La Chapelle d'Abondance
La Chapelle d'Abondance is a ski resort in the Northern Alps (Haute-Savoie). The village sits at 999 m and the ski area rises to 1,571 m, a skiable vertical of 577 m.
The area offers 23 km of alpine pistes, 50 marked pistes (17 green, 23 blue, 10 red), 9 ski lifts. Green and blue runs dominate: terrain suited to beginners and families.
La Chapelle d'Abondance belongs to the linked Portes du Soleil area: one lift pass covers the neighbouring resorts.
Measured on the OpenStreetMap map: the longest piste runs 3 km (Route du Clos Baron) and the highest lift tops out at 2,092 m.
The resort holds the Station Verte label.
Access: 1 h 14 by road from Genève and 37 min from Thonon-les-Bains railway station.
4 official webcams show the pistes live (on the French page).
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: 1,571 m · Bottom of the pistes: 994 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 70 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 96%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?2.5 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 23 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 182 km · Lifts: 9 · Balance between piste levels: 75%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?4 / 5
Adult day pass: €41.5 · Day pass price per km of pistes: €0.23/km · Adult 6-day pass: €211 · Price read at a neighbouring resort of the same area
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?3 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 80% · Magic carpets: 0 · Sledging runs: 0 · Special prices out of 4 (beginner, child, family, free age): 3 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 1
- AccessIs it easy to get to?3 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 4 hr 57 · Nearest railway station: 37 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 6 · Nearest airport: 1 hr 38
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?2 / 5
Bars and pubs: 1 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 9 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 0 — 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: 29% · Spas and saunas: 0 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 0 · Adult day pass: €41.5 — 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.
Right now at the CHATEL station (1,155 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 999 m · top 1,571 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 December to March: a long, reliable season.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 5.9 h · Dec 5.2 h · Jan 5.4 h · Feb 7 h · Mar 8.4 h · Apr 10.2 h — 26 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December59 cmGood skiing · 98%
- January55 cmGood skiing · 92%
- February68 cmGood skiing · 96%
- March77 cmGood skiing · 99%
- 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
39 complete winters measured, from 1983-1984 to 2021-2022 — on average 70 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec16 cmInsufficient · 17 %
- 16-31 Dec25 cmInsufficient · 39 %
- 1-15 Jan34 cmVariable · 55 %
- 16-31 Jan47 cmVariable · 75 %
- 1-15 Feb57 cmGood skiing · 80 %
- 16-29 Feb60 cmVariable · 79 %
- 1-15 Mar49 cmVariable · 68 %
- 16-31 Mar27 cmInsufficient · 33 %
- 1-15 Apr13 cmInsufficient · 19 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2012-2013 — 130 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 1989-1990 — 1 day at 30 cm or more
How much snow actually falls — 326 cm a winter on average, spread over 40 days of snowfall. Measured over 39 complete winters.
- Biggest 24-hour snowfall
- 48 cm — 1988-1989
- Snowiest winter
- 1998-1999 — 570 cm
- Leanest winter
- 1996-1997 — 110 cm
The ski area
Compare with another resort →50 pistes, by level — 23 km
- Skiable vertical
- 577 m (994 m → 1,571 m)
- Lifts
- 1 gondola, 3 chairlifts, 5 drag lifts
- Cross-country skiing
- 1 km of nordic trails
- Piste aspect
- N 45% · E 22% · S 18% · W 16% (descent direction of 44 OSM pistes, terrain model)
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 | €41.50 |
| 6 days | €211 |
| Season | €490 |
| Child, 1 day | €31.50 |
| Beginner, 1 day | €23.50 |
| Pedestrian, 1 day | €8 |
| Free | Free under 5 · free from 75 years |
Read on the official price list, full price, excluding promotions. Price list of the linked area, read on Roc d'Enfer. Official price list ↗
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 La Chapelle d'Abondance only (“CHAPELLE D'ABONDANCE (LA) BRAITAZ”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in La Chapelle d'Abondance
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.
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 La Chapelle d'Abondance
From Paris: 6 hr 50 (610 km) by road.
By road
- From Genève: 1 hr 14 · 66 km
- From Annecy: 1 hr 43 · 114 km
- From Chambéry: 2 hr 10 · 156 km
- From Grenoble: 2 hr 44 · 212 km
- From Lyon: 2 hr 58 · 218 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Besançon: 2 hr 58 · 197 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 3 hr 42 · 292 km
- From Valence: 3 hr 42 · 314 km
- From Dijon: 3 hr 50 · 273 km
- From Strasbourg: 4 hr 24 · 371 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 4 hr 41 · 388 km
- From Nancy: 5 hr 33 · 444 km
- From Montpellier: 5 hr 49 · 518 km
- From Marseille: 5 hr 54 · 528 km
- From Nice: 6 hr 44 · 527 km
- From Paris: 6 hr 50 · 610 km
- From Perpignan: 7 hr 11 · 666 km
- From Toulouse: 8 hr 07 · 752 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 39 · 775 km
- From Pau: 10 hr 01 · 942 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Thonon-les-Bains station
regional station · then 37 min drive (33 km)
Nearest main station: Annecy, 1 hr 41 by road.
- From Thonon-les-Bains station (stop “LES ARTS”): line 12 — Thonon Les Arts ↔ Châtel Linga (EVIAN - ÉVA'D), 54 min to the “LES PLAGNES” stop — 6 departures a day on weekdays, 4 a day at weekends · first 06:45, last 19:15 · 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
- Genève (GVA): 1 hr 38 by road · 74 km
- Chambéry-Savoie (CMF): 2 hr 14 by road · 155 km
Take me there
These links open the app with La Chapelle d'Abondance as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
1 charging station within 2 km
2 charging points · up to 24 kW
- LA CHAPELLE D'ABONDANCE - Parking de l'église · EASYCHARGE · 2 points · 24 kW · 0.4 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.
Ski touring routes described
Resorts for ski touring →12 ski touring routes documented within 10 km of La Chapelle d'Abondance — up to 1,486 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tête de l'Avalanche · Tour et sommet | 1.2 · E1 · F | 750 m | 1,066 → 1,856 m | SW | 1.5 km |
| La Corne - Antécime NE 1950 m · Couloir Badam | 4.1 · E1 · AD+ | 998 m | 1,000 → 1,998 m | NW | 1.6 km |
| Pointe de Lachau · En boucle depuis Chevenne | 2.2 · E1 · PD | 850 m | 1,140 → 1,963 m | E | 1.6 km |
| Crête des Blattes · Couloirs NW | 4.3 · E2 · D | 1,100 m | 990 → 2,079 m | NW | 2 km |
| Mont Chauffé · Sud express | 4.3 · E3 · D | 975 m | 1,120 → 2,093 m | S | 2.1 km |
| Mont Chauffé · Face des Crottes | 4.2 · E4 · D | 860 m | 1,229 → 2,093 m | SE | 2.2 km |
| Mont de Grange · Arête de Bel Air depuis Richebourg | n/a | 1,486 m | 946 → 2,432 m | n/a | 2.4 km |
| Crête des Blattes · Couloir ENE | 4.2 · E2 · D | 1,076 m | 1,018 → 2,094 m | NE | 2.4 km |
| Pointe des Mattes · Écharpe de la Face N | 5.2 · E3 · TD | 1,000 m | 1,020 → 2,009 m | N | 2.4 km |
| Pointe des Mattes · Couloir N en boucle | 3.2 · E1 · AD | 1,000 m | 1,018 → 2,009 m | N | 2.4 km |
| Mont Chauffé · Couloir du Ferraillon | 3.3 · E4 · AD+ | 850 m | 1,229 → 2,093 m | S | 2.4 km |
| Mont Chauffé · Couloir de Chevenne | 4.2 · E2 · D | 1,000 m | 1,100 → 2,093 m | NE | 2.5 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 La Chapelle d'Abondance
Toboggan runs
- Bobluge de Pré la Joux · Châtel · 6.6 km away
Ice rink
- Patinoire · Châtel · 5.3 km away
Swimming pool
- Le centre aquatique Forme d'O · Châtel · 5.5 km away
Museum
- Musée du ski ancien · La Chapelle-d'Abondance · 2.4 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma Le Chamois · Châtel · 5.4 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
- 6 hotels · 205 rooms (2 × 4★, 3 × 3★)
Commune: La Chapelle-d'Abondance · INSEE tourist accommodation survey, 2026, read on 12 September 2026. Collective accommodation only — privately let flats and second homes are not counted. INSEE dataset ↗
Ski school
ESF La Chapelle D Abondance
54 instructors
🇬🇧 29 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Cinema · Le Névé
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 La Chapelle d'Abondance?
La Chapelle d'Abondance sits at 999 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 1,571 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does La Chapelle d'Abondance have?
La Chapelle d'Abondance has 23 km of pistes served by 9 lifts, within the linked Portes du Soleil area (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in La Chapelle d'Abondance?
The longest piste is Route du Clos Baron: 3 km (green run), for 252 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 La Chapelle d'Abondance?
The highest lift, TS de Braitaz (chairlift), tops out at 1,797 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does La Chapelle d'Abondance have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 11 installations at La Chapelle d'Abondance (1 gondola, 3 chairlifts, 7 drag lifts), for an authorised capacity of 11,239 people per hour, of which 2,000 for TSD de Crêt Béni alone. The fleet spans 1971 to 2020, an average age of 39 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 La Chapelle d'Abondance?
The adult day pass costs €41.50 and the 6-day pass €211 (2026-2027, read on the official price list, shared with Roc d'Enfer).
How do I get to La Chapelle d'Abondance?
By road, La Chapelle d'Abondance is 1 hr 14 from Genève (66 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Thonon-les-Bains, 37 min by road from the resort. From Thonon-les-Bains station, line 12 — Thonon Les Arts ↔ Châtel Linga (EVIAN - ÉVA'D) reaches the “LES PLAGNES” stop in 54 min, 6 departures a day on weekdays, 4 a day at weekends. The nearest airport is Genève, 1 hr 38 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to La Chapelle d'Abondance?
6 hr 50 for 610 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 La Chapelle d'Abondance?
Yes: good snow through most of the winter according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is La Chapelle d'Abondance good for beginners and families?
80% of the pistes are green or blue: a very accessible area.
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