Skiing in Switzerland from the South of France

Want to get away from it all? Want to discover new ski areas and a different mountain culture? Switzerland awaits you with open arms. And skiing in Switzerland is something of a religion.

If you live in the south of France, the gateway to Switzerland is Geneva and Lake Geneva.

It's easily accessible from Lyon, or via Grenoble, Chambéry and Annecy. Ideal if you live in the southern half of France, but also in the Centre and Bourgogne Franche-Comté regions.

And once we've arrived in Geneva, which ski resort will we go to?

Two Swiss cantons are close to the French border: Vaud and Valais, at the end of Lake Geneva!

Skiing in the canton of Vaud

In summer, or on sunny days, we like to stroll along the shores of Lake Geneva. Once you've passed Lausanne and its medieval quarter, you cross the Lavaux vineyards, which slope down to the shores of the lake. Continue on to the end of the lake, after crossing - or bypassing, to be quicker - the very Mediterranean towns of Vevey and Montreux, to enter the flat Rhone valley, flanked by high mountains where the ski resorts of the Alpes Vaudoises.

You'll reach the same place if you follow the south shore, the French side of Lac Léman, which is often slower, but more direct as you pass through Thonon les Bains and Evian les Bains.

The meeting point is around the town ofAigle. Aigle is 1h30 from Geneva by road.

But you can also get to Aigle by train in 1h20 from Geneva. It's really close to the French border.

Just above Aigle, on the mountains overlooking the right bank of the Rhône to the east, is the resort of Leysin, nestled in a panoramic position at an altitude of 1,200m. In Leysin , you can enjoy family skiing on some sixty km of pistes served by some fifteen lifts. You can also ski at the snow-covered Col des Mosses, perfect for Nordic skiing and other activities, and linked to Leysin by a shuttle bus.

From Leysin, 20km away, or from Aigle , 25km away, the most athletic skiers will choose the resort of Les Diablerets, at the bottom of a vast valley also at 1200m altitude, whose highest slopes, on the Glacier 3000m domain, are close to 3000m. Here, 125 km of pistes of varying difficulty await skiers in a friendly village atmosphere.

Another family resort with magnificent views of the Valaisan Alps is Villars sur Ollon. Accessible by road 12km from Aigle, on a south-west-facing balcony with maximum sunshine, this small, traditional village will charm you.

The Villars sur Ollon ski area is linked to that of Les Diablerets. So the skiing will be top quality.

Villars sur Ollon is just 3 hours by road from Lyon, as far as Val d'Isère and the other Haute Tarentaise resorts.

Skiing in the Valais

At the gateway to the Valaisand just over the Franco-Swiss border, lies the Dents du Midi region which represents the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil area. Yes, including Châtel, AvoriazMorzine or Les Gets!

Whether in Morgins, five kilometers from Châtel, or in Champéry, accessible by train, in a side valley on the left bank of the Rhône, west of Aigle, the skiing is top-notch, the snow cover excellent and the sunshine on the slopes maximum. Of course, the main attraction of these Swiss Chablais resorts is the link with the French part of the Portes du Soleil ski area, but you can also ski only in the Swiss area and pay less for your ski pass.

These resorts are also less than 3 hours from Lyon, as are the major Savoie resorts.

Champéry is the largest of the resorts. It's also a pretty village with a true Alpine tradition. It's a little steep, at an altitude of 1000m, and the end of the day on the sunny snow front is rather rare, but the scenery on the Dents du Midi, as soon as you get up high, is breathtaking.

Morgins, a sportier, sunnier resort at an altitude of 1,300 m, offers an incredible advantage. Situated five kilometers from the pretty village of Châtel, in France, you can pay French prices for your accommodation (and yes, in Switzerland it's sometimes a little more expensive) and ski in Switzerland. Morgins is linked to Champéry via the lifts of the Portes du Soleil ski area, passing through the high-altitude resorts of Champoussin and Les Crosets, which are also options for your accommodation.

All these resorts in the Val d'Iliez have a deep-rooted skiing tradition and offer a sunny, top-level ski area, including the famous Mur Suisse piste in the Chavanette sector.

Find out more about this region on the Région Dents du Midi website.

The Swiss resorts of Champéry and Morgins are less than 3 hours from Lyon, as are the major Savoie resorts.

The other Valais resorts, between Martigny and Sion and even beyond, fall outside the objective of presenting Swiss ski resorts close to the French border, and easily accessible to the inhabitants of southern France.

An article will be dedicated to the major Valais ski resorts, including Verbier, Crans Montana, Les Quatre Vallées and many more!

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