by Avoriaz was the brainchild of Jean Vuarnet, the 1960 Olympic Downhill Champion and later of the sunglasses fame. He grew up in a resort near Avoriaz, Morzine, and dreamed of developing the meadows above his hometown into a ski resort.
Vuarnet enlisted the help of Gérald Brémond, who later founded and ran the Pierre et Vacances property and holiday group, and the architect, Jacques Labro. Together, they designed the car-free resort village, perched on a cliff, with streets that doubled as piste, and wooden ski-in/ski-out buildings that matched their surroundings. They also decided to heat them with electricity rather than polluting fossil fuels.
The three men’s dream came true during the 1960s, and Avoriaz has continued to grow and expand ever since. It now has over 18,900 beds, and its slopes are part of the huge Portes du Soleil ski area with 600km of piste, a pleasant intermediate playground. The local slopes of Avoriaz are also excellent for beginners and have some of the steepest snow pistes for sure in the entire Portes du Soleil region.
Stay on track with the essential facts from the resort below, and scroll down for our insider’s guide to a day on the piste, expert ratings and advice. For more Avoriaz inspiration, check out our guides to the resort’s best accommodation, restaurants and après ski.
In this guide:
Inside the resort
The purpose-built, angular, high-rise buildings of Avoriaz sit on a sloping plateau, blending well with the landscape, 800m above the traditional holiday chalet in Morzine. Its cliff-top location offers spectacular views, while another cliff, beautifully lit at night, rises up behind the resort.
All cars must be left in huge car parks at the entrance to the village, with horse-drawn sleighs and snowcats carrying visitors and luggage on. The vast majority of accommodation is in self-catering apartments.
It is a very family friendly resort with traffic free snow trails and piste to walk around. The Village des Enfants, where three-year-olds can be looked after and learn their first turns, is on a flat slope right in the center of the resort.
The water park Aquariaz is an oasis of green tropical jungle and also right in the heart of the resort and great fun for children. It includes a gently flowing indoor river with bubbles and jets, a children’s play area, with slides and rain showers, an outdoor hot tub and a watery half pipe to slide down in a giant rubber ring.
Avoriaz is the highest and most snow-sure resort in the vast Portes du Soleil area. The entire ski area is an intermediate paradise and stretches into Switzerland as well as France. There are many local slopes to explore, as well as a full circuit of the PdS.
Avoriaz was one of the first resorts to embrace snowboarding and freestyle skiing, and now has no less than four different terrain parks.
Avoriaz was one of the first resorts to embrace snowboarding and freestyle skiing, and now has no less than four different terrain parks.
On the slopes
Avoriaz is the highest of the 12 or so resorts in the Portes du Soleil ski area, with 600km of pistes. The ski area spans the border between France and Switzerland, including the resorts of Morzine and Les Gets in France and Champéry and Morgins in Switzerland.
All the resorts are linked by lifts and pistes except Morzine-Les Gets – to travel between the two it is necessary to take a gondola down to Morzine, then a walk or free air road train (the Petit Train) across the town to the elevators up town. the other side.
Most lifts in the Portes du Soleil area are fast and modern but there are still some slow chairlifts and drags around – especially on the Swiss slopes. Snow reliability is good in the Avoriaz sector due to its altitude and the fact that many of the slopes do not receive the full force of the afternoon sun. Most of the Portes du Soleil area is lower but has invested heavily in snowmaking, which keeps the pistes covered. The south-facing slopes on the Swiss side, however, can suffer in hot, sunny weather.
The whole Portes du Soleil area is suitable for intermediate people who like variety and understanding of traveling around; about 80 percent of the pistes are classified blue or red. Competent intermediates can easily manage a circuit around the entire Portes du Soleil in one day – clockwise or counterclockwise.
The Avoriaz piste map divides the local slopes into four areas, each shaded a different color – one for beginners, others for families, playing in the trees and expert terrain.
The beginner area is extensive and includes slopes in the village itself as well as many easy green piste and lifts on the way to the gondola down to Morzine.
The family areas are even more extensive and include a mix of blue, red and black runs suitable for mixed ability groups.
The tree area, the Lil’Stash, is primarily a blue piste cut through the trees, but there is also The Stash, a fun roomless area for weaving through widely spaced trees in the forest, and around or on natural wooden obstacles .
The expert area has steep black and red pistes (including one used for World Cup downhill races) on north-facing slopes where the snow is usually the best around. There are also five Snowcross runs – avalanche controlled and patrolled routes. Experts can also enjoy steep runs further afield, such as the roomless run known as the Wall of Switzerland, down towards Champéry from the top of the Chavanettes drag lifts, one of the steepest slopes in the world. And you can enjoy off-piste with a guide, including Les Crosats in the Arare area.
Avoriaz is famous for its terrain parks (in fact the first one in France was built here in 1993). Now there are four. Arare is the main park for expert and pro-level riders. The others are aimed at beginner and intermediate freelancers and children. Lil’Stash (baby brother to the more challenging Stash) is a fun area designed for children with small moguls and bumps, as well as a picnic area, wobbly bridges and a slide.
The expert area has steep black and red pistes (including one used for World Cup downhill races) on north-facing slopes where the snow is usually the best around. There are also five Snowcross runs – avalanche controlled and patrolled routes. Experts can also enjoy steep runs further afield, such as the roomless run known as the Wall of Switzerland, down towards Champéry from the top of the Chavanettes drag lifts. And off-piste is good to enjoy with a guide.
As well as the CSE, there are many other schools, many run by Brits – including New Generation, Avoriaz Alpine Ski School and Mint Snowboard School.
Who should go
Avoriaz has a strange charm and a diverse range of terrain parks that make it popular among freestylers – four suitable for all levels from beginner to advanced, as well as a snow cross course. Snowboarding made its European debut here in the late 1980s, and although it is no longer here, Avoriaz built Europe’s first halfpipe in 1993. The variety of slopes in the Portes du Soleil, however, suit everyone from beginners to veteran powders, and Avoriaz makes a good one. base for easy access to all of it. A middle class that likes variety and enjoys traveling around will feel particularly at home. The resort is very family friendly with traffic-free snow trails and plenty of off-piste activities including the Aquariaz water park. Avoriaz is by far the most ski-in/ski-out resort in the greater Portes du Soleil area and the snowiest place for sure.
Know before you go
Essential information
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British Embassy/Consulate: 00 33 1 44 51 31 00; ukinfrance.fco.gov.uk
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ambulance: dial 15
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Police: dial 17
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Fire (popiers): dial 18
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Emergency services from a mobile phone for free: dial 112
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Tourist office: See avoriaz.com, the website of the Avoriaz Tourist Board, for weather reports, lift status, webcams, traffic data and local event listings. Pick up maps, leaflets and other information from the office in the center of the resort on Promenade du Festival.
The basics
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Currency: Euro
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Telephone code: from abroad, dial 00 33, then leave the zero at the beginning of the number.
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Time difference: +1 hour
Local laws & etiquette
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When greeting people, formal titles (Monsieur, Madame and Mademoiselle) are used much more in French than in English.
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It takes years to master the laws of vouvoiement (which version of “you” to use). When in doubt – except when talking to children or animals – always use the formal form vous (second person plural) rather than the more casual tu.
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When driving, it is mandatory to keep fluorescent bibs and a hazard triangle in the car in case of a breakdown.
