Saint-Jean-d’Arves
Saint-Jean-d’Arves is a ski resort in the Northern Alps (Savoie), in the commune of Saint-Jean-d'Arves. The village sits at 1,555 m and the ski area rises to 1,800 m.
The area offers 54 km of alpine pistes, 70 marked pistes (31 green, 24 blue, 10 red, 5 black), 30 ski lifts. Green and blue runs dominate: terrain suited to beginners and families.
Saint-Jean-d’Arves belongs to the linked Les Sybelles area: one lift pass covers the neighbouring resorts.
Measured on the OpenStreetMap map: the longest piste runs 8 km (Col des Lacs) and the highest lift tops out at 2,587 m.
The resort holds the Famille Plus and Station classée de tourisme labels.
Access: 1 h 18 by road from Chambéry and 26 min from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne Arvan railway station.
13 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?3 / 5
Top of the ski area: 1,800 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,800 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 88 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 74%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?3.5 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 54 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 125 km · Lifts: 30 · Balance between piste levels: 86%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?2.5 / 5
Adult day pass: €60.5 · Day pass price per km of pistes: €0.48/km · Adult 6-day pass: €307.2 · Price read at a neighbouring resort of the same area
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?4 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 79% · Magic carpets: 7 · Sledging runs: 0 · Special prices out of 4 (beginner, child, family, free age): 3 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 2 · Famille Plus label
- AccessIs it easy to get to?3.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 4 hr 39 · Nearest railway station: 26 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 1 · Nearest airport: 1 hr 29
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?2.5 / 5
Bars and pubs: 1 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 5 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 937 — 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: €60.5 — 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 ST-SORLIN D'ARVES station (1,694 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,555 m · top 1,800 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
Reliable snow mainly in February; more irregular the rest of the winter.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 6.5 h · Dec 5.7 h · Jan 6.1 h · Feb 7.5 h · Mar 8.6 h · Apr 10.1 h — 26 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December40 cmVariable · 61%
- January50 cmVariable · 77%
- February64 cmGood skiing · 87%
- March61 cmVariable · 70%
- April33 cmInsufficient · 36%
- 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
32 complete winters measured, from 1992-1993 to 2025-2026 — on average 88 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec25 cmInsufficient · 34 %
- 16-31 Dec35 cmVariable · 53 %
- 1-15 Jan49 cmVariable · 70 %
- 16-31 Jan62 cmGood skiing · 85 %
- 1-15 Feb73 cmGood skiing · 89 %
- 16-29 Feb76 cmGood skiing · 88 %
- 1-15 Mar71 cmVariable · 77 %
- 16-31 Mar46 cmVariable · 57 %
- 1-15 Apr24 cmInsufficient · 32 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2012-2013 — 136 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 1992-1993 — 3 days at 30 cm or more
How much snow actually falls — 371 cm a winter on average, spread over 35 days of snowfall. Measured over 27 complete winters, from 1992-1993 to 2019-2020.
- Biggest 24-hour snowfall
- 70 cm — 2011-2012
- Snowiest winter
- 2017-2018 — 621 cm
- Leanest winter
- 1992-1993 — 138 cm
The ski area
Compare with another resort →70 pistes, by level — 54 km
- Lifts
- 9 chairlifts, 14 drag lifts, 7 magic carpets
- Cross-country skiing
- 1 named trail — 2.2 km of marked loops (1.7 km of distinct track: the loops overlap) · Domaine nordique des Îles area, 2 km from the resortOpenStreetMap, lengths measured on the geometry, surveyed on 13 September 2026. A trail with no difficulty tag is shown as "n/a" — never guessed.
See the trails(1)
Trail Level Length Piste des Îles · Domaine nordique des Îles green 2.2 km - Without skis
- 22 km of snowshoe and walking trails
- Piste aspect
- N 10% · E 75% · S 12% · W 3% (descent direction of 62 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Mountain restaurants
- Le coq de bruyère - Chez Bill (1827 m)
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 | €60.50 |
| 6 days | €307.20 |
| Child, 1 day | €49 |
| 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 Le Corbier. 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 Saint-Jean-d’Arves
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 (13) →Official players of the resort, live image. Checked on 12 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 Saint-Jean-d’Arves
From Paris: 7 hr 05 (663 km) by road.
By road
- From Chambéry: 1 hr 18 · 94 km
- From Grenoble: 1 hr 34 · 123 km · avoids Col de la Croix-de-Fer, closed in winter
- From Annecy: 1 hr 47 · 141 km
- From Genève: 2 hr 17 · 179 km
- From Lyon: 2 hr 28 · 192 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Valence: 2 hr 38 · 216 km · avoids Col de la Croix-de-Fer, closed in winter
- From Saint-Étienne: 3 hr 02 · 241 km
- From Dijon: 4 hr 20 · 393 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 4 hr 21 · 361 km
- From Montpellier: 4 hr 36 · 379 km
- From Besançon: 4 hr 36 · 351 km
- From Marseille: 4 hr 41 · 388 km
- From Nice: 5 hr 24 · 426 km
- From Perpignan: 5 hr 58 · 527 km
- From Nancy: 6 hr 27 · 604 km
- From Strasbourg: 6 hr 32 · 568 km
- From Toulouse: 6 hr 54 · 613 km
- From Paris: 7 hr 05 · 663 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 19 · 748 km
- From Pau: 8 hr 48 · 803 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne Arvan station
regional station · then 26 min drive (20 km)
Nearest main station: Chambéry - Challes-les-Eaux, 1 hr 16 by road.
- From Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne Arvan station (stop “Rue Ramassot”): line S32 — ST-JEAN DE MAURIENNE ↔ ST-SORLIN D'ARVES (REGION - cars Région Savoie), 49 min to the “Les Chambons” stop — 1 departure a day on weekdays · first 12:15, last 17:50 · 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
- Chambéry-Savoie (CMF): 1 hr 29 by road · 101 km
- Grenoble-Alpes-Isère (GNB): 2 hr 12 by road · 183 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Saint-Jean-d’Arves as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
No freely accessible charge point is declared within 2 km of the resort (checked on 9 September 2026). Covered car parks in the resort may offer chargers reserved for their customers: those are not listed here.
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: Hors piste des Sanières · Hors Piste les Roches · Hors Piste de La Turraz · Hort piste Pres de Chabert · Hord piste Combe Genin · Vallée Perdu
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 Saint-Jean-d’Arves — up to 1,550 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mont Charvin · Versant NNE par Arrondaz | 3.1 · E1 | 961 m | 1,238 → 2,207 m | NE | 1.4 km |
| Mont Charvin · Combe Génin | 2.3 | 950 m | 1,280 → 2,207 m | SE | 1.4 km |
| Mont Charvin · Couloir NW | 5.1 · E2 · TD- | 600 m | 1,600 → 2,207 m | NW | 1.4 km |
| Crêt d'Ornon · Versant N | 2.2 · E1 · PD | 598 m | 1,465 → 2,063 m | N · NE | 2.5 km |
| Crêt d'Ornon · Versant E | 1.3 · E1 · F+ | 540 m | 1,520 → 2,063 m | E | 2.5 km |
| Montzard · Pente NNE | 2.3 · E1 · PD | 801 m | 1,306 → 2,107 m | NE | 3 km |
| Pointe du Châtel · par Montzard, pente NNE | 2.3 · E1 · PD | 1,125 m | 1,370 → 2,202 m | NE · N | 3.8 km |
| Cime des Torches ou Grand Agnelin · Versant W depuis St Sorlin | 4.3 · E2 | 1,550 m | 1,600 → 2,958 m | NW | 3.9 km |
| l'Ouillon · Versant S | 2.1 · E1 · PD+ | 900 m | 1,530 → 2,431 m | S | 4.2 km |
| Tête de Bellard · Combe S | 1.1 · F | 700 m | 1,560 → 2,225 m | n/a | 4.8 km |
| Col N des Lacs · Traversée W >> E | n/a · PD | 905 m | 1,500 → 2,533 m | SE | 5.1 km |
| Cime de la Valette · Versant E | n/a · PD+ | 1,368 m | 1,490 → 2,858 m | NE | 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 Saint-Jean-d’Arves
Toboggan runs
- Tubing · Fontcouverte-la-Toussuire · 4.5 km away
Swimming pool
- Piscine extérieure chauffée · Villarembert · 3 km away
- Spa d’altitude Ô des Cimes – Résidence CGH L'Alpaga · Fontcouverte-la-Toussuire · 4.3 km away
- Piscine des Soldanelles · Fontcouverte-la-Toussuire · 4.9 km away
- Centre nautique et Espace aqualudique · Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne · 9.8 km away
Paragliding
- Corbier Parapente · Villarembert · 3.2 km away
- Parapente Airline · Fontcouverte-la-Toussuire · 4.8 km away
- Parapente Air Line - Activités · Albiez-Montrond · 5.8 km away
Museum
- Espace ludo-éducatif de la Fromagerie Coopérative de la Vallée des Arves · Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves · 1.7 km away
- Musée de la Vie d'Autrefois · Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves · 2.4 km away
- L'Espace rural de Gévoudaz · Albiez-Montrond · 4.2 km away
- Musée des Costumes, Arts et Traditions Populaires · Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne · 9.4 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma les Aiguilles · Saint-Jean-d'Arves · 0.1 km away
- Cinéma l'Igloo · Fontcouverte-la-Toussuire · 4.5 km away
- Cinéma Casse-Massion · Albiez-Montrond · 5.9 km away
- Cinéma Star · Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne · 9.6 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
937 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 2 tourist residences and apartment hotels · 937 bed spaces
Commune: Saint-Jean-d'Arves · 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 Saint-Jean d'Arves
Ski school
ESF St Jean D Arves
22 instructors
🇬🇧 21 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Cinema · Les Aiguilles
- Swimming pool · Piscine du Corbier
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 Saint-Jean-d’Arves?
Saint-Jean-d’Arves sits at 1,555 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 1,800 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Saint-Jean-d’Arves have?
Saint-Jean-d’Arves has 54 km of pistes served by 30 lifts, within the linked Les Sybelles area (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Saint-Jean-d’Arves?
The longest piste is Col des Lacs: 8 km (blue run), for 532 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 Saint-Jean-d’Arves?
The highest lift, Rouet, tops out at 2,587 m (IGN RGE ALTI terrain model). The 60 lifts mapped on OpenStreetMap total 51 km.
How much is a lift pass in Saint-Jean-d’Arves?
The adult day pass costs €60.50 and the 6-day pass €307.20 (2026-2027, read on the official price list, shared with Le Corbier).
How do I get to Saint-Jean-d’Arves?
By road, Saint-Jean-d’Arves is 1 hr 18 from Chambéry (94 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne Arvan, 26 min by road from the resort. From Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne Arvan station, line S32 — ST-JEAN DE MAURIENNE ↔ ST-SORLIN D'ARVES (REGION - cars Région Savoie) reaches the “Les Chambons” stop in 49 min, 1 departure a day on weekdays. The nearest airport is Chambéry-Savoie, 1 hr 29 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Saint-Jean-d’Arves?
7 hr 05 for 663 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 Saint-Jean-d’Arves?
Yes: good snow in the core of the winter according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is Saint-Jean-d’Arves good for beginners and families?
79% of the pistes are green or blue: a very accessible area. The resort holds the Famille Plus family label.
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