Where to ski at Christmas? The resorts you can count on in December

81 resorts have had at least 30 cm of snow on the ground in December in more than 4 winters out of 5 over the past twenty years. La Flégère leads: 100% of winters, 588 cm on average, ski area up to 2,486 m.

The Christmas holidays fall at the very start of the season: this is when the choice of resort makes the biggest difference. For each resort we looked, winter after winter since 2005, at how often the ground carried at least 30 cm of snow in December — the depth from which natural pistes ski properly.

The resorts below manage it in more than 4 winters out of 5. Unsurprisingly, altitude rules: 18 of them have a village above 1,800 m, and they break down as follows: Northern Alps (63), Southern Alps (18). The “December” column gives the average depth and the share of successful winters, at the altitude shown in “measured at”: a nearby Météo-France station, or failing that an estimate from reanalysis (marked “model”).

These figures are averages: any given winter can contradict the statistic either way. As the holidays approach, the day’s snow report and the webcams on each resort page are what count.

Latest reading · 15 October 2026 at 11:23

#	Resort	Range	Snow in December	Measured at	Village	Pistes	Day pass
1	La Flégère	Northern Alps	588 cm · 100%	1,953 m (model)	1,900 m	61 km	—
2	Les Grands Montets Grands Montets	Northern Alps	588 cm · 100%	1,951 m (model)	1,951 m	—	—
3	Vars La Forêt Blanche	Southern Alps	89 cm · 100%	1,855 m	1,850 m	—	€58
4	Val Cenis	Northern Alps	79 cm · 100%	2,101 m	1,300 m	125 km	€50
5	Valfréjus	Northern Alps	75 cm · 100%	1,958 m	1,550 m	45 km	€29
6	La Grave	Southern Alps	100 cm · 99%	1,523 m (model)	—	55 km	—
7	Le Chazelet	Southern Alps	100 cm · 99%	1,783 m (model)	1,783 m	22 km	—
8	Thollon-les-Mémises	Northern Alps	59 cm · 98%	1,535 m	1,600 m	22 km	€25.50
9	Les Contamines Évasion Mont-Blanc	Northern Alps	100 cm · 97%	1,955 m (model)	1,164 m	—	€45
10	Aime 2000 La Plagne	Northern Alps	97 cm · 97%	2,111 m (model)	2,100 m	—	€58
11	Champagny-en-Vanoise Paradiski	Northern Alps	97 cm · 97%	1,234 m (model)	1,250 m	—	€78
12	Courchevel Les 3 Vallées	Northern Alps	97 cm · 97%	1,746 m (model)	1,850 m	—	€84.20
13	La Plagne La Plagne	Northern Alps	97 cm · 97%	1,978 m (model)	1,250 m	—	€58
14	La Plagne Montalbert La Plagne	Northern Alps	97 cm · 97%	2,107 m (model)	—	—	€56
15	Aussois	Northern Alps	95 cm · 97%	1,489 m (model)	1,500 m	43 km	€34.50
16	La Norma	Northern Alps	95 cm · 97%	1,387 m (model)	1,350 m	62 km	€42.50
17	Orelle Les 3 Vallées	Northern Alps	93 cm · 97%	987 m (model)	—	—	€84.20
18	Les Karellis	Northern Alps	92 cm · 97%	1,614 m (model)	1,600 m	—	€35
19	Albiez-Montrond	Northern Alps	89 cm · 97%	1,524 m (model)	1,490 m	35 km	—
20	Brides-les-Bains Les 3 Vallées	Northern Alps	89 cm · 97%	588 m (model)	600 m	13 km	€84.20
21	La Tania Les 3 Vallées	Northern Alps	89 cm · 97%	1,355 m (model)	1,355 m	—	€84.20
22	Le Bettex (Les Belleville) Les 3 Vallées	Northern Alps	87 cm · 97%	1,563 m (model)	1,563 m	—	€84.20
23	Les Menuires Les 3 Vallées	Northern Alps	87 cm · 97%	1,811 m (model)	1,850 m	—	€70
24	Saint-Martin-de-Belleville Les 3 Vallées	Northern Alps	86 cm · 97%	1,370 m (model)	1,450 m	—	€70
25	Val Thorens Les 3 Vallées	Northern Alps	82 cm · 97%	2,356 m	2,299 m	150 km	€84.20
26	La Rosière Espace San Bernardo	Northern Alps	103 cm · 96%	1,844 m (model)	1,850 m	—	€59
27	Les Arcs Paradiski	Northern Alps	103 cm · 96%	2,273 m (model)	1,600 m	200 km	€78
28	Chamonix-Mont-Blanc	Northern Alps	97 cm · 96%	1,048 m (model)	1,048 m	—	—
29	Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Évasion Mont-Blanc	Northern Alps	96 cm · 96%	834 m (model)	571 m	—	€65
30	Bourg Saint Maurice Paradiski	Northern Alps	94 cm · 96%	815 m (model)	815 m	—	€78
31	Montchavin Paradiski	Northern Alps	94 cm · 96%	1,187 m (model)	1,200 m	—	€78
32	Peisey-Vallandry Paradiski	Northern Alps	94 cm · 96%	1,351 m (model)	1,650 m	—	€71
33	Argentière Grands Montets	Northern Alps	84 cm · 96%	1,261 m (model)	1,261 m	—	—
34	Flaine Grand Massif	Northern Alps	84 cm · 96%	1,686 m (model)	1,600 m	—	€63
35	Le Tour	Northern Alps	84 cm · 96%	1,464 m (model)	1,464 m	56 km	—
36	Les Houches Houches / Saint Gervais	Northern Alps	84 cm · 96%	1,004 m (model)	1,000 m	31 km	€59
37	Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval Grand Massif	Northern Alps	84 cm · 96%	786 m (model)	728 m	—	€63
38	Le Monêtier-les-Bains Serre Chevalier	Southern Alps	97 cm · 95%	1,465 m (model)	1,465 m	—	€68
39	Domaine de Praz sur Arly Espace Diamant	Northern Alps	82 cm · 95%	1,005 m (model)	1,005 m	—	€45
40	Hauteluce Val Joly Évasion Mont-Blanc	Northern Alps	82 cm · 95%	1,239 m (model)	—	—	€65
41	Méribel Les 3 Vallées	Northern Alps	81 cm · 94%	1,418 m (model)	1,450 m	—	€84.20
42	Combloux Évasion Mont-Blanc	Northern Alps	79 cm · 94%	993 m (model)	1,181 m	—	€52.50
43	Megève Évasion Mont-Blanc	Northern Alps	79 cm · 94%	1,097 m (model)	—	—	€65
44	La Toussuire Les Sybelles	Northern Alps	77 cm · 94%	1,723 m (model)	1,723 m	—	—
45	Le Corbier Les Sybelles	Northern Alps	77 cm · 94%	1,569 m (model)	1,550 m	—	€60.50
46	Les Bottières Les Sybelles	Northern Alps	77 cm · 94%	1,259 m (model)	1,259 m	—	—
47	Longchamp 1650 Le Grand Domaine	Northern Alps	75 cm · 93%	1,590 m (model)	1,600 m	—	€59.70
48	Alpe d'Huez Alpe d'Huez Grand Domaine Ski	Northern Alps	78 cm · 92%	1,816 m (model)	1,860 m	143 km	—
49	Bonneval sur Arc	Northern Alps	103 cm · 91%	1,815 m (model)	1,800 m	31 km	€32
50	Planpraz	Northern Alps	72 cm · 91%	1,970 m	2,000 m	51 km	—
51	Combelouvière Le Grand Domaine	Northern Alps	68 cm · 90%	1,267 m (model)	1,255 m	—	€59.70
52	Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce Évasion Mont-Blanc	Northern Alps	75 cm · 89%	1,780 m	1,164 m	—	€65
53	Tignes Tignes – Val d’Isère	Northern Alps	69 cm · 89%	2,080 m	2,100 m	—	€78
54	Termignon	Northern Alps	83 cm · 87%	1,295 m (model)	—	30 km	—
55	Chantemerle Serre Chevalier	Southern Alps	81 cm · 87%	1,357 m (model)	1,357 m	—	€68
56	Serre Chevalier Serre Chevalier	Southern Alps	81 cm · 87%	1,401 m (model)	1,200 m	133 km	€68
57	Montgenèvre Voie lactée	Southern Alps	76 cm · 87%	1,868 m (model)	1,860 m	95 km	—
58	Arvieux	Southern Alps	72 cm · 87%	1,686 m (model)	1,686 m	10 km	—
59	Ceillac	Southern Alps	70 cm · 87%	1,644 m (model)	1,644 m	8 km	—
60	Molines-en-Queyras	Southern Alps	69 cm · 87%	1,784 m (model)	1,625 m	23 km	—
61	La Forêt Blanche	Southern Alps	67 cm · 87%	1,660 m (model)	1,660 m	71 km	—
62	Abriès	Southern Alps	63 cm · 87%	1,571 m (model)	1,513 m	28 km	—
63	Le Freney-d'Oisans Alpe d'Huez Grand Domaine Ski	Northern Alps	73 cm · 86%	924 m (model)	—	—	—
64	Les Deux Alpes	Northern Alps	73 cm · 86%	1,656 m (model)	1,650 m	220 km	€66
65	Oz-en-Oisans Alpe d'Huez Grand Domaine Ski	Northern Alps	66 cm · 86%	1,860 m	1,350 m	—	—
66	Sainte-Anne-la-Condamine	Southern Alps	61 cm · 86%	1,824 m (model)	1,824 m	17 km	€26.50
67	Superdévoluy Dévoluy	Southern Alps	47 cm · 86%	1,915 m	1,500 m	—	€46
68	Bessans	Northern Alps	74 cm · 85%	1,707 m (model)	1,707 m	1 km	—
69	Arêches-Beaufort	Northern Alps	65 cm · 85%	1,022 m (model)	1,200 m	28 km	€41
70	Bisanne 1500 Espace Diamant	Northern Alps	65 cm · 85%	1,506 m (model)	1,500 m	—	€52
71	Risoul La Forêt Blanche	Southern Alps	60 cm · 83%	1,128 m (model)	1,850 m	—	—
72	Le Sauze	Southern Alps	56 cm · 83%	1,352 m (model)	1,352 m	42 km	—
73	Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise	Northern Alps	71 cm · 82%	1,867 m	1,550 m	97 km	€46
74	Auris-en-Oisans Alpe d'Huez Grand Domaine Ski	Northern Alps	63 cm · 82%	1,599 m (model)	1,600 m	—	—
75	Chamrousse Chamrousse	Northern Alps	63 cm · 82%	1,725 m (model)	1,650 m	84 km	€44
76	Orcières Merlette 1850	Southern Alps	64 cm · 81%	1,832 m (model)	1,850 m	49 km	€48.50
77	Vaujany Alpe d'Huez Grand Domaine Ski	Northern Alps	50 cm · 81%	1,720 m	1,250 m	—	€39
78	Val-d'Isère Tignes – Val d’Isère	Northern Alps	63 cm · 80%	1,854 m	1,850 m	—	€78
79	Praz de Lys - Sommand	Northern Alps	56 cm · 80%	1,530 m	1,462 m	48 km	—
80	Roc d'Enfer Portes du Soleil	Northern Alps	56 cm · 80%	1,530 m	943 m	—	€41.50
81	Crévoux	Southern Alps	51 cm · 80%	1,572 m (model)	—	26 km	—

Frequently asked questions

Which resorts are certain to have snow at Christmas?

Those with a high ski area: La Flégère (100% of winters), Les Grands Montets (100% of winters), Vars (100% of winters), Val Cenis (100% of winters), Valfréjus (100% of winters), La Grave (99% of winters). No resort is guaranteed 100%: the statistic gives the odds, the day’s report gives the reality.

Above what altitude is snow reliable in December?

In this selection, half of the villages sit above 1,550 m, and the lowest at 571 m. Below 1,500 m, December remains a gamble in most ranges.

Does skiing at Christmas cost more?

Lift passes usually do not change price over the holidays, but accommodation does. The pass prices shown are those of the official price lists we have read; accommodation can be compared through the partners listed on each resort page.

Guides

Where to learn to ski? The resorts for beginners Where to ski in April? The resorts that hold on in spring High-altitude ski resorts: snow you can count on Ski touring: the resorts with waymarked uphill routes The ski resorts with a snowpark Cross-country skiing: the resorts and nordic areas Skiing without a car: the resorts you can reach by train The resorts with the Famille Plus label The resorts that are fun without skiing too Near a city All guides

Rankings

Ski resorts open today in France Snow depths in French ski resorts today Lift pass prices, resort by resort Ski resorts for families and beginners The largest ski areas in France Ski resorts for off-piste and freeride Cheap skiing: the cheapest lift passes in France Ski resorts with a lively après-ski: bars and nightclubs The most upmarket ski resorts: 5-star hotels, spas and boutiques Value for money: kilometres of pistes per euro The longest ski runs in France The highest ski lifts in France Live webcams in French ski resorts French ski resort opening dates, winter 2026-2027 All ski resorts in France

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