Auron
Auron is a winter sports resort and a hamlet of the commune of Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée situated in the Alpes-Maritimes, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
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?3.5 / 5
Top of the ski area: 2,435 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,652 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 107 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 79%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?3.5 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 62 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 62 km · Lifts: 20 · Balance between piste levels: 85%
- 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?3 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 53% · Magic carpets: 3 · Sledging runs: 0 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 2 · Famille Plus label
- AccessIs it easy to get to?1.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 7 hr 09 · Nearest railway station: 1 hr 37 · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 0 · Nearest airport: 1 hr 32
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?3 / 5
Bars and pubs: 3 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 17 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 728 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?2 / 5
5-star hotels: 0 · 4-star hotels: 1 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 11% · Spas and saunas: 0 · 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).
Open pistes and lifts will appear here during the season, as published by the resort. Out of season we show nothing rather than a misleading zero.
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,656 m · top 2,435 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
Good snow from February to March.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 7.1 h · Dec 7.1 h · Jan 7.3 h · Feb 8.3 h · Mar 9.5 h · Apr 10.3 h — 26 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December45 cmVariable · 65%
- January50 cmVariable · 65%
- February66 cmGood skiing · 92%
- March78 cmGood skiing · 92%
- April48 cmInsufficient · 40%
- 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
40 complete winters measured, from 1980-1981 to 2025-2026 — on average 107 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec33 cmInsufficient · 49 %
- 16-31 Dec47 cmVariable · 65 %
- 1-15 Jan59 cmVariable · 76 %
- 16-31 Jan75 cmGood skiing · 89 %
- 1-15 Feb88 cmGood skiing · 89 %
- 16-29 Feb92 cmGood skiing · 90 %
- 1-15 Mar99 cmGood skiing · 89 %
- 16-31 Mar87 cmGood skiing · 82 %
- 1-15 Apr76 cmVariable · 79 %
- Best winter of the series
- 1987-1988 — 137 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 1989-1990 — 18 days at 30 cm or more
How much snow actually falls — 339 cm a winter on average, spread over 37 days of snowfall. Measured over 33 complete winters, from 1985-1986 to 2021-2022.
- Biggest 24-hour snowfall
- 93 cm — 1992-1993
- Snowiest winter
- 2013-2014 — 738 cm
- Leanest winter
- 1994-1995 — 146 cm
The ski area
Compare with another resort →55 pistes, by level — 62 km
- Skiable vertical
- 783 m (1,652 m → 2,435 m)
- Lifts
- 2 cable cars, 1 gondola, 9 chairlifts, 5 drag lifts, 3 magic carpets
- Piste aspect
- N 47% · E 31% · S 5% · W 17% (descent direction of 59 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Mountain restaurants
- La Cabane (2002 m)
- Tourist office
- Bureau d'Information Touristique · Avenue de Malhira, 06660 · +33(0)493230266 · [email protected] (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Piste map (PDF)
- AURON_Plans_des_PIstes_2025-2026 (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Shuttle timetable (PDF)
- 100_Neige_2025_2026 (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Famille Plus
- The resort’s family page (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
Resort data: declared by Bureau d'Information Touristique 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 Auron only (“AURON”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Auron
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 (2) →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 Auron
From Paris: 10 hr 17 (807 km) by road.
By road
- From Nice: 1 hr 37 · 94 km
- From Marseille: 3 hr 38 · 278 km
- From Montpellier: 5 hr 00 · 407 km
- From Valence: 5 hr 13 · 451 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 6 hr 13 · 385 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Perpignan: 6 hr 21 · 555 km
- From Grenoble: 6 hr 36 · 571 km · via L'Ariane La Trinité station
- From Lyon: 6 hr 46 · 578 km · via L'Ariane La Trinité station
- From Chambéry: 7 hr 10 · 575 km · via L'Ariane La Trinité station
- From Toulouse: 7 hr 17 · 642 km
- From Dijon: 7 hr 32 · 538 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 7 hr 33 · 505 km
- From Annecy: 7 hr 39 · 622 km · via L'Ariane La Trinité station
- From Besançon: 7 hr 51 · 567 km
- From Genève: 7 hr 55 · 630 km · via L'Ariane La Trinité station
- From Pau: 9 hr 12 · 832 km
- From Nancy: 9 hr 39 · 748 km
- From Bordeaux: 9 hr 41 · 884 km
- From Strasbourg: 9 hr 55 · 794 km
- From Paris: 10 hr 17 · 807 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
L'Ariane La Trinité station
halt · then 1 hr 37 drive (97 km)
Nearest main station: Nice, 1 hr 38 by road.
No direct bus line from the station to the resort appears in the open-data timetables (checked on 13 September 2026): ask the resort about a private shuttle or a taxi.
Shuttles and buses from the station: see the resort’s official website.
By plane
- Nice-Côte d’Azur (NCE): 1 hr 32 by road · 90 km
- Toulon-Hyères (TLN): 3 hr 06 by road · 232 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Auron as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
4 charging stations within 2 km
10 charging points · up to 22 kW
- Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée - Parking inférieur · IZIVIA · 2 points · 22 kW · 0.1 km
- Auron - Entrée Village · IZIVIA · 2 points · 22 kW · 0.8 km
- Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée - Cinéma/Piscine · IZIVIA · 4 points · 22 kW · 0.9 km
- Saint-Etienne-De-Tinée - Voie du berger · IZIVIA · 2 points · 22 kW · 1.3 km
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: Lieuson
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 Auron — up to 1,500 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cime de la Bercha · Petit Tour d'Auron | 3.1 · E1 · F | 1,410 m | 1,600 → 2,452 m | E · W · NW · N · NE | 2.5 km |
| Mont Triboulet · Vallon de Demandols | 3.1 · E1 · PD- | 1,250 m | 1,330 → 2,578 m | N | 3.6 km |
| Mont Ferant · Traversée | n/a · PD+ | 750 m | 1,600 → 2,382 m | NE | 4.6 km |
| Mont Rougnous · Depuis Roya | n/a · AD+ | 1,083 m | 1,590 → 2,673 m | NE | 5.2 km |
| Cime Nègre de l'Alp · En traversée | 3.1 · E1 · PD+ | 1,083 m | 1,470 → 2,553 m | N | 5.2 km |
| Mont Triboulet · Traversée E/W Salleveille - Demandols | n/a · PD | 1,300 m | 1,955 → 2,242 m | E | 5.5 km |
| Mont Pierre Châtel · Boucle par le Vallon de Demandols | 3.1 · E2 · PD+ | 1,470 m | 1,310 → 2,772 m | S | 5.7 km |
| Tête du Gipse · Par le Vallon du Riou Blanc | 3.1 · E1 · PD- | 1,400 m | 1,328 → 2,521 m | N | 5.7 km |
| Mont Mounier · Par Roya | n/a · AD | 1,500 m | 1,500 → 2,817 m | NW | 5.8 km |
| Mont Mounier · De Roya, Vallon de Sallevieille | 3.1 · E1 · PD- | 1,450 m | 1,475 → 2,817 m | n/a | 5.8 km |
| Mont Mounier · descente par le vallon de Lausa Bruna | n/a | 1,400 m | 1,019 → 2,817 m | N | 5.8 km |
| Crête de Cabane Vieille · En boucle par les vallons de Colombet et de l'Adret | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 5.9 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 Auron
Museum
- Musée Ancienne Laiterie · Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée · 3.9 km away
- Musée de l'art religieux · Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée · 3.9 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
728 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 8 hotels · 150 rooms (1 × 4★, 5 × 3★, 1 × 1★)
- 2 holiday villages and family centres · 292 bed spaces
- 1 tourist residence or apartment hotel · 436 bed spaces
- 2 campsites · 134 pitches
Commune: Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée · 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 de tourisme
Ski school
ESF Auron
140 instructors
🇬🇧 42 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Ice rink · Patinoire
- Cinema · Le Riounet
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 Auron?
Auron sits at 1,656 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 2,435 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Auron have?
Auron has 62 km of pistes served by 20 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Auron?
The longest piste is Bouchiet: 3 km (blue run), for 474 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 Auron?
The highest lift, Dome (detachable chairlift), tops out at 2,444 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Auron have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 20 installations at Auron (2 aerial tramways, 1 gondola, 9 chairlifts, 5 drag lifts, 3 magic carpets), for an authorised capacity of 27,410 people per hour, of which 3,000 for Les Nabines alone. The fleet spans 1972 to 2020, an average age of 29 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 Auron?
By road, Auron is 1 hr 37 from Nice (94 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is L'Ariane La Trinité, 1 hr 37 by road from the resort. No direct bus line from the station to the resort appears in the open-data timetables. The nearest airport is Nice-Côte d’Azur, 1 hr 32 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Auron?
10 hr 17 for 807 km from central Paris, excluding traffic and winter conditions. Computed on the real road network (OpenStreetMap): allow more on a school-holiday Saturday.
Is the snow reliable in Auron?
Yes: good snow through most of the winter according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is Auron good for beginners and families?
53% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather technical area. The resort holds the Famille Plus family label.
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