Morzine is not just a ski resort, but also a real little alpine town where there is a year-round life that goes far beyond just having fun on the mountains around it.
That said, winter sports enthusiasts from France and other countries - most notably Britain - have been coming here since Edwardian times. They spent their days skating on the frozen lake and gently telemarking on the rolling meadows surrounding it.
Keep up to date with the key facts about the resort below and scroll down for our insider's guide to a day on the slopes, expert reviews and advice. For more Morzine inspiration, check out our guides to the resort's best accommodation, restaurants and après-ski.
In this guide:
Within the resort
Morzine is the capital of the enormous 600 km long cross-border Portes du Soleil ski area that extends into Switzerland. It's an excellent base and ideally suited to families, but at just 1,000 meters the resort suffers from the problems of low altitude - on the plus side the lower pistes are tree-lined and can be useful when visibility is poor is. bad on bad weather days and modern snowmaking ensures that the main pistes and connections can remain open every season until their scheduled closing dates.
The village is surrounded by undulating summer meadows which become pleasantly undulating in winter and have mainly moderate slopes, linked to similar terrain in neighboring Les Gets and attractively lined with trees. However, due to the resort's low elevation, the slopes are not always fully open, so booking a holiday in the early or late season can be risky.
After the construction of a cable car in 1934, not much happened in Morzine until February 1960, when the city teamed up to send promising local racer Jean Vuarnet to the Winter Olympics in California's Squaw Valley. He came home with the gold medal for the downhill in his hand.
Upon his return home, the elders of Morzine gave Vuarnet the task of creating the high-altitude ski station of Avoriaz above. He was also tasked with developing links with neighboring resorts on both sides of the Swiss border to create the huge Portes du Soleil ski area. It's a bit sad that Vuarnet is now much better known for its sunglasses than for its extraordinary sporting achievements or its ski heritage.
The story continues
Morzine is not only a good base for families, but also has a lively après scene with many bars. For those who enjoy off-piste activities, or aren't quite as committed to full days on the slopes, there are a fair number of other activities to fill the hours. These include ice diving under a lake, nature exploration, snowmobiling, sledding, twilight snowshoeing, an Escape Rooms challenge and shopping. There's also a world-class ice rink and a large swimming pool, plus Les Aigles du Léman park at the Pointe de Nyon, which offers family activities and birds of prey shows.
On the slopes
The 600km of terrain that makes up the Portes du Soleil ski area includes a dozen resorts in France and Switzerland, and it's all within a 75-minute drive of Geneva. Catch an early flight and it's possible to cruise the slopes above Morzine well before lunch.
There's plenty of fun to be had on Morzine's slopes, laid out on undulating summer meadows bordered by dense forests, and the variety of pistes in the Portes du Soleil are suitable for everyone from complete beginners to experienced powder hounds.
In a winter with good snow cover the ski area goes straight to the top of the class, but Morzine is only 1,000 meters away. In Austria this is a respectable height, but on the western side of the Alps it is remarkably low, meaning the white stuff cannot be guaranteed. The ski area has invested in state-of-the-art snowmaking, but in a tough winter there can be green spots on the lower slopes at both the beginning and end of the season.
In a bad winter, beginners can climb the mountain and make their first turns at Pleney (1,505 m). New for 2023/24: a beginner carpet complements the existing carpet at the top of Pleney. This starts close to the Nabor chairlift and rises slightly above the Viking carpet, making access to the beginners' area easier.
Strong intermediates climb quickly from Morzine to neighboring snow-sure Avoriaz and the much more demanding runs that extend back down, as well as over the Swiss border towards Champéry. For the winter of 2023/24, a new detachable six-person chairlift will replace the old four-person Lac-Intrêts chairlift in Avoriaz and there will be a new red piste, le Creux de la Neige.
There's also some really tough terrain to be found, with runs such as the Swiss Wall (real name Le Pas de Chavanette) in Avoriaz regularly making lists of the steepest black runs in the Alps. But overall, the Portes du Soleil, which rises to a high point at the top of Les Hauts Forts (2,466 m), is a beautiful intermediate area, ideally suited to families and piste bashers who want to see how many kilometers they can cover . in one day.
A basic tour of the Portes du Soleil is a full day out, but most of it will be spent in the lifts rather than on the slopes. However, the lift connections between the resorts are constantly being updated and the pistes are being redesigned to improve flow and reduce congestion on the pistes. On a week-long holiday it's better to stick to the Morzine side of the circuit and explore the more local slopes in depth.
Freestylers often migrate to Avoriaz. This was the original European home of snowboarding and remains one of the top terrain park resorts, with six dedicated areas for different levels, including The Stash natural features and the Lil'Stash for young people. Morzine itself has a small park in the Nyon sector, plus a fun park for children and adult beginners, the Pingouin Border at the top of Pleney. For advanced skiers, Les Gets has a park at the top of Mont Cherie, and there is another park further up in Les Crosets in Switzerland.
Who should go?
Intermediates looking to spend a week cruising the slopes will feel at home in Morzine, with access to the Portes du Soleil, where the variety of pistes suits everyone from complete beginners to experienced powder hounds. Off the slopes, Morzine's lively après scene suits families and party animals alike, with plenty of bars and plenty of activities including ice diving, snowmobiling and tobogganing. The resort is also popular among those looking for a weekend getaway in the mountains, due to its proximity to Geneva.
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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Emergency services from mobile phone: call 112
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TOURIST OFFICE: See morzine-avoriaz.com, the website of the Morzine (and neighboring Avoriaz) tourist board, for weather reports, lift status, webcams, traffic information and local event listings. Collect maps, leaflets and other information from the office on the main street in the center of Morzine.
The base
Local laws and etiquette
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When greeting people, French uses many more formal titles (Monsieur, Madame and Mademoiselle) than 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 vous form (second person plural) instead of the more informal tu.
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When driving, it is mandatory to have fluorescent vests and a warning triangle in the car in case of a breakdown. Since 2021, it is also mandatory to have snow chains in your car or winter tires from early November to March.
