Flaine sKi resort guide Ski area, apres-ski, things to see & do in Flaine
Resort Review
Skiing in Flaine - at 1600m, this family friendly ski resort, sitting in a huge sunny bowl, guarantees snow and is the highest ski resort in the Grand Massif giving access to a massive 265km of connected pistes. From Flaine, you can ski round the other ski resorts of Les Carroz, Samoëns, Morillon and Sixt-Fer-a-Cheval.
The resort is on two levels; Flaine Forum at the trafic free centre and Flaine Foret which is linked to the centre by 2 free funiculars that run 24 hours a day during the ski season.
Après-ski
There is a good choice of bars and restaurants in Flaine offering international and local cuisine from Haute-Savoie.
Children
Flaine has first class facilities for the kids. There is the Garderie les Petit's Loups that looks after children from 6 months to 3 years and from 3 to 11 years there are several kid's clubs that offer a combination of ski school and fun activities.
Flaine Ski Area Guide
Sitting at the top of the Grand Massif carousel, the ski area is suitable for all levels of skier and boarde.r The varied terrain ranges from the sun drenched bowl of Flaine across to the rabbit runs in the forests around Samoëns, Morillon and Les Carroz.
The local ski area has a total of 64 pistes (140km) of which 52 are a mixture of blue and red. Across the Grand Massif, there are 144 marked pistes serviced by 69 lifts.
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1600m |
| Top lift | 2500m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 265 |
| Longest run | 14 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 76 km |
| Season | Dec - April |
| Snowboard parks | 1 |
| Heli Skiing | ✘ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✘ |
| Babysitting | ✘ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Vibrant |
Beginners
Skiing and boarding in Flaine is more geared towards the beginner and intermediate level. There are plenty of wide gentle nursery slopes for beginners at the centre of the town with a couple of free lifts - le Pre chairlift, Flaine forum bucket and le Bissac moving walkway.
Intermediate
Intermediates skiing in Flaine are very well catered for with an extensive lift system and endless possibilities of touring round the linked resorts such as Les Carroz which has some fantastic tree skiing. Well worth trying are the Serpentine, Faust or Mephisto which are all red runs and perfect for improving your parallels! For a fantastic scenic run, try the 14km cascade from the top of Flaine in to Sixt.
Advanced
Flaine and the Grand Massif is not recognised as a mecca for experts on the piste although there are 14 challenging black runs. The most difficult are the Combe de Gers which has a staggering 800m vertical drop and all off piste, the Diamond Noir, Styx and the forest runs leading into Samoens.
The Grand Massif may not have the ruggedness of some off-piste trails such as that found in Chamonix and Verbier, but it does offer plenty to keep the experienced skier challenged throughout their holiday break.
Cross-country
Cross country skiing is a gentler way of discovering the local mountains. There are 13km of marked trails in the Flaine area taking you over the Col de Pierre Carree.
Snowboard
Located in the Aujon sector, Flaine’s Jampark is reserved for advanced freestylers (tables, quarterpipe, boardercross, rails). There is also the Fun Zone - this has been designed especially for younger skiers and has an Acticross area with a tunnel and elevated turns.
Things to see & do in Flaine
If you want a break from skiing or the weather isn't that great, Flaine has lots of other activities to try...
- Ice climbing
- Ice skating
- snowmobiling
- Sledging
- Trekking & snowshoeing
- Parapenting
- Hot air ballooning
Our View On Flaine
Flaine is a superb ski resort for familiy ski holidays, beginner and intermediate skiers with ski-in / ski-out apartments meaning a hassle free holiday. A few suggestions...
- Ski the 14km Cascade run from the top summit of Flaine into Sixt - superb scenery and tree lined towards the bottom
- In summer, check out the Flaine-Les Carroz golf course at 1900m. It is a 3693m long course (par 63) and is one of the highest in Europe with breathtaking panorama of the surrounding massifs. No handicap is required
- Car parking is permitted in the resort for a limited time only - basically drop-off and collection only. If you do leave your car in the centre be prepared for a hefty bill!
- A day trip to Chamonix to experience the 24km Valley Blanche from the top of the Aiguille du Midi at 3842m
