Bessans
Bessans is a ski resort in the Northern Alps (Savoie). The village sits at 1,707 m and the ski area rises to 1,859 m, a skiable vertical of 149 m.
The area offers 1 km of alpine pistes, 4 marked pistes (2 green, 2 blue), 2 ski lifts. Green and blue runs dominate: terrain suited to beginners and families.
Measured on the OpenStreetMap map: the longest piste runs 1 km and the highest lift tops out at 1,842 m.
Access: 1 h 50 by road from Chambéry and 40 min from Modane railway station.
3 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 / 5
Top of the ski area: 1,859 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,710 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 112 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 88%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?1 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 1 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 1 km · Lifts: 2 · Balance between piste levels: 50%
- 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?3.5 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 100% · Magic carpets: 0 · Sledging runs: 1 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 1
- AccessIs it easy to get to?2.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 5 hr 12 · Nearest railway station: 40 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 1 · Nearest airport: 2 hr 02
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?3 / 5
Bars and pubs: 1 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 6 · Upcoming events: 4 · Collective tourist beds: 382 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?1 / 5
5-star hotels: 0 · 4-star hotels: 0 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 0% · 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 31 October 2026 and close on 4 April 2027. Open pistes and lifts will appear here as soon as the resort publishes its daily report.
Right now at the MONT CENIS station (2,032 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,707 m · top 1,859 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 January to March.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 6.8 h · Dec 6.7 h · Jan 7.1 h · Feb 8.2 h · Mar 9.1 h · Apr 10.2 h — 25 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November9 cmInsufficient · 6%
- December40 cmVariable · 63%
- January63 cmGood skiing · 89%
- February77 cmGood skiing · 99%
- March84 cmGood skiing · 100%
- April34 cmInsufficient · 49%
- 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
68 complete winters measured, from 1958-1959 to 2025-2026 — on average 112 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec33 cmInsufficient · 44 %
- 16-31 Dec50 cmVariable · 67 %
- 1-15 Jan65 cmGood skiing · 85 %
- 16-31 Jan76 cmGood skiing · 89 %
- 1-15 Feb87 cmGood skiing · 94 %
- 16-29 Feb96 cmGood skiing · 97 %
- 1-15 Mar97 cmGood skiing · 99 %
- 16-31 Mar85 cmGood skiing · 95 %
- 1-15 Apr61 cmVariable · 70 %
- Best winter of the series
- 1959-1960 — 137 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 1963-1964 — 1 day at 30 cm or more
How much snow actually falls — 395 cm a winter on average, spread over 52 days of snowfall. Measured over 71 complete winters, from 1953-1954 to 2023-2024.
- Biggest 24-hour snowfall
- 147 cm — 1968-1969
- Snowiest winter
- 1979-1980 — 779 cm
- Leanest winter
- 1963-1964 — 165 cm
The ski area
Compare with another resort →4 pistes, by level — 1 km
- Skiable vertical
- 149 m (1,710 m → 1,859 m)
- Lifts
- 2 drag lifts
- Cross-country skiing
- 10 named trails — 115 km of marked loops (37 km of distinct track: the loops overlap) · ESPACE NORDIQUE LE CARRELEY area, right by 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(10)
Trail Level Length Marathon n/a 48 km L'Arc easy 26 km P'tit Diable n/a 9.7 km Barmette · ESPACE NORDIQUE LE CARRELEY difficult 8.2 km Travérole easy 8.2 km Traribon very easy 7.7 km Pré de l'Huile · ESPACE NORDIQUE LE CARRELEY easy 3.7 km Verneys very easy 2.6 km Esseillon very easy 1 km Variante duvalon n/a 0.6 km - Without skis
- 6 km of snowshoe and walking trails · 1 sledging run
- Piste aspect
- N 0% · E 0% · S 100% · W 0% (descent direction of 3 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Lift opening hours
- Lifts open from 09:00 to 16:30 (Du 13/12/2026 au 16/04/2027) (official website, read on 15 September 2026)
- Season 2026-2027
- opens on 31 October 2026, closes on 4 April 2027
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.
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 Bessans only (“BESSANS”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Bessans
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 (3) →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 Bessans
From Paris: 7 hr 38 (707 km) by road.
By road
- From Chambéry: 1 hr 50 · 138 km
- From Grenoble: 2 hr 07 · 167 km
- From Annecy: 2 hr 20 · 185 km
- From Genève: 2 hr 49 · 223 km
- From Lyon: 3 hr 01 · 237 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Valence: 3 hr 10 · 260 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 3 hr 34 · 285 km
- From Dijon: 4 hr 53 · 437 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 4 hr 54 · 405 km
- From Besançon: 5 hr 09 · 395 km
- From Marseille: 5 hr 14 · 361 km
- From Montpellier: 5 hr 17 · 465 km
- From Nice: 5 hr 20 · 418 km · via Modane station
- From Perpignan: 6 hr 39 · 612 km
- From Nancy: 7 hr 00 · 648 km
- From Strasbourg: 7 hr 04 · 613 km
- From Toulouse: 7 hr 35 · 699 km
- From Paris: 7 hr 38 · 707 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 52 · 792 km
- From Pau: 9 hr 29 · 889 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Modane station
regional station · then 40 min drive (36 km)
Nearest main station: Chambéry - Challes-les-Eaux, 1 hr 49 by road.
- From Modane station (stop “Gare Routiere”): line S53 — MODANE ↔ BONNEVAL SUR ARC (REGION - cars Région Savoie), 1 hr 04 to the “La Placette” stop — 1 departure a day on weekdays · first 11:00, last 19:20 · 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
- Turin-Caselle (TRN): 2 hr 22 by road · 157 km
- Chambéry-Savoie (CMF): 2 hr 02 by road · 146 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Bessans 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.
Ski touring routes described
Resorts for ski touring →12 ski touring routes documented within 10 km of Bessans — up to 2,100 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pointe des Pignes · Antecima NE - Parete NE: "Le long chemin de Tatanka" | 4.3 · D+ | 1,600 m | 1,714 → 3,272 m | NE | 2.7 km |
| Croix de Dom Jean Maurice · Crête du Dom | n/a | 2,100 m | 2,830 → 3,353 m | n/a | 2.9 km |
| Pointe de Claret et Aiguille de Méan Martin depuis la Femma | 3.1 · E1 · AD- | 1,500 m | 2,352 → 3,355 m | NW · N · NE | 3 km |
| Pointe SW du Châtelard · Couloir S | 4.2 | 1,170 m | 2,300 → 3,470 m | S · SE | 3.2 km |
| Col du Géfret · Versant NW - depuis le Refuge de la Femma | n/a · PD | 833 m | 2,352 → 3,185 m | NW | 3.3 km |
| Ouille Allegra · Face W, par le Ravin de la Frete | 4.3 · E4 · D+ | n/a | n/a | W | 3.9 km |
| Pointe de Charbonnel · Versant N (version hivernale) | 4.1 · E3 · D- | 2,020 m | 1,737 → 3,752 m | N | 4.1 km |
| Pointe SW du Châtelard · Versant S par le Col du Vallonbrun | 3.3 · E1 · AD | 1,800 m | 1,670 → 3,479 m | S | 4.1 km |
| Pointe d'Andagne · versant S par le Vallon d'Andagne | n/a · E2 · AD | 1,617 m | 1,700 → 3,217 m | W | 4.2 km |
| Aiguille de Méan Martin · Versant W depuis le refuge de la Femma | n/a · E1 | 926 m | 2,352 → 3,278 m | W · NW | 4.3 km |
| Pointe SW du Châtelard · Traversée S → NW | 3.3 · E1 · AD+ | 1,650 m | 1,820 → 3,479 m | n/a | 4.4 km |
| Ouille Allegra · Versant SW | 2.2 · E1 · PD | 1,390 m | 1,740 → 3,130 m | SW | 4.7 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 Bessans
Toboggan runs
- Piste de luge Val Cenis Turbo · Val-Cenis · 6.8 km away
Museum
- Musée de la Pyramide du Mont-Cenis · Val-Cenis · 9.5 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma Chantelouve · Val-Cenis · 7.2 km away
- Auditorium Laurent Gerra - Culture en altitude · Val-Cenis · 9.4 km away
- Cinéma de Val-Cenis Lanslebourg · Val-Cenis · 9.4 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
382 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 1 hotel · 20 rooms (1 × 2★)
- 1 holiday village or family centre · 190 bed spaces
- 1 tourist residence or apartment hotel · 192 bed spaces
- 2 campsites · 63 pitches
Commune: Bessans · 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
Days without skiing
- Ice rink · Patinoire
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 Bessans
All events →-
19 September 2026 – 20 September 2026
Chapelle St Jean Baptiste Val Cenis Lanslebourg
Chapelle St Jean Baptiste · Val-Cenis
Au bord du ruisseau Sainte Marie, la chapelle St Jean Baptiste a été fondée au 17ème siècle. Elle a fait l'objet récemment d’une nouvelle restauration par une peintre décoratrice de la vallée.
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Service Patrimoine de Val Cenis” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Val Cenis (1.9 km), Lanslevillard (3.4 km), Termignon (4.8 km)
-
19 September 2026 – 20 September 2026
Eglise Notre Dame de L'Assomption Lanslebourg
lanslebourg · Val-Cenis
Bien que bâtie entre 1820 et 1830, l’église reste fidèle aux contrastes de l’esprit baroque : sous son air austère, elle cache un intérieur richement décoré.
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Service Patrimoine de Val Cenis” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Val Cenis (1.9 km), Lanslevillard (3.5 km), Termignon (4.8 km)
-
19 September 2026 – 20 September 2026
Chapelle St Sébastien
Lanslevillard · Val-Cenis
Par son extérieur modeste, La chapelle St Sébastien ne se distingue pas des habitations… mais une fois son seuil franchi, vous pourrez en admirer l'extraordinaire richesse !
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Service Patrimoine de Val Cenis” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Lanslevillard (0.8 km), Val Cenis (1 km), Termignon (7.5 km)
-
20 September 2026 · 14:00
Chapelle St Roch
Lanslevillard · Val-Cenis
Construite en 1634 après la grande peste de 1630, la chapelle Saint Roch abrite des objets de culte et des éléments statuaires des XVIe et XVIIe siècles, ainsi que des objets de tombes gallo-romaines.
Source: OpenAgenda, agenda “Service Patrimoine de Val Cenis” · View on OpenAgenda ↗
Also near: Lanslevillard (0.8 km), Val Cenis (1 km), Termignon (7.5 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 Bessans?
Bessans sits at 1,707 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 1,859 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Bessans have?
Bessans has 1 km of pistes served by 2 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Bessans?
The longest single descent: 1 km (blue run), for 136 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 Bessans?
The highest lift, Claret (drag lift), tops out at 1,842 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Bessans have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 3 installations at Bessans (3 drag lifts), for an authorised capacity of 2,000 people per hour, of which 800 for Claret alone. The fleet spans 1985 to 2018, an average age of 22 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 do I get to Bessans?
By road, Bessans is 1 hr 50 from Chambéry (138 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Modane, 40 min by road from the resort. From Modane station, line S53 — MODANE ↔ BONNEVAL SUR ARC (REGION - cars Région Savoie) reaches the “La Placette” stop in 1 hr 04, 1 departure a day on weekdays. The nearest airport is Turin-Caselle, 2 hr 22 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Bessans?
7 hr 38 for 707 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 Bessans?
Lifts are announced open from 09:00 to 16:30 (Du 13/12/2026 au 16/04/2027), according to the official website (read on 15 September 2026).
When does Bessans open?
According to the official website, the resort opens on 31 October 2026 and closes on 4 April 2027 (2026-2027 season).
Is the snow reliable in Bessans?
Yes: good snow through most of the winter according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is Bessans good for beginners and families?
100% of the pistes are green or blue: a very accessible area.
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