Portes du Soleil Transfers
The Portes du Soleil straddles the French-Swiss border across twelve resorts, and the French side of it is the closest major ski area to Geneva – around ninety minutes, against three hours for the Tarentaise.
Check the price and book
The short transfer
This is the practical argument for the Portes du Soleil over the bigger-name Tarentaise resorts. From Geneva it is roughly an hour and a half rather than three hours, on a road that climbs gently through the Chablais rather than finishing with a thousand-metre ascent. You land, you drive, you are on the mountain – often the same afternoon, which a three-hour transfer rarely allows.
It also means a morning flight home is not a 4 a.m. departure. For a family, that difference is worth more than a few kilometres of extra piste.
Avoriaz is car-free, which changes the drop-off
No vehicle enters Avoriaz itself. Transfers stop at the Prodains car park below the resort, and the cable car takes you up from there; inside the resort luggage moves by horse-drawn sleigh or snowcat. This is not a Montivo restriction, it is how the resort works, and it is worth knowing before you arrive with four ski bags expecting a chalet door. Tell us your accommodation anyway – some chalets meet guests at the top of the cable car.
Morzine and Chatel
Morzine is a working Savoyard town rather than a purpose-built station, which is why it stays busy in summer for mountain biking and the lake at Montriond. Vehicles reach the accommodation door. Chatel sits at the far end of the French side, closer to the Swiss border, quieter and more traditional; the drive is a little longer than Morzine and the last stretch is a proper mountain road.
Snow, and the honest caveat
The Portes du Soleil is lower than the Tarentaise. Avoriaz at 1,800 m holds snow well and is the reliable choice here; Morzine at 1,000 m depends more on the season. If you are booking for late season, that is worth a thought – and it is the reason the transfer is short, because the resorts are not perched at 2,300 metres.
Every resort in the Portes du Soleil, and what the transfer costs
Nearest first, including Geneva train station where we drive from it. Every price is for the whole vehicle and includes VAT.
Morzine
- Geneva Airport – about 1h29, from €200 per vehicle
- Geneva train station, from €200 per vehicle
Avoriaz
- Geneva Airport – about 1h45, from €200 per vehicle
- Geneva train station, from €200 per vehicle
- Lyon Saint-Exupery Airport, from €550 per vehicle
- Grenoble Airport, from €550 per vehicle
- Chambery Airport, from €530 per vehicle
Chatel
- Geneva Airport – about 1h43, from €200 per vehicle
- Geneva train station, from €200 per vehicle
- Lyon Saint-Exupery Airport, from €450 per vehicle
- Grenoble Airport, from €450 per vehicle
- Chambery Airport, from €430 per vehicle
Common questions
How long is the transfer from Geneva to the Portes du Soleil?
About ninety minutes to Morzine, and a little more to Avoriaz and Chatel. It is the closest major French ski area to Geneva.
Can you drive into Avoriaz?
No, and nor can anybody else – the resort is car-free. Transfers stop at the Prodains car park and the cable car takes you up. Luggage moves by sleigh or snowcat inside the resort.
Which resort suits a family best?
Morzine if you want a town with shops, restaurants and things to do off the snow. Avoriaz if you want ski-in ski-out and the most reliable snow in the area.
Is it worth flying to Geneva for this area?
Yes – Geneva is the natural airport for the Portes du Soleil and the drive is short. The other airports are considerably further.
Do you drive Les Gets?
It is not a standing route, but it is beside Morzine. Send a custom request with your dates and we will price it.
