by Flaine is the largest of the five French resorts in the Grand Massif ski area, which offers convenience for the family, with beautiful trees and traditional villages just a few minutes away. The 265km ski area suits all abilities from beginner to expert and snow reliability is good, with 80 per cent of the pistes facing north and a fair amount of snowmaking.
Flaine was born in 1969, when large concrete blocks of flats were considered stylish, even in the mountains. Designed in the 1960s, these foundations are still the heart of the resort village and have a major advantage as a ski-in/ski-out facility.
Liking the architecture is a matter of taste – it’s pretty ugly, but some appreciate its Bauhaus heritage and outdoor sculptures by Picasso, Vasarely and Dubuffet.
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 Flaine inspiration, check out our guides to the resort’s best accommodation, restaurants and après ski.
In this guide:
Inside the resort
Flaine is divided into two main parts. The Flaine Forum is based on a large traffic-free square with the slopes and the main gondola on one side. Above that is Flaine Forêt with its own piste and wheelchairs. Both have a few restaurants and bars, and are linked by two funicular-type lifts that run 24/7. In addition, Front de Neige and Les Gérats are included as two other lesser known parts of the resort.
Most of Flaine’s accommodation is in apartments, but the number of smart hotels is increasing. For those who prefer a chalet style, in the 1980s a Norwegian developer built the Hameau de Flaine – an attractive collection of Scandinavian-style wooden chalets, 2km from the original Flaine. Officially, the slopes are reached by free shuttle bus, but an option is to cross the road and slide through the forest to a piste if the snow permits.
Just outside Flaine and on the way to the Hameau, there are Pierre et Vacances Premium Apartments in chalet-style buildings, built in the 2000s with a piste running behind them.
While Flaine has a number of good value restaurants serving mostly decent family food, there is little in the way of haute cuisine. This is a resort with more apartment accommodation than hotels and is mainly aimed at self-caterers who prefer to eat in. The same goes for the nightlife, with Flaine Forum and Flaine Forêt offering a few bars, it’s not central to the party.
Much of the ski area in the large bowl above Flaine is above the trees, but it shares the large and varied Grand Massif ski area with four lower and very contrasting resorts, which have some beautiful tree ranges above them. Les Carroz is a traditional mountain village with chalet-style buildings that have grown across a wide valley floor but retains a real residential village, not just a ski resort. Some of the accommodations are near the gondola but others are a bus ride away.
The ancient alpine village of Samoëns has a medieval church, a pedestrian high street and a covered market. There is a growing number of attractive modern chalet-style apartment developments in the surrounding area. But from most of these – and from the resort – it’s a bus ride or a long walk to the lifts.
Morillon is much smaller and quieter than the other resorts, again based on an old village with newer developments. Most of the accommodation, including a three-star hotel, is a short walk from the gondola. Another base option is Sixt Fer à Cheval, a traditional village with local slopes suitable for beginners, and free buses to the Grand Massif lifts, 10 minutes away.
On the slopes
The Grand Massif’s 265km ski area is very varied and large enough to keep even the keenest intermediate happy for a week. For experts, there is plenty of excellent off-piste terrain to explore with a guidebook.
For starters, Flaine has two dedicated nursery areas served by four free lifts, including three magic carpets. After that there are a few short greens and a sweet long blue to move on. There are also beginner areas in the lower villages of the ski area, Les Carroz, Samoëns, Morillon and Sixt Fer à Cheval, although Samoëns includes catching the gondola up and down.
Above Flaine is a wide bowl facing north, mostly above the tree line and great in good weather as it reaches almost 2,500m and keeps its snow in good condition. It is accessed by two gondolas and a fast chair lift that all leave from Flaine Forum or Flaine Front de Neige – in one of the resort’s two main sectors. Almost every piste here is best suited to intermediates – a few easy cruising blues, but mostly reds that deserve their grading mainly due to short, steep sections.
There are many beautiful pistes looking out between the pistes here. But be careful – the bowl is known for its deep rock crevass and potholes, and deaths and injuries have occurred.
For safer steep runs, head off the top to the skier’s right into the next valley and the Gers bowl. This is served by a long drag lift with a very steep black run next to it and excellent piste from the ridges on both sides.
One of the classic Alpine off-piste runs is accessed by staying high above the top of the Gers drag lift on the Cascade blue run. This run is 14km long with a vertical drop of over 1,700m. It goes well away from the lift system and is walkable even for early intermediates. Starting out very smooth, it gets a little steeper as it winds its way picturesquely through the forest to the tiny village of Sixt Fer à Cheval. At the end there is a shuttle bus back to civilization and the gondola at Samoëns.
A more direct route from Flaine to the slopes of Samoëns, Morillon and Les Carroz is to take the eight-seater Grands Vans chairlift from Forêt and then another chairlift to Tête des Saix, before proceeding to the other sectors. Apart from the upper part, the ranges here are all very nice with trees and good in a snowstorm when Flaine bowl could be a whitewash. Most pistes here are blues and reds, and excellent for intermediates. Marvel’s long green run is great for families, often signposted with information about the local wildlife.
There are no halfpipes or proper terrain parks in the Grand Massif. Instead there are various ‘fun’ areas mainly aimed at children, with bumps, bank turns and trees to negotiate.
Who should go?
Flaine is a holiday dominated by families and first-time skiers or snowboarders, but the slopes of the Grand Massif area cater to all levels, especially intermediates who want to rack up the miles. The ski-in/ski-out facility in Flaine is a big draw, with much of the accommodation having direct access to the slopes. The wide range of apartments in Flaine makes it a popular choice for self-catering groups and families, but the number of hotels is increasing. Just a 90 minute drive from Geneva Flaine is also a good option for a short break with reliable snow.
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 flaine.com, the website of the Flaine 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 Flaine Forum.
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 10-digit 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. From 2021, it is also compulsory to carry snow chains in your car or winter tyres, from the beginning of November to March.
