Arêches-Beaufort
Arêches-Beaufort is a summer and winter sports tourist resort in the Beaufortain valley, located in the commune of Beaufort, in the département of Savoie in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It is situated in the villages of Arêches and Le Planay, on the slopes of the Grand Mont.
Translated from the French Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA), machine translation.
Seven criteria rated from 1 to 5 stars, in half-stars, from this page's sourced data. A rating is a rank among the 322 French resorts we cover — 5 stars means “among the best in France on this point”, not “perfect”. Nobody types these in.
- SnowCan you count on the snow?2.5 / 5
Top of the ski area: 2,108 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,065 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 44 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 74%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?2.5 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 28 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 28 km · Lifts: 11 · Balance between piste levels: 79%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?n/a
Not rated: “adult day pass” is missing from this page.
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?2.5 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 67% · Magic carpets: 2 · Sledging runs: 0 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 1
- AccessIs it easy to get to?3.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 4 hr 32 · Nearest railway station: 31 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 4 · Nearest airport: 1 hr 19
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?2.5 / 5
Bars and pubs: 3 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 7 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 1,124 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?2 / 5
5-star hotels: 0 · 4-star hotels: 0 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 28% · Spas and saunas: 1 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 0 — index: what the map and the listings publish
“Atmosphere” and “Luxury” are indexes: they count what OpenStreetMap and the event listings publish within 2.5 km (bars, nightclubs, rated hotels, spas, upcoming events), not what you experience there. A zero means “nothing mapped”, not “nothing there”. Sources per criterion: snow (altitudes (OpenStreetMap, Wikidata), snow depth observed at the Météo-France station, ERA5-Land model) ; ski area (OpenStreetMap pistes and lifts, linked area (Wikidata)) ; value (the resort’s official price list) ; families and beginners (OpenStreetMap pistes, price list, ESF ski school, Famille Plus label, OpenStreetMap leisure) ; access (OSRM drive times from 20 cities, SNCF stations, GTFS shuttles, airports) ; atmosphere and après-ski (bars, nightclubs and restaurants within 2.5 km (OpenStreetMap), upcoming events (OpenAgenda), collective tourist beds (INSEE)) ; luxury and comfort (rated hotels within 2.5 km (OpenStreetMap) and by category across the commune (INSEE), spas and boutiques (OpenStreetMap), day pass price).
The domain is due to open on 19 December 2026 and close on 4 April 2027. Open pistes and lifts will appear here as soon as the resort publishes its daily report.
Right now at the COL-DES-SAISIES station (1,614 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,030 m · top 2,108 m
Forecast corrected for altitude; fresh snow = forecast total at the top; UV = peak of the day. Beyond 3 days, check the resort’s own report. Source:Open-Meteo.
Average snow depth by month
Reliable snow mainly in February; more irregular the rest of the winter.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 6.3 h · Dec 5.6 h · Jan 5.9 h · Feb 7.1 h · Mar 8.2 h · Apr 10 h — 25 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December40 cmVariable · 56%
- January57 cmVariable · 76%
- February75 cmGood skiing · 87%
- March74 cmVariable · 77%
- April—no record
- May—no record
30 cm on the ground: the benchmark for groomed-piste skiing. Bar = monthly average depth; percentage = share of time above 30 cm.
- Good skiing: 30 cm on more than 8 days in 10
- Variable: 30 cm on 5 to 8 days in 10
- Insufficient: 30 cm less than one day in two
Snow actually measured, winter by winter
63 complete winters measured, from 1959-1960 to 2021-2022 — on average 44 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec13 cmInsufficient · 14 %
- 16-31 Dec22 cmInsufficient · 26 %
- 1-15 Jan28 cmInsufficient · 39 %
- 16-31 Jan35 cmVariable · 51 %
- 1-15 Feb39 cmVariable · 58 %
- 16-29 Feb35 cmVariable · 57 %
- 1-15 Mar22 cmInsufficient · 31 %
- 16-31 Mar10 cmInsufficient · 12 %
- 1-15 Apr5 cmInsufficient · 6 %
- Best winter of the series
- 1962-1963 — 119 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 1963-1964 — 0 day at 30 cm or more
How much snow actually falls — 252 cm a winter on average, spread over 33 days of snowfall. Measured over 64 complete winters, from 1959-1960 to 2022-2023.
- Biggest 24-hour snowfall
- 90 cm — 1970-1971
- Snowiest winter
- 1969-1970 — 504 cm
- Leanest winter
- 1963-1964 — 51 cm
The ski area
Compare with another resort →36 pistes, by level — 28 km
- Skiable vertical
- 1,043 m (1,065 m → 2,108 m)
- Lifts
- 1 gondola, 3 chairlifts, 5 drag lifts, 2 magic carpets
- Cross-country skiing
- 3 named trails — 20 km of marked loops (6.1 km of distinct track: the loops overlap) · Domaine de Marcôt area, 3.4 km from the resortOpenStreetMap, lengths measured on the geometry, surveyed on 12 September 2026. A trail with no difficulty tag is shown as "n/a" — never guessed.
See the trails(3)
Trail Level Length Les Marcôts · Domaine de Marcôt blue 11 km Les Glières · Domaine de Marcôt green 7.8 km La Pompe · Domaine de Marcôt green 1.4 km - Snowpark
- 3 mapped zones, 2.1 km from the resort — Sapinière (easy) · Wood Cross (easy) · Bovo cross
OpenStreetMap, surveyed on 12 September 2026. OpenStreetMap does not map individual features (kickers, rails): what is counted here are the named zones. - Piste aspect
- N 65% · E 22% · S 0% · W 13% (descent direction of 33 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Mountain restaurants
- La Remon'thé (1208 m) · Le Passenger (1207 m) · La Terrasse d'Isa (1206 m) · Le Telemark (1200 m)
- Season 2026-2027
- opens on 19 December 2026, closes on 4 April 2027 (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Tourist office
- OFFICE DE TOURISME · 120 Route du Grand Mont, 73270 · 0479383757 · [email protected] (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Piste map (PDF)
- Plan des pistes 23-24 BD (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Shuttle timetable (PDF)
- Brochure Horaire_NN 2024 BD (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Resort app
- Android (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
Resort data: declared by OFFICE DE TOURISME and distributed by ANMSM · read on 18 September
Pistes and lifts surveyed on OpenStreetMap within 4 km of the resort — for a resort in a linked area, the figure may include neighbouring pistes.
Lift passes detail →
The price list for this resort is being collected: most resorts publish winter prices between September and November.
The ski area in figures
Measured on 9 September 2026Measured on OpenStreetMap (altitudes: IGN RGE ALTI), not taken from the brochure. The vertical above is that of one piste, not of the whole ski area. Population: INSEE municipal population via geo.api.gouv.fr.
Source: national register of mechanical lifts (STRMTG, CAIRN), fleet as of 1 January 2025 — lifts attributed to Arêches-Beaufort only (“ARECHES BEAUFORT”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Arêches-Beaufort
We compare the partners that cover this resort. Some links earn us a commission — never at the expense of the price or of the data.
Stay & accommodation
Live webcams
All webcams (7) →Official players of the resort, live image. Checked on 18 September 2026.
Piste map
Open on OpenSnowMap ↗Pistes coloured by level, lifts as lines. The resort’s official map is the reference in season.
Base map © OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA) · pistes © OpenSnowMap (CC-BY-SA) · data ©OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Getting to Arêches-Beaufort
From Paris: 6 hr 55 (646 km) by road.
By road
- From Chambéry: 1 hr 08 · 77 km
- From Annecy: 1 hr 20 · 67 km
- From Grenoble: 1 hr 24 · 106 km
- From Genève: 1 hr 53 · 114 km
- From Lyon: 2 hr 18 · 175 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Valence: 2 hr 27 · 199 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 2 hr 52 · 224 km
- From Dijon: 4 hr 10 · 376 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 4 hr 11 · 344 km
- From Besançon: 4 hr 21 · 288 km
- From Montpellier: 4 hr 34 · 404 km
- From Marseille: 4 hr 40 · 413 km
- From Perpignan: 5 hr 56 · 551 km
- From Nice: 6 hr 00 · 491 km
- From Strasbourg: 6 hr 16 · 506 km
- From Nancy: 6 hr 17 · 587 km
- From Toulouse: 6 hr 52 · 638 km
- From Paris: 6 hr 55 · 646 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 09 · 731 km
- From Pau: 8 hr 47 · 828 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Albertville station
regional station · then 31 min drive (25 km)
Nearest main station: Chambéry - Challes-les-Eaux, 1 hr 06 by road.
- From Albertville station (stop “_ Gare routière”): line ARL_L21 — ARLYSERE LIGNE 21 (ALBERTVILLE - TRA Mobilité), 36 min to the “Le Praz” stop — 4 departures a day on weekdays, 5 a day at weekends · first 07:25, last 18:35 · timetable from 15 December 2026 to 15 April 2027 · official timetable ↗
Direct journeys read from the official timetable files published on transport.data.gouv.fr — no connections.
By plane
- Chambéry-Savoie (CMF): 1 hr 19 by road · 85 km
- Grenoble-Alpes-Isère (GNB): 1 hr 57 by road · 152 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Arêches-Beaufort as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
No freely accessible charge point is declared within 2 km of the resort (checked on 9 September 2026). Covered car parks in the resort may offer chargers reserved for their customers: those are not listed here.
Freely accessible charge points read from the French national EV charging database (data.gouv.fr ↗, operators’ own declarations), checked on 9 September 2026. Check availability before you leave: the database says what is installed, not what is free tonight.
Road conditions
From 1 November to 31 March, snow chains or winter tyres are compulsory in most mountain areas (French “Loi Montagne II”).
Driving times computed on the OpenStreetMap road network (OSRM), SNCF stations (open data), airports (Wikidata). Indicative, not a timetable: allow extra time in snow.
Off-piste & ski touring
The resorts for off-piste skiing →Named itineraries: Lac rouge · Super Noire · Télécabine du Bois · Télésiège de Piapolay · Freeride du Roc Blanc 1 · Freeride du Roc Blanc 2
Itineraries surveyed on OpenStreetMap within a 4 km radius (7 September 2026): “marked” means an itinerary exists on the map, not that it is open or safe on the day.
Ski touring routes described
Resorts for ski touring →12 ski touring routes documented within 10 km of Arêches-Beaufort — up to 1,750 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Mappaz · Refuge du Presset par le passage de la Charmette et le col du Bresson | 2.1 · E1 · PD- | 1,750 m | 1,285 → 2,514 m | n/a | 1.4 km |
| Col du Couvercle · Boucle par le passage de la Charmette, le mont des Acrays. | 2.3 · E1 · PD+ | 1,100 m | 1,270 → 2,295 m | W · SW · NW · N | 1.5 km |
| Col du Pré · Depuis le Bersend | 2.1 · E1 · PD- | 600 m | 1,125 → 1,726 m | N | 1.6 km |
| Col du Pré · Versant SW | 1.3 · F | 400 m | 1,300 → 1,703 m | SW | 1.7 km |
| Roche Plane · Traversée Arête SW >> Versant SE - depuis les Carroz | n/a · PD | 1,150 m | 1,100 → 2,166 m | SE | 2.1 km |
| Légette du Mirantin · Traversée NE >> E - depuis les Carroz | 3.2 · E1 · AD- | 1,433 m | 1,020 → 2,353 m | NE | 2.4 km |
| Légette du Mirantin · Versant E - depuis les Carroz | 3.2 · E2 · AD- | 1,330 m | 1,020 → 2,353 m | E | 2.4 km |
| Roche Plane · Boucle E > SE | 2.1 · E1 · PD | 1,139 m | 1,027 → 2,166 m | E | 2.4 km |
| Roche Plane · Couloir N de l'épaule NE - depuis les Maisonnettes | 3.3 · E1 · AD | 1,050 m | 1,150 → 2,166 m | N | 2.4 km |
| Roche Plane · Versant E | 2.2 · E1 · PD | 1,010 m | 1,150 → 2,166 m | E | 2.4 km |
| Légette du Mirantin · Versant E - depuis les Maisonnettes | 3.2 · E2 · AD- | 1,200 m | 1,153 → 2,353 m | NE | 2.6 km |
| Mont Mirantin · Versant E | 3.2 · E2 · AD | 1,350 m | 1,200 → 2,460 m | E | 2.7 km |
Source: Camptocamp.org topo guide (CC BY-SA), routes starting within 10 km, read on 13 September 2026. Descriptions and photos are on Camptocamp; an empty cell is a field nobody has filled in. Camptocamp ski touring routes ↗
Beyond skiing at Arêches-Beaufort
Museum
- Ecomusée de Hauteluce · Hauteluce · 7.2 km away
Source: DATAtourisme (open data), within 10 km of the resort; places in a large town of the valley are left out. Checked on 12 September 2026. Opening times and prices are the operator’s — check before you go.
Practical information
Collective accommodation
1,124 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 8 hotels · 144 rooms (1 × 4★, 1 × 3★, 4 × 2★)
- 3 holiday villages and family centres · 544 bed spaces
- 1 tourist residence or apartment hotel · 580 bed spaces
- 2 campsites · 159 pitches
Commune: Beaufort · INSEE tourist accommodation survey, 2026, read on 12 September 2026. Collective accommodation only — privately let flats and second homes are not counted. INSEE dataset ↗
Tourist office
Office du tourisme
Ski school
ESF Areches
61 instructors
🇬🇧 24 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Spa / wellness · Cristal des Alpes
- Cinema · La Chaudanne
In case of accident
112 — the European emergency number, free of charge, triggers mountain rescue. On the pistes, the ski patrol number is printed on the piste map and at lift ticket offices. Piste rescue is charged: check your insurance or take the option sold with the lift pass.
Nearby resorts
Frequently asked questions
How high is Arêches-Beaufort?
Arêches-Beaufort sits at 1,030 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 2,108 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Arêches-Beaufort have?
Arêches-Beaufort has 28 km of pistes served by 11 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Arêches-Beaufort?
The longest piste is Sarrazine: 4 km (blue run), for 372 m of vertical. Measured on the OpenStreetMap map, segments of the same name and level joined end to end, altitudes from the IGN RGE ALTI terrain model — a resort sometimes advertises a longer run by chaining several pistes.
How high do the lifts go in Arêches-Beaufort?
The highest lift, Combettes (chairlift), tops out at 2,137 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Arêches-Beaufort have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 15 installations at Arêches-Beaufort (1 gondola, 4 chairlifts, 8 drag lifts, 2 magic carpets), for an authorised capacity of 16,095 people per hour, of which 1,800 for Piapolay alone. The fleet spans 1976 to 2021, an average age of 25 years. This count covers the resort itself, magic carpets included, not the whole linked ski area — a resort brochure often announces a different number. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How do I get to Arêches-Beaufort?
By road, Arêches-Beaufort is 1 hr 08 from Chambéry (77 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Albertville, 31 min by road from the resort. From Albertville station, line ARL_L21 — ARLYSERE LIGNE 21 (ALBERTVILLE - TRA Mobilité) reaches the “Le Praz” stop in 36 min, 4 departures a day on weekdays, 5 a day at weekends. The nearest airport is Chambéry-Savoie, 1 hr 19 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Arêches-Beaufort?
6 hr 55 for 646 km from central Paris, excluding traffic and winter conditions. Computed on the real road network (OpenStreetMap): allow more on a school-holiday Saturday.
When does Arêches-Beaufort open?
According to the dates declared by the resort (ANMSM feed), the resort opens on 19 December 2026 and closes on 4 April 2027 (2026-2027 season).
Is the snow reliable in Arêches-Beaufort?
Yes: good snow in the core of the winter according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is Arêches-Beaufort good for beginners and families?
67% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather easy area.
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