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Morzine and Avoriaz sit a few kilometres apart in the Portes du Soleil, share the same 600 km circuit at its widest pass tier, and give you two almost opposite weeks. Morzine is a Savoyard market town at 1,000 m, with tree-lined slopes on both sides of the valley and a high street that carries on long after the lifts stop. Avoriaz sits 800 m higher on a cliff edge above it: car-free, purpose-built, and close enough to the snow that you step out of the door onto it. The choice comes down to altitude and atmosphere, plus one practical detail about lift passes that catches people out. This guide compares them side by side so you can pick the base that fits how you want to ski.
Choose Morzine for: a working Alpine town with a life of its own, tree-lined skiing that holds up in flat light, the strongest evenings in the area, and catered chalets that work well for groups.
Choose Avoriaz for: 800 m more altitude and more dependable snow, ski-in/ski-out from almost every door, several of the best terrain parks in Europe, and a car-free layout that suits families with young children.
| Feature | Morzine | Avoriaz |
|---|---|---|
| Country | France | France |
| Shared ski area | Portes du Soleil - 600 km of pistes | Portes du Soleil - 600 km of pistes |
| Local sector | Morzine - Les Gets, around 120 km | Avoriaz, around 100 km |
| Village altitude | 1,000 m | 1,800 m |
| Highest lift | Around 2,010 m (Pointe de Nyon) | Around 2,255 m (Mossettes) |
| Season | Roughly mid-December to mid-April | Roughly mid-December to late April |
| Best for | Town life, tree skiing, evenings | Altitude, ski-in/ski-out, parks |
| Village character | Traditional Savoyard market town | Purpose-built and car-free |
| Nearest airport | Geneva (~1 hr 30 min) | Geneva (~1 hr 30 min) |
Both sit inside the same circuit, but your doorstep differs more here than in most pairings. From Morzine, the Pléney and Nyon gondolas open the Morzine - Les Gets sector: long tree-lined blues and reds, a sunny beginner plateau at the top of the Pléney, and steeper pitch off Nyon and Chamossière. Across town, the Super Morzine gondola heads the other way entirely, towards Avoriaz. Avoriaz sits at the centre of the circuit above the treeline, with terrain fanning out in every direction, the Hauts Forts blacks on one side and lifts into Switzerland within a couple of rides. One thing to know before you book: Morzine's two sides are not linked to each other by piste, so crossing between them means a gondola, the petit train or a free bus.
Who it suits: for tree-lined runs straight from town, Morzine; for open terrain and the shortest route into the rest of the circuit, Avoriaz.
The 800 m between the two villages is the biggest single difference here. Morzine sits at 1,000 m, low for a French resort, and snow at village level is not something to count on at either end of the season - the ski-back into town is usually the first thing to go. Its saving grace is aspect: the Morzine side faces mostly north and holds cover better than the Les Gets side, and there is snowmaking on the runs home. Avoriaz starts at 1,800 m with north and east-facing bowls, and was built where the snow collects, which is why its season runs more dependably. Neither is a glacier resort, though, and the top lifts reach only around 2,255 m.
Who it suits: for an early-season or spring trip, or in a lean winter, Avoriaz is the safer base by some margin.
Morzine is a working Savoyard town that long predates ski tourism - wooden houses, a weekly market, a river through the middle, independent shops. Accommodation spreads along the valley, from catered chalets to family-run hotels, and very little of it is truly ski-in/ski-out; most weeks involve a short walk, the petit train or a free bus to reach a lift. Avoriaz is the opposite proposition. Built in timber-clad blocks that step down the cliff, it is entirely car-free and almost entirely ski-in/ski-out, and your luggage covers the last stretch by sledge or horse-drawn sleigh. Most of what you can book there is self-catered apartments, which suits groups and families who want space and their own kitchen.
Who it suits: for a town with something going on in it, Morzine; for rolling out of bed onto the piste, Avoriaz.
Morzine has one of the livelier evening scenes in the French Alps, and a long-standing British presence to go with it. The bars cluster along the street between the Pléney lift and the tourist office, live music is a fixture rather than an occasional thing, and the restaurants run from Savoyard standards to more ambitious cooking. Avoriaz does its drinking earlier and higher up. La Folie Douce sits on the slopes above the resort and sets the afternoon tone, and there are terrace bars and places to eat through the village, but the night winds down sooner - partly because everyone is already home, on the mountain, rather than heading back into a town.
Who it suits: if the evenings matter as much as the skiing, Morzine; if you would rather be in the first lift queue, Avoriaz.
Both work well for families, in different ways. Avoriaz has the logistics: no traffic to think about, ski-in/ski-out from almost every door, the Village des Enfants for childcare and lessons, and the Aquariaz indoor water park for a day off the snow. Its nursery slopes sit inside the resort and the gentle terrain continues down towards Super Morzine. Morzine's terrain for beginners is good but less convenient, since the main learning plateau is at the top of the Pléney gondola - a lift ride at each end of the day. What Morzine adds is everything around it: an ice rink, a pool, a cinema and a town to walk around when legs or weather give out.
Who it suits: for the smoothest logistics with small children, Avoriaz; for a week where the town keeps everyone occupied, Morzine.
Neither resort is a big-mountain destination, but Avoriaz has the stronger hand. The Hauts Forts sector holds the steepest blacks on the French side, there is lift-served off-piste around Les Lindarets and the Swiss border, and the Swiss Wall at Chavanette - a mogul field rather than a technical descent - is still the run people come to tick off. Avoriaz is also one of the better freestyle resorts in Europe, with several parks including the Stash, cut through the trees and built from natural timber features, plus a smaller version for children. Morzine's harder skiing concentrates in the Nyon and Chamossière sector, where the reds are steep and there is off-piste between the two peaks, but the volume is smaller.
Who it suits: for parks and steep terrain from the door, Avoriaz; strong skiers basing in Morzine should expect to cross to the Avoriaz side most days.
This is the detail that catches people out, and it is worth settling before you book. There are two tiers that matter: the local Morzine - Les Gets pass, and the full Portes du Soleil pass covering all twelve resorts. The local pass covers the Pléney, Nyon and Chamossière sectors plus the whole of Les Gets - but not the Super Morzine gondola or the Prodains cable car, both of which belong to the Avoriaz ski area. So if you are staying in Morzine and want to ski Avoriaz at all, you need the wider pass. From Avoriaz, the local pass covers its own sector and the Portes du Soleil pass opens the rest. Crossing is quick once you hold the right one: Super Morzine from the centre of town, or a free bus to Les Prodains and the cable car up in a few minutes.
Who it suits: if you will stay on one side, the local pass keeps things simple; if the wider circuit is why you are coming, plan on the full pass whichever village you book.
Both are among the quickest resorts to reach from Geneva, at around an hour and a half by road, most of it motorway with the last stretch winding up the Vallée d'Aulps. Morzine you simply drive into. Avoriaz you do not: cars stop at the car park on the edge of the resort, and from there it is a walk, a luggage sledge or a horse-drawn sleigh to your accommodation. The alternative way in is the cable car from Les Prodains, which takes a few minutes and runs late into the evening. Within Morzine, free buses and the petit train circle the village and reach the outlying lifts, and you will use them more than you expect given the two sides are not linked.
Who it suits: the transfer is not the deciding factor here; the arrival is - Morzine is simpler with a car, Avoriaz is simpler without one.
WeSki insider tip: if you are based in Morzine and heading over to Avoriaz, take the free bus to Les Prodains and the cable car rather than going over Super Morzine. It climbs straight into the middle of the Avoriaz sector in about four minutes, while the Super Morzine route needs two further lifts and finishes with a long flat run-out that leaves snowboarders walking.
One circuit, two very different holidays. Choose Morzine if you want a town with a life of its own, tree-lined skiing that still works when the light goes flat, and evenings worth staying up for. Choose Avoriaz if snow security, doorstep skiing and terrain parks matter more to you than village character, and you would rather not think about cars or bus timetables all week. The two are a gondola ride apart either way - just make sure the pass in your pocket covers the ride.
Yes, though not in one continuous run from the town centre. From Morzine, the Super Morzine gondola takes you up towards the Avoriaz sector, and a couple of lifts and an easy run bring you into the resort from there. The quicker route is the free bus to Les Prodains and the cable car, which climbs into the middle of the Avoriaz ski area in about four minutes. Coming home, you can ski down to Prodains and ride the cable car back down.
Yes, if you want to move between them. The local Morzine - Les Gets pass covers the Pléney, Nyon and Chamossière sectors and all of Les Gets, but it does not include the Super Morzine gondola or the Prodains cable car - both belong to the Avoriaz ski area. To ski Avoriaz and the wider circuit you need the full Portes du Soleil pass. It is worth deciding this before you book, because it shapes which base makes sense.
Avoriaz has the easier logistics. Its nursery slopes sit inside the resort, so first-timers walk to their lesson rather than riding a gondola to it, and the gentle terrain carries on down towards Super Morzine once they are moving. Morzine's beginner plateau at the top of the Pléney is wide and sunny with a covered carpet lift, but it does mean a lift ride at each end of the day. Both have strong ski schools; Avoriaz simply removes a step.
Avoriaz, comfortably. It sits at 1,800 m against Morzine's 1,000 m, and its bowls face north and east, so it holds cover when the valley below is struggling. Morzine's own slopes face largely north and have snowmaking on the runs home, which keeps the core of the season in decent shape, but village-level snow and the ski-back into town are the first things to suffer. For an early-season or spring trip, base higher.
It depends on what makes your week easier. Avoriaz wins on day-to-day logistics: no traffic, ski-in/ski-out from almost every apartment, the Village des Enfants for childcare and lessons, and the Aquariaz water park for a rest day. Morzine wins on variety, with an ice rink, a pool, a cinema and a town where an afternoon passes easily without skis. Families skiing every day tend to lean Avoriaz; those who want more going on lean Morzine.
Avoriaz is the stronger choice, and has been for years. It has several parks, among them the Stash, cut through the trees and built from natural timber features, plus a smaller version for younger riders. The terrain around the resort is open and rolling, which suits boards. Morzine has a long-standing British snowboard scene and good tree riding after fresh snow, but the flat run-outs on the link towards Avoriaz are a known nuisance on a board.
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