Montgenevre would be the one resort I would choose if I could only return to one of them after 30 years skiing and snowboarding in the Alps. It’s the perfect destination for mixed ability groups, offering two resorts in one. One side of the valley is an open, almost baron expanse of wide pistes, whilst the other side is a beautiful, tree scattered playground with some of the prettiest terrain I’ve come across. It’s a very ‘honest’ resort – not at all flashy, and has plenty of accommodation options.
Being a higher resort (1800 meters in the village) it’s a great choice for late season skiing.
Driving to Montgenevre from the UK
We’ve taken every option for travelling to the French alps over the years – flying, train, and driving – and we’ve settled on driving as our preferred option. Yes, it’s a long way, but the driving is easy, there’s no airport stresses or baggage allowance, and we treat it as part of the holiday by stopping off somewhere in both directions for the night. See my post, driving to the French Alps for more details.
The best route from Calais is Reims – Troyes – Dijon – Macon – Chambery – Frejus Tunnel – Olux – Montgenevre. Note that once out of the Frejus tunnel you are in Italy until you get to Montgenevre. This might be important information for your car insurance / breakdown policy. You can avoid Italy by going trough Grenoble instead but I understand this adds up to an hour to the journey.
Flying to Montgenevre from the UK
Turin (Italy) is the closest airport to Montgenevre, 110km away. Allow 2 hours if hiring a car to drive.
Accommodation in Montgenevre
There are many options of course but for many years now we have used Peak Retreats for booking our accommodation, lift passes, and ski hire, who have always been great for us. They also provide a ‘flexi plus’ ticket for the eurotunnel which gets you on the next available train when you arrive. You also get a takeaway coffee and food parcel from their lounge on the way to the train.
The Skiing and Snowboarding – On the slopes in Montgenevre
As with most large skiing groups we were a very mixed bunch when we first visited in Easter 2018. Aged between 8 and 70, skiers, snowboarders, and a variety of confidence levels throughout the group. Everyone had a great time; the terrain is generally geared towards the beginners and intermediates – I’ve been snowboarding for 25 years but usually just for 1 week a year. I’m not a tricks & jumps man, and I loved this place – there are a great number of straightforward, flattering runs where you can just ‘let go’ and cruise around the resort all week with a big smile on the face at the end of each day. We first went in 2018 and booked straightaway to return in 2019 which was cancelled due to Covid, but I have been since as day trips whilst skiing in the nearby Sestriere.
Here’s my GPS track of a typical day in Montgenevre. The tracks to the north of the main road are in the more open area, whilst those to the south are in the more sheltered area that is best in poor conditions. The purple line is the French / Italian border.
If you’re looking for a great resort for skiing and snowboarding, especially for a mixed experience group, Montgenevre would be a great choice.
Montgenevre and the Milky Way
Montgenevre is the only French resort in the ‘Milky Way’, or the Vialettea ski area. It’s directly accessible from its Italian neighbour Claviere, and further afield lie Sansicario, Sestriere, Saux D’Olux, Olux, Pragelato and Cesana. Important Note – if you’re planning to ski other resorts in the Milky Way there’s two important things to consider: Ensure you purchase a lift pass that covers the areas you wish to access, and if you are intending to ski between Montgenevre / Claviere and the other resorts ensure that the ski lift in and out of Cesana is operating. The official website of the https://www.vialattea.it
