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Whether you’re a beginner skier yourself or you’re taking your kids on their first ski trip, the French Alps is one of the best places in the world to learn to ski.
It’s been over a century since the French Ski Federation was created in 1924, and in that time, the country has developed a ski culture and infrastructure that accommodates all levels and abilities.
Beginners can expect talented instructors who have had to train for four years to gain their ski instructor qualifications, dedicated areas for learners, perfectly groomed pistes that make it easy to progress, and discounted lift passes.
But all resorts are not equal when it comes to beginner skiing. We’ve dug into the details and ranked what we think are the best resorts for learners in France, based on a range of criteria we know is important for skiing as a beginner, including the supply of free lifts, green and blue runs, the cost of lessons, and the cost of lift passes (once you're ready to progress).
From sprawling La Plagne to the Alpine town of Morzine and beyond, these 11 resorts will have you progressing from your pizza to parallel turns tout de suite.
Jump to: Top 11 beginner ski resorts in France
First, what makes a ski resort beginner friendly?
There are 7 key ingredients that make up a great beginner ski resort. These are:
Number of green slopes
Green slopes have the gentlest gradients, and are great for learning and practising your snow-plough turns on outside of ski lessons.
Number of blue slopes
Blues are a bit steeper and more challenging than greens, perfect for progressing onto once you’re confident with stopping and turning.
Average ski lesson cost
We’ve judged our top resorts on the average cost of an hour long adult’s private lesson. Child and group lessons will generally be cheaper.
Number of free lifts
Many ski resorts have free lifts for the nursery slopes, so you don't need to worry about lift passes for the first few days.
Day rate for a local lift pass
We’ve also checked the average cost of local day passes, which you’ll need when you’re ready to progress beyond the discounted beginner ski areas.
Free child lift passes
The majority of ski resorts offer free lift passes for children under 5, however some resorts offer free lift passes to up to the age of 6 and 8.
Transfer times
Short transfer times are ideal for first time families. Some ski resorts take as little as an hour to get to from the airport, while others can be over three hours away.
France's most beginner friendly ski resorts are:
- La Plagne
- Morzine
- Alpe d'Huez
- La Clusaz
- Megeve
- Flaine
- Avoriaz
- Les Arcs
- Chatel
- Serre Chavalier
- Les Menuires
All resorts offer free child lift passes for under 5s except Flaine (under 8s) and Serre Chevalier (under 6s). Pricing is a guide only and is indicative of the 23/24 season and is subject to change.
| Resort | Green Slopes | Blue Slopes | Adult private lesson (hour) | Number of free lifts | Local lift pass cost (day) | Free child lift pass | Transfer time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Plagne | 4 | 67 | From €58 | 14 | €65 | Under 5 | 2h |
| Morzine | 6 | 28 | From €54 | 0 | €46 | Under 5 | 1h 30 |
| Alpe d'Huez | 31 | 31 | From €64 | 4 | €41.50 | Under 5 | 2h |
| La Clusaz | 13 | 34 | From €48 | 1 | €49.90 | Under 5 | 1h 20 |
| Megeve | 27 | 34 | From €63 | 3 | €59.50 | Under 5 | 1h 15 |
| Flaine | 8 | 26 | From €55 | 4 | €53 | Under 8 | 1h 50 |
| Avoriaz | 7 | 28 | From €58 | 0 | €50 | Under 5 | 1h 40 |
| Les Arcs | 5 | 45 | From €60 | 11 | €65 | Under 5 | 2h 40 |
| Chatel | 9 | 16 | From €64 | 0 | €48 | Under 5 | 1h 30 |
| Serre Chevalier | 21 | 26 | From €55 | 2 | €60 | Under 6 | 2h |
| Les Menuires | 8 | 37 | From €69 | 5 | €65 | Under 5 | 2h 30 |
Find out more about these top resorts in the next section.
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1. La Plagne
Green slopes - 4
Blue slopes - 67
Cost of adult ski lesson - From €58 per hour
Free lifts - 14
Lift pass cost - €65 per day
Transfer time - 2 hours
La Plagne takes the top spot in our ranking of top beginner resorts in France. Its €65 daily lift pass cost might be at the upper end of the price scale (due to the expansive local area), but the resort also has by far the highest number of free lifts in our ranking (14). This means that, as a beginner skier, you’ll have a fantastic array of runs to practise on, no matter which of La Plagne’s villages you stay in.
And when you are ready to progress, there are an unparalleled 67 blue slopes to start sharpening your turns on. Even for beginners, variety is great as it allows you to practise on wide motorway blues, in addition to the narrower tree-lined runs.
In particular, we’d recommend Arpette, just above Bellecôte, a friendly blue that’s linked to a bunch of other equally friendly blues like Dunes and Laines. The 5.2km Levasset, which starts from the top of Roche de Mio, is also a nice, wide open blue with lovely scenery - we suggest heading there in the morning to enjoy the best of the fresh conditions.
Alongside its full local mountain and Paradiski pass (which gives you access to Les Arcs via the Vanoise Express), La Plagne also offers the ‘Cool Ski pass’, which gives you access to protected beginner zones with gentle slopes, learning modules and recommended routes for €35.
Read more
La Plagne sound good to you? Check out our full guide to beginner skiing in La Plagne for more information, including insights on which village to stay in, more lesson information, beginner ski areas and more.
2. Morzine/Les Gets
Green slopes - 6
Blue slopes - 28
Cost of adult ski lesson - From €54 per hour
Free lifts - 0
Lift pass cost - €46 per day
Transfer time - 1h 30 hours
Unlike La Plagne, our second best beginner resort, the joint ski areas of Morzine and Les Gets, don’t have any free lifts. What they do have, however, is a nice range of beginner friendly runs (6 green and 28 blues), as well as the second cheapest average hourly ski lesson rate and the second cheapest daily lift pass, meaning excellent value for fledgling skiers.
The nursery area (at the top of the Pléney cable car) is easy to get to and is kitted out with magic carpets - the most beginner-friendly way to get to the top of the slopes. When you’re ready to progress, we’d recommend taking the Belvedere lift to discover a nice green that runs right into a trio of easy blues that all end at the bottom of Pléney. Piste B is the longest and most gentle.
In nearby Les Gets (which is included in the local lift pass), close to the Chavannes cable car, there’s also a free ski area with a few greens and magic carpets that’s great for kids and absolute beginners.
Morzine and Les Gets are part of the massive Portes du Soleil ski area, which also includes Avoriaz, Chatel and a few other smaller, local mountains. For mixed ability groups, Morzine and Les Gets offer more than enough ground for the beginners, while the experienced can get the full area lift pass, head to Avoriaz via the Super Morzine lift and even ski to Switzerland (via the notorious Swiss Wall).
3. Alpe d'Huez
Green slopes - 31
Blue slopes - 31
Cost of adult ski lesson - From €64 per hour
Free lifts - 4
Lift pass cost - €41.50 per day
Transfer time - 2 hours
Securing the well-deserved bronze medal in our ranking is Alpe d’Huez, which has an unrivalled 31 green slopes and the cheapest (€41.50) daily lift pass of all 11 resorts. For skiers that are ready to progress, there are also 31 blues.
Most of these beginner runs can be found in the Les Bergers and DMC areas, which both have 12 green slopes and can be reached easily from the resort centre. Les Bergers is designated as a low speed zone, so you don’t need to worry about speed demons whizzing past you when you’re trying to practise your turns.
Starting at around €64 per hour, lessons are a little pricier than most, but Alpe d’Huez does have 4 free lifts to take advantage of.
4. La Clusaz
Green slopes - 13
Blue slopes - 34
Cost of adult ski lesson - From €48 per hour
Free lifts - 1
Lift pass cost - €49.90 per day
Transfer time - 1h 20
La Clusaz has clinched the fourth spot in our ranking thanks to its combination of affordability and beginner-friendly slopes, which make it perfect for both adult learners and first time families.
Adult lessons start from just €48 per hour, the cheapest of any of the 11 resorts, and a daily lift pass costs a very reasonable €49.90. The resort is spread over five peaks, and beginner skiers should head for the gentle green and blue runs of Beauregard or the pleasant tree-lined blues of La Croix Fry-Manigod-Merdassier.
La Clusaz also has one of the shortest transfer times - just 1 hour 20 minutes from Geneva airport.
5. Megeve
Green slopes - 27
Blue slopes - 34
Cost of adult ski lesson - From €63 per hour
Free lifts - 3
Lift pass cost - €59.50 per day
Transfer time - 1h 15
The beautiful old town of Megeve is second only to Alpe d’Huez in its supply of green slopes (27) and also comes with a very healthy number of blue runs. Popular with French locals, Megeve is a bit of an unknown gem among British skiers, which means it may come across more typically French than other resorts on the list.
It also has many dedicated beginner areas that are easily accessible from the main lift bases. These areas offer games, modules, adapted ski lifts, tailored pricing, and wide, gentle slopes that are suitable for both adults and kids. The bottom of Mont-d’Arbois is especially good for learners, and there’s plenty of friendly slopes to progress on to up that same peak as well as on Mont Joux.
At just 1 hour 15 minutes, Megeve has the shortest transfer time from the airport, which is ideal for families looking to minimise stress when in transit.
6. Flaine
Green slopes - 8
Blue slopes - 26
Cost of adult ski lesson - From €55 per hour
Free lifts - 4
Lift pass cost - €53 per day
Transfer time - 1h 50
Flaine is a charming, purpose-built 1960s resort with a great snow record and over 265km of slopes to explore.
How is it for beginners? Well, it has a very acceptable 8 greens and 26 blues across its ski area. The resort is split over two areas, the lower Flaine Forum and the higher Flaine Floret, both of which have excellent nursery areas and free beginner lifts. We’d highly recommend the Marvel, which lives up to its name as a wonderful long but wide green through the forest that everyone will enjoy.
Flaine’s other distinction is allowing children to ski for free all the way up to the age of 8, making it great for first time families.
7. Avoriaz
Green slopes - 8
Blue slopes - 26
Cost of adult ski lesson - From €55 per hour
Free lifts - 4
Lift pass cost - €53 per day
Transfer time - 1h 50
Perched on the cliffs above Morzine, Avoriaz is an architecturally striking resort that was purpose built to cater to skiers of all abilities.
Absolute beginners and kids skiing for the first time will enjoy the Ecoles and Dromonts pistes in the resort centre, which will allow you to pick up the basics in a safe environment. Once you’re ready to advance, there are several green slopes that can be reached via the Proclou, Seraussaix and Baron chairlifts. Avoriaz also has 28 blues for more confident learners. We’d recommend the relaxed Proclou, Seraussaix, Qu’mont and Gernues runs before moving onto harder blues like Stade d’Arare, Bleue du Lac.
The other great thing about Avoriaz is that you can buy a cheaper local pass as a beginner rather than the more expensive Portes du Soleil pass.
8. Les Arcs
Green slopes - 5
Blue slopes - 45
Cost of adult ski lesson - From €60 per hour
Free lifts - 11
Lift pass cost - €65 per day
Transfer time - 2h 40
Thanks to the vast local ski area, the daily Les Arcs lift pass cost is joint with La Plagne as the most expensive (€65), however it also shares with our top beginner resort a high number of free lifts (11 in total), making it very affordable for first time skiers to learn the ropes, or rather, slopes.
Les Arcs is a great all-rounder of a resort, with 5 greens and 45 blues. It’s spread over six different villages, and we’d recommend staying in Arc 1800 as a beginner - it’s where you’ll find the nursery slopes, ski schools, and Mille 8 Complex, which has 2 nice greens. When you’re ready for something more challenging, head to Arc 2000, where there are a number of pleasant blues, including Plan Vert, at the top of the Transarc gondola, and Cascades down from the Bois de Lours chairlift.
Read more:
Discover all the reasons why Les Arcs is a great resort for beginners in our beginner's guide to skiing in Les Arcs.
9. Chatel
Green slopes - 9
Blue slopes - 16
Cost of adult ski lesson - From €64 per hour
Free lifts - 0
Lift pass cost - €48 per day
Transfer time - 1h 30
Like Morzine and Avoriaz, Chatel belongs to the Portes du Soleil ski area and also has a decent supply of beginner friendly slopes.
While it started life as a small farming village, Chatel is now a great destination for families and first timers, with 9 greens and 16 blues to choose from. The resort is divided into two parts, Super Chatel and Linga, and beginners should head to the former for the learner area and the most suitable progression slopes.
Lessons are relatively expensive (from around €64 per hour), but the local lift pass is an affordable €48 per day.
10. Serre Chevalier
Green slopes - 21
Blue slopes - 26
Cost of adult ski lesson - From €55 per hour
Free lifts - 2
Lift pass cost - €60 per day
Transfer time - 2 hours
Serre Chevalier is a south facing ski valley that offers heaps for beginners across its 13 varying villages, including 21 greens (the third highest number in the ranking) and a respectable 26 blues.
Learners should head to Briançon, Chantemerle, and Villeneuve, Monêtier, which all have dedicated beginner zones with free lifts and easy slopes. This is where you’ll also find the confidence-building greens and blues.
Serre Chevalier also has a range of affordable lift pass options for beginners.
11. Les Menuires
Green slopes - 8
Blue slopes - 37
Cost of adult ski lesson - From €69 per hour
Free lifts - 5
Lift pass cost - €60 per day
Transfer time - 2h 30
Les Menuires belongs to the world-famous Three Valleys ski area - alongside Val Thorens, Meribel, and Courchevel - but is far more beginner-friendly than any of those arguably more renowned resorts.
That’s thanks to its 8 green and 37 blue slopes, 5 free lifts, and sophisticated lift system, which makes it easy to get around. Additionally, the resort is popular with families, which, even if you don’t have kids yourself, gives it a friendly, relaxed vibe that’s welcoming for learners and first-timers.
Best of all, if you are developing quickly (or you have members of your group that are more advanced than you), you have one of the world’s largest ski areas on your doorstep to explore.
Book your beginner ski trip to France with Iglu Ski
There are few places better than the French Alps for families and beginner skiers and we can help you find the perfect France ski holiday for your needs. Why not browse all of our beginner-friendly ski holidays or check out our all of our fantastic ski holidays and ski deals? We have deals on ski chalets, apartments and hotels all live now across the above 11 resorts.