A Beginner's Guide to Skiing in Morzine

If you're a beginner skier looking for the right resort, then you should definitely consider Morzine. With its fantastic blue and green easy slopes, charming town and top ski schools, it really should be up there on your list. 

In this beginner's guide, we answer:

• Is Morzine suitable for beginners?
• Is Morzine suitable for a first-time family ski holiday?
• Where are the learner areas in Morzine?
• What are the beginner slopes called in Morzine?
• How much do lift passes cost?
• Beginner access to bars and restaurants
• How much do ski lessons cost?
• Is there a beginner-friendly snow park?

Let’s dive into the details of your first trip to Morzine.

Is Morzine suitable for beginners?

Morzine is absolutely suitable for beginners - ideal for beginner ski groups, mixed-ability groups, or if it’s the children’s first time.

There are plenty of learner areas and beginner slopes for you to work your way through, with reasonably priced lessons to help you on your way. Adults won’t need to worry about being with children - if you opt for group lessons, you’ll be in a group with other English-speaking adults of a similar ability, while your kids will be in a group with kids their own age and ability.

Beginners can easily access slope-side restaurants and apres bars, and you can also cut the costs by getting beginner-friendly lift pass discounts.

Morzine has its fair share of apres bars, although young families don’t need to be alarmed as there are plenty of quiet spots, with cafes and restaurants dotted along the main high street.

Morzine is located in the Portes du Soleil ski area. It is closely connected to Les Gets, while the well-known ski resort of Avoriaz is located slightly higher up and just 15 minutes away by bus.

If you're keen on France but you're after somewhere quiet, then have a look at our beginner's guide to skiing in La Rosière. It's a pretty village, smaller ski area, but with similarly great skiing for beginners. 

Alternatively, check out our beginner's guide to skiing in Val Thorens if you want somewhere really lively. Europe's highest resort, it has an easily accessible nursery slope, plenty of leisurely runs, and an excellent après scene.

Is Morzine suitable for a first-time family ski holiday?

Absolutely. There are plenty of learner areas for the children to get to grips with skiing (more information to follow on this). Lessons are a must, and the cost for kids (and parents) to learn to ski isn't too bad in Morzine compared to some resorts, particularly if you opt for a group ski lesson.

Morzine was originally a mining town, so it still retains a lot of its original charm, unlike some purpose-built ski resorts. This means it’s small enough that you still get that welcoming feel, but large enough for there to be plenty of things going on, including winding down in the aquatic centre which has various pools for different ages.

You could also head to the new cinema - Le Rex - which shows English language films, try the escape room, or have a go at indoor golf. Meanwhile, the Morzine Penguins are the local ice hockey team, and if you’re lucky there might be a game for you to go and see.

Good choices for accommodation include the Village Club du Soleil, with its town centre location and different kids clubs for ages 4 months to 17 years old. Or what about one of Morzine's chalets? Take a look at Chalet Catherine. Its convenient location next to the Super Morzine gondola, Petit Train stop for lifts to the Pleney gondola, games room, and optional early teatimes for children, make it an excellent choice for families with young beginner skiers.

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Another great beginner resort ski is Meribel. It's a quaint town with lots going on, and gives you access to the expansive Three Valleys ski area - ideal for mixed ability groups.

Zell am See in Austria is also great for beginners and first-time families. It has a laid-back vibe and a bustling, car-free town centre, with access to the Saalbach Skicircus for any experienced skiers in the group!

Where are the learner areas in Morzine?

There are two official learning areas for beginners to get started on - Pleney and Nyon.

Pleney is situated at the top of the Pleney gondola (which goes from the middle of Morzine town) and has a magic carpet, surrounded by plenty of open space on both a gentle gradient. There are nice tree-lined blue runs branching out from it, which we’ll get into in the next section.

Nyon’s beginner area is at the top of the Nyon cable car, which you can get to by bus. This also has a magic carpet and is attractive because it’s typically less busy than Pleney. You can also easily reach the popular Birds of Prey restaurant on the same cable car.

What are the beginner slopes called in Morzine? 

There are five green and 23 blue runs in Morzine, all of which you’ll enjoy and will help you progress.

From the Pleney beginner area, you can tackle Pistes B, C and D, while there’s also a lovely green at the top of the Belvedere chairlift, which goes from Pleney.

Another highly recommended blue run is the Nabor, which weaves elegantly in and out of the trees all the way back to Morzine from Pleney.

Other popular blues include the Tetras and Zore slopes, which can be accessed at the top of the Super Morzine gondola - for the latter, you should wait until you’re fairly comfortable, Tetras can be tackled earlier in your holiday.

Meanwhile, there’s a wonderful green - called “La Retour des Nants” - which lets you trundle all the way from Nyon (another part of the Morzine ski area) back down to Morzine town, at the bottom of the Pleney cable car.

How much do lift passes cost in Morzine?

Lift passes in Morzine are fairly well-priced, as they include the neighbouring resort of Les Gets, which gives you access to 120 km of runs alone. If you would like to (or feel ready to) get up to Avoriaz for a day or two, you’ll need to upgrade to a Portes du Soleil lift pass for the days you wish to go up. There are also free lifts and discounted passes to be had.

How much is a local lift pass?

The local lift pass is a combination of the slopes around Morzine and neighbouring Les Gets, which cost adults (26-64) €46 a day. This would be slightly better value per day if you bought a week-long pass. Having said that, some of the beginner areas are free, so we’d advise you to check with your ski school first, as you might be able to get away without one for a day or two.

For quick learners or those who who’ve already skied before, you could look at the entire Portes du Soleil lift pass, which at €49* a day lets you ski in twelve French and Swiss resorts, including Chatel, Avoriaz, Champery - and of course Morzine and Les Gets.

Is there a free lift pass for Les Arcs?

There isn’t a standard free lift pass, although the magic carpets in the Pleney and Nyon beginner areas are free. Having said that, these are both at the top of a gondola and cable car respectively. You could, therefore, buy a single return ticket on the lift up and then practise in the beginner areas - but you won’t be able to use any of the other lifts in the mountains unless you actually buy a pass.

Meanwhile, children under the age of five can ski for free (proof of age required at the lift pass office) and in April under 12s can get a Portes du Soleil lift pass for free if a direct family member also gets one (five days minimum).

Is there a discounted lift pass for beginners?

There are options for discounted lift passes, yes.

For €25, you can get a one-day ‘Pleney beginner pass’ which includes one ride up and down on the Pleney gondola, and unlimited use of the Viking and Nabor magic carpets, as well as the Belvedere and Nabor chairlifts.

Meanwhile, there’s also the ‘Nyon beginner pass’, which is €23 and includes one ride up and down the Nyon cable car, as well as unlimited use of the Aiglon magic carpet, Ravarettes chairlift and two ‘poireau’ ski lifts.

Unfortunately, there are no cheaper tickets for children or concessions for the above. You’ll need to buy these in person at the lift pass offices in resort.

Can you access après bars and restaurants from the beginner slopes?

Definitely!

Two of the most notable bars for apres in Morzine are very accessible. Le Tremplin is found at the foot of the Pleney slopes, meaning you can ski down, take your skis off and walk straight onto the terrace. Meanwhile, most of the best stuff is in town, including the acclaimed Cavern Bar which has live music every day from 4pm, as well as pop and rock bands on Sundays and live sport on its HD screens.

Folie Douce, meanwhile, is found on the slopes in nearby Avoriaz. The household name - which has a presence in most French ski resorts - is located at the top of the Plateau chair lift, with a fairly easy (but very congested) run back down after. Alternatively, as it’s also at the top of the Les Prodains gondola, you can hop back down on that to reach the bus that takes you back down to Morzine.

If you have a local Morzine lift pass then don’t worry, you can also get the bus there and back from Morzine, but you’ll have to buy a single pedestrian access ticket for the Les Prodains gondola.

Meanwhile, notable slopeside restaurants include Le Chasse Montagne, which is at the top of the Les Folliets du Golf chairlift - an easy blue slope will take you back down into town. La Paika, meanwhile, is a top choice in Les Gets and is found at the top of the La Turche drag lift, or the Grains d’Or chairlift if coming from Morzine.

How much do ski lessons cost in Morzine?

Morzine has a vast range of ski schools, and below are just a small selection of them. The ESF (French ski school) is present across the majority of resorts and has a very good reputation. They’ll place you in appropriate groups and usually have enthusiastic, English-speaking instructors - and at a fairly reasonable price.

Other ski schools exist, too, including Supreme and PDS Snowsport, among others. Group lessons are usually about two and a half hours long, although ski school for children often lasts the whole morning for three hours.

Private lessons usually get booked ahead of time, so if you’re keen for these then make sure you sort them out early.

Is there a beginner-friendly snow park in Morzine?

There are various beginner-friendly snow parks in the entire Portes du Soleil area, although there’s only one very close to Morzine. This is the Les Gets Snowpark, which has kickers and rails for beginners. It also has an airbag to get some jumps in without the risk of doing the real thing.

A bit further afield in Avoriaz are the Snowpark de la Chappelle and the Burton Kids Parkway - the latter obviously being targeted towards children, although absolute beginners are more than welcome too!

Overall, is Morzine a good choice for beginners?

Morzine is certainly a good ski resort for beginners - for lots of reasons.

There are plenty of learner areas to help you get on your feet, followed by a healthy number of blue and green slopes dotted about the Morzine-Les Gets ski area, The wider Portes du Soleil area also has its fair share of green and blue runs for confident beginners ready to go further afield.

There are also beginner-friendly lift pass discounts which are a great way to save money. The benefit of these is that they are only daily passes, which means that if you progress well before the end of the week, you can buy a daily pass for the wider ski area or even the whole of the Portes du Soleil.

Apres and food lovers don’t need to panic either - any bar or restaurant worth visiting is within easy access for your ability. Most are located near gondola stations anyway, and if not they’ll typically be either in town or on easy blue slopes.

Ski lessons are strongly advised for beginners, and in Morzine there’s no shortage of ski schools, meaning you’ll get competitive pricing. Adults will be able to learn in groups alongside other adults too - don’t worry!

Try Morzine for yourself

If Morzine is ticking the right boxes for you then you should check out our latest ski holidays and deals for the resort. Or if you're still undecided, make sure to check out all the reasons why Morzine is a great ski resort.

Here at Iglu Ski we’ve been finding people the ideal ski holidays for more than 25 years - give us a call or book online!