Alpine ConnectionYour guide to skiing the Alps
Portes du Soleil 12 resorts · ~600 km · 209 lifts · high point 2466 m

The Portes du Soleil, explained

The Portes du Soleil covers twelve resorts in France and Switzerland under one pass. Lift connections, road transfers and the distance from your base determine which parts you can comfortably explore in a day.

By the editorial team Checked 09.2026
A skier on a surface lift crossing open snowy slopes in the Portes du Soleil.
Winter slopes in the Portes du Soleil, March 2015. Photo: Martin Weinhardt, Portes Du Soleil France (120855995), via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0. Cropped and resized.

What it is

The Portes du Soleil is a cross-border lift network linking 12 resorts across France and Switzerland: around 600 km of pistes, 308 runs and 209 lifts on a single pass, topping out at 2466 m on the Hauts Forts above Avoriaz.

The area includes traditional villages and purpose-built Avoriaz. Elevation and aspect vary between sectors; the month-by-month comparison shows how much.

The twelve resorts

The official roster, French side first: Châtel, Morzine, Avoriaz 1800, Les Gets, Abondance, La Chapelle d'Abondance, Montriond and Saint-Jean d'Aulps in France; Champéry, Morgins, Torgon and Val-d'Illiez to Les Crosets to Champoussin in Switzerland.

Follow the four resort links above for accommodation, access and monthly weather details.

The circuit is a chain of lift-served cols, and a few crossings do most of the work:

  • From Châtel: the Pré-la-Joux sector's Cornebois and Rochassons chairs put you into Avoriaz (a connection to the wider French-side area) while Super-Châtel crosses to Morgins and Torgon on the Swiss side.
  • From Morzine: one side links to Les Gets over the Pléney; the other side climbs to Avoriaz and the main circuit.
  • Avoriaz connects toward several parts of the area: Switzerland, Châtel and Morzine are each a few lifts away, making it a possible base for exploring the circuit.
  • The Swiss crossing most skiers meet is the Mossettes chairlift out of Les Crosets (Val-d'Illiez), base 1,660 m: one of the main France–Switzerland gateways toward Champoussin and Morgins.

Two practical rules for a circuit day: start early and know the printed last-lift times at each border crossing (they're on the official maps), and check which pass you hold: local passes cover only specified sectors. Passes explained →

Choosing a base

Compare Châtel for its village setting and local sectors, Morzine for its town facilities, Les Gets for family-oriented skiing, and Avoriaz for a higher, pedestrian base. Each has different lift access and accommodation options. Read the resort’s monthly weather page alongside the practical guide before choosing dates.

Official sources
Plan it properly All resorts, month by month → · Getting to the area → · The packing list →