Official Rating - 3* - Self Catering [Saturday arrivals and departures only]

The Pierre and Vacances Balcons du Soleil residence in Avoriaz is a high-standard ski residence offering a wide range of services. Recently renovated, the residence has apartments ranging from 4-person studios up to 8-person apartments, all boasting duvets as standard, fully-equipped kitchens and direct access to both the ski lifts and the centre of the resort. Other services include a childrens area, three catering formulas and much, much more.

How to get there

Closest airports CMF/GNB/GVA/LYS. The guests may get to Avoriaz from Chambery Aix Les Bains airport (CMF), Grenoble/Saint Geoirs Airport (GNB), Geneve-Cointrin Airport (GVA) 80 km away and Lyon-St Exupery airport (LYS) 200km.

Please note that check in and check out day for this property is only Saturday. Your stay should be either for 7 or 14 nights.

Accommodation & Facilities

All 356 Apartments are equipped with a kitchen area with four ceramic hobs, refrigerator, microwave-grill oven, dishwasher, electric coffee-maker, bathroom with bathtub, toilet, telephone, internet (at a charge), television (with European channels), vacuum cleaner and a balcony. All beds are fitted with duvets (Bed linen and towels included in the price). The residence offers to its guests free of charge a ski room on the ground floor, children’s area, catering, and direct access to the slopes, also at an extra charge there is an apartment preparation service. Also pets are admitted at an extra charge. Guests should note that there is a tax per adult per night paid locally and a refundable deposit paid locally and returned after departure is required.

For the younger guests, there is a children’s club, however we would like to remind the parents that a health record, including up-to-date vaccinations (at least BCG/triple+ Polio) must be presented in child care centres, clubs and mini-clubs. Apart form skiing the guests can use the Altiform centre’s facilities with fitness classes, weights, sauna, jacuzzi, skating rink, cinema and bowling. Also there is paragliding, dog sled team driving, horse-drawn sleigh rides, walks with snowshoes, helicopter flights, snow mountain-biking, ice-divings and hot-air balloon flights.

Location

Perching above Morzine, Avoriaz has become a favourite holiday destination with its avant-garde architecture, countless activities, state-of-the-art infrastructure and huge Portes du Soleil ski area connected to Switzerland. This is a pedestrian-only resort, where parents and children can move about in a completely safe and healthy setting.

Ski Facts

Some 40 years ago a group of friends dreamed of creating an immense linked ski area in France and Switzerland. Soon after the Portes du Soleil was born: a wintersports playground comprising 12 resorts, 2 countries – France and Switzerland – and 650km of glorious pistes! The skiing and snowboarding is among the most varied in the world...the Portes du Soleils summits and valleys beg to be explored. Although the whole area is not entirely linked by lifts, the vast majority of it is, and there is so much skiing, it is difficult to define favourite’s, although of course the Wall in Avoriaz is always fun (good skiers only!)

* 278 pistes catering for all levels: 28 black, 104 red, 112 blue and 34 green.
* 194 lift installations ensuring quick and easy access between resorts using the same liftpass.
* 694 snow cannons guaranteeing snow all season!
* 89 slopeside restaurants for a mouth watering mix of skiing and fine dining.

This information relates to the entire ski region.
Resort altitude: 1000 – 2550 metres
Kilometres of piste: 650
Number of runs:
Morzine: Green 4 / Blue 51 / Red 42 / Black 15
Avoriaz: Green 14 / Blue 13 / red 16 / Black 5
Les Gets: Green 3 / Blue 26 / Red 28 / Black 9
Chatel: Green 3 / Blue 26 / red 28 / Black 9

There are 9 resorts altogether in the Portes du Soleil Ski area. Note that Praz de Lys/Sommand is not part of the system, but is very close to Les Gets.

Number of lifts: 194
Snow Cannons: 694
Cross Country Trails: 85 kilometres
Mountain Huts: 89 mountain restaurants and bars to choose from
Snowboarding: The Portes du Soleil is home to 9 snowparks dotted all over the network. With boxes, tables, walls, a big air superpipe, raised bends, freestyle airbags and rails, theres plenty to keep all riders smiling.
Ski Bus Service: The ski bus service (free service if one has a lift pass) operates throughout the resorts, although timing and frequency may differ from resort to resort. There is no buslink between the different resorts.

Rentals. Lift Passes & Ski School

For the very best offers on rental equipment, lift passes and ski school please visit medhotels.com and click on the travel extras section of the site.

Resort Information

Built at 1800m Avoriaz consists of wood-clad, high-rise terraces surrounded by high peaks. The buildings look like huge rocks so, despite being a fairly new purpose-built resort (about 30 years old) the style of architecture blends in beautifully with the environment.

There are two main shopping areas. The resort is entirely pedestrianised, i.e. is without cars. Traffic jams are created by horse-drawn sleighs, snow scooters and skiers alike! The proximity of the slopes and the absence of traffic make it a popular resort for families.

Après ski entertainment in Avoriaz can be slightly expensive and is less varied than the skiing. You will find a handful of bars, restaurants and a few discos. It also has two cinemas showing English films.
The resort is at the heart of the vast skiing area known as the Portes du Soleil which includes 8 French and 5 Swiss winter resorts. The slopes are mainly north facing and have an excellent snow record. When the snow is plentiful the resorts will be linked giving 650km of skiable domain for varied skiing for all levels of ability. You will need a special Portes du Soleil lift pass and your passport.

The ski area has skiing for all levels. Beginners have long easy runs before progressing onto the more difficult ones on the upper slopes. Competent skiers have more than 20 black runs (including the infamous “Wall”) and endless powder skiing.

Useful Information

To reach the resort by train Thonon-Les-Bains TGV railway station is 40 km away.