Morzine Lift Pass Options - Winter

This all depends on how much, how often and how far you want to ski. There is plenty in Morzine to keep you occupied but if you wish to explore the wider area - and it is a wide area! - then the Portes du Soleil pass may be more your style. 

Local Area Pass - Morzine/Les Gets 
It is possible to buy a lift pass that covers just the Morzine/Les Gets ski area OR just the Avoriaz lifts and pistes.  These passes will suit you if you are a complete or advancing beginner or if you prefer to ski at a more leisurely pace and don’t necessarily want to pound the pistes all day, every day.  However, each local pass still covers a significant area:
Morzine/Les Gets: 49 lifts and 64 pistes (approx. 120km)
Avoriaz : 45 lifts and 49 pistes (approx. 75km)

Much of the Morzine/Les Gets area is tree lined making it a beautifully picturesque area to explore on skis.  The highest point is Chamossiere at 2002m and you can ski all the way back down to Morzine at 1000m.  Avoriaz, being that bit higher (1800m), is generally above the tree line which can make visibility tricky at times in bad weather.  Having said that though, the snow quality is generally better for longer here and you can ski from 2466m all the way down to Les Prodains on the valley floor (1160m).  The Avoriaz pass can only be purchased for a maximum of 2 days, after that you will have to renew it.

If you are holidaying with children, inexperienced skiers, or just fancy taking it easy then the Morzine/Les Gets pass will probably offer more than enough; there is a nice variety of intermediate pistes on which to cruise from one lunch spot to the next, as well as a few more challenging runs for those who need to work off their tartiflette afterwards! 

Full Area Pass - Portes du Soleil
Anyone of intermediate skiing ability and above would generally go for the full Portes du Soleil area pass, which incorporates 12 linked resorts and 650km of marked pistes.  With this pass you can ski in both France and Switzerland and enjoy the full extent of one of the world’s largest ski areas.  

There are 5 resorts on the Swiss side: Champery, Les Crozets, Champoussin, Morgins and Torgon, and 7 in France: Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz, Montriond, Abondance, St Jean d’Aulps and Chatel.  The Portes du Soleil is an intermediate’s paradise with 100 red and 106 blue runs, as well as a good number of challenging blacks such as the infamous “Swiss Wall” and over 30 cruisy green pistes.  Park rats and freestylers will be in their element here as the full area has no less than 10 snow parks, including The Stash in Avoriaz, a 100% natural snow playground in the Lindarets forest. 

Lift passes are FREE for children under 5 and adults over 75, you just need to pay a nominal fee of €3 for your hands-free card, which will then give you free access to the slopes! (You may be asked to show proof of age, so take a passport along when collecting your pass.)

If you are a complete beginner, then it is likely that you will be joining ski school for most of your stay so it is worth discussing with them which pass option is best suited for their beginner groups. Generally speaking, beginners may not get full value out of a Portes du Soleil pass, so a basic Morzine pass may be the best bet. However, if you have a little more experience and want to make the most of the area a pass that covers a larger expanse with more varied terrain may be preferable.

You can obtain a family reduction on Morzine/Les Gets lift tickets if you buy a minimum of 4 passes at the same time, valid for 6-14 consecutive days.  Passes must be ordered at least 3 days before your arrival and cannot be bought through tour operators so you're best to order them on-line via the Sagets Lift Company website. 

It is now possible to buy a 6 day family pass for the whole of the Portes du Soleil area.  Various versions are available depending on the make up of your family: 2 adults + 2/3/4 children or 1 adult + 3 children, as long as they are all under 18 years of age (normal child pass rates apply to 5-15 years). The family pass option represents a saving of 10% on the total cost of buying the passes individually and it is valid for any 6 day period throughout the season.  For example: 2 adults + 2 children = €616 for 6 days instead of €684 (based on 09/10 prices).  However, the family pass rate is not valid in conjunction with any other special offer rates (eg/ early bird purchase or early/late season rates).  

Don't forget that children under the age of 5 ski for free! Please see here for the full range of Morzine/Les Gets lift pass prices.

If you fancy a change of pace you can get a 6-day lift pass, which gives walkers and cross-country skiers discounted access to the following cable cars and chair lifts:

• Ardent Gondola (return)
• Super Morzine Gondola (return)
• Prodains Cable Car (return)
• Zore Chair (return)
• Léchère Chair (ascent only)
• Plateau Chair (ascent only)
• Lindarets Chair (ascent only)

You can also purchase a day pass or individual tickets (one-way or return) on the above lifts, so there is no need to miss out on a high-altitude lunch at a mountain restaurant or the stunning views over the Haute Savoie! For details of this season's prices please go to Lift Pass Prices.

Early Purchase Discounts
If you're organised and buy a Morzine/Les Gets lift pass of 6-14 consecutive days (or a season pass) before the end of October, you can benefit from up to 20% discount off the full price.  This offer is valid for all dates excluding February school holidays (n/a to season pass holders).  If you want the full Portes du Soleil lift pass then the offer is 10% reduction if purchased before end of November.

Students
Yep, the good old student discount goes beyond TopShop these days! On production of a valid higher education student ID you can claim 10% discount. (Only available in Morzine/Les Gets)

Disabled Skiers
Disabled skiers can claim special rates of:

• Half Day - €8
• Full Day - €12
• 6 Days - €60
• Season - €155

This rate also applies to one accompanying person if the disabled person can not ski alone. You may be required to produce a card or certificate proving disability of 80%. For more information on skiing for the disabled in Morzine please scroll down to the relevant section on our Skiing & Snowboarding page.

Weekend Bargains
Morzine/Les Gets and Avoriaz also offer Weekend or Saturday only passes at a slightly reduced rate. The slopes are also often quieter at weekends as many people are just arriving or leaving so it’s a good time to enjoy shorter lift queues and less piste-traffic! If you have the chance to get away for a cheeky weekend in the snow be sure to check out our Last Minute Offers for a bargain break!

Car-Sharers
On Wednesdays and Saturdays you can claim a 25% discount on a full or half-day Morzine/Les Gets lift pass if you have 4 people in your car! Effectively meaning that you get 4 lift passes for the price of 3, this initiative is aimed at reducing traffic in resort by encouraging people to car-pool. This discount can only be claimed at the Drive-In ticket office at the entrance to Les Gets.

End of season
Morzine and the Portes du Soleil offer discounts (of 20% and 15% respectively) to anyone using the lifts after 03/04/2010. The snow condition may be slightly past its best, but spring showers can bring regular dumps of fresh powder and nothing beats soaking up the sun on a piste-side terrace! The bonus of waiting until after the peak season is that once all the school holidays have ended you will find quieter pistes, smaller lift queues and less crowded restaurants.

What else do I need to know?
It goes without saying that you must be properly insured before taking to the slopes, but you can also purchase insurance on a daily basis as you buy your lift pass. ”SnowRisk” is the instantly recognised mountain sports insurance in France that covers you for:

SnowRisk costs just €3.00 per day for adults (€2.50 for children).

Photographs
All passes over 8 days require a passport sized photo. The lift office can scan the image from your passport or drivers licence if you do not have a photo with you.

Loss of theft of your lift pass
When you purchase your lift pass be sure to ask for a receipt - many resorts can use the serial number off this to disable the first pass and then reissue you with another one. Once you realise the pass is missing go immediately to the lift pass office as the sooner you report it missing the sooner you can sort out a new one, if you wait until the afternoon they may only issue one starting on the following day and then you have lost a day on the mountain. The best advice really is to avoid losing it by always keeping it in the same pocket of your ski jacket, try not to keep anything else in there, and always make sure you have it at the start and end of every day - not rocket science, but it may save you the hassle of replacing it!

All lift passes for Les Portes du Soleil region can be purchased here >>