Enjoy the familiarity, cosiness and character of smaller ski resorts? If you do, then follow in the snowy footsteps of travel writer, Olly Beckett, as a he carves a route through the Haute-Savoie region of France, shining a light on the area’s smaller ski resorts, often overlooked in favour of Morzine and Le Gets. He discovers plenty of unique advantages for skiers both on and off the pistes.
Dotted among the Haute-Savoie’s snowsport superstars such as Morzine and Les Gets are many smaller, but no less sensational resorts. Although the names featured in this story may be new to you, many in France are familiar with them and soon, thanks to the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, you may be too.
Although larger resorts have their advantages, in places such as Thollon-Les-Memises the service feels a bit more personal. Whether that’s a restaurant welcoming you back as a familiar face or the ski hire shop remembering your boot size, if you want to feel more than just another skier then these smaller resorts really can make you feel at home. If you’re looking for a vast choice of places in which to dine then stick with the likes of Tignes, but even in tiny Thollon several restaurants fling open their doors come peak season. Be sure to go for at least one meal at Les Balcons du Lac at the top of Thollon-Les-Memises’s cable car. Completed in 2020, the views from the restaurant’s windows stretch over Lake Geneva and far into Switzerland.
You don’t have to sacrifice quality in these resorts, either. In Les Confins, for example, La Chenillette serves up exceptional Savoyard cuisine in its chalet-style building. Through its immense windows you can admire the Aravis mountains, beneath which thread 63km of cross-country skiing trails. Not only is Les Confins an official cross-country skiing World Cup site, it’s also – with nearby La Clusaz – going to host cross-country events during the 2030 winter games.
There’s often much excitement to be had in medium-sized resorts, too. Le Grand Bornand recently hosted the Biathlon World Cup, an event that inspired the sort of atmosphere you’d expect from 20,000 hollering spectators, many of them ringing cattle bells. You can try biathlon for yourself in Le Grand Bornand, using the rifle ranges just outside of the village.
Megève, rightfully, has a reputation for snowsport excellence and for being one of the prettiest towns in the Haute-Savoie. Just down the road – but with considerably fewer visitors – is Combloux, famous for its elegant Baroque church tower and supreme views of Mont Blanc. Like many of the region’s small resorts it plugs in (via cable car or chairlift) to hundreds of kilometres of slopes, connecting to not only Megève but Saint-Gervais too.
In the wide Giffre Valley Morillon is part of the Grand Massif quintet of resorts that include Flaine, Les Carroz, Sixt and Samoëns. Want to try something very different? You’ll have to trust me on this one: cold water swimming. On the edge of this small and welcoming village is the appropriately named Lac Bleu which, thanks to being fed by an underground river, remains both clean and above freezing throughout the year.
Bastu74 is a wood-fired sauna and changing facility on the side of the lake and hosts people who want to take a dip in water that, when I went in, was a chilly 6.4C. I began by being entirely unconvinced about this activity but gained some confidence when my guide talked me through various breathing exercises and literally held my hand as we stepped into the water. After some initial discomfort I focused on that breathing and, about 60 seconds later, found the temperature far more tolerable. In fact, I was able to stay in the lake and swim for about three minutes, returning to the water in-between 15-minute sauna sessions. Feeling entirely refreshed after that experience I was ready once again to clip back into some skis.
Saint-Gervais’s reputation is much larger than the town’s actual size. That reputation just got even better thanks to a cable car which opened in September 2024. Now visitors arriving by train can step directly onto this new cableway which connects to the L’Alpin cable car, the renovation of which was completed in December 2024. It’s therefore a smooth and comfortable journey from Saint-Gervais town, past views across the valley to Mont Blanc, and up to the slopes.
There’s another big advantage to staying in mid-sized Saint-Gervais: the thermal baths (the full name of the town is Saint-Gervais-les-Bains). The facility at Les Thermes was founded in 1806 and now soothes weary mountain-goers in its hot tubs, saunas and warm mineral-rich waters. It’s easily reached, too, using the newly opened wastewater-powered lift that descends from Saint-Gervais to the baths in the valley below.
Easy access is another theme of the Haute-Savoie’s resorts. Roads are kept clear of snow (although snow tyres are highly recommended if you’re driving) and, during ski season, buses link even the smallest of resorts. Even better: many of the ski buses are free. Paris and Lille link the Haute-Savoie by rail to the UK, with many resorts served by the line running via Saint-Gervais – just five hours by train to Paris’s Gare de Lyon.
Each of the Haute-Savoie’s smaller resorts come with big personality, cute Alpine architecture and their own unique character. I recommend visiting a few, trying out the slopes and finding a place that ticks your boxes. While you may find that you prefer the big resort bustle, there’s also a good chance you’ll find the perfect Haute-Savoie village or town where you’ll feel part of the scenery instead of one of the crowd.
Olly Beckett is the founder of A Plan To Go (aplantogo.com), which provides travel plans for independent travellers. You can also follow Olly on Instagram @aplantogo
