Super-Besse
Super-Besse is a winter sports resort in the Massif central, in the Massif du Sancy.
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?2 / 5
Top of the ski area: 1,832 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,078 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 47 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 0%
- 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: 62 km · Lifts: 32 · Balance between piste levels: 87%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?3 / 5
Adult day pass: €43.5 · Day pass price per km of pistes: €0.81/km · Adult 6-day pass: €236
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?3.5 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 58% · Magic carpets: 5 · Sledging runs: 2 · Special prices out of 4 (beginner, child, family, free age): 2 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 3 · Famille Plus label
- AccessIs it easy to get to?3 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 4 hr 33 · Nearest railway station: 42 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 0 · Nearest airport: 1 hr 10
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?3 / 5
Bars and pubs: 2 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 13 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 2,382 — 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 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 10% · Spas and saunas: 0 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 0 · Adult day pass: €43.5 — 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).
The domain is due to open on 19 December 2026. Open pistes and lifts will appear here as soon as the resort publishes its daily report.
Right now at the CHASTREIX station (1,385 m)
7-day forecast
Village 1,330 m · top 1,832 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.
Snow actually measured, winter by winter
15 complete winters measured, from 2008-2009 to 2025-2026 — on average 47 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec25 cmInsufficient · 35 %
- 16-31 Dec21 cmInsufficient · 30 %
- 1-15 Jan20 cmInsufficient · 23 %
- 16-31 Jan33 cmInsufficient · 42 %
- 1-15 Feb40 cmVariable · 53 %
- 16-29 Feb38 cmInsufficient · 43 %
- 1-15 Mar35 cmInsufficient · 47 %
- 16-31 Mar22 cmInsufficient · 28 %
- 1-15 Apr9 cmInsufficient · 12 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2008-2009 — 126 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 2010-2011 — 6 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 →76 pistes, by level — 54 km
- Skiable vertical
- 754 m (1,078 m → 1,832 m)
- Lifts
- 1 cable car, 1 gondola, 5 chairlifts, 17 drag lifts, 5 magic carpets
- Snowpark
- 2 mapped zones — Boarder cross · Freepark
OpenStreetMap, surveyed on 18 September 2026. OpenStreetMap does not map individual features (kickers, rails): what is counted here are the named zones. - Cross-country skiing
- 36 km of nordic trails
- Night skiing
- 14 floodlit pistes (OSM)
- Without skis
- 15 km of snowshoe and walking trails · 2 sledging runs
- Piste aspect
- N 12% · E 54% · S 26% · W 8% (descent direction of 69 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Mountain restaurants
- Le Pic du Sancy (1769 m)
- Season 2026-2027
- opens on 19 December 2026
- Tourist office
- Office de tourisme de Super-Besse · Rond Point des pistes, 63610 · +33(0)473796029 · [email protected] (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Piste map (PDF)
- Plan pistes Super-Besse 2026 (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Resort app
- Android (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
- Famille Plus
- The resort’s family page (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
Resort data: declared by Office de tourisme de Super-Besse 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 (2026-2027) detail →
| Adult pass | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | €43.50 |
| 6 days | €236 |
| Child, 1 day | €31 |
| Free | Free under 5 · free from 75 years |
Read on the official price list, full price, excluding promotions. Official price list ↗
Official piste map
Open the piste map (image, 239 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 Super-Besse only (“SUPER BESSE”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Super-Besse
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.
Webcams provided by windy.com — add a webcam.
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 Super-Besse
From Paris: 5 hr 15 (474 km) by road.
By road
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 59 min · 55 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 2 hr 26 · 195 km
- From Lyon: 2 hr 45 · 217 km
- From Valence: 3 hr 48 · 313 km
- From Montpellier: 3 hr 50 · 317 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Grenoble: 3 hr 55 · 318 km
- From Chambéry: 3 hr 57 · 315 km
- From Bordeaux: 4 hr 10 · 370 km
- From Toulouse: 4 hr 14 · 374 km
- From Annecy: 4 hr 16 · 352 km
- From Dijon: 4 hr 17 · 372 km
- From Genève: 4 hr 23 · 372 km
- From Perpignan: 4 hr 45 · 418 km
- From Besançon: 4 hr 53 · 430 km
- From Paris: 5 hr 15 · 474 km
- From Marseille: 5 hr 46 · 486 km
- From Pau: 6 hr 11 · 566 km
- From Nancy: 6 hr 24 · 583 km
- From Strasbourg: 7 hr 16 · 668 km
- From Nice: 7 hr 23 · 644 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Parent - Coudes - Champeix station
halt · then 42 min drive (39 km)
Nearest main station: Clermont-Ferrand, 1 hr 00 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
- Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne (CFE): 1 hr 10 by road · 61 km
- Limoges (LIG): 2 hr 46 by road · 234 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Super-Besse as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
2 charging stations within 2 km
4 charging points · up to 25 kW
- CHARGEZY - Besse et Saint Anastaise - Pistes · SPIE CityNetworks · 3 points · 25 kW · 0.3 km
- Hôtel les Charmilles · RAIDEN · 1 point · 11 kW · 0.3 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.
Ski touring routes described
Resorts for ski touring →12 ski touring routes documented within 10 km of Super-Besse — up to 1,200 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puy de la Perdrix · Couloir Toboggan | 4.1 · E1 | 700 m | 1,137 → 1,850 m | NE | 1.9 km |
| Puy de la Perdrix · par le Signavoux | 1.3 · E1 · F+ | 636 m | 1,284 → 1,824 m | SE · S · E | 1.9 km |
| Puy Ferrand · Couloirs du Puy Ferrand | 4.2 · E2 · D | 724 m | 1,130 → 1,854 m | NE | 2.3 km |
| Puy de Sancy · Couloir en S et traversée du Puy Gros, du Sud | n/a · AD | 930 m | 1,360 → 1,885 m | S | 2.5 km |
| Puy de Paillaret et du Ferrand au départ de la Geneste | 1.3 · E1 · F | 580 m | 1,372 → 1,854 m | S · SE · SW | 2.7 km |
| Puy de Sancy · couloir du Diable | 4.2 · E2 · AD+ | 385 m | 1,500 → 1,885 m | W · SW · S | 3.4 km |
| Puy de Sancy · couloirs du val de Courre | 3.3 · E1 | n/a | 1,550 → 1,780 m | n/a | 3.4 km |
| Puy des Crebasses · Traversée Chambon des neiges > Le Mont Dore station | n/a · PD | 1,050 m | 1,150 → 1,762 m | n/a | 3.5 km |
| Puy des Crebasses · couloir Chapial | n/a · E2 · D- | n/a | 1,170 → 1,762 m | S | 3.5 km |
| Puy de Sancy · Sancy En Traversee | n/a · AD | 1,200 m | 1,350 → 1,885 m | N | 3.8 km |
| Puy de Sancy · Par le Val de Courre, Fontaine Salée et Col de la Cabane | n/a · PD- | 830 m | 1,320 → 1,885 m | n/a | 3.8 km |
| Puy de Sancy · Couloir du Val d'Enfer | 3.2 · AD | 800 m | 1,200 → 1,885 m | NE | 3.8 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 Super-Besse
Toboggan runs
- Luge d'été de Super-Besse · Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise · 0 km away
- Luge d'été Lego® du Mont-Dore · Mont-Dore · 6.9 km away
Ice rink
- Patinoire · Mont-Dore · 7.5 km away
Swimming pool
- Centre ludo-sportif Les Hermines : Espace aquatique · Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise · 0.5 km away
Spa and thermal baths
- Centre ludo-sportif Les Hermines : Espace Bien-être · Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise · 0.4 km away
- Escapade Beauté · Mont-Dore · 7.4 km away
- Cures médicales - Thermes du Mont-Dore · Mont-Dore · 7.5 km away
- Spa de l'Etablissement Thermal du Mont-Dore · Mont-Dore · 7.5 km away
Dog sledding
- Chiens de traîneau des volcans · Picherande · 8.3 km away
Paragliding
- Site de Parapente de Super-Besse · Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise · 0.2 km away
- Sites de parapente du Mont-Dore · Mont-Dore · 7.4 km away
Museum
- Lemoineau Art · Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise · 6.4 km away
- Espace culturel Joseph Foret · Mont-Dore · 7.4 km away
- Musée Joseph Forêt · Mont-Dore · 7.4 km away
- MÉM / Musée des peintres de l'École de Murol · Murol · 9.9 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma : Ciné-Super · Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise · 0.2 km away
- Cinéma : Ciné-Besse · Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise · 6.4 km away
- Cinéma : L'Olympic · Mont-Dore · 7.7 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
2,382 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 13 hotels · 335 rooms (1 × 4★, 4 × 3★, 5 × 2★)
- 4 holiday villages and family centres · 1,470 bed spaces
- 2 tourist residences and apartment hotels · 912 bed spaces
- 1 campsite · 125 pitches
Commune: Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise · 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
Ski school
ESF Super Besse
92 instructors
🇬🇧 80 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Alpine coaster · Petite Rouge
- Alpine coaster · Luge sur rail
- Cinema · Le Super
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 Super-Besse?
Super-Besse sits at 1,330 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 1,832 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Super-Besse have?
Super-Besse has 54 km of pistes served by 32 lifts, within the linked Le Grand Sancy area (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Super-Besse?
The longest piste is Bois Joli: 3 km (green run), for 224 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 Super-Besse?
The highest lift, Perce Neige (chairlift), tops out at 2,005 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Super-Besse have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 22 installations at Super-Besse (1 gondola, 4 chairlifts, 12 drag lifts, 5 magic carpets), for an authorised capacity of 20,450 people per hour, of which 3,000 for Funitel de la perdrix alone. The fleet spans 1965 to 2017, an average age of 32 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 Super-Besse?
The adult day pass costs €43.50 and the 6-day pass €236 (2026-2027, read on the official price list).
How do I get to Super-Besse?
By road, Super-Besse is 59 min from Clermont-Ferrand (55 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Parent - Coudes - Champeix, 42 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 Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne, 1 hr 10 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Super-Besse?
5 hr 15 for 474 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 Super-Besse open?
According to the official website, the resort opens on 19 December 2026 (2026-2027 season).
Is Super-Besse good for beginners and families?
58% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather technical area. The resort holds the Famille Plus family label.
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