Morzine Ski Resort France
Morzine is an immensely popular French ski resort in the vast Portes du Soleil which straddles the French-Swiss border just south of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman). A lynchpin between the ski resorts of Les Gets & Avoriaz, Morzine has a lovely village with high-end accommodation, plus the region’s longest ski run (11km) to go with it!
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
The Morzine skiing & snowboarding terrain is heavily intertwined with Les Gets. The two share a local lift pass which covers their combined 120km of trails & 48 lifts, plus includes incredibly cheap Saturday rates. (All powder hounds should file that away – not only is Saturday skiing here cheap, we assume it is also uncrowded, hence the discounted lift pass price! Changeover day for here on a standard week-long package is generally a Saturday!)
Check out the ski trail map for Morzine below.
Statically the ski resort’s terrain has both good & bad. Essentially one wide alpine valley, the good include north-aspect terrain, the region’s longest run at 11km, a skiable vertical of around 1,000m, a decent set of ski lifts & good number of on-piste trails for beginners & intermediates. The bad includes an extremely low elevation base (for France), relatively low highest lifted point (for France) & a lack of advanced on-piste terrain. The village at nearby Avoriaz is higher than 95% of the Morzine ski terrain!
For intermediates, as with most Alps ski resorts, the entire mountain is well suited. For beginners, a sure-fire indicator that the sector of Morzine – Les Gets from Pleney along the ridge toward the top of Charniaz chair is perfect for them, is that in summer the area is a golf course!
For advanced snow-sliders looking for adventure, the Chamossiere sector is the place. The signature run is the Les Creux and the steep off-piste close to it provides powder day fun. The forested runs directly above the town look the goods for storm-riding.
Morzine’s ski lifts are the full mix of ancient relics through to 80s classics & modern expresses. The modern Pleney gondola gets the masses up the hill efficiently to 1,500m & from there it is a mix of chairs all through the valley. Interconnections with neighbouring Les Gets are seamless directly from the Pleney gondola, or at various points further along the ridge. Similarly, getting from Les Gets to Morzine is straightforward.
Lift Passes & Portes du Soleil (PduS)
Morzine shares a superb local lift pass with neighbouring Les Gets. Already great value covering the combined 120km of pistes, there are special rates to ski on Saturdays. The exceptional cheap rates are even better if pre-purchased online, and cheaper again (-15%) if skiing later in the season from April 1st. Anyone wanting to explore more broadly can buy a PduS pass, with is valid in Les Gets, Morzine and 10 other interlinked ski areas all the way across in Switzerland.
Morzine is lift connected into the rest of the Portes du Soleil via the Super Morzine gondola which heads toward Avoriaz, or via free ski buses toward Avoriaz & Châtel. Depending on who you believe, the Portes du Soleil has more or less than 600km of ski trails & close to 200 ski lifts. Whichever way one looks at it, any resort within the broader ski region is worth visiting, particularly after cold storms from the north & west.
See here for the entire Portes du Soleil ski trail map.
Where is Morzine France?
Morzine is in the Haute Savoie of the French Alps, just south of the Swiss border & Lake Geneva (Lac Leman). By road, Avoriaz village is only 77km (1¼hr) east of Geneva airport via the interlinked ski resort of Les Gets. The closest train station & major town is Cluses, 29km (45min) to the south.
The most convenient airport is Geneva (GVA), but given the nearby TGV train line, airports that are far away Paris (CDG) can be utilised to get to the area.
Cluses railway station is on the TGV line from Paris. It is 1⅓hr by regional train from Geneva (leaving every 2hr through the day). Buses on the route 91 travel from Cluses to Morzine (via Les Gets) on a limited timetable of between 2 & 6 times a day, with the most services on a Saturday.
Search & book here for all train tickets to Cluses.
Unless one has a rental car, given the poor bus timetabling, if getting a train to Cluses, we recommend organising a private transfer to Morzine. Alternatively, if the financials stack up, simply get a transfer direct from Geneva airport. A private transfer can be quite time & cost effective, particularly if in a group of 3 or more people.
Search & book here for all transfers to Morzine.
Morzine Accommodation
The village of Morzine is the area’s largest, & some say, prettiest place to stay. Easy to drive to from Geneva, Morzine has the full range of services & lodging options expected of a quality ski resort. Its relatively low altitude of less than 1,000m may mean it lacks the luscious mantle of snow in the village that we so love on our ski holiday jaunts. Modern gondola lifts depart from the centre of town heading up to the Morzine ski slopes on one side, and the Avoriaz slopes on the other. Ski trails from the Morzine side end on the fringe of town. A download or ski bus ride is required to return from Avoriaz.
Search & book here for all Morzine ski accommodation.
Alternative accommodations are in the adjacent valley (but slightly higher elevation - 1,170m) at Les Gets, or further down valley at Montriond & St-Jean d'Aulps (both of which require a car or free ski-bus to get to the Portes du Soleil slopes).
[AdListings collection="Europe" category="France Portes du Soleil" subcategory="Morzine Packages"]
Ski Rentals, Lessons & Equipment
Equipment rentals are available near the ski lift bases in Morzine via our local partners. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Morzine Ski & Snowboard Equipment Rental page.
If seeking ski or snowboard lessons (on or off-piste) or want an instructor or guide to show you around this vast mountain region, search & book via our Morzine Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
If you need a new outfit for your ski trip comprising modern jacket, pants, gloves & goggles, Morzine 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.
[AdListings Filter="Meribel Ski Rentals Clothing"]
Review
The Powderhounds will review Morzine in the near future. We have skied the broader Portes du Soleil in both 2019 & 2023, finding it to be splendorous, but never got across to Morzine & Les Gets. You can look forward to our sparkling repartee, new photos & fearless insights when we finally do. You can read our thoughts on the overall Portes du Soleil, plus individual resorts including Avoriaz, Chatel or the Swiss PduS ski areas via their respective overview pages.
See how Portes du Soleil and its individual resorts compare to the rest of the French ski resorts on the France ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
Follow Powderhounds Europe on Instagram to see where we are currently skiing. Follow our main Powderhounds page on Facebook to stay in touch with up-to-date info, tours, and discussions.
