Skiing in Serre Chevalier

Serre Chevalier: four villages, one valley and 250 km from Briançon to Le Monêtier

Serre Chevalier ski guide: all 82 runs by sector, free beginner lifts, 2026–27 pass prices, Turin or Grenoble to Briançon and which of the four villages to stay in.

Pistes (km)

250

Official runs (15 green, 26 blue, 28 red, 13 black)

82

Ski lifts

58

Serre Chevalier pass, adult 12–64, 1 day, 19 Dec 2026–26 Mar 2027 (EUR)

68

Same pass, 6 days, same period (EUR)

345

Skiing & terrain in Serre Chevalier

All 82 alpine runs in the live slope list behind the official Serre Chevalier interactive trail map, grouped by the nine sectors the list assigns (Briançon Pra Long and Sommet, Chantemerle Grand Alpe, Prorel and Ratier, Monêtier Bachas and Sommet, Villeneuve Aravet and Fréjus), plus the six official inter-sector links and the fun zones, discovery areas and stadiums from the same list as separate rows.

Alpine runs in the official live list (this table)

82

Sectors in the official live list

9

Inter-sector links in the live list

6

Pistes across the whole area (km)

250

• Green runs in this table: 15
• Blue runs in this table: 26
• Red runs in this table: 28
• Black runs in this table: 13

Checked 18 October 2026, before the season, so every run showed as out of period. The list's 82 runs match the tourist office's official count exactly (15 green, 26 blue, 28 red, 13 black). Colours follow French grading. Neither the live list nor the official pages publish a length per run, so lengthM is null throughout; the 250 km is the area total, not one descent. Area labels are the list's own sector names; links, fun zones, discovery areas and stadiums carry the list's own group names (Liaisons, Espaces ludiques, Espaces découverte, Stades) and are not counted as runs. Cross-country loops, snowshoe and pedestrian routes are excluded.

Serre Chevalier pistes: Briançon, Chantemerle, Villeneuve and Monêtier sectors

Serre Chevalier is one linked ski area above four bases in the Guisane valley: the town of Briançon and the villages of Chantemerle (Saint-Chaffrey), Villeneuve (La Salle les Alpes) and Le Monêtier-les-Bains. The tourist office gives 250 km of pistes, 410 hectares of marked terrain, 58 lifts and 82 runs — 15 green, 26 blue, 28 red and 13 black — and says 80% of the runs lie above 1800 m.

The live slope list splits the area into nine sectors. Villeneuve is the largest, with 30 runs across Aravet and Fréjus, including the red Cucumelle and the blacks Ailefroide, Creux du Loup, Isolée and Super Draye. Chantemerle has 22 runs over Grand Alpe, Prorel and Ratier, where the blacks Luc Alphand and Pylônes sit. Monêtier has 17 runs on Bachas and Sommet, with blacks such as Col du Vent, Noire Cibouit and Tabuc, and Briançon has 13 runs above the town, from the greens Bergers and Pelvoux to the black Couloirs.

No official source publishes a length per run, so our table gives colours and sectors only. Six official links tie the sectors together (Briançon–Chantemerle, Chantemerle–Villeneuve and Villeneuve–Monêtier, both ways). In season, check the live list for which sectors and links are open.

Serre Chevalier for beginners: discovery areas and free lifts in every village

Each base has a beginner zone. Briançon has an area at altitude reached by the first section of the Prorel gondola, with the Pitchounets rope tow; Chantemerle uses the first section of the Ratier gondola, the Pré Ratier lifts and a magic carpet; Villeneuve has the Chazelay, Mickey and Aiche lifts on the snow front, then either the Aravet gondola and Aravet discovery area or the Pontillas gondola with the covered Méa carpet and the Clot and Pré de Jeanne lifts; Monêtier has the Pré Chabert and École lifts on the snow front.

For 2026–27 a Discovery Areas ticket costs €21 a day and covers one of these packages. Some snow-front lifts are free: the Bez chairlift and ski lift in Villeneuve, and the Chanteloube ski lift and the magic carpet in Monêtier. The tourist office also counts green and blue runs to move on to — 7 green and 5 blue from Chantemerle, 5 green and 11 blue from Villeneuve.

For a careful step up, the 1 day / 5 passages Discovery Pass (€47) gives five lift rides; T-bar rides are not counted. Take lessons for the first days and check the colour of every run on the live list before following it down.

Getting to Serre Chevalier: Turin, Grenoble, Lyon or Marseille, the train to Briançon and the bus

Serre Chevalier has no airport. The tourist office gives Turin Caselle as the closest (about 1 h 30), then Grenoble (about 2 h), Lyon Saint-Exupéry and Marseille Marignane (about 3 h each) and Milan Malpensa (2 h 40). From Turin, bus 268 runs to Torino Porta Nuova, then a train to Oulx and the ZOU line 76 bus; a Saturday Linkbus shuttle from the airport ran last winter, but 2026–27 dates were not published when we checked. From Lyon, take a shuttle to Grenoble; from Grenoble, ZOU line 55 runs over the Col du Lautaret to Le Monêtier, Villeneuve, Chantemerle and Briançon station (about 3 hours, two runs a day each way). Marseille has ZOU coaches to the Southern Alps, booking required.

By rail, Briançon station is the end of the line: SNCF runs an Intercités night train from Paris and regular trains from Marseille and Grenoble. Its published timetable runs to mid-December 2026, so check SNCF Connect for the winter dates before booking. TGV passengers can also go via Oulx in Italy, where ZOU line 76 (3 return trips on weekdays, 4 at weekends) stops at Briançon, Saint-Chaffrey, Villeneuve-la-Salle and Le Monêtier; tickets are sold online only, at least 48 hours ahead (€7.50, €3.80 for children up to 11).

For the last leg, valley bus line 6 links Briançon with the Serre Chevalier villages, with up to 55 return trips a day in high winter season. Saint-Chaffrey/Chantemerle, La Salle les Alpes and Le Monêtier also run their own free winter ski shuttles every 15–30 minutes at peak times. By car, check the Lautaret and Montgenèvre pass conditions before setting off.

Serre Chevalier with kids: ESF in four villages, Piou-Piou club and childcare

ESF runs schools in Briançon, Chantemerle, Villeneuve and Monêtier, with about 350 instructors across the valley, and offers children's and teen group lessons, snowboard and private lessons. In Briançon, the Kids Club Piou-Piou meets at the Prorel gondola and takes children from age 3, with a lunch-and-childcare option from age 4 (€23 a day); children leave with a Piou-Piou or Ourson medal. Book at least 30 days ahead in winter. The schools do not list teaching languages on the pages we checked, so ask when booking.

For younger children, the tourist office lists Les Eterlous daycare and micro-crèche in Le Monêtier, the Les petits aigles leisure centre in Chantemerle for ages 3–6, and an intercommunal leisure centre in Briançon for ages 3–12. Lift passes are free for children under 6 and adults over 75, and there is a family pass for at least 4 people skiing 6 days or more.

For a non-skiing parent, there are the Grands Bains thermal baths in Le Monêtier, the aquatic centre and Olympic ice rink in Briançon, sled-dog outings and sledging. The pass office also sells pedestrian and snowshoe passes.

Where to stay in Serre Chevalier: Briançon, Chantemerle, Villeneuve or Le Monêtier

Briançon is a real town with the railway station and the Prorel gondola into the ski area, so it suits a car-free trip and evenings in town. The trade-off is a shorter season on its own sector: it opens a week after the other three (12 December 2026) and closes on 4 April 2027, so in late season you take the bus to another village.

Chantemerle (Saint-Chaffrey) has the Ratier gondola and is the most central base, with official links towards both Briançon and Villeneuve and the Ratier sector blacks (Luc Alphand, Pylônes) above it; it suits mixed groups and keen skiers. Villeneuve (La Salle les Alpes) has the largest sector (30 runs), the Aravet and Pontillas gondolas, the snowpark and the most beginner options, which makes it the easiest choice for families.

Le Monêtier-les-Bains is the furthest village up the valley from Briançon, with the Pré Chabert beginner lifts, the Grands Bains and the Monêtier blacks above it; it suits couples and good skiers who don't mind being at the end of the bus line. Wherever you book, check the walk to the nearest gondola or free shuttle stop.

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Serre Chevalier ski pass 2026–27: prices, free ages and the Grande Galaxie

The 2026–27 price list is published. In the main period, 19 December 2026 to 26 March 2027, a 1-day Serre Chevalier pass costs €68 for an adult (12–64), €56 for a child (6–11) and €62 for a senior (65–74); 6 days cost €345, €283 and €314. Early season, 5–18 December 2026, is cheaper: €54.50 a day and €276 for 6 days for an adult. Prices checked 18 October 2026.

Children under 6 and adults over 75 ski free with proof of age. A family pass needs at least 4 people skiing 6 days or more, and the Discovery Pass (1 day / 5 passages, €47) suits gentle skiers. Season passes, à la carte (Holiski) and group (Ouik) options are listed on the pass site.

With a pass of 6 days or more, the Grande Galaxie agreement adds one free day at each of Alpe d'Huez, Les Deux Alpes, Puy-Saint-Vincent, Montgenèvre-Vialattea and Sestriere-Vialattea.

Best time to ski in Serre Chevalier: snow history, 2026–27 dates and forecasts

February and the first half of March are historically the best snow window. At Météo-France's Le Monêtier-les-Bains station (1459 m, valley floor), the 1991–2020 average snow depth rises from about 22 cm in December to 47 cm in January and 54 cm in February, then drops to 27 cm in March. Higher up, the Serre Che-Chantemerle station (1905 m) averages about 66 cm in January, 82 cm in February and 78 cm in March, and the Serre Che-Le Monêtier station (2185 m) about 126, 143 and 165 cm. December and January bring the most fresh snow in the valley (about 75 cm in an average month at Le Monêtier) while the base builds, so they are the best shoulder months; in April the village level is almost bare and only the upper slopes hold. These are SkiPair calculations from Météo-France daily station data (about 21–26 seasons per station); averages do not guarantee any given season.

For 2026–27 the ski area is open daily from 5 December 2026 to 18 April 2027 in the Chantemerle, Villeneuve and Monêtier sectors; the Briançon sector opens on 12 December and closes on 4 April 2027. Dates can change with snow conditions.

Before you go, check the forecast, the live slope list and the webcams together. Lower runs to Briançon and the villages are the first to suffer in a warm spell, while the upper Monêtier and Villeneuve slopes keep snow longer.

Find ski partners in Serre Chevalier for the blacks, the Grande Galaxie or a day in Montgenèvre

Serre Chevalier works well solo: the train reaches Briançon and the valley bus links all four bases. On SkiPair, add your dates, base village and level to find people skiing the same week — a partner for the Luc Alphand or the Monêtier blacks, a relaxed group for the long Villeneuve blues, or someone to share a Grande Galaxie day at Montgenèvre or Alpe d'Huez.

Agree beforehand on a meeting point such as the top of the Prorel or Ratier gondola, and on the last lift and bus home — especially if you are staying in Briançon after 4 April. For off-piste, go with a school or a guide rather than someone you have just met.

Ski pass prices for Serre Chevalier

Check the operator’s current prices for your ski dates, ticket duration, age group and the area covered by the pass.

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Weather and snow

A clearer view of the snow in Serre Chevalier: recent snowfall, what is forecast next, and an outlook for your dates.

Snow and temperature are model estimates. They do not confirm that lifts or pistes are open. Further-ahead dates show seasonal patterns rather than a weather forecast.

Flights & getting to Serre Chevalier

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Recommended airport for the French Alps: Geneva (GVA).

Serre Chevalier is better with your kind of people

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A glimpse of Serre Chevalier

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