Serre Chevalier
Serre Chevalier is a major ski resort in Southeastern France, near the Italian border, located in the Hautes-Alpes department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated to the northeast of Écrins National Park in the French Alps, the resort encompasses a large skiing area, with 250 km (155 mi) of slopes and favourable weather, boasting 300 days of sunshine a year. In Serre Chevalier, 80 km (50 mi) of the slopes are covered by snow cannons to supplement natural snowfall. The resort is owned by Compagnie des Alpes.
Introduction from the English Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
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: 2,764 m · Bottom of the pistes: 2,399 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 112 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 97%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?4 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 191 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 203 km · Lifts: 42 · Balance between piste levels: 81%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?n/a
Not rated: “adult day pass” is missing from this page.
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?4 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 82% · Magic carpets: 10 · Sledging runs: 2 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 3
- AccessIs it easy to get to?3.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 5 hr 07 · Nearest railway station: 14 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 13 · Nearest airport: 2 hr 00
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?4.5 / 5
Bars and pubs: 11 · Nightclubs: 1 · Restaurants: 42 · Upcoming events: 11 · Collective tourist beds: 2,811 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?2.5 / 5
5-star hotels: 0 · 4-star hotels: 3 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 33% · Spas and saunas: 0 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 0 — 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 5 December 2026 and close on 18 April 2027. Open pistes and lifts will appear here as soon as the resort publishes its daily report.
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 2,491 m · top 2,764 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 6.7 h · Dec 6.4 h · Jan 6.7 h · Feb 7.9 h · Mar 9.2 h · Apr 10.4 h — 25 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November30 cmInsufficient · 40%
- December81 cmGood skiing · 87%
- January112 cmGood skiing · 99%
- February128 cmGood skiing · 100%
- March147 cmGood skiing · 100%
- April129 cmGood skiing · 100%
- May74 cmGood skiing · 80%
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
11 complete winters measured, from 2015-2016 to 2025-2026 — on average 112 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec53 cmVariable · 64 %
- 16-31 Dec55 cmVariable · 73 %
- 1-15 Jan55 cmVariable · 79 %
- 16-31 Jan59 cmGood skiing · 82 %
- 1-15 Feb67 cmGood skiing · 88 %
- 16-29 Feb66 cmGood skiing · 90 %
- 1-15 Mar79 cmGood skiing · 93 %
- 16-31 Mar88 cmGood skiing · 90 %
- 1-15 Apr93 cmGood skiing · 89 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2019-2020 — 137 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 2015-2016 — 23 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 →154 pistes, by level — 191 km
- Skiable vertical
- 365 m (2,399 m → 2,764 m)
- Lifts
- 1 cable car, 3 gondolas, 11 chairlifts, 16 drag lifts, 10 magic carpets
- Cross-country skiing
- 9 named trails — 107 km of marked loops (35 km of distinct track: the loops overlap) · Site Nordique de Serre Chevalier area, 1.1 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(9)
Trail Level Length La Virade · Site Nordique de Serre Chevalier difficult 38 km La Chalp par Chirouzas · Site Nordique de Serre Chevalier intermediate 17 km La Guisane · Site Nordique de Serre Chevalier easy 11 km Le Pré des Granges · Site Nordique de Serre Chevalier intermediate 11 km La Chalp · Site Nordique de Serre Chevalier intermediate 9.4 km Chanteloube · Site Nordique de Serre Chevalier intermediate 9.2 km Variante Virade · Site Nordique de Serre Chevalier difficult 5.8 km Les Abeillers · Site Nordique de Serre Chevalier intermediate 4.6 km La Guibertine · Site Nordique de Serre Chevalier very easy 0.9 km - Snowpark
- Yes
- Without skis
- 2 sledging runs
- Piste aspect
- N 46% · E 47% · S 0% · W 7% (descent direction of 92 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Lift opening hours
- Lifts open from 09:00 to 16:15 (official website, read on 9 September 2026)
- Season 2026-2027
- opens on 5 December 2026, closes on 18 April 2027
- Tourist office
- Office de Tourisme · B.P.20, 05240 · 0492249898 · [email protected] (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Piste map (PDF)
- Plan-poster (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Shuttle timetable (PDF)
- 551_ BRIANCON_LE MONETIER_ETE 2023 (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Resort app
- Android (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
Resort data: declared by Office de 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 detail →
The price list for this resort is being collected: most resorts publish winter prices between September and November.
Official piste map
Open the piste map (PDF, 6.5 MB) ↗
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.
Staying and hiring gear in Serre Chevalier
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 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 Serre Chevalier
From Paris: 7 hr 40 (680 km) by road.
By road
- From Grenoble: 1 hr 51 · 108 km
- From Chambéry: 2 hr 27 · 172 km · via Briançon station
- From Valence: 2 hr 47 · 197 km
- From Annecy: 2 hr 56 · 219 km · via Briançon station
- From Lyon: 3 hr 03 · 210 km
From other major cities (14)
- From Genève: 3 hr 26 · 257 km · via Briançon station
- From Saint-Étienne: 3 hr 36 · 259 km
- From Marseille: 3 hr 39 · 268 km
- From Montpellier: 4 hr 54 · 401 km
- From Dijon: 4 hr 55 · 411 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 4 hr 56 · 379 km
- From Besançon: 5 hr 14 · 440 km
- From Perpignan: 6 hr 16 · 549 km
- From Nancy: 7 hr 02 · 622 km
- From Toulouse: 7 hr 12 · 635 km
- From Strasbourg: 7 hr 20 · 623 km
- From Paris: 7 hr 40 · 680 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 54 · 765 km
- From Pau: 9 hr 06 · 825 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Briançon station
regional station · then 14 min drive (10 km)
Nearest main station: Grenoble, 1 hr 51 by road.
- From Briançon station (stop “BRIANCON- GARE SNCF/GARE ROUTIÈRE”): line LIGNE 6 — LIGNE 6 LE MONETIER LES BAINS ↔ BRIANCON (ALTIGO), 21 min to the “LA SALLE LES ALPES- LES ALPES D'AZUR” stop — 9 departures a day on weekdays, 7 a day at weekends · first 06:25, last 18:15 · summer timetable, from 13 September 2026 to 29 November 2026 · official timetable ↗
- From Grenoble station (stop “Gare Routière”): line 55 — 55 _ BRIANCON - GRENOBLE via SERRE CHEVALIER (ZOU ! Express Bus), 1 hr 20 to the “Serre Chevalier - l'Église” stop — 4 departures a day on weekdays · first 08:45, last 15:45 · timetable from 15 December 2026 to 28 January 2027 · official timetable ↗
Direct journeys read from the official timetable files published on transport.data.gouv.fr — no connections.
By plane
- Turin-Caselle (TRN): 2 hr 00 by road · 128 km
- Grenoble-Alpes-Isère (GNB): 2 hr 17 by road · 150 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Serre Chevalier as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
13 charging stations within 2 km
29 charging points · up to 50 kW
- PARKING MAIRIE - LA SALLE-LES-ALPES · ELECTRIC 55 CHARGING · 2 points · 22 kW · 0 km
- PARKING ENTRE LES EAUX - LA SALLE-LES-ALPES · ELECTRIC 55 CHARGING · 2 points · 22 kW · 0.2 km
- LA SALLE LES ALPES - Parking entre les Eaux · EASYCHARGE · 3 points · 50 kW · 0.2 km
- PARKING L'ARAVET - LA SALLE-LES-ALPES · ELECTRIC 55 CHARGING · 2 points · 22 kW · 0.2 km
- PARKING VERNAY - LA SALLE-LES-ALPES · ELECTRIC 55 CHARGING · 2 points · 22 kW · 0.5 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: Bois · Isolée · Trafleche · Mur Chevalier
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 Serre Chevalier — up to 1,424 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Col du Prorel · Traversée S → N | n/a · F | 760 m | 1,350 → 2,396 m | N · W · NW · SW · S · SE · E · NE | 1.9 km |
| Le Grand Aréa · Versant S | 3.1 · E2 · AD- | 1,371 m | 1,498 → 2,869 m | S | 2.1 km |
| Le Grand Aréa · face/couloir SE avec variantes | 4.1 · E2 · AD+ | 1,370 m | 1,500 → 2,869 m | n/a | 2.1 km |
| Le Grand Aréa · dalla strada del col du Granon | 4.1 · E1 · AD | 1,070 m | 1,800 → 2,870 m | E | 2.1 km |
| Tête du Grand-Pré · par les chalets de Fréjus | n/a · PD | 1,200 m | 1,400 → 2,562 m | SE · E | 3.2 km |
| La Gardiole · Versant S - Depuis le Villard Laté | 2.1 · E1 · F+ | 1,250 m | 2,753 m | S | 3.7 km |
| Roches Corneille · Couloir W | 3.2 · AD- | n/a | 2,270 → 2,435 m | NW · W | 3.8 km |
| Le Petit Meyret · Voie normale de St-Chaffrey | 2.1 · E1 · F | 1,000 m | 1,455 → 2,473 m | S | 3.9 km |
| Col de Buffère · Versant S | 2.3 · E1 · PD | 987 m | 1,440 → 2,427 m | S · SW | 3.9 km |
| Le Grand Aréa · Traversée S >> N de Monêtier aux Chalets de Buffère | 2.3 · E1 · PD+ | 1,424 m | 1,453 → 2,844 m | n/a | 4 km |
| Col de Granon · Versant SW - depuis le Villard Laté | n/a · F | 900 m | 1,500 → 2,404 m | S | 4 km |
| Le Grand Aréa · Couloirs E | 4.1 · E2 · D- | 1,370 m | 1,500 → 2,869 m | E | 4.1 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 Serre Chevalier
Ice rink
- Patinoire couverte - Parc des Sports · Briançon · 7.8 km away
Swimming pool
- Piscine du Chazelay · La Salle-les-Alpes · 0.8 km away
- Piscine Municipale « Alain Fardella » · La Salle-les-Alpes · 0.9 km away
- Centre Aquatique - Parc des Sports · Briançon · 7.8 km away
Spa and thermal baths
- Spa Nuxe - Grand Hôtel · Saint-Chaffrey · 2 km away
- Hôtel Le Monêtier - Espace Bien-Etre · Le Monêtier-les-Bains · 5.7 km away
- Les Grands Bains du Monêtier · Le Monêtier-les-Bains · 5.9 km away
- Spa la Rotonde - Les Grands Bains du Monêtier · Le Monêtier-les-Bains · 5.9 km away
Dog sledding
- Chiens de traineaux en Clarée - Jordi Allirand · Névache · 9.8 km away
Paragliding
- Axesse Parapente · La Salle-les-Alpes · 0.6 km away
- Serre Chevalier Parapente · Saint-Chaffrey · 2 km away
- Briançon Parapente - Emotion'Air · Briançon · 6.6 km away
- Parapente Premium · Briançon · 8.2 km away
Museum
- Musée Autrefois mon village · La Salle-les-Alpes · 0.3 km away
- Musée d'Art Sacré · Le Monêtier-les-Bains · 5.8 km away
- Mini musée du four à pain du Serre · Val-des-Prés · 8.9 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma Le Lumière · Le Monêtier-les-Bains · 5.8 km away
- Cosmo Cinémas · Briançon · 7.2 km away
- Cinéma Art et Essai Eden Studio · Briançon · 8.1 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
2,811 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 8 hotels · 275 rooms (2 × 4★, 4 × 3★)
- 3 holiday villages and family centres · 1,539 bed spaces
- 2 tourist residences and apartment hotels · 1,202 bed spaces
- 1 youth hostel or sports centre · 70 bed spaces
Commune: La Salle-les-Alpes · 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 Chantemerle
📍 Place du Téléphérique
Ski school
ESF Serre Che. Villeneuve
🌐 esf-serrechevalier-villeneuve.com
174 instructors
🇬🇧 148 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Swimming pool · La Baignade Bio de Chantemerle
- Cinema · Cinéma Le Serre d'Aigle
- Bowling · Bowling des neiges
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.
What's on around Serre Chevalier
All 11 upcoming events →-
18 September 2026 · 10:00
Découverte familiale des fresques
Chapelle Saint-Barthélemy · La Salle-les-Alpes
Petits et grands, venez en famille pour découvrir les peintures murales, des chefs d'œuvres du XVème siècle mis à la portée des petits.
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Hautes-Alpes” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Villeneuve (0.4 km), Chantemerle (2.1 km), Le Monêtier-les-Bains (5.4 km), Serre Chevalier de Briançon (7.1 km)
-
18 September 2026 · 18:00
Conférence à deux voix sur les mines de Puy-Saint-André
Salle des associations · Puy-Saint-André
Gérard BARNÉOUD et Aymeric LENNE vous entraînent sur les traces des mineurs pour comprendre l’importance de cette activité durant près de deux siècles.
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Hautes-Alpes” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Serre Chevalier de Briançon (3.1 km), Chantemerle (6.1 km), Villeneuve (7.7 km), La Blanche (8.9 km)
-
19 September 2026 · 10:00
Découverte du Moulin du Casset avec mise en eau
Moulin du casset · Le Monêtier-les-Bains
Vivez une immersion fascinante dans l'histoire de la montagne avec la visite du Moulin du Casset, au cœur du pittoresque village du Monêtier-les-Bains.
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Hautes-Alpes” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Le Monêtier-les-Bains (2.6 km), Villeneuve (8 km)
-
19 September 2026 · 14:00
Peintures Murales en Val de Guisane
Église paroissiale · Le Monêtier-les-Bains
Toute la vallée offre une multitude de peintures du XVème siècle
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Hautes-Alpes” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Le Monêtier-les-Bains (1.1 km), Villeneuve (6.3 km), Chantemerle (8.3 km)
-
19 September 2026 · 14:30
Visite guidée du Théâtre Du Briançonnais
TDB - Théâtre Du Briançonnais · Briançon
A l'occasion des Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, (re)découvrez le TDB - Théâtre Du Briançonnais, bâtiment historique de la ville de Briançon et acteur culturel majeur du territoire ! Une occasion…
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Hautes-Alpes” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Serre Chevalier de Briançon (0.9 km), Chantemerle (5.6 km), Montgenèvre (7.5 km), Villeneuve (7.7 km)
Events published on OpenAgenda by the agendas named above, kept when they take place within 10 km of the resort. We organise nothing: times, prices and cancellations are the organiser's.
Nearby resorts
Frequently asked questions
How high is Serre Chevalier?
Serre Chevalier sits at 2,491 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 2,764 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Serre Chevalier have?
Serre Chevalier has 191 km of pistes served by 42 lifts, within the linked Serre Chevalier area (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Serre Chevalier?
The longest piste is Tabuc: 10 km (black run), for 633 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 Serre Chevalier?
The highest lift, Yret, tops out at 2,764 m (IGN RGE ALTI terrain model). The 49 lifts mapped on OpenStreetMap total 51 km.
How do I get to Serre Chevalier?
By road, Serre Chevalier is 1 hr 51 from Grenoble (108 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Briançon, 14 min by road from the resort. From Briançon station, line LIGNE 6 — LIGNE 6 LE MONETIER LES BAINS ↔ BRIANCON (ALTIGO) reaches the “LA SALLE LES ALPES- LES ALPES D'AZUR” stop in 21 min, 9 departures a day on weekdays, 7 a day at weekends. The nearest airport is Turin-Caselle, 2 hr 00 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Serre Chevalier?
7 hr 40 for 680 km from central Paris, excluding traffic and winter conditions. Computed on the real road network (OpenStreetMap): allow more on a school-holiday Saturday.
What time do the lifts open in Serre Chevalier?
Lifts are announced open from 09:00 to 16:15, according to the official website (read on 9 September 2026).
When does Serre Chevalier open?
According to the official website, the resort opens on 5 December 2026 and closes on 18 April 2027 (2026-2027 season).
Is the snow reliable in Serre Chevalier?
Yes: good snow through most of the winter according to ten winters of reanalysis (estimate); in season the daily report prevails.
Is Serre Chevalier good for beginners and families?
82% of the pistes are green or blue: a very accessible area.
Every figure carries its source and date; a missing figure shows as “—”, never estimated. Embed this widget on your site