Welcome to Morzine

Morzine is one of those villages that wins people over the moment they arrive - wooden chalets climbing the hillside, a river running straight through the centre of town, and mountains on every side. It's part of the Portes du Soleil, one of the largest connected ski areas in the world, but it's kept a genuinely French, lived-in feel that a lot of purpose-built resorts can't match. Locals still shop at the market, the bakeries are full every morning, and it's every bit as lovely in summer as it is under snow.

Getting here

Most visitors fly into Geneva, which is by far the closest major airport at around an hour and fifteen minutes' drive. If Geneva flights don't work for your dates, Chambéry (roughly 1h10) and Grenoble (around 1h45) are both good alternatives, and Lyon is a bit further out at around 2 hours.

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The ski area

Morzine sits right in the middle of the Portes du Soleil - around 600km of linked pistes spread across a dozen resorts on both the French and Swiss sides of the border, including Avoriaz, Les Gets, Châtel, and Champéry. Four lifts take you straight up from the village itself: the Pléney gondola and the Nyon cable car on one side of town take you up to Les Gets, Super Morzine and Prodain cable cars on the other lead you to Avoriaz.

It's a genuinely good resort for beginners and families - there are 89 green and blue runs across Morzine, Avoriaz, and Les Gets, along with plenty of English-speaking ski schools. If your group leans more towards freestyle, Avoriaz is home to the Burton Stash, a natural terrain park built into the trees, alongside several other parks and boardercross courses across the area.

Not just for winter

Morzine is almost as busy in the summer as it is in the winter. The same lifts that carry skiers in winter open up an enormous network of hiking and mountain biking trails, and the village has become one of the best-known mountain biking destinations in the Alps with everything from gentle family trails to serious downhill tracks.

For something more relaxed, Lac de Montriond is a short drive away and a beautiful spot for swimming or paddle-boarding on a warm afternoon, and the mountain luge above the village is a favourite with kids (and most adults, if we're honest). If you've only ever thought of Morzine as a winter destination, it's genuinely worth a second look for a summer trip.

Eating & drinking

You'll find the full range here, from cosy, unpretentious spots serving proper Savoyard classics (fondue, raclette, tartiflette) through to smarter restaurants worth booking ahead for. The bar scene is lively without tipping into rowdy; there's a good night out to be had, but it's just as easy to find a quiet spot for a glass of wine after a day on the mountain.

We've picked out a few personal favourites close to each of our properties in your welcome guide, since the best spot really does depend on which end of the village you're staying in.

Getting around

Morzine runs a free shuttle bus (the "navette") linking the village to the main lifts, which makes life easy if you're not staying right next to one. The centre itself is very walkable, and most people find they don't need a car once they've arrived.