Les Contamines at the huge (and free) Gorge gondola car park, we were able to ski the Hauteluce side of the mountain. Its many cruisy runs were only lightly tracked throughout the day and its gentle off-piste was totally devoid of anyone else. Despite a high number of surface tows in the sector, one doesn’t need to ride any of them to ski all the terrain – the Col quad chair serves it all. The Hauteluce valley trail is fantastic but probably a bit darker than its red-intermediate rating. Off-piste options to the bottom were bony due to some warm weather the previous week, but the potential is certainly there for some exciting descents.

Les Contamines has loads of green & blue trails for families, novices & beginners, but on overcast or gloomy days can be quite testing as most of it is above the treeline. Sunny days here would be perfect, it just a shame we haven’t ever skied here with a blue sky.

We again stayed at the well-priced and convenient Hotel Le Christiania. We love the authenticity of this hotel & the village. It is not a confected, pretentious resort town. It is comfortable, perfect for strolling, has all the right services, and with the requisite number & style of bars & restaurants to suit everyone. In our not so humble opinion, Les Contamines beats the better-known St Gervais hands down (but each to their own!).

Food on the mountain & in town is better than most places without being extraordinary. But that’s not to say there aren’t extraordinary places to dine. To warm up mid-morning we stopped at Chez Gaston on the Col du Joly. They weren’t serving food yet, and the coffee was rubbish (French coffee is always rubbish!), so we indulged in what we thought was some over-priced cakes & sweet treats. My goodness they were incredibly tasty. So we went back for an early lunch. Unreal. Pricey but magnificent – it is at the top of the resort, so prices are always gonna be a tick above the average. It was filling rapidly as we were finishing. This is one of the few mountain restaurants here, hence it is VERY popular - arrive early. Note too that in true French style, the location of the pissoir for males feels as though one is taking a pee IN the restaurant, but you get used to it!

Without the extremes of nearby Chamonix, Les Contamines is the better destination for anyone wanting cruisy groomers, a relaxed vibe, a lively but not outrageous village and easy access powder skiing that is just steep enough to be a helluva lot of fun, because after all, skiing is about fun, right?

See our thoughts on the pros and cons of this ski resort via our Les Contamines overview page.

How nice was it coming to Les Contamines in the French Alps? Having been in Georgia for the previous 3 weeks (a tough trip that didn’t exactly go to plan!), plus Türkiye & Bulgaria before that, I was a little surprised how happy I was to be back in the Alps. A smooth airport to rental car process in Geneva, easy navigation on fantastic roads - no potholes; no wandering dogs, pigs & cows; no crazy drivers to contend with (well not too anyway!). I was in my hotel room in Les Contamines less than 2hr after landing at Geneva airport. ‘Bloody lovely’ I thought whilst scoffing a Reblochon cheese dish washed down with Belgian beer & Genepi at Hotel Le Christiania.

Les Contamines is my kind of ski hill. Remotely situated at the end of a mountain valley, but actually not too far from anywhere; a lovely, friendly village; seemingly without too many wankers, big skiable vertical, diverse terrain and affordable. Ticks a lot of boxes. Now if only we could have seen it when we visited!

The forecast was for rain in the valley and snow at altitude, along with strong winds. First day was a write off with only a few lifts and runs open. Surprisingly, given the heinous conditions down low, the valley trails to both the Montjoie and Gorge gondola bases were still open & delightfully skiable. Despite the conditions, I was immediately struck again by the differences from where I’d come from. Easy to follow road signage & car parking; a regular free ski bus shuttle linking the village to the two lift bases; smiling, professional lifties; pleasant, informative cash desk staff; a live lift & piste status board; happy polite guests; no rubbish on the ground; professional ski instructors and ski rental shops; lively bars & restaurants …… the list goes on. And whilst the above could describe many an Alps ski resort, in this case it was Les Contamines-Montjoie. Why did I come to Les Contamines straight after travelling and skiing through Georgia & eastern Europe? Because I was hoping to find an authentic, professionally run ski resort & village, without seething crowds, but with great snow and terrain for a good value price. In other words, everything that Georgian ski ‘resorts’ were not. Turns out I found what I was looking for!

Located in a deep valley at the end of the road near Megeve, St Gervais & Chamonix, Les Contamines Montjoie has all the elements a good powder hound loves. Most are already mentioned above. With a top to bottom run of over 10km possible, even in wet, relatively shitty snow conditions, I had an absolute hoot skiing at Les Contamines. First thing, a run from Signal straight under the Jonction chair in powder was the best possible start. The weather got more feral as the day went on and upper lifts started to close with blowing snow & strong winds. A run down the ungroomed advanced Tobogan slope in no visibility was a surprising highlight. Untouched powder always makes me smile. One day I’ll see what it actually looks like! Finishing with a few top to bottom runs from Signal to the valley stations was a hoot, and a credit to the resort staff given the warm temps down low. To be fair the village is at 1179m, which in France is quite low these days.

Les Contamines was a buzzing town without being overrun & touristy. Hotel Le Christiania is a ‘go to’ for its Reblochon and other dinner delights. Brasserie Les Rhodos bar, is always buzzing in the evening, friendly, accommodating staff, excellent booze selection. La Casa Roca bar restaurant has great food ,drinks & service. Le Ty Breiz creperie & bar, is a lively joint, with scrumptious galettes & crepes, great beers & wine, in a warm & cosy environment with fun hosts.

Good to know is that at mid-mountain, if you need an emergency wax (I did because the snow down low was a touch warm!), the experienced gents at La Boutique provide a quick, cheap, but magnificent ski service (wax and edge).

Woke up to cold fresh snow in town the next morning but decided to check out St Gervais and drove to gorgeous St Nicolas to start an amazing day on Mont Joly (on the backside to Les Contamines). I will have to imagine how good the Les Contamines side of Mont joly would have been! I’ll be back to check it again next season.

We never got to ski the Hauteluce sector, although we did check it out from the bottom when driving from Areches Beaufort to Megeve one sunny March afternoon. The road through Hauteluce village is a glorious single lane affair, worthy of the best Alps village driving experiences. The valley on this side of the resort feels remote, quiet & relaxed. Combined with the beautiful Areches Beaufort ski area, staying on this of the mountain could have some advantage if seeking the paths less travelled. Regardless of where you stay, when in France, spend a day or two Skiing Les Contamines-Hauteluce; it’s such a delight.

See our thoughts on the pros & cons of the resort on our Les Contamines-Hauteluce Overview page.