Guide · Ski areas
Fifteen ski areas ranked by kilometres of pistes, to compare before you choose your resort.
We include ski areas that are linked on skis, or sold with a single lift pass, and rank them by the kilometres of marked pistes each area announces. These figures are declared by the ski areas themselves: each one measures its pistes in its own way, and two reliable sources can give different values for the same area. Where that happens, we say so. Cross-border areas are included when a large share of their pistes lies in France.
| Rank | Ski area | Main resorts | Km of pistes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Les 3 Vallées | Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens, Les Menuires | 600 km |
| 1 | Portes du Soleil (France & Switzerland) | Avoriaz, Morzine, Les Gets, Châtel | 600 km |
| 3 | Paradiski | Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry, La Plagne | 425 km |
| 4 | Évasion Mont-Blanc | Megève, Saint-Gervais, Les Contamines | about 400 km * |
| 4 | Via Lattea (France & Italy) | Montgenèvre, Sestriere, Sauze d'Oulx | about 400 km |
| 6 | Les Sybelles | La Toussuire, Le Corbier, Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves | 310 km |
| 7 | Tignes–Val d'Isère | Tignes, Val d'Isère | 300 km |
| 8 | Grand Massif | Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillon, Samoëns, Sixt | 265 km |
| 9 | Alpe d'Huez Grand Domaine | Alpe d'Huez, Vaujany, Oz, Auris | 250 km ** |
| 9 | Serre Chevalier | Briançon, Chantemerle, Villeneuve, Le Monêtier-les-Bains | 250 km |
| 11 | Les 2 Alpes | Les 2 Alpes | 200 km |
| 12 | Espace Diamant | Les Saisies, Hauteluce, Crest-Voland, Praz-sur-Arly, Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe | 192 km |
| 13 | La Forêt Blanche | Vars, Risoul | 185 km |
| 14 | Espace Lumière | Pra-Loup, Val d'Allos | 180 km |
| 15 | Le Grand Domaine | Valmorel, Saint-François-Longchamp | 165 km |
* 400 to 445 km depending on the source; not every sector is linked on skis.
** The ski area announces 250 km; some sources give 240 km.
Areas with the same figure share the same rank.
Sources: official ski area websites, cross-checked with specialist guides. Figures checked in October 2026.
Les 3 Vallées link seven resorts in Savoie, including Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens and Les Menuires, and top out at 3,230 metres. The Portes du Soleil straddle the French–Swiss border: twelve resorts, including Avoriaz, Morzine, Les Gets and Châtel, with 600 km of pistes.
Paradiski brings together Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry and La Plagne, linked by the Vanoise Express cable car, for 425 km of pistes and a high point of 3,226 metres at the top of the Aiguille Rouge. It is the largest of the ski areas where we organise stays: see our pages on Les Arcs and La Plagne.
Six ski areas in this ranking host our stays: Paradiski, with Les Arcs and La Plagne, Tignes–Val d'Isère, the Grand Massif, Alpe d'Huez and Serre Chevalier. We also offer Orcières Merlette, smaller with 100 km of pistes, but very sunny and easy to reach from Marseille.
For the other ski areas in the ranking, we provide a quote on request, with the same approach: find them among our other resorts.
For a group or a family, the size of the ski area often matters less than altitude, access and the level of the skiers. A 250 km area already offers far more pistes than anyone can ski in a week.
Very large areas mostly appeal to strong skiers. A group of mixed abilities will get more from a resort where everyone skis at their own pace and meets up easily for lunch. For international travellers, access counts too: the Grand Massif is about an hour from Geneva airport, Alpe d'Huez about two hours from Lyon. Our guide to the best French Alps resorts for groups goes through these criteria.
Tell us your dates and your group: we put accommodation, lift passes, equipment and transfers into one proposal.
