Orelle
Orelle is a French rural commune located in the département of Savoie in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Its territory extends in Moyenne Maurienne from the massif de la Vanoise and its national park in the north to the massif des Cerces-Thabor in the south. It constitutes the summit of the winter and summer sports resorts that make up Les Trois Vallées, the largest ski area in the world.
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?4 / 5
Top of the ski area: 3,221 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,731 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 78 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 99%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?3 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 19 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 425 km · Lifts: 3 · Balance between piste levels: 86%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?3 / 5
Adult day pass: €70 · Day pass price per km of pistes: €0.16/km · Adult 6-day pass: €350 · Price read at a neighbouring resort of the same area
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?2 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 56% · Magic carpets: 0 · Sledging runs: 0 · Special prices out of 4 (beginner, child, family, free age): 0 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 2
- AccessIs it easy to get to?3.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 4 hr 29 · Nearest railway station: 9 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 0 · Nearest airport: 1 hr 18
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?2 / 5
Bars and pubs: 1 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 2 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 388 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?1.5 / 5
5-star hotels: 0 · 4-star hotels: 0 · Spas and saunas: 0 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 0 · Adult day pass: €70 — 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 21 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 ST-MICHEL DE MAURIENNE LE THYL station (1,345 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 819 m · top 3,221 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 May: a long, reliable season.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 6.6 h · Dec 5.8 h · Jan 6.2 h · Feb 7.5 h · Mar 8.7 h · Apr 10.1 h — 26 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November32 cmVariable · 50%
- December93 cmGood skiing · 97%
- January133 cmGood skiing · 100%
- February156 cmGood skiing · 100%
- March174 cmGood skiing · 100%
- April155 cmGood skiing · 100%
- May100 cmGood skiing · 87%
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
31 complete winters measured, from 1992-1993 to 2022-2023 — on average 78 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec22 cmInsufficient · 29 %
- 16-31 Dec27 cmInsufficient · 40 %
- 1-15 Jan34 cmVariable · 53 %
- 16-31 Jan47 cmVariable · 73 %
- 1-15 Feb55 cmGood skiing · 85 %
- 16-29 Feb57 cmGood skiing · 84 %
- 1-15 Mar55 cmGood skiing · 82 %
- 16-31 Mar35 cmInsufficient · 48 %
- 1-15 Apr16 cmInsufficient · 22 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2012-2013 — 134 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 1992-1993 — 5 days at 30 cm or more
How much snow actually falls — 336 cm a winter on average, spread over 42 days of snowfall. Measured over 31 complete winters.
- Biggest 24-hour snowfall
- 50 cm — 2011-2012
- Snowiest winter
- 1993-1994 — 537 cm
- Leanest winter
- 1996-1997 — 135 cm
The ski area
Compare with another resort →18 pistes, by level — 19 km
- Skiable vertical
- 1,490 m (1,731 m → 3,221 m)
- Lifts
- 1 cable car, 1 gondola, 1 chairlift
- Cross-country skiing
- 1 named trail — 0.8 km of marked loops, 4.9 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(1)
Trail Level Length Tourbière n/a 0.8 km - Piste aspect
- N 14% · E 0% · S 25% · W 60% (descent direction of 18 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Season 2026-2027
- opens on 21 November 2026, closes on 2 May 2027
Opening hours lift by lift (5)
| Lift | Type | Opens | Closes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cime Caron | téléphérique | 09:30 | 15:45 | OpenStreetMap |
| Grand Fond | télécabine | 09:30 | 16:00 | OpenStreetMap |
| Télécabine d'Orelle-Caron | télécabine | 09:30 | 15:45 | OpenStreetMap |
| Pointe de la Masse | télécabine | 09:05 | 16:35 | OpenStreetMap |
| Télécabine d'Orelle | télécabine | 09:00 | 16:30 | OpenStreetMap |
Hours as published by the source quoted, read on 15 September 2026. A lift missing from this table has no published time — no default is shown.
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 | €70 |
| 6 days | €350 |
Read on the official price list, full price, excluding promotions. Price list of the linked area, read on Les Menuires. Official price list ↗
Official piste map
Open the piste map (PDF, 438 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 Orelle only (“ORELLE”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Orelle
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.
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 Orelle
From Paris: 6 hr 54 (662 km) by road.
By road
- From Chambéry: 1 hr 07 · 93 km
- From Grenoble: 1 hr 24 · 122 km
- From Annecy: 1 hr 36 · 140 km
- From Genève: 2 hr 06 · 178 km
- From Lyon: 2 hr 17 · 192 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Valence: 2 hr 27 · 215 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 2 hr 51 · 240 km
- From Dijon: 4 hr 10 · 393 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 4 hr 10 · 360 km
- From Besançon: 4 hr 26 · 350 km
- From Montpellier: 4 hr 34 · 420 km
- From Marseille: 4 hr 39 · 429 km
- From Nice: 4 hr 44 · 388 km
- From Perpignan: 5 hr 56 · 568 km
- From Nancy: 6 hr 17 · 603 km
- From Strasbourg: 6 hr 21 · 568 km
- From Toulouse: 6 hr 52 · 654 km
- From Paris: 6 hr 54 · 662 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 09 · 747 km
- From Pau: 8 hr 46 · 844 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Saint-Michel - Valloire station
regional station · then 9 min drive (7 km)
Nearest main station: Chambéry - Challes-les-Eaux, 1 hr 06 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): 1 hr 18 by road · 101 km
- Turin-Caselle (TRN): 1 hr 47 by road · 127 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Orelle 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
80 charging points · up to 7 kW
- Parking télécabine · Sowatt Solutions · 80 points · 7 kW · 0.6 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 →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 Orelle — up to 14,000 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croix 2220 m Sous le Mont Brequin · Versant W - depuis Beaune | n/a · PD- | 810 m | 1,410 → 2,220 m | W | 4.1 km |
| Pointe du Bouchet · Versant N | n/a · AD | 1,070 m | 2,350 → 3,420 m | N | 4.4 km |
| Col de Rénod · Versant W | n/a · PD+ | 920 m | 2,350 → 3,275 m | W | 4.4 km |
| Pointe du Bouchet · Epaule NW : Couloir du Peyron | n/a · AD- | 1 m | 3,250 → 3,420 m | N | 4.4 km |
| Pointe de la Sandonière · Versant SW | 2.2 · E1 · F+ | 1,125 m | 1,800 → 2,925 m | SW | 4.6 km |
| Col des Marches · Versant W | n/a · F | 925 m | 1,800 → 2,725 m | NW | 4.9 km |
| Traversée des Cerces · Raid Thabor/Cerces | 4.1 | 14,000 m | 1,780 → 3,178 m | n/a | 5.1 km |
| Mont Bréquin · Versant W | 2.3 · E2 · PD- | 1,715 m | 1,420 → 3,135 m | W | 5.2 km |
| Roche du Lac · Traversée SW >> NW | 2.3 · E1 · PD | 1,100 m | 1,700 → 2,789 m | W | 5.3 km |
| Roche des Marches · Versant W | 2.3 · E1 | 1,070 m | 1,850 → 2,919 m | W | 5.4 km |
| Col de la Vallée Étroite · Versant SW | 3.1 · PD+ | 1,300 m | 1,400 → 2,732 m | SW | 5.6 km |
| Grand Fourchon · Versant S | n/a · PD- | 830 m | 1,670 → 2,540 m | n/a | 5.6 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 Orelle
Swimming pool
- Piscine de Valloire · Valloire · 9.5 km away
Dog sledding
- MUSHING SPIRIT · Valloire · 9.8 km away
Paragliding
- Envergure - Parapente · Valmeinier · 5.2 km away
- Lenvair Parapente · Valloire · 7.6 km away
Museum
- Espace Alu · Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne · 5.1 km away
- Muséobar - Musée de la Frontière · Modane · 9.6 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma de Valmeinier · Valmeinier · 5 km away
- Cinéma L'Embellie · Fourneaux · 8.9 km away
- Cinéma · Valloire · 9.9 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
388 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 2 tourist residences and apartment hotels · 388 bed spaces
- 1 campsite · 19 pitches
Commune: Orelle · 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 d'Orelle
📍 810 Route de Francoz, 73140 Orelle
Ski school
ESF Orelle
7 instructors
🇬🇧 2 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Ice rink · Patinoire d'Orelle
- Swimming pool · SPA des Eaux d'Orelle
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 Orelle?
Orelle sits at 819 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 3,221 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Orelle have?
Orelle has 19 km of pistes served by 3 lifts, within the linked Les 3 Vallées area (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Orelle?
The longest piste is Mauriennaise: 4 km (red run), for 625 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 Orelle?
The highest lift, Bouchet (chairlift), tops out at 3,242 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Orelle have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 5 installations at Orelle (2 gondolas, 3 chairlifts), for an authorised capacity of 9,976 people per hour, of which 2,476 for Rosael alone. The fleet spans 2001 to 2021, an average age of 12 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 Orelle?
The adult day pass costs €70 and the 6-day pass €350 (2026-2027, read on the official price list, shared with Les Menuires).
How do I get to Orelle?
By road, Orelle is 1 hr 07 from Chambéry (93 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Saint-Michel - Valloire, 9 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, 1 hr 18 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Orelle?
6 hr 54 for 662 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 Orelle open?
According to the official website, the resort opens on 21 November 2026 and closes on 2 May 2027 (2026-2027 season).
Is the snow reliable in Orelle?
Yes: good snow through most of the winter according to ten winters of reanalysis (estimate); in season the daily report prevails.
Is Orelle good for beginners and families?
56% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather technical area.
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