Portes du Soleil & Morzine
Highest Skiable Mountain
2,350 Meters
Vertical Drop
1,350 Meters
Base Elevation
1000 Meters
Gondola, Trams, Chairs, & Surface Lifts
55 in Morzine; 230 total
Closest Airport
Geneva
Airport to Resort
2 Hours
Les Portes du Soleil
Les Portes du Soleil is a large region of 13 interconnected resorts between Lake Geneva in Switzerland and Mont Blanc in France. The region covers 14 valleys and about 400 square miles, offering 650 km of marked runs and about 230 lifts in total. You can buy one ski pass to use all the lifts in the Portes du Soleil region, but plan to carry a passport if you will be crossing the French/Swiss border.
Morzine
Morzine is the largest of the 13 interconnected ski resorts within Les Portes du Soleil and was built long before downhill skiing was thought of. It’s set in a lovely wooded valley on the banks of the River Dranse, and the town was built in traditional style.
The resort is located at a key position in the Portes De Soleil, but the one downfall with Morzine, as well as the whole Porte du Soleil region, is it’s altitude. You may have trouble finding good snow (even on above average snow years) and the region is far from interconnected on sparse years. It may be wiser to stay and ski in Avoriaz, which is about 800 meters higher than Morzine, but it lacks the old charm that its neighbor possesses, not to mention all the shops, bars, and restaurants.