The Chamonix valley stretches from Servoz to Le Tour, and its ski areas are not linked. Each one is a separate mountain with its own lifts, its own snow and its own character. The question is not only where to ski, but where to start, where to learn, and where to push yourself a little further. Choosing the right place can make the difference between a perfect day and a tiring one.
This guide is how we answer that question every week at Skibex: by level first, then by weather, then by the kind of day you want.
In this guide
Chamonix at a glance
Five ski areas (Le Brévent, La Flégère, Le Tour-Balme, Les Houches and Les Grands Montets), three nursery zones (Le Savoy, Les Planards and La Vormaine), about 155 km of pistes in total, and the Aiguille du Midi cable car for the Vallée Blanche. Everything is reachable by the valley bus or the Mont-Blanc Express train, both included with the guest card you get from your accommodation.
Le Savoy
1 035 – 1 090 m
Day one, kids
Nursery · 3 lifts · Beginner pass
Les Planards
1 062 – 1 290 m
First green runs
3 km · 2 lifts · Beginner pass
La Vormaine
1 453 – 1 530 m
Beginners, snowboarders
Nursery · 3 lifts · Beginner pass
Le Brévent
1 035 – 2 525 m
Progressing beginners, sunny days
28 km · 8 lifts · Le Pass
La Flégère
1 030 – 2 396 m
Confident beginners, intermediates
21 km · 7 lifts · Le Pass
Le Tour - Balme
1 453 – 2 270 m
Intermediates, cruising
30 km · 12 lifts · Le Pass
Les Houches
1 010 – 1 900 m
Families, bad-weather days
55 km · 15 lifts · Les Houches or MBU
Les Grands Montets
1 240 – 3 275 m
Advanced, off-piste
28 km · 10 lifts · Le Pass
Aiguille du Midi
3 842 m
Experts with a guide
No pistes · 1 cable car lifts · MBU
| Area | Altitude | Pistes | Best for | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Savoy | 1 035 – 1 090 m | Nursery | Day one, kids | Beginner pass |
| Les Planards | 1 062 – 1 290 m | 3 km | First green runs | Beginner pass |
| La Vormaine | 1 453 – 1 530 m | Nursery | Beginners, snowboarders | Beginner pass |
| Le Brévent | 1 035 – 2 525 m | 28 km | Progressing beginners, sunny days | Le Pass |
| La Flégère | 1 030 – 2 396 m | 21 km | Confident beginners, intermediates | Le Pass |
| Le Tour - Balme | 1 453 – 2 270 m | 30 km | Intermediates, cruising | Le Pass |
| Les Houches | 1 010 – 1 900 m | 55 km | Families, bad-weather days | Les Houches or MBU |
| Les Grands Montets | 1 240 – 3 275 m | 28 km | Advanced, off-piste | Le Pass |
| Aiguille du Midi | 3 842 m | No pistes | Experts with a guide | MBU |
Maps of every area: Chamonix piste maps
The short answer, by level
If you only read one section, read this one. Find the line that describes you, then jump to the area details below.
Never skied, or a few hours on snow
Le Savoy in the centre of Chamonix for day one, then Les Planards or La Vormaine. Flat terrain, a magic carpet, and a lesson so the first day does not become the last.
You can stop and turn on green runs
Planpraz at Le Brévent (the Altitude 2000 zone and the Verte 2000 run), the greens at La Flégère, the first blues above La Vormaine at Le Tour, or the Prarion side of Les Houches.
Comfortable on blue runs
Le Tour-Balme first: the widest, gentlest blues in the valley. Then Les Houches through the forest, and the blues of La Flégère with the cable-car link to Le Brévent for a full day.
Confident on red runs
The reds of Le Brévent and La Flégère, the Kandahar side of Les Houches, and Les Grands Montets on a good-snow day. This is the level where the whole valley opens up.
Advanced and expert
Les Grands Montets off-piste, the black runs of Le Brévent, the back side of Le Tour, and the Vallée Blanche from the Aiguille du Midi, always with a guide off the pistes.
Complete beginners: Le Savoy, Les Planards and La Vormaine
For those discovering skiing for the first time, the most accessible slopes lie in the heart of Chamonix. Three nursery zones share the same beginner pass, and each one has a slightly different job.
Le Savoy
Chamonix centre, at the foot of the Brévent gondola, 1 035 m.
- Magic carpet and two gentle drag lifts
- Wide, flat, quiet: the easiest place in the valley to find your balance
- Walking distance from town, no transfer for children
- Cold mornings in December, softer snow when the valley warms up
Les Planards
Next to the Montenvers station, 5 minutes from the centre, 1 062 – 1 290 m.
- Two short greens for first steps, then a chairlift to a blue and a short red
- 3 km of runs, 230 m of vertical: enough to learn to link turns
- Snowmaking keeps it open all season; best on colder days
- Restaurant terrace at the bottom, calm family atmosphere
La Vormaine
Le Tour village, 20 minutes by bus from Chamonix, 1 453 – 1 530 m.
- Three drag lifts and some of the largest nursery slopes in the valley
- Wide, sunny and protected, with green and blue runs
- Higher than the town slopes, so the snow is more reliable early and late in the season
- The best nursery area for snowboarders, and the Balme area is right above for the next step
The beginner pass (around €27 a day for an adult) covers all three nursery zones plus the beginner lifts of Brévent-Flégère. It is sold at the ticket offices only, not online. Everything you need for that first day is in our first time skiing in Chamonix guide.
Where lessons start: Meeting points in Chamonix
Progressing beginners: Le Brévent and La Flégère
The two south-facing areas above Chamonix are linked by the Liaison cable car and share one piste map. You ski looking straight at Mont Blanc, the sun stays on the slopes all day, and the snow at 2 000 m is far more consistent than in town.
Le Brévent
Gondola from the centre of Chamonix to Planpraz, 1 035 – 2 525 m, 28 km of pistes, 8 lifts.
- The Altitude 2000 learning zone at Planpraz is small, peaceful and used almost entirely by other learners, served by the Funi 2000 and a drag lift
- Verte 2000 is the highest green run in Chamonix: short, with its own lift, perfect for practice laps
- Blue and red cruisers in the mid-mountain, technical blacks from the 2 525 m summit
- Terraces at Planpraz for lunch in the sun
La Flégère
Gondola from Les Praz, 5 minutes by bus from Chamonix, 21 km of pistes, 7 lifts.
- Long green and blue runs for skiers who can already link snowplough or parallel turns
- Sustained reds higher up that reward strong intermediates
- A fun zone and a mini boardercross for children
- Complete beginners can learn here too, but only one or two at a time: the terrain asks for some fitness and a steady pace
Start the day at Planpraz while the snow is firm, cross to La Flégère on the Liaison cable car for lunch, and finish on its long blues in the afternoon sun. One Chamonix Le Pass, no bus in between.
Read more: Resort insight: Le Brévent
Intermediates: Le Tour and the Balme area
Le Tour - Balme - Vallorcine
Charamillon gondola from Le Tour, or from Vallorcine, 1 453 – 2 270 m, 30 km of pistes, 12 lifts.
- The broadest, most open landscape in the valley, with wide blue pistes and gentle gradients
- Linked to Vallorcine over the Col de Balme: ski down the other side and take the train back
- Views towards Switzerland and a light that can be remarkable
- Easy off-piste between the pistes for a first taste with an instructor
Further north, Le Tour offers the broadest and most open landscape in the valley. Its gentle blue slopes are ideal for intermediate skiers who want to explore without pressure, and for snowboarders, who find fewer flat sections here than elsewhere. It is also where we take beginners from La Vormaine for their first real runs: the transition from the nursery slope to the Balme blues is the smoothest in Chamonix.
Check the wind. Le Tour is exposed: on windy or cloudy days the visibility drops and the upper lifts sometimes close. Keep it for calm, clear days and go to Les Houches when the weather turns.
Families and mixed groups: Les Houches
Les Houches
Bellevue cable car or Prarion gondola, 10 minutes by bus or train from Chamonix, 1 010 – 1 900 m, 55 km of pistes, 15 lifts.
- Runs wind through the forest, sheltered from wind and weather: the best choice on a bad day
- Prarion is the place to start, with a beginner zone served by a magic carpet and a chairlift
- Bellevue suits very young children, but the terrain moves quickly from flat to a real blue
- The Kandahar, a World Cup downhill, drops 870 m through the trees for good skiers
Les Houches as a whole is a varied and enjoyable ski area, with runs suited to all levels and a peaceful atmosphere, which is why mixed groups end up here: the children stay on Prarion, the parents lap the long blues and reds, and everyone meets for lunch. Its altitude is lower than the other resorts, so conditions can be more variable at the very beginning or end of the season, but an extensive snowmaking network keeps the main slopes in good shape most winters.
Different pass. Les Houches is not included in the Chamonix Le Pass. Buy a Les Houches day pass, or take the Mont Blanc Unlimited if you want the whole valley.
Advanced skiers: Les Grands Montets
Les Grands Montets
From Argentière, 15 minutes by bus or train from Chamonix, 1 240 – 3 275 m, 28 km of pistes, 10 lifts.
- North-facing terrain that keeps the best snow in the valley, often weeks after a storm
- Long, steep reds and blacks, and the famous off-piste lines below the glaciers
- Very little easy terrain: come once you are at ease on red runs
- The coldest area in Chamonix, so dress for it (see our layering guide)
At the far end of the valley, Les Grands Montets rise high above the glaciers. This is where the terrain becomes steeper, longer, and more demanding. For confident intermediates, it is the perfect place to push your limits and experience the scale of the mountain. You do not need to be an expert to enjoy it, but being at ease on red runs makes the experience far more rewarding.
The rebuild. The summit cable car burned down in 2018 and is being replaced in two stages. The new 10-seat gondola from Argentière to Lognan, with a renewed beginner zone and the Plan Joran restaurant, is the way up for winter 2026/27. The second stage, a 3S cable car to the 3 275 m summit, is scheduled for December 2027. Until then the top of the mountain is ski-touring terrain only.
Experts: the Aiguille du Midi and the Vallée Blanche
The Aiguille du Midi cable car climbs from the centre of Chamonix to 3 842 m in about twenty minutes. There are no pistes up there. What there is instead is the Vallée Blanche: an unpatrolled glacier descent of roughly 20 km back towards Chamonix, between seracs and crevasses, with Mont Blanc over your shoulder.
You need
- A mountain guide: the route crosses a glacier and changes every week
- Solid parallel turns on red runs and confidence in variable snow
- A Mont Blanc Unlimited pass or a single cable-car ticket
You do not need
- Expert freeride technique: the classic route is a long, mostly gentle glacier run
- To ski to enjoy the summit: the terraces and the Step into the Void skywalk are open to pedestrians
Off-piste with an instructor or guide: Guided skiing in Chamonix
Pick by weather, not just by level
Because the areas face different directions and sit at different altitudes, the same day can be perfect on one mountain and miserable on another. This is how we choose in the morning.
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Blue sky and cold
Le Brévent and La Flégère. South-facing, sun from the first lift to the last, Mont Blanc straight ahead.
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Fresh snow overnight
Les Grands Montets for good skiers, the Balme blues at Le Tour for everyone else. Both hold the new snow best.
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Wind, snowfall or flat light
Les Houches, in the trees. Beginners are fine on the nursery slopes in town. Avoid Le Tour, which is exposed.
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Spring afternoons
Ski high in the morning (Les Grands Montets, the top of Le Brévent), lunch on a terrace, and stop early: the low slopes turn soft after 2 pm.
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Early December
Les Grands Montets and Le Tour open first and hold the snow. The town nursery slopes depend on snowmaking and cold nights.
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School holidays
Go early or go far: Le Tour and Les Houches absorb the crowds better than Le Brévent, and a 9 am lesson beats the queues.
Which pass do you need?
Three passes cover the valley and they are not interchangeable. Match the pass to the area you will actually ski, not to the most impressive name.
Beginner pass
Le Savoy, Les Planards, La Vormaine and the beginner lifts of Brévent-Flégère. Ticket offices only. Enough for the first two or three days.
around €27 / day
Chamonix Le Pass
Brévent-Flégère, Le Tour-Balme-Vallorcine and Les Grands Montets. The pass for most skiers from the green-run stage onwards. Online dynamic pricing drops well below the counter price on quiet dates.
€76.50 / day
Mont Blanc Unlimited
Everything above, plus Les Houches, the Aiguille du Midi, the Montenvers train, and Courmayeur, Megève and other partner resorts. Worth it for strong skiers who move around, or for the Vallée Blanche.
€104 / day
Winter 2026/27 day prices. Full grids, multi-day prices and where to buy: Chamonix lift passes explained
A week of progression, area by area
This is the route we follow with most beginners who spend a week in Chamonix. Every step moves you to a bigger mountain only once the previous one feels easy.
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Day 1: Le Savoy
Balance, sliding, stopping, first turns on the magic carpet. A 3-hour lesson gets most people onto the drag lift by the end of the morning.
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Day 2: Les Planards or La Vormaine
Longer green runs, linking turns, the first chairlift or drag lift without stress.
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Day 3: Planpraz at Le Brévent
The first gondola ride, better snow at 2 000 m, laps on the Verte 2000, and the view that makes it all worth it.
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Day 4: La Flégère or Le Tour
Long blues, real distance, rhythm. Le Tour if the weather is calm, La Flégère if you want the sun and a terrace.
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Day 5: Les Houches
A full day on one mountain with runs through the forest, whatever the weather does. The ideal day to ski with the family.
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Day 6: Your choice
Back to the area you liked most, or the Aiguille du Midi as a pedestrian for the view. Les Grands Montets can wait for next year.
Not sure which area matches your level?
A private lesson starts where you are and moves up the valley as you progress. €260 for 1 to 4 people, 3 hours, morning or afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chamonix good for beginners?
Yes, as long as you start in the right place. Le Savoy, Les Planards and La Vormaine are proper nursery areas, and Planpraz at Le Brévent is a quiet, high-altitude step up once you can stop and turn. Chamonix is not one linked resort, so plan a little transport between areas and book a lesson for the first days.
Which Chamonix ski area is best for a complete beginner?
Le Savoy, in the centre of Chamonix, for day one: a magic carpet, two gentle drag lifts and wide, flat terrain. Les Planards and La Vormaine are the next steps, with slightly longer green runs. At Les Houches, the Prarion beginner zone is the best option for families.
Are the Chamonix ski areas linked?
No. Le Brévent and La Flégère are linked by a cable car, and Le Tour is linked to Vallorcine over the Col de Balme, but the other areas are separate mountains. You move between them by the valley bus or the Mont-Blanc Express train, both included with the guest card from your accommodation.
Do I need the Mont Blanc Unlimited pass?
Only if you want Les Houches, the Aiguille du Midi, the Montenvers train or the resorts outside the valley such as Courmayeur and Megève. Most beginners start with the beginner pass, then move to the Chamonix Le Pass, which covers Brévent-Flégère, Le Tour-Balme-Vallorcine and Les Grands Montets.
Can an intermediate skier ski Les Grands Montets?
Yes, if you are comfortable on red runs. The pistes above Lognan are long, sometimes steep and often cold, and there is little easy terrain. Confident intermediates love it on a sunny day with good snow; less confident skiers have a better day at Le Tour or Les Houches.
Is the Vallée Blanche a piste?
No. The Vallée Blanche is an unpatrolled glacier descent from the Aiguille du Midi, around 20 km long, with crevasses. It is done with a mountain guide and requires solid parallel turns on red runs, not expert technique, but real confidence in variable snow.
Each ski area in Chamonix has its own rhythm and character. The choice depends less on skill than on feeling, on the kind of terrain you like, the pace you enjoy, and the view you want to have in front of you. From the gentle slopes in town to the high ridges above Argentière, there is always a place that matches your level and your mood.
Our role at Skibex is simply to help you find it and guide you to the right terrain at the right moment.
