Skiing in Valmorel

Valmorel: a pedestrian village at the gateway to the Grand Domaine

Valmorel ski guide: every Grand Domaine piste by sector and colour, 2026–27 pass prices, Moûtiers bus and airports, village bases and best snow months.

Kilometres of pistes in Le Grand Domaine (Valmorel + Saint-François-Longchamp)

165

Kilometres covered by the cheaper Valmorel pass (Valmorel + Doucy)

95

Lifts in the Grand Domaine, operator's count

46

Play and fun zones across the Grand Domaine

17

Top of the Mottet chairlift in metres, Valmorel's highest chairlift

2403

Skiing & terrain in Valmorel

Every piste, freeride run, fun zone and link on Valmorel's live slopes list (checked 18 October 2026, sectors Beaudin, Doucy / Lanchettes, Madeleine and Pierrafort / Mottet, labelled "Valmorel – …"), plus Saint-François-Longchamp's sectors (Cote 2305, Lauzière, Roc Noir and its fun zones) from the official Lumiplan map data of Le Grand Domaine, labelled "Saint-François-Longchamp – …". 85 pistes in total: 52 on the Valmorel side and 33 at Saint-François-Longchamp.

Kilometres of pistes, whole Grand Domaine

165

Pistes in the table below (both resorts)

85

Pistes on Valmorel's live list (Valmorel, Doucy and the Madeleine sector)

52

Pistes in Saint-François-Longchamp's sectors of the Lumiplan map data

33

Rows with an official run length

65

• Green pistes in the table – Valmorel 15, Saint-François-Longchamp 8: 23
• Blue pistes in the table – Valmorel 27, Saint-François-Longchamp 14: 41
• Red pistes in the table – Valmorel 8, Saint-François-Longchamp 8: 16
• Black pistes in the table – Valmorel 2, Saint-François-Longchamp 3: 5

Colours come from the operators' own data: Valmorel's live list (V/B/R/N = green/blue/red/black) and the Lumiplan map data for Saint-François-Longchamp. Where the two differ for a Valmorel run (Eau Rousse is black on Valmorel's list but red in the Lumiplan data), Valmorel's list is used. Run lengths are the per-run lengths in the official Lumiplan map data; for Valmorel runs a length is shown only where the run name matches exactly, otherwise it is left empty (65 rows have a length). Freeride runs, snowparks, boardercross and children's zones are listed as areas, not pistes; the toboggan run, snowtubing and walking paths are left out. Opening status changes daily and Saint-François-Longchamp's list is empty out of season, so check the live pages.

Valmorel pistes: Beaudin, Pierrafort–Mottet, Madeleine and the link to Saint-François-Longchamp

Le Grand Domaine links Valmorel, Doucy and Celliers with Saint-François-Longchamp over the Col de la Madeleine: 165 km of pistes and 46 lifts on the operator's count. Valmorel's live list splits its side into four sectors. Pierrafort / Mottet rises above the village to the Mottet chairlift (2403 m), with reds such as Combe du Mottet and Col du Mottet, the black Creve Tete and three freeride runs. Beaudin, reached by the Planchamp gondola, has long blues such as Combe de Beaudin and Arenouillaz plus the Pirates snowparks. Doucy / Lanchettes drops to Doucy, and Madeleine has blues such as La Madeleine and Grande Combe.

On the Saint-François-Longchamp side, the official map data lists the Cote 2305, Lauzière and Roc Noir sectors, with the green Route du Tour (5000 m), the longest run in the data, and blacks such as La Lauziere, L'Aigle and Le Loup. Our table has 85 pistes: 52 on Valmorel's list and 33 at Saint-François-Longchamp, mostly green and blue. The operator says the crossing over the Col de la Madeleine is a simple blue run that skiers of all levels can manage.

Watch the clock when you cross. The 2025–26 Valmorel piste map gives the last return to Valmorel before 4:00 pm from the Frêne chairlift and to Saint-François-Longchamp before 3:50 pm from the Madeleine chairlift; if you miss it, you must get back at your own expense. Check the 2026–27 map and the link status on the live list.

Valmorel for beginners: free learning areas, Planchamp and easy greens

The Tourist Office lists five beginner areas: Rocher–Blanchot and Bois de la Croix–Cheval Blanc near the village (both reached on the Valmobus shuttle), Malatrai–Roches Blanches at the top of the Pierrafort gondola, Combelouvière–Pécy above Doucy and Planchamp–Beaudin at the top of the Planchamp gondola. Bois de la Croix–Cheval Blanc is free: the magic carpet and drag lift need no pass. The operator says the new Planchamp beginner area has a 160 m covered magic carpet.

For the other beginner areas there is a cheaper beginner-area pass: in 2026–27 an adult pays €37.70 for a full day and €32.10 for a morning or afternoon (checked 18 October 2026). Next steps on the live list are greens such as Praz du Pre, Rocher and Malatrai, and the long Chantemerle down to Doucy, then easy blues such as Biollene, Retour Valmorel and Cote Soleil.

The fun zones help too: the Pirates' Village, an XS snowpark in the Biollène area and the Charmettes boardercross, graded green, above Doucy. Leave the crossing to Saint-François-Longchamp until you are happy on longer blues and can make the last return time.

Getting to Valmorel: Chambéry, Geneva or Lyon, the train to Moûtiers and the S62 bus

Valmorel has no airport. The Tourist Office lists Chambéry–Aix-les-Bains (90 km, about 1 hour by car), Geneva (125 km, about 2 hours) and Lyon Saint-Exupéry (180 km, about 2 hours), and the operator also mentions Grenoble. From an airport you can drive, book a taxi or minibus, or travel by train and then bus.

By train, Moûtiers-Salins is the closest station for Valmorel and Doucy. Line S62 (Cars Région Savoie, listed by Altibus) runs from Moûtiers bus station to Valmorel via Le Pré and Bourg Morel. In the 2025–26 timetable the trip took about 40 minutes, with extra buses on Saturdays; the 2026–27 timetable was not yet published when we checked, so confirm times before you travel. Line S61 serves Doucy. The operator offers 15% off your next ski passes if you come by train.

By car, take the RN90 from Albertville towards Moûtiers and leave at exit 37 for La Léchère, Doucy and Valmorel (exit 36 for Celliers and the Col de la Madeleine). Valmorel has covered parking (610 spaces) and outdoor car parks; you can also park free at Le Crey and take the free shuttle. Saint-François-Longchamp is reached from the Maurienne valley instead (A43 exit 26, La Chambre; trains to Saint-Avre–La Chambre, 12 km), so choose your base before you book transport.

Valmorel with kids: Club Piou Piou, ESF lessons and the Pirates' Village

Valmorel's village is built around a pedestrian street, the Rue du Bourg, with car parks underground. The ESF has 150 instructors. Its Club Piou Piou, at the end of the Rue du Bourg by the Piou Piou bus stop, takes children aged 3 to 5 in a protected area. Group lessons for 6–12-year-olds and teens meet at the Hameau du Mottet, with alternative meeting points at the Pierrafort or Planchamp gondolas depending on level and time. The Tourist Office says the kindergarten club takes children from age 3 and can put you in touch with babysitters for younger children. The sites we checked do not state teaching languages, so ask when you book.

For family days there are the Pirates' Village, a play area in the middle of the ski area that pedestrians can reach too, snowtubing at the top of the Planchamp gondola and the snowparks. Doucy, an official Gulli resort, has a ski run and a toboggan run themed on the channel's cartoon heroes. Children under 5 and seniors over 75 ski free with proof of age, and the Tribe-family pass takes 10% off 6- to 15-day Grand Domaine passes for groups of three or more.

A parent who doesn't ski can buy a pedestrian–snowshoe pass (2026–27: €18.90 a day for an adult) for the Planchamp, Pierrafort, Lanchettes, Combelouvière, Celliers and Mottet lifts and the Télébourg, and walk the Balcons de l'Arenouillaz path from the top of Planchamp. Sledges and pushchairs are not allowed on the ski area.

Where to stay in Valmorel: Bourg-Morel, the hamlets, Doucy or Saint-François-Longchamp

Bourg-Morel, around the pedestrian Rue du Bourg and the Place du Morel, is the centre: shops, restaurants, Club Piou Piou and the Télébourg lift, which runs inside the resort from 8:30 am to 11:30 pm. The hamlets around it, such as Le Mottet (the ESF meeting point), Crève-Cœur, Planchamp, La Forêt and Fontaine, are linked by free shuttles (in 2025–26 the Valmobus lines ran from Aigle Blanc, Le Fey-dessous and Fontaine to Le Mottet). Ask your host which shuttle stop or lift is nearest. The Le Crey village has a free car park with shuttles into the resort.

Doucy is a small, quiet family resort with gentle learning slopes and Gulli events. It joins the ski area via the Combelouvière lift, and a free shuttle (4 round trips a day in 2025–26) runs to Valmorel. It is a good base for young families who want calm evenings.

Saint-François-Longchamp, in the Maurienne, suits skiers who mainly want its own sectors (Cote 2305, Lauzière and Roc Noir) and the Grand Domaine pass. Remember that the link to Valmorel crosses the Col de la Madeleine and closes in mid-afternoon. The search below starts in Valmorel; switch to Doucy or Saint-François-Longchamp to compare.

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Valmorel ski pass vs Grand Domaine pass: 2026–27 prices

There are two main passes. The Valmorel pass covers Valmorel, Doucy, Celliers and Le Pré, which the Tourist Office puts at 95 km of pistes. The Grand Domaine pass adds Saint-François-Longchamp, for 165 km. On the operator's 2026–27 public price list (checked 18 October 2026), an adult (13–64) Grand Domaine pass costs €59.70 for 1 day and €299.90 for 6 days; a child (5–12) pays €48.90 for 1 day and a senior (65–74) €53.50. The Valmorel pass is €56.10 for an adult day and €49.00 for 4 hours.

Children under 5 and seniors over 75 ski free with proof of age, and every pass needs a refundable €3 card. The Tribe-family offer takes 10% off 6- to 15-day Grand Domaine passes when three or more are bought together. Online-only weekend deals cut the Grand Domaine day pass to €29.85 on some Saturdays and €41.80 on Sundays. Passes bought on skipass.valmorel.com can be cancelled free of charge up to the day before your first ski day. The operator recommends its Carré Neige rescue insurance (€3.50 a day).

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

For snow, January and February are the best months, with February the peak. A SkiPair calculation from Météo-France daily records for the Valmorel station (1333 m, 1991–2024) gives an average snow depth of about 50 cm in January, 67 cm in February and 47 cm in March. Fresh snow averages about 109 cm in January, 92 cm in February and 65 cm in March. The station is near village level, so the base is thinner there than higher up towards the Mottet chairlift (2403 m). December records cover only 8 winters and April almost none, so we give no figures for those months: treat December as the early shoulder and late March–April as the late shoulder, when the lower slopes thin first. These are historical averages and don't guarantee any particular season.

For 2026–27, the Tourist Office and the price list give 18 December 2026 to 10 April 2027 for the ski area. The operator's Grand Domaine page gives 9 April 2027 for the whole Grand Domaine, 28 March 2027 for the link to Celliers and 10 April for the link to Doucy, so check before booking a late trip to Saint-François-Longchamp.

In spring, ski the higher Mottet and Madeleine sectors in the morning. Before you go, check the live list for which pistes, lifts and links are open, especially the link to Saint-François-Longchamp.

Find ski partners in Valmorel for a day across the Grand Domaine

A day over the Col de la Madeleine is easier with a partner who skis the same blues and reds and keeps an eye on the last return time. On SkiPair, post your dates, your level (for example, blues in Beaudin or reds off the Mottet), whether you are staying in the Bourg, a hamlet or Doucy, and whether you have the Valmorel or the Grand Domaine pass.

Solo skiers can join ESF group lessons, which also run off-piste and ski-touring outings. The four freeride runs are secured but ungroomed, so go with someone you trust. Arrange to meet at a clear spot, such as the Hameau du Mottet or the top of the Planchamp gondola, and share the live list so you both know whether the link is open.

Ski pass prices for Valmorel

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 Valmorel: 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 Valmorel

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

Valmorel is better with your kind of people

A destination in common is a good start. Find skiers and snowboarders whose dates, ability and idea of a great day match yours.

A glimpse of Valmorel

Archive photos · cropped for display

Questions about this resort