Flaine
Flaine is a ski area in the Haute Savoie region of the French Alps, and is a part of the linked Grand Massif domain. It is in the territory of the communes of Magland and Arâches-la-Frasse. Flaine is linked to Samoëns, Morillon, Les Carroz and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, with 267 kilometres (166 mi) pistes in total. It featured the first 8-seater high speed chairlift, Les Grands Vans, and the first snow cannons to be installed in Europe. Flaine is often called the "big snowy bowl" due to it having one of the best snow records in the Alps. Flaine has been dubbed “the world's ugliest ski resort” due to the brutalist architecture of its buildings.
Introduction from the English Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
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: 1,740 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,160 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 104 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 88%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?4.5 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 282 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 282 km · Lifts: 36 · Balance between piste levels: 88%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?3 / 5
Adult day pass: €63 · Day pass price per km of pistes: €0.22/km
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?3.5 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 76% · Magic carpets: 4 · Sledging runs: 1 · Special prices out of 4 (beginner, child, family, free age): 3 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 3
- AccessIs it easy to get to?2.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 4 hr 46 · Nearest railway station: 35 min · 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 / 5
Bars and pubs: 1 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 24 · Upcoming events: 2 · Collective tourist beds: 7,795 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?2.5 / 5
5-star hotels: 0 · 4-star hotels: 1 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 22% · Spas and saunas: 0 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 0 · Adult day pass: €63 — 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 5 December 2026 and close on 18 April 2027. Open pistes and lifts will appear here as soon as the resort publishes its daily report.
Right now at the FLAINE_SAPC station (1,611 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,600 m · top 1,740 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 January to March.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 6.2 h · Dec 5.6 h · Jan 5.9 h · Feb 7.2 h · Mar 8.5 h · Apr 10.2 h — 26 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December54 cmVariable · 77%
- January77 cmGood skiing · 87%
- February94 cmGood skiing · 98%
- March101 cmGood skiing · 91%
- April61 cmVariable · 64%
- 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
11 complete winters measured, from 1988-1989 to 2025-2026 — on average 104 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec48 cmVariable · 56 %
- 16-31 Dec50 cmVariable · 63 %
- 1-15 Jan58 cmVariable · 77 %
- 16-31 Jan77 cmGood skiing · 86 %
- 1-15 Feb84 cmGood skiing · 88 %
- 16-29 Feb92 cmGood skiing · 92 %
- 1-15 Mar87 cmGood skiing · 93 %
- 16-31 Mar83 cmGood skiing · 84 %
- 1-15 Apr59 cmVariable · 62 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2007-2008 — 129 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 1995-1996 — 58 days at 30 cm or more
How much snow actually falls — 532 cm a winter on average, spread over 51 days of snowfall. Measured over 10 complete winters, from 1995-1996 to 2025-2026.
- Biggest 24-hour snowfall
- 55 cm — 2011-2012
- Snowiest winter
- 2020-2021 — 741 cm
- Leanest winter
- 1996-1997 — 240 cm
The ski area
Compare with another resort →197 pistes, by level — 282 km
- Skiable vertical
- 580 m (1,160 m → 1,740 m)
- Lifts
- 4 gondolas, 15 chairlifts, 13 drag lifts, 4 magic carpets
- Cross-country skiing
- 2 named trails — 22 km of marked loops (15 km of distinct track: the loops overlap) · Domaine Nordique d'Agy - Saint-Sigismond area, 6 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(2)
- Snowpark
- 1 mapped zone, 2.8 km from the resort — Darbon (easy)
OpenStreetMap, surveyed on 12 September 2026. OpenStreetMap does not map individual features (kickers, rails): what is counted here are the named zones. - Without skis
- 2 km of snowshoe and walking trails · 1 sledging run
- Piste aspect
- N 49% · E 7% · S 8% · W 37% (descent direction of 135 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Mountain restaurants
- Le désert blanc (2475 m) · Le Blanchot (1993 m)
- Season 2026-2027
- opens on 5 December 2026, closes on 18 April 2027
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 (2026-2027) detail →
| Adult pass | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | €63 |
| Season | €1,316 |
| Child, 1 day | €50.40 |
| Beginner, 1 day | €30.50 |
| Pedestrian, 1 day | €23 |
| Free | Free under 8 · free from 75 years |
Read on the official price list, full price, excluding promotions. Official price list ↗
Official piste map
Open the piste map (image, 824 KB) ↗
Link to the resort’s own file — a piste map is a copyrighted artwork, we host no copy.
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 Flaine only (“FLAINE”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Flaine
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 (8) →Official players of the resort, live image. Checked on 13 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 Flaine
From Paris: 6 hr 34 (604 km) by road.
By road
- From Genève: 1 hr 07 · 69 km
- From Annecy: 1 hr 20 · 93 km
- From Chambéry: 1 hr 47 · 135 km
- From Grenoble: 2 hr 21 · 190 km
- From Lyon: 2 hr 42 · 212 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Saint-Étienne: 3 hr 19 · 271 km
- From Valence: 3 hr 19 · 292 km
- From Besançon: 3 hr 36 · 243 km
- From Dijon: 3 hr 42 · 325 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 4 hr 24 · 383 km
- From Montpellier: 5 hr 26 · 497 km
- From Marseille: 5 hr 31 · 506 km
- From Strasbourg: 5 hr 31 · 461 km
- From Nancy: 5 hr 45 · 528 km
- From Nice: 6 hr 20 · 514 km
- From Paris: 6 hr 34 · 604 km
- From Perpignan: 6 hr 48 · 645 km
- From Toulouse: 7 hr 44 · 731 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 23 · 769 km
- From Pau: 9 hr 38 · 921 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Magland station
halt · then 35 min drive (26 km)
Nearest main station: Annecy, 1 hr 18 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
- Genève (GVA): 1 hr 32 by road · 78 km
- Chambéry-Savoie (CMF): 1 hr 51 by road · 134 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Flaine as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
2 charging stations within 2 km
6 charging points · up to 22 kW
- ARÂCHES LA FRASSE - Flaine 2 · EASYCHARGE · 4 points · 22 kW · 0.1 km
- ARÂCHES LA FRASSE - Flaine · EASYCHARGE · 2 points · 22 kW · 0.2 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: Corbalanche · Onyx · Félire · Coccinelle · Aigle noir · Aiglon
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 Flaine — up to 1,100 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pointe de Véret · depuis Flaine | n/a · PD- | 450 m | 1,678 → 2,122 m | SE | 0.4 km |
| Tête du Colonney · Descente de la Combe de Monthieu | 3.1 · E2 · AD- | 1,100 m | 1,600 → 2,692 m | N | 0.7 km |
| Tête de Véret · Pentes de Balacha | n/a · PD+ | 650 m | 1,678 → 2,309 m | SW | 0.9 km |
| Tête de Véret · depuis Flaine | 2.2 · E1 · PD- | 631 m | 1,678 → 2,309 m | NW | 0.9 km |
| Pointe de Véret · Couloir "aux Poubelles" | 5.1 · E2 · D | 340 m | 1,780 → 2,122 m | NW | 0.9 km |
| Tête de Véret · Depuis Les Molliets | 2.2 · E1 · F | 920 m | 1,460 → 2,309 m | W | 1 km |
| Les Grands Vans · Versant NW | 1.2 · E1 · F | 750 m | 1,460 → 2,208 m | NW | 1 km |
| Tête de Véret · Couloir NE depuis Vernant | 3.2 · E1 · AD- | 950 m | 1,747 → 2,309 m | NE | 1.2 km |
| Tête de Véret · Depuis Vernant | 2.2 · E1 · PD | 750 m | 1,747 → 2,309 m | n/a | 1.2 km |
| Belvédère d'Aujon · Depuis Flaine | n/a · F | 473 m | 1,577 → 2,050 m | NE | 1.2 km |
| Les Fiz (Flaine) · Depuis Flaine | 3.3 · E2 · AD+ | 934 m | 1,577 → 2,411 m | NW | 1.3 km |
| Aiguille d'Aujon · Traversée NW >> NE | 3.2 · E2 · D | 811 m | 1,577 → 2,388 m | N | 1.3 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 Flaine
Ice rink
- Jardin de glace à la Patinoire de Samoëns · Samoëns · 8.7 km away
Swimming pool
- Espace piscine -Aquacîme · Arâches-la-Frasse · 5.2 km away
- Piscine de Samoëns · Samoëns · 8.4 km away
- Centre aquatique Sallanches Mont Blanc · Sallanches · 9.2 km away
Paragliding
- Décollage parapente de la Kédeuze · Arâches-la-Frasse · 3.1 km away
- Atterrissage parapente des Flocons Verts · Arâches-la-Frasse · 4.3 km away
- Atterrissage parapente Arâches · Arâches-la-Frasse · 5.8 km away
- Aérofiz parapente · Passy · 7.3 km away
Museum
- Maison du Lieutenant · Servoz · 9.5 km away
- Château des Rubins - Observatoire des Alpes · Sallanches · 9.5 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma La Caméra · Passy · 7.6 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
7,795 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 5 hotels · 170 rooms (2 × 4★, 2 × 3★)
- 4 holiday villages and family centres · 1,990 bed spaces
- 12 tourist residences and apartment hotels · 5,187 bed spaces
- 2 youth hostels and sports centres · 618 bed spaces
Commune: Arâches-la-Frasse · 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 de Flaine
Ski school
ESF Flaine
123 instructors
🇬🇧 93 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Bowling · Galaxy Bowling
- Cinema · Studio 1600
- Ice rink · Patinoire
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.
What's on around Flaine
All events →-
17 October 2026 · 10:00
Vouilloux, La modernité ordinaire au service de la population
Espace animation de Vouilloux · Sallanches
Partez à la découverte de Vouilloux, ce célèbre quartier de Sallanches réalisé par l’architecte haut-savoyard Maurice Novarina. Cette cité, labellisée Architecture contemporaine remarquable par le de…
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Plan Libre, la gazette” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Cordon (3.5 km), Combloux (5.4 km), Portes du Mont-Blanc (6.8 km), Plaine Joux (8.2 km)
-
18 October 2026 · 14:00
L’architecture du chef-lieu de Passy et son évolution
Eglise Saint-Pierre Saint-Paul de Passy · Passy
Laissez-vous entrainer dans une visite inhabituelle du Chef-lieu de Passy et partez à la rencontre de son patrimoine architectural. L’occasion pour vous de découvrir les sites emblématiques de ce que…
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Plan Libre, la gazette” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (3.9 km), Combloux (4.6 km), Plaine Joux (5.3 km), Passy Plaine-Joux (5.4 km)
Events published on OpenAgenda by the agendas named above, kept when they take place within 10 km of the resort. We organise nothing: times, prices and cancellations are the organiser's.
Nearby resorts
Frequently asked questions
How high is Flaine?
Flaine sits at 1,600 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 1,740 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Flaine have?
Flaine has 282 km of pistes served by 36 lifts, within the linked Grand Massif area (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Flaine?
The longest piste is Cascades: 11 km (red run), for 1,594 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 Flaine?
The highest lift, TPHD Grandes Platières (DMC) (double monocable gondola), tops out at 2,482 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Flaine have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 28 installations at Flaine (3 gondolas, 9 chairlifts, 9 drag lifts, 5 magic carpets, 2 funiculars and similar), for an authorised capacity of 38,286 people per hour, of which 3,600 for TSD des Grands Vans alone. The fleet spans 1969 to 2021, 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 much is a lift pass in Flaine?
The adult day pass costs €63 (2026-2027, read on the official price list).
How do I get to Flaine?
By road, Flaine is 1 hr 07 from Genève (69 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Magland, 35 min 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 Genève, 1 hr 32 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Flaine?
6 hr 34 for 604 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 Flaine open?
According to the official website, the resort opens on 5 December 2026 and closes on 18 April 2027 (2026-2027 season).
Is the snow reliable in Flaine?
Yes: good snow through most of the winter according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is Flaine good for beginners and families?
76% of the pistes are green or blue: a very accessible area.
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