Le Fornet
Le Fornet is a ski resort in the Northern Alps (Savoie), in the commune of Val-d'Isère. The village sits at 1,940 m and the ski area rises to 3,182 m, a skiable vertical of 1,387 m.
The area offers 106 km of alpine pistes, 51 marked pistes (13 green, 10 blue, 18 red, 10 black), 27 ski lifts, plus a snowpark.
Le Fornet belongs to the linked Tignes – Val d’Isère area: one lift pass covers the neighbouring resorts.
Measured on the OpenStreetMap map: the longest piste runs 6 km (Prariond) and the highest lift tops out at 3,447 m.
The resort holds the Famille Plus and Flocon Vert and Station classée de tourisme labels.
Access: 2 h 11 by road from Chambéry and 45 min from Bourg-Saint-Maurice railway station.
6 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?4.5 / 5
Top of the ski area: 3,182 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,795 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 129 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 94% · Glacier skiing
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?4.5 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 106 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 225 km · Lifts: 27 · Balance between piste levels: 98%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?1.5 / 5
Adult day pass: €78 · Day pass price per km of pistes: €0.74/km · Adult 6-day pass: €468
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?3 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 45% · Magic carpets: 3 · Sledging runs: 0 · Special prices out of 4 (beginner, child, family, free age): 2 · 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: 5 hr 35 · Nearest railway station: 45 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 0 · Nearest airport: 2 hr 22
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?4 / 5
Bars and pubs: 6 · Nightclubs: 1 · Restaurants: 14 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 3,109 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?4.5 / 5
5-star hotels: 1 · 4-star hotels: 3 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 52% · Spas and saunas: 0 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 1 · Adult day pass: €78 — 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 28 November 2026 and close on 2 May 2027. Open pistes and lifts will appear here as soon as the resort publishes its daily report.
Right now at the LE CHEVRIL-NIVOSE station (2,559 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,940 m · top 3,182 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 April: a long, reliable season.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 6.5 h · Dec 5.7 h · Jan 6.2 h · Feb 7.5 h · Mar 8.5 h · Apr 10.2 h — 26 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December63 cmGood skiing · 80%
- January102 cmGood skiing · 95%
- February122 cmGood skiing · 100%
- March132 cmGood skiing · 100%
- April87 cmGood skiing · 99%
- 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
24 complete winters measured, from 2001-2002 to 2025-2026 — on average 129 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec56 cmVariable · 71 %
- 16-31 Dec79 cmGood skiing · 89 %
- 1-15 Jan99 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- 16-31 Jan115 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- 1-15 Feb131 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- 16-29 Feb140 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- 1-15 Mar153 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- 16-31 Mar156 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- 1-15 Apr154 cmGood skiing · 100 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2019-2020 — 137 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 2001-2002 — 105 days at 30 cm or more
Snowfall: no long enough record of fresh snow at this station. Rather than an estimate, we show nothing.
The ski area
Compare with another resort →51 pistes, by level — 106 km
- Skiable vertical
- 1,387 m (1,795 m → 3,182 m)
- Lifts
- 1 funicular, 2 gondolas, 8 chairlifts, 4 drag lifts, 3 magic carpets
- Snowpark
- 1 mapped zone, 4 km from the resort — P'tit Cross (easy)
OpenStreetMap, surveyed on 18 September 2026. OpenStreetMap does not map individual features (kickers, rails): what is counted here are the named zones. - Cross-country skiing
- 2 km of nordic trails
- Glacier
- Some pistes run on a glacier (OpenStreetMap; summer opening to check on the official site)
- Piste aspect
- N 32% · E 25% · S 5% · W 38% (descent direction of 86 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Mountain restaurants
- Gigi Val d'Isère (2530 m) · Le Signal (2325 m)
- Season 2026-2027
- opens on 28 November 2026, closes on 2 May 2027
- Tourist office
- Office du Tourisme · BP 228, place Jacques Mouflier, 73150 · 04 79 06 06 60 · [email protected] (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Piste map (PDF)
- Plan des pistes Val d'Isère 2024-2025 (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Resort app
- Android (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Famille Plus
- The resort’s family page (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
Resort data: declared by Office du 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 (2026-2027) detail →
| Adult pass | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | €78 |
| 6 days | €468 |
| Season | €1,130 |
| Child, 1 day | €63 |
| Free | Free under 8 · free from 75 years |
Read on the official price list, full price, excluding promotions. 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.
Staying and hiring gear in Le Fornet
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 18 September 2026.
Webcams provided by windy.com — add a webcam.
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 Le Fornet
From Paris: 7 hr 58 (708 km) by road.
By road
- From Chambéry: 2 hr 11 · 139 km
- From Annecy: 2 hr 26 · 132 km
- From Grenoble: 2 hr 27 · 168 km
- From Genève: 3 hr 08 · 179 km · avoids Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard, closed in winter
- From Lyon: 3 hr 21 · 237 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Valence: 3 hr 31 · 261 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 3 hr 55 · 286 km
- From Dijon: 5 hr 13 · 438 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 5 hr 14 · 406 km
- From Besançon: 5 hr 28 · 351 km
- From Montpellier: 5 hr 38 · 465 km
- From Marseille: 5 hr 43 · 475 km
- From Strasbourg: 6 hr 57 · 501 km
- From Perpignan: 6 hr 59 · 613 km
- From Nancy: 7 hr 20 · 649 km
- From Nice: 7 hr 21 · 632 km · via Bourg-Saint-Maurice station
- From Toulouse: 7 hr 55 · 699 km
- From Paris: 7 hr 58 · 708 km
- From Bordeaux: 9 hr 12 · 792 km
- From Pau: 9 hr 50 · 889 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Bourg-Saint-Maurice station
regional station · then 45 min drive (34 km)
Nearest main station: Chambéry - Challes-les-Eaux, 2 hr 09 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
- Chambéry-Savoie (CMF): 2 hr 22 by road · 146 km
- Genève (GVA): 3 hr 21 by road · 183 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Le Fornet 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
4 charging points · up to 7 kW
- COMMUNE VAL DISERE - LE FORMET · Izivia · 2 points · 7 kW · 0.1 km
- COMMUNE VAL DISERE - LE FORMET · Izivia · 2 points · 7 kW · 0.1 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: Marmottons · Piste S · Couloir de la Table d'orientation · 3000 · Les Grands Vallons · Tunnel
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 Le Fornet — up to 1,550 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Col de l'Iseran · versant N depuis le Fornet | 1.3 · E1 · F | 800 m | 1,930 → 2,764 m | N | 0.1 km |
| Pointe de la Bailletta · Versant S depuis le Fornet | n/a | 1,140 m | 1,936 → 3,071 m | S | 1.9 km |
| Col Pers · Versant N | n/a | 1,100 m | 1,900 → 3,009 m | N | 1.9 km |
| Tsanteleina · Face S | 3.3 · E1 · AD+ | 1,550 m | 2,056 → 3,602 m | S | 2.1 km |
| Col de l'Ouille Noire · Et col du Montet | 3.1 · E1 · PD | 500 m | n/a | n/a | 2.5 km |
| Signal de l'Iseran · Versant N depuis le Pont-saint-Charles | n/a · E2 · PD | 1,187 m | 2,050 → 3,237 m | n/a | 3.1 km |
| Aiguille Pers · Face N de la Pointe Pers | n/a · AD+ | 1,271 m | 2,056 → 3,386 m | N | 3.2 km |
| Pointe du Gros Caval · Versant W, par le vallon de Roche Noire | n/a · PD | n/a | 1,936 → 3,285 m | NW | 3.2 km |
| Roc de Bassagne · Versant SW (voie normale française) | 3.1 · E1 · PD+ | 1,200 m | 2,056 → 3,220 m | SW | 3.3 km |
| Col de la Bailletta · Versant N | 2.2 · E1 · PD | 1,000 m | 1,850 → 2,852 m | N | 3.4 km |
| Grand Cocor · Versant W | 2.2 · E1 · PD | 1,000 m | 2,056 → 3,034 m | W | 3.4 km |
| Aiguille Pers · Versant NW - Épaule N | 3.2 · E2 · AD | 1,350 m | 1,936 → 3,200 m | N · NW | 3.5 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 Le Fornet
Swimming pool
- Espace Plage - La piscine · Val-d'Isère · 2.7 km away
Paragliding
- Val d'Isère Parapente · Val-d'Isère · 2.3 km away
Museum
- Musée Val Histoire · Val-d'Isère · 2.7 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
3,109 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 29 hotels · 1,177 rooms (6 × 5★, 6 × 4★, 11 × 3★, 4 × 2★)
- 6 holiday villages and family centres · 1,627 bed spaces
- 9 tourist residences and apartment hotels · 1,242 bed spaces
- 1 youth hostel or sports centre · 240 bed spaces
- 1 campsite · 75 pitches
Commune: Val-d'Isère · 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 de Val d'Isère
Ski school
ESF Val D Isere
349 instructors
🇬🇧 239 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Ice rink · La patinoire de Val d'Isère
- Cinema · Le Splendid
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 Le Fornet?
Le Fornet sits at 1,940 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 3,182 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Le Fornet have?
Le Fornet has 106 km of pistes served by 27 lifts, within the linked Tignes – Val d’Isère area (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Le Fornet?
The longest piste is Prariond: 6 km (blue run), for 341 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 Le Fornet?
The highest lift, Grande Motte, tops out at 3,447 m (IGN RGE ALTI terrain model). The 63 lifts mapped on OpenStreetMap total 66 km.
How much is a lift pass in Le Fornet?
The adult day pass costs €78 and the 6-day pass €468 (2026-2027, read on the official price list).
How do I get to Le Fornet?
By road, Le Fornet is 2 hr 11 from Chambéry (139 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Bourg-Saint-Maurice, 45 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 Chambéry-Savoie, 2 hr 22 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Le Fornet?
7 hr 58 for 708 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 Le Fornet open?
According to the official website, the resort opens on 28 November 2026 and closes on 2 May 2027 (2026-2027 season).
Is the snow reliable in Le Fornet?
Yes: good snow through most of the winter according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is Le Fornet good for beginners and families?
45% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather technical area. The resort holds the Famille Plus family label.
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