Morzine is right at the heart of the biggest ski area in the Alps – the Portes du Soleil. With 650km of pistes spanning across France and Switzerland the area is vast. Elevation luxury chalets include a detailed meet and greet. Not only will we tell you about your chalet and how everything works but we will also talk you through the ski area and how to make the most of your stay. We commit to answering every question you might have and sticking around until everyone in your group is happy. And we are always on the end of the phone is you get stuck.
Getting around is pretty simple though. Here is the key transport information you need to know.
Pleney gondola:
Recently upgraded in 2014, the Pleney gondola offers access from the very centre of Morzine into the linked areas of Pleney, Nyon and Les Gets, providing a wide variety of routes. Morzine’s central bus stop is situated across the road from the gondola.
If you’ve come to one of our self-catered chalets as a complete novice or with children eager to learn, you’ll find the green Beginners slope on Pleney absolutely ideal (accessible by a “magic carpet” belt-lift just at the top of the Pleney gondola itself). Or if you’re on your Morzine holiday and looking for something a tad more adventurous, you can access several steeper runs on the Pointe de Nyon side: the Aigle Rouge is a red run notorious for its moguls, with access to the adjoining black run.
The Pleney gondola does link to several of the local areas, however it does not link directly to the Avoriaz/Portes du Soleil area: instead, you hop on Le Petit Train to the SuperMorzine gondola.
SuperMorzine gondola:
Located next to the impressive suspension bridge in the centre of Morzine, you’ll find the SuperMorzine gondola. Often locals called it the SuperM. The lift takes you to the Avoriaz, Switzerland and Chatel parts of the Portes de Soleil.
The moment you step out of the gondola exit, you’ll spot the Zore chairlift, which you take up to the top of SuperM. From here you can take a short walk to admire the surrounding views, or can get straight onto the mountain. SuperM has two interconnecting blue runs: Zore and Tetras. They’re both easy blue runs, with wide open expanses that are never too steep a gradient and are perfect runs to improve your ability on your Morzine ski holiday. You can even follow a few tracks into the trees or play on the jumps built just off-piste to keep everyone entertained.
From the top of Zore chairlift, when you turn right you immediately spot signs pointing you in the direction of the link to Avoriaz and the surrounding Portes du Soleil area. It’s an easy connecting blue route with a narrow, gentle slope and long corners – make sure to build some speed at the start though: there isn’t much of a gradient and it’s fairly easy for a snowboarder or novice to get stuck on the flatter terrain. Keep left and you’ll find yourself at the bottom of the Proclou chairlift, which takes you up and straight over into Avoriaz.
Link Between the Pleney and SuperMorzine gondolas
Getting to and from the two gondolas couldn’t be easier with the use of Le Petit Train. It’s a free shuttle service running from 8:45am until 5:30pm, which transports you from the foot of SuperMorzine gondola directly to the bottom of the Pleney gondola, clearly marked with signposts so you can’t miss the “departure” and “arrival” points. You stack your skis/boards in the spaces provided, take a seat on the train and relax on a five minute journey between the two skiing hotspots. It also drops and picks up in key places around the village. During slope opening times, the train runs continuously and is a hit with the kids!
Ski Map Abbreviations made clear:
- TK – téléski (drag/button lift)
- TS – télésiege (chair lift)
- TC – télécabine (gondola)
- TPH – téléphérique (cable car)
Buses
The ease of a Morzine ski holiday is emphasised by the superb shuttle service that runs throughout winter. Free to everyone accessing the resort, the buses run daily with hours that complement the gondola opening and closing hours.
Certain routes get you from your self catered chalet into the town centre that extra bit quicker, without having to worry about tired children and sore feet before you’ve even got on the mountain, whilst other bus routes take you straight to the gondolas themselves.
Lines A, M, N, E, P, U, D
Line A:
A to-and-fro route, this Shuttle provides Morzine with direct access to the Prodains gondola, which takes you up into Avoriaz and links to the entire Portes du Soleil circuit. The buses stop directly outside the Prodains bubble and there is often a bus waiting to be filled before heading back into Morzine town centre. The A bus frequents the major bus stops in town: the Pleney (the main bus station opposite the Pleney gondola itself), the Tourism Office and also opposite the Mairie.
Line M:
Linking Morzine to Montriond, the M bus takes you up to the Ardent gondola, which provides access to the Portes du Soleil from the Lindarets bowl (you can get on the Lindaret chair and ski down into the centre of Avoriaz from here). The bus begins from the Rond Point de la Mouille au Clerc (the roundabout situated opposite Morzine Fire Station), heading in the direction of Montriond to stop outside the Morzine Ecole (the school situated just to the left of Morzine’s Mairie), stopping outside the Montriond Mairie before winding its way up to Ardent. When catching the bus back from Ardent, the M bus stops at the Mairie bus stop in Morzine, before looping back around the Rond Point in the direction of Montriond again.
It is also popular with those who want to take a stroll around the Lac de Montriond, as the bus stops directly at the lake itself.
Line N:
Morzine’s access to Nyon, the N bus travels from the Nyon gondola, down into the very centre of Morzine itself, stopping at the Pleney, before looping back through town, stopping at the Tourism Office and the Mairie, and heading back up towards Nyon.
Line E:
A connecting route, the E bus starts from Pleney, looping through town and stopping at the Tourism Office and Mairie, then making its way up to stop at Nyon gondola. It then carries on through, up Route de la Manche to provide access in the direction of Lac Mines d’Or, stopping at L’Erigne and then the bus heads back down to the Pleney. This provides easy access to the randoneeing routes in the area.
Line P:
The P bus creates a continual looping access from the Garden Centre at the bottom of Route de la Plagne, into the town centre. Turning around at the bus stop on Rond Point du Pied de la Plagne (the roundabout opposite the Garden Centre), there are bus stops along the road, including outside Casino shop, which this bus frequents. It drops people off at the Tourism Office, directly in the centre of town; the Mairie, for access to Line M; and then up to Pleney, for other buses, and then goes back along the same route in the opposite direction.
Line U:
The U bus departs the Pleney and takes the top road of Morzine along Route de la Combe a Zore to provide shuttle access to the top end of Morzine, before taking the road down towards the Garden Centre. This links the U bus onto the Route de la Plagne, and follows Line P‘s route back up to Pleney.
Line D:
Another connecting route, the D bus links several back roads near the Route d’Avoriaz with the rest of the shuttle services. Starting from the Pleney and taking the familiar route through Morzine centre, stopping at both the Tourism Office and the Mairie, it then heads in the direction of Montriond but takes a right turn up Chemin de la Salle. This links this back road up to the Rond Point des Meuniers (the main roundabout en-route to the Prodains gondola), before heading down Chemin du Mas Metout and coming back down onto the main road from Montriond. It stops at the Rond Point de la Mouille au Clerc and then the bus ends up once again at the Pleney bus stop.
Your welcome pack will include a piste map and bus timetable. Or you can pick them up at the Tourist Office or lift offices.