Avoriaz (Portes du Soleil) High altitude resort |
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| Resort description |
Avoriaz 1800 is sat in the heart of the Portes du Soleil, a charming purpose-built pedestrianised ski resort, with snow covered paths and pistes giving a real alpine feel. Avoriaz uses horse drawn sleighs and snowcats to replace cars and transport people and luggage to and from car parks and accommodation (payable locally). The scenery of Avoriaz is outstanding, with the most breathtaking panoramas in the French Alps and, due to the altitude, can almost guarantee ski, with snow all-year-round.
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Avoriaz, Portes du Soleil
The
Avoriaz skiing domain is divided into 4 areas:
Super-Morzine, Lindaret-Brochaux,
Chavanette and Arare-Combe du
Machon.
Exciting times ahead for Avoriaz from 2010
onwards!
Avoriaz
is
set to go through the biggest changes since its
creation some 40 years ago. Developers
are creating a brand new area to Avoriaz
and the ski resort itself, which will consist of 8
buildings housing a total of 450 stylish ski
apartments including the
L’Amara
luxury
residence, the
Atria
Crozats
residence and the
L’Electra
residence.
The
design theory is smarter rather than taller and the
buildings will have distinctive jagged roofs,
mirroring the dramatic cliffs above. The wood
cladding will blend in perfectly with the rest of the
ski resort of Avoriaz, yet the interiors will
be dramatically different. There will be the choice
of 2, 3 or 4 bedroom self-catering apartments with
the added benefit of a swimming pool and spa.
New
for Ski Collection for winter 2012/13 are
residences
Aster,
Intrets,
Fontaines
Blanches,
Sassanka,
and
Thuya,
all boasting views over Avoriaz and the ski
slopes.
Avoriaz
has
delivered lots of ad hoc resort decoration and
entertainment for the winter ski season 2011/2012 and
has also pegged its in-resort prices.The
new covered parking at the entrance to the resort
offers 850 payable parking spaces as well as 200 new
covered parking spaces underneath the new L’Amara
residence (for L’Amara guests only). We
recommend that you book underground parking spaces
well in advance (payable online €82 per week).
See here for more
info.
From
3rd April 2011 – 9th
April 2011 you can enjoy the Festival des Concerts
Sauvages, with 20 stages in secret locations
throughout the Portes du Soleil ski area (Avoriaz,
Les Gets and Morzine) that fans will be alerted
by text message about, shortly before the concerts
begin! The locations are on the mountain so you have
to ski there and famous acts are promised. Text
messages can be received by registering on the
Tourist Office website.
The
local tourist office can provide further information
on all these events.
So
let the fun begin in Avoriaz!
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Skiing in Avoriaz, Portes du Soleil
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Super-Morzine: Area suitable to beginner and
intermediate skiers.
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Lindarets-Brochaux: Area suitable to beginner and
intermediate skiers.
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Chavanette: Area suitable to intermediate and
advanced skiers.
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Arare-Combe du Machon: Area suitable to all skiers
(beginner, intermediate and advanced).
”Mur
Suisse” is a famous black run which links
Chavanette to Planachaux in Switzerland. There are
more than 300m of difference in height, with a slope
reaching 80% in some places.
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Snowboarding in Avoriaz, Portes du Soleil
Snowboarders
will enjoy 6 areas in Avoriaz especially
dedicated and designed for them:
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“Snow park d’Arare” (Snow park of
Arare)
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“Halfpipe du stade” (Snow park of the
stadium)
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Snowpark La Chapelle
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Burton stash park
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Burton Lil’ stash
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Burton kids parkway
The
“Village des enfants” will welcome
youngsters (from 8 to 16) who desire to learn how to
snowboard.
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Off-piste skiing in Avoriaz, Portes du
Soleil
For
the lovers of extreme sensations, you can enjoy
off-piste skiing in total security in 4 different
areas of Avoriaz:
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“Snow cross de Mosette” (Snow cross of
Mosette)
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“Snow cross de Fornet” (Snow cross of
Fornet)
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“Snow cross des Crosats” (Snow cross of
Crosats)
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“Snow cross des Brocheurs” (Snow cross of
Brocheurs)
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Cross-country skiing in Avoriaz, Portes du
Soleil
Avoriaz
has
45km (28 miles) of trails, all of which are free of
charge and easily accessible from the Falaise ares of
Avoriaz.
The
ski area
of
Portes du Soleil has an impressive
243km
(151 miles) of trails.
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Aquariaz the new water wonderland opens
Avoriaz have unveiled their brand new waterpark,
Aquariaz. It comprises of swimming & paddling
pools, a flowing river pool, slides, a spa centre,
and a climbing wall. Aquariaz boasts panoramic views
of Avoriaz through its ceiling-to-floor windows and
is unique as the biggest swimming pool in the Alps,
at over 2400m2.
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New Ice Rink
In December a new ice skating rink of 450m2 opened in
the heart of the resort. It is open every day until
8pm.
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Ski school in Avoriaz, Portes du Soleil
The
“Village des enfants” will welcome
youngsters (from 3 to 16) who desire to get
familiarized with the skiing sensations.
The
120 instructors of the ESF ski school in
Avoriaz offer a variety of lessons
of
alpine
skiing, snowboard, cross-country skiing, mono-skiing
and telemark.
Most
instructors speak English.
For
more information about pre-booking Ski School in
Avoriaz please
select
here
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Lift passes in Avoriaz, Portes du Soleil
Avoriazlift
passes give you access to the whole Avoriaz
skiing area.
Portes
du Soleil
lift
passes give you access to all the ski resorts of the
ski domain.
For
more details and information on Avoriaz and Portes du
Soleil ski lift passes
select
here
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| The Skiing |
Avoriaz won the "Best Fmaily Ski Resort" at the annual 2012 World Snow Awards.
Skiing starts on your doorstep in Avoriaz, with snow-sure slopes there is something for every level of skier, with the main Portes du Soleil circuit easily enjoyed by beginners and intermediates, along with several challenging runs through tough terrain. Of the 12 ski resorts of the immense ski area of Portes du Soleil, Avoriaz has the good fortune to occupy the central position, so skiers can go from France to Switzerland for a change of culture. Skiers should also take the opportunity to ski in Chavnette and Chatel at the Swiss boarder, where you can embark on tree lined skiing and discovery skiing amid the exceptional beauty the environment offers.
Clients booking for pre or late season dates should be aware that not all facilities in your chosen resort may be open - including some ski lifts. We would advise you to check the resort tourist office website or our Resort Opening Dates page for details before making a booking. |
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| Après Ski |
| Avoriaz offers more than 30 restaurants with gastronomic cuisine, including that of the rustic mountain style and its renowned high altitude restaurants, along with value for money bistros and pizzerias. It boasts a lively après-ski with a few good bars in the evenings and terraced cafes to soak up the sun during the day. |
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| Amenities |
| There are a range of amenities in Avoriaz including banks, shops, local produce and supermarkets. Avoriaz also offers various ski schools for children, a children's village and a crèche, along with a relaxation area at the 'Espace Altiform' with a fitness room, sauna and Jacuzzi. |
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| Activities |
| Avoriaz offers many activities aside from skiing: snow-shoeing, horse & dog-drawn sledging, ice skating, paragliding, mountain biking on snow, as well as a bowling alley, squash courts, helicopter tours and ice diving. Aquariaz is a brand new water wonderland in Avoriaz made up of swimming & paddling pools, slides, a flowing river pool, a spa centre, and a climbing wall. It offers panoramic views over Avoriaz through its ceiling-to-floor windows, and is unique as the biggest swimming pool at altitude. |
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| Getting there |
Driving distance: From Calais: 560 miles, approximately 8 hrs 20 mins.
Airport access: Geneva to Avoriaz: 65 miles, approximately 1hr 30. Chambery to Avoriaz: 140 miles, approximately 1hr 55. Lyon to Avoriaz: 140 miles, approximately 2hrs 30. |
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| Ski Facts |
| Village height: |
1800m (5,906ft) |
Slope range: |
950m (3,117ft) - 2460m (8,071ft) |
Ski area: |
Portes du Soleil |
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| Piste coverage |
650 |
| Ski lifts |
195 |
| Ski runs |
266 |
| Green |
35 |
| Blue |
106 |
| Red |
100 |
| Black |
25 |
| Snow cannons |
694 |
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| Beginners |
*** |
| Intermediates |
**** |
| Experts |
*** |
| Boarders |
*** |
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| Local Ski Area |
Avoriaz has 75km of slopes, 35 ski lifts, 1 green run, 26 blue runs, 14 red runs and 6 black runs. |
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| Tourist Office |
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Private Apartments & Chalets
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Click to Avoriaz (Portes du Soleil) website
