Valfréjus
Valfréjus is a ski resort in the Maurienne Valley, located in the commune of Modane, in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
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?3.5 / 5
Top of the ski area: 2,222 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,550 m · Days above 30 cm per winter, measured: 93 days · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 100%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?3 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 45 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 45 km · Lifts: 10 · Balance between piste levels: 84%
- 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
Share of green and blue pistes: 66% · Magic carpets: 2 · Sledging runs: 2 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 1
- AccessIs it easy to get to?3.5 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 4 hr 42 · Nearest railway station: 16 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 1 · Nearest airport: 1 hr 33
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?3 / 5
Bars and pubs: 5 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 17 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 933 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?2 / 5
5-star hotels: 0 · 4-star hotels: 0 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 0% · Spas and saunas: 1 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 1 — 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 and close on 10 April 2027. Open pistes and lifts will appear here as soon as the resort publishes its daily report.
Right now at the LA NORMA_SAPC station (1,985 m)
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,545 m · top 2,222 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 April: a long, reliable season.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 6.4 h · Dec 5.8 h · Jan 6.2 h · Feb 7.5 h · Mar 8.7 h · Apr 10 h — 25 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December75 cmGood skiing · 100%
- January89 cmGood skiing · 98%
- February120 cmGood skiing · 100%
- March153 cmGood skiing · 100%
- April151 cmGood skiing · 100%
- 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
24 complete winters measured, from 1972-1973 to 2022-2023 — on average 93 days a winter with at least 30 cm on the ground.
- 1-15 Dec30 cmInsufficient · 40 %
- 16-31 Dec35 cmInsufficient · 48 %
- 1-15 Jan42 cmVariable · 65 %
- 16-31 Jan50 cmVariable · 77 %
- 1-15 Feb60 cmGood skiing · 88 %
- 16-29 Feb67 cmGood skiing · 91 %
- 1-15 Mar66 cmGood skiing · 88 %
- 16-31 Mar53 cmVariable · 78 %
- 1-15 Apr33 cmInsufficient · 48 %
- Best winter of the series
- 2012-2013 — 133 days at 30 cm or more
- Worst winter of the series
- 2000-2001 — 10 days at 30 cm or more
How much snow actually falls — 355 cm a winter on average, spread over 50 days of snowfall. Measured over 24 complete winters, from 1996-1997 to 2022-2023.
- Biggest 24-hour snowfall
- 55 cm — 2006-2007
- Snowiest winter
- 2012-2013 — 540 cm
- Leanest winter
- 1996-1997 — 173 cm
The ski area
Compare with another resort →67 pistes, by level — 45 km
- Skiable vertical
- 672 m (1,550 m → 2,222 m)
- Lifts
- 1 gondola, 4 chairlifts, 3 drag lifts, 2 magic carpets
- Snowpark
- 1 mapped zone, 1.5 km from the resort — Boarder Cross (intermediate)
OpenStreetMap, surveyed on 18 September 2026. OpenStreetMap does not map individual features (kickers, rails): what is counted here are the named zones. - Without skis
- 2 sledging runs
- Piste aspect
- N 40% · E 7% · S 7% · W 47% (descent direction of 55 OSM pistes, terrain model)
- Mountain restaurants
- Gourmandize (2515 m) · La Bergerie (2220 m)
- Season 2026-2027
- opens on 19 December 2026, closes on 10 April 2027
- Tourist office
- Office de Tourisme de Modane-Valfréjus · Les Mélézets, 73500 · 0479053383 · [email protected] (declared by the resort, ANMSM)
Resort data: declared by Office de Tourisme de Modane-Valfréjus 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.
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 Valfréjus only (“VAL FREJUS”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Valfréjus
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 (6) →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 Valfréjus
From Paris: 7 hr 09 (678 km) by road.
By road
- From Chambéry: 1 hr 21 · 109 km
- From Grenoble: 1 hr 38 · 138 km
- From Annecy: 1 hr 50 · 156 km
- From Genève: 2 hr 20 · 194 km
- From Lyon: 2 hr 32 · 207 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Valence: 2 hr 41 · 231 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 3 hr 05 · 256 km
- From Dijon: 4 hr 24 · 408 km
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 4 hr 24 · 376 km
- From Besançon: 4 hr 40 · 366 km
- From Marseille: 4 hr 43 · 324 km
- From Nice: 4 hr 44 · 384 km
- From Montpellier: 4 hr 48 · 435 km
- From Perpignan: 6 hr 10 · 583 km
- From Nancy: 6 hr 31 · 619 km
- From Strasbourg: 6 hr 35 · 583 km
- From Toulouse: 7 hr 06 · 669 km
- From Paris: 7 hr 09 · 678 km
- From Bordeaux: 8 hr 23 · 762 km
- From Pau: 9 hr 00 · 859 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Modane station
regional station · then 16 min drive (10 km)
Nearest main station: Chambéry - Challes-les-Eaux, 1 hr 20 by road.
- From Modane station (stop “Gare Routiere”): line S50 — MODANE ↔ VALFRÉJUS (REGION - cars Région Savoie), 35 min to the “Valfréjus - Maison du Thabor” stop — 1 departure a day on weekdays · first 11:00, last 17:00 · 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 33 by road · 116 km
- Turin-Caselle (TRN): 1 hr 46 by road · 123 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Valfréjus 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
2 charging points · up to 24 kW
- MODANE - Rue des Bettets (val Frejus) · EASYCHARGE · 2 points · 24 kW · 0 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: Corniche · Punta Bagna
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 Valfréjus — up to 1,600 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Col de Fontaine Froide · Traversée W -E du col de Fontaine Froide par le col de la vallée étroite | 2.3 · E1 · PD- | 1,020 m | 1,600 → 2,541 m | N · NW · W · SW · S · NE | 0.6 km |
| Col de Névache · Traversée Valfréjus - Valloire | 2.3 · E1 | n/a | 3,080 m | SE | 0.6 km |
| Pointe des Sarrasins · Traversée NW >> SW | 3.1 · E1 · AD- | 1,600 m | 1,548 → 2,963 m | SW · S · E · NE · N | 2.1 km |
| Le Truc · Versant E - depuis Valfréjus | n/a · F | 1,000 m | 1,500 → 2,500 m | E | 2.3 km |
| La Belle Plinier · Versant W | 2.3 · E1 · AD- | 1,546 m | 1,550 → 3,086 m | W · SW | 2.4 km |
| Col des Sarrasins (Valfréjus) · Versant E | 2.2 · E1 · PD | 1,245 m | 1,599 → 2,844 m | SE | 2.8 km |
| Cime du Grand Vallon · Versant NW | 2.3 · E1 · AD- | 1,580 m | 1,550 → 3,129 m | N · NW · W | 2.9 km |
| Passage du Mounioz · Combe S, depuis Le Charmaix | 2.3 · E2 · PD+ | 1,055 m | 1,599 → 2,655 m | S | 3 km |
| Grand Argentier · Versant E | 2.1 · E1 · AD | 600 m | 2,442 → 3,042 m | E | 3 km |
| Punta Nera · Versant N par le Lavoir | 3.2 · E1 · AD- | 1,150 m | 1,900 → 3,046 m | N | 3.2 km |
| Punta Nera · Versant SW | 2.3 · E1 · PD | 989 m | 2,055 → 3,046 m | S | 3.2 km |
| Punta Nera · Versant N par le TS Punta Bagna | 3.3 · E2 · AD | 516 m | 2,530 → 3,046 m | N | 3.2 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 Valfréjus
Toboggan runs
- Bob Park · Modane · 0.2 km away
Swimming pool
- Piscine intercommunale de Modane · Modane · 3.1 km away
Spa and thermal baths
- Ô'Soi - Espace Spa · Aussois · 9.3 km away
Paragliding
- Parapent'Oé - Vol biplace en parapente · Aussois · 8.9 km away
- Sites d'envol et d'atterissage de parapente à Aussois · Aussois · 9.7 km away
Museum
- Muséobar - Musée de la Frontière · Modane · 2.2 km away
- L'Arche d'Oé - Musée agro-pastoral · Aussois · 9.2 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma L'Embellie · Fourneaux · 2 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
933 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 6 hotels · 235 rooms (1 × 3★, 3 × 2★)
- 3 tourist residences and apartment hotels · 883 bed spaces
- 1 youth hostel or sports centre · 50 bed spaces
- 1 campsite · 57 pitches
Commune: Modane · 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 Valfrejus
38 instructors
🇬🇧 26 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Spa / wellness · Dardjeeling Club
- Cinema · L'Embellie
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 Valfréjus?
Valfréjus sits at 1,545 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 2,222 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Valfréjus have?
Valfréjus has 45 km of pistes served by 10 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Valfréjus?
The longest piste is Combe: 3 km (blue run), for 382 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 Valfréjus?
The highest lift, Punta Bagna (detachable chairlift), tops out at 2,731 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Valfréjus have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 12 installations at Valfréjus (1 gondola, 4 chairlifts, 5 drag lifts, 2 magic carpets), for an authorised capacity of 14,863 people per hour, of which 2,200 for Punta Bagna alone. The fleet spans 1985 to 2019, an average age of 20 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 Valfréjus?
By road, Valfréjus is 1 hr 21 from Chambéry (109 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Modane, 16 min by road from the resort. From Modane station, line S50 — MODANE ↔ VALFRÉJUS (REGION - cars Région Savoie) reaches the “Valfréjus - Maison du Thabor” stop in 35 min, 1 departure a day on weekdays. The nearest airport is Chambéry-Savoie, 1 hr 33 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Valfréjus?
7 hr 09 for 678 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 Valfréjus open?
According to the official website, the resort opens on 19 December 2026 and closes on 10 April 2027 (2026-2027 season).
Is the snow reliable in Valfréjus?
Yes: good snow through most of the winter according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is Valfréjus good for beginners and families?
66% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather easy area.
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