A guide to ski holidays in Megève, France’s most famous medieval resort
Megève is a traditional winter sports resort, founded in 1916, that has attracted the rich and famous since the 1920s. Its clientele these days are still mainly affluent and French and are looking for an all-round winter holiday, not just pounding the slopes. If Courchevel attracts the flash new cash, Megève draws in the old money in spades.
The resort’s core is a beautiful, traffic-free medieval centre which is now bordered by sprawling suburbs. But it remains a charming and delightful place to stroll around with cobbled streets, a central open air ice rink, a splendid church (prettily lit at night), horse-drawn sleighs and lots of galleries and shops selling smart clothes, watches and jewellery to look around.
Stay on track with the essential facts from the resort below, and scroll down for our insider guide to a day on the pistes, expert ratings and advice. For further Megève inspiration, see our guides to the resort's best accommodation, restaurants and après ski.
In this guide:
Inside the resort
Founded in 1916 by Baroness Noémie de Rothschild, who decided that France should have its own St Moritz and set about transforming the farming village of Megève.
With more than a nod to its rural roots, there are still a huge number small producers and farms in the village and surrounding area, but today, restaurants and hotels line the town square and ancient cobbled streets, and, with the annual twinkling Christmas tree, it’s become the epitome of aristo chic.
Glittering boutiques and galleries line the traffic-free medieval centre and ancient cobbled streets, and mean, along with an outdoor ice rink, splendid church and horse-drawn sleighs, that Megève suits those looking for an all-round winter holiday, not just pounding the slopes.
Megève is home to a whole constellation of five-star hotels, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants (including one with the maximum three-star accolade), as well as several of the world’s finest mountain spas. New for 2024, Chef Emmanuel Renaut (of three-Michelin star Flocons de Sel just outside the village) has opened Le Prieuré restaurant in the resort.
There are also some first-class mountain restaurants. At the top of the Mont Joux lift, in Saint Gervais, there’s table-top dancing at the Folie Douce restaurant and après bar, with spectacular views of Mont Blanc.
Megève is ideal for a short break as well as a week’s holiday as it’s just 60 minutes from Geneva airport and most hotels are geared up for taking short-break bookings.
The resort's state-of-the-art Le Palais leisure centre has a sports area with separate indoor pools for adults and children, saunas, a steam room, indoor hot tubs, an Olympic standard indoor ice rink, indoor tennis, gym and more.
The scenery is magnificent too, with stunning views of Mont Blanc from much of the ski area.
The skiing area in Megève is extensive and best suits intermediates who want miles of easy cruising on well groomed pistes. And after a fresh snowfall, the off-piste is delightful because most of Megève’s pampered clientele stick to the pistes (or have a day off the slopes if they see snow rather than sun in the sky).
The ski area is rather fragmented. One major lift leaves from the centre of town. But others are on the fringes and reached by efficient and free ski-buses which run every 20 minutes (every 10 minutes at peak times).
The local Evasion Mont Blanc ski pass covers all the local Megève skiing plus the neighbouring resort of Les Contamines, Saint Gervais and Saint Nicolas de Véroce. Really keen skiers and experts with a car might want to consider the more expensive Mont Blanc Unlimited ski pass which covers the whole of the nearby Chamonix valley, plus Courmayeur in Italy and Verbier in France.
On the slopes
Megève’s skiing is extensive and spread over three separate mountains, two of which are linked by cable car but not by pistes. The Chamois gondola from the centre of town goes up Rochebrune, arriving at a point where another gondola, the Caboche, starts. At the top, it meets the Rochebrune lift, originally built in 1933, with cabins renovated to their original iconic red colour in 2021/22.
A cross-valley cable car (which you can ride both ways) goes across to the Mont d’Arbois ski area. Mont d’Arbois can also be reached by a free bus from town and is by far the biggest sector of the skiing, spreading over several valleys and going down to the neighbouring resort of Saint Gervais.
The combined area of the three mountains will keep most intermediates and beginners happy for a week. Almost 50 per cent of the pistes are classified green or blue, and there are beginner areas at valley level and up each of the three mountains.
The third mountain, Le Jaillet, is completely separate but covered by the lift pass and reached by a free bus or a horse-drawn sleigh. Le Jaillet is linked to the slopes of the small villages of La Giettaz and Combloux.
Who should go?
There are few resorts better for easy cruising – Megève will keep most intermediates and beginners happy for a week. The resort is ideal for a short break as it’s 60 minutes from Geneva airport and most hotels are geared up for taking short-break bookings. Luxury hotels and gourmet dining is where the resort comes into its own. While there are plenty of glittering five-star hotels and Michelin starred restaurants catering to the affluent, there are places that are much more affordable to stay and eat in too.
Where to stay
Megève has no fewer than nine exceptionally stylish five-star hotels, mostly built in chalet-style. Among these are Fer à Cheval and Coeur de Megève in the resort centre, both with spas. Meanwhile, the five-star Fermes de Marie is a small, luxurious hamlet of nine beautiful, chalet-style buildings set a few minutes outside the town centre and there are a handful of luxurious rooms at the Michelin-starred Flocons de Sel restaurant. But there’s more affordable accommodation too, including some self-catering apartments.
Elsewhere, the 60-room Mamie Megève is a former tourist residence, while the three-star Au Vieux Moulin offers chalet style interiors with a comfy lounge area.
How to get there
Unsurprisingly, Megève isn’t a resort that’s commonly featured by the larger, mainstream tour operators. Ski Solutions (skisolutions.com) offers the biggest range of options, albeit these are almost all upmarket hotels and catered chalets. Stanford Skiing (stanfordskiing.co.uk) is a specialist in the resort, and its programme of ski weekends, short breaks and longer stays includes self-catering apartments, as well as catered accommodation. Scott Dunn (scottdunn.com) offers tailor-made stays and Peak Retreats (peakretreats.co.uk) has a residence 4km from the resort that provides a free shuttle bus to the slopes. Buses run between the resort and Geneva airport (see flixbus.fr) and from the nearest rail station, Sallanches (13km).
When to go
Opening date: Dec 7, 2024
Closing date: April 6, 2025
Most of the resort’s slopes are below 2,000m, so snow conditions can be variable. The first week of March is one of the snowiest periods, but by the end of this month the snow can disappear quickly. For 2024/25, opening is planned over the weekends of Dec 7 and 8 and Dec 14 and 15, with the area fully open by Dec 21, depending on snow conditions. The Princesse sector closes on March 30, with the Rochbrune and Mont d’Arbois area closing a week later, on April 6. There are no standout festivals in the resort, but plenty of events occur throughout the season; Megève is a particularly pretty destination at Christmas, with its traditional tree lighting event and Santa’s Village located in the main square.
Know before you go
Essential information
British Embassy/Consulate: (00 33 1 44 51 31 00; ukinfrance.fco.gov.uk)
Ambulance (samu): dial 15
Police: dial 17
Fire (pompiers): dial 18
Emergency services from mobile phone: dial 112
Tourist office: See megeve.com, the website for the Megève Tourist Board, for weather reports, lift status, webcams, traffic details and local event listings. Pick up maps, leaflets and other information from the office on rue Monseigneur Conseil in the centre of the resort.
The basics
Currency: Euro
Telephone code: from abroad, dial 00 33, then leave off the zero at the start of the 10-figure number.
Time difference: +1 hour
Local laws and etiquette
When greeting people, formal titles (Monsieur, Madame and Mademoiselle) are used much more in French than in English.
The laws of vouvoiement (which version of “you” to use) take years to master. If in doubt – except when talking to children or animals – always use the formal vous form (second person plural) rather than the more casual tu.
When driving, it’s compulsory to keep fluorescent bibs and a hazard triangle in the car in case of breakdown. Since 2021, it’s also compulsory to have snow chains in your car or winter tyres from the beginning of November until March.
