Flaine | Ski Resort Review

Flaine is a distinctively designed ski resort, sitting in a maturely forested high snow-bowl within the extensive Grand Massif-linked ski area in the Northern French Alps. When people refer to the archetypal modernist style of a purpose-built French ski resort, Flaine is usually the one that they have in mind. Inaugurated in the 1960s, the original development was approached as a Bauhaus-inspired project to blend architecture, art and nature in a snow-sure setting that offered convenient access to and from the slopes, creating possibly the world's first 'designer' ski resort.

"The original development was a Bauhaus-inspired project to blend architecture, art, and nature in a snow-sure setting"

The resort is still focused around this original, urbanised, split-level core, the two levels of which are linked by rail-mounted elevators. The upper Flaine Forêt zone houses most of the self-catering apartments, which the resort is often praised for. Perched above the lower Flaine Forum zone is a spacious snow-covered plaza area bounded on three sides by hotels, apartments, shops, cafes and bars, opening out onto the wide gentle pistes which flow through this wooded plateau.

Renowned for being especially well-suited to families (hence the prevalence of self-catering accommodation), Flaine has plenty of car-free open spaces and safe play areas for children. The childcare services and family-friendly facilities are also generally well regarded by the resort's target market.

As well as being a very good destination for families, Flaine is also a good choice for mixed-ability groups and anyone who prefer a self-catering apartment-based holiday with convenient access to a big ski area. Anyone seeking a more traditional Alpine village ambience or a wider range of catered accommodation may find nearby Samoens or the surrounding linked villages of the Grand Massif more to their liking.

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Flaine - Ski Map & Pistes:

With 64 ski runs served by 24 ski lifts, the Flaine sector of Grand Massif offers extensive skiing both on and off-piste. The wider Grand Massif ski area, with 139 runs and 62 lifts, presents an impressive variety of terrain: the main Flaine/Aujon bowl, accessed by two gondolas and a fast chair from Flaine Forum, contains plenty of wide-open pistes for beginners and novices.

There's a great choice of long red runs and challenging expert-level descents off the dome and crags of the surrounding Grandes Platieres, which top out at 2,480m. From the top of the Grandes Platières cable car, you get spectacular panoramic views over the Mont-Blanc, Aravis, Belledonne, and Jura mountains ranges.

The upper reaches of this huge bowl are well above the tree line and so can be quite exposed when the weather closes in. The linked sectors of the lower-altitude satellite resort villages of Les Carroz, Morillon, Samoens, and Sixt have a great selection of cruising pistes, plenty of which run through forested slopes and, therefore, provide more sheltered surroundings with slightly better visibility on days when low cloud or rough weather pose an issue in the upper sectors.

Signature runs include Les Cascades, a 14km blue run on the edge of the Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval nature reserve. This run can feel like backcountry on-piste – you ski for miles without seeing a single lift! The run starts from Les Grandes Platières and ends at Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, where a free shuttle bus takes you to the Grand Massif Express in Samoëns.

Other scenic highlights in Flaine are the blue Serpentine run and the red Faust run, both accessible from the top of the resort, which has wonderful views over Flaine.

Flaine - Off-Piste, Backcountry & Ski Touring:

There are many freeride spots in Flaine, and the resort's altitude and family friendly reputation mean you can often find powder even days after a dump. La Combe de Gers and the valley around the Lac de Gers is one of the best freeride spots — north facing, and relatively high, with around 800m of descent. There's also a lovely lift-access run that drops of the back of Les Verdets and descends over 1,600 vertical metres all the way down to Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval

As always, we recommend you hire one of the resort's professional mountain guides or instructors to show you where to go, and to keep you safe. You can book on the Bureau des Guides website. 

Flaine - Restaurants, Bars & The Town:

Off-slope activities and facilities include an ice rink, ice-driving circuit, climbing wall, gymnasium, a cinema, and a wonderful cultural centre housing an art gallery and library.

Those who like to dine out in the evening may be disappointed to find only a smattering of decent restaurants to choose from, sparsely dotted around Flaine's two principal residential areas. Likewise, only a limited selection of lively bars are scattered around the various quarters of the resort; Le White Pub in Flaine Forum, and Le Diamant Noir or the Social in Flaine Forêt, are the central après ski venues. There is a token nightclub in the Galerie (commercial centre) in Flaine Forum, but nightlife in Flaine is generally low key.

Flaine - Ski Hire:

As in all French ski resorts, ski hire in Flaine is easy to find with plentiful outlets including Intersport, Sport 2000, and Skiset. 

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Flaine - Ski Schools & Ski Lessons:

The ESF is the main ski school in Flaine, offering its full range of group ski lessons and individual classes. You could also seek out the Flaine Mountain School or the Flaine Ski Clinic when considering other ski school options in Flaine, France.