Family holidays in Morzine

If you’re coming for a ski holiday with a young family, look for accommodation near any of the lifts. The fewer steps your little people have to take in ski boots, the better (for all concerned!).

Morzine and Les Gets linked resorts are popular with families, they have:

• a good mix of terrain for people of all abilities
• some ski in/ski out chalets
• lots of family-sized accommodation
• a good selection of bars and restaurants

It’s also a little closer to Geneva, if you’re keen to keep journey time to a minimum.

Lift passes make up a significant portion of the cost of a family holiday to the mountains, so it pays to check you’re buying the right ticket for your group. 

Here in Morzine there are various concessions to help you keep your costs down, such as:

• children under 5 use the lifts for free
• children between 5 and 15 and juniors between 16 and 25 pay a reduced rate
• there are reduced price ski passes if you only want to use the beginner areas
• you can buy a pedestrian pass - if maybe you or your partner don’t ski, but you still want to go up and watch the children ski.

You can buy a five hour lift pass if a full day on the mountain seems too long for the children. It’s not a lot cheaper than an all day ticket, but it’ll save you a little bit. 

Lift passes in Morzine for families of four or more

If you're a family or group of four or more, you'll be able to save money on the regular ticket price by buying a discounted group or family pass, these need to be purchased online.

If you have designs on raising the next Shaun White or Chemmy Alcott, then getting your kids into ski school as soon as possible is going to be a priority!

The ski schools all

• offer full and half-day sessions
• have English speaking guides
• will take your kids to a dedicated area where they can learn how to snow plough, stop, turn and glide safely

Ski schools usually take weekly bookings, so if you’re only here for a few days it’s good to check if there’s any space for your kids.

What age can children start ski lessons

Ski schools will take kids from 3 years old. At this age, the focus is on having fun in the snow, so there are normally inflatables and games to play. 

Most beginner areas also have a ‘magic carpet’ travelator (a bit like the ones you get at airports) to get kids and beginner adults to the top of the slopes without having to contend with lifts.

Whether you’re a kid or an adult, half-day lessons are normally more than enough if you’re a novice.

What’s included in the price of a lesson

The price you pay for a ski lesson is for tuition only. Ski passes are not included.

So for children aged 5 and over, you’ll need to make sure they have: 

• a valid ski pass (you can get discounted passes if you're only using the nursery slopes)
• skis, helmets, goggles - you can hire these from one of the many ski hire shops in the resort
• appropriate clothing, like salopettes and a jacket, warm layers and gloves  

A ski pass isn’t necessary for children under 5, but you'll still need to buy a hands-free card for them to use on the turnstiles. You can get one of these from any lift station. 

The ski area in Morzine is well suited to beginners thanks to the wide choice of blue runs throughout the Pleney area and over to Les Gets.

Two of the nursery slopes by the town of Morzine can be accessed with a reduced price lift pass so you can build up your confidence without having to commit to buying a whole area pass.

Once you feel happy to explore some higher runs up the mountain, the Pléney area has several beginner zones by the Belvedere lift.

There is a super beginner and child-friendly zone below the Chavannes Express called Mappys, which has two magic carpets and a slow drag rope giving access to four gentle pistes. Just above here is the Grand Cry Indian Village, specially designed for children. Find out more about the beginners ski areas in Morzine and Les Gets.

The Portes du Soleil ski area
For more advanced skiers, you have the whole of the Portes du Soleil ski area to explore. With 426km of pistes and six snowparks spread over 12 resorts, there is terrain suitable for everyone. The best access to the Portes du Soleil is via the Super Morzine gondola and on through Avoriaz.

The Portes du Soleil is renowned for it's snow parks and there are several freestyle areas to choose from. You will find a snow park on Mont Chery in Les Gets which has rails, boxes and kickers, and a long boarder cross under the Chavannes lift. There are snow parks especially designed for children, the Kid's Parkway and Lil'Stash, both can be found in Avoriaz. You'll find a permanent halfpipe, a Burton Stash and parks beyond Morzine in the wider Portes du Soleil area. There's no way your experienced teenagers will get bored here!

Morzine is a year-round resort, and it’s a great place to come whether it’s winter or summer. It all depends on what you love doing.

If you’ve got children, here are a few things you might want to try.

Festivities
During school holidays, the tourist office organises plenty of events designed for children, such as carnival parades, lantern processions, snowmen contests, fireworks, concerts, face-painting and ice sculptures. For teenagers, there are many festivals held during the winter season, both snow sports and music festivals.

Summer
Summer holidays in Morzine are all about being active and there are a wealth of activities on offer here for all ages and members of the family. Our dedicated guide to activities in Morzine includes a section specifically on kids' activities with information on horse riding, short family hikes, high ropes courses, where to go swimming, nature parks, and numerous other fun things that will help make your family holiday as unique and memorable as possible.

There are several options for childcare in Morzine. You can contact the local tourist office for a list of available babysitters.

The main winter establishments to help with childcare include the ski schools who sometimes offer a combination of tuition and childcare for children three years and older. You can book your child in for full or half day programmes, and lunch can also be provided for an extra charge.

If you're here during summer

The sports centre of each town sometimes hosts a kids club during the summer holidays, with activities like swimming, climbing, tennis, basketball and ice-skating.