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Montchavin Ski Holidays

At a glance

  • Paradiski area
  • Prettier part of La Plagne

Great for

  • Intermediates
  • Ski in, ski out
  • Linked ski area

Ski Holidays in Montchavin

Two ski in, ski out resorts - one traditional, the other purpose built to look traditional. Lifts whisking you up into the middle of the humungous Paradiski area. The formula for an amazing week on the snow.

  • Flight Time
  • 1h 45m
  • From London
  • Nearest Airports
  • Geneva, Grenoble
  • Chambery, Lyon
  • Time zone
  • GMT + 1 hour
  • Language
  • French
  • Currency
  • Euros
  • Ski Season
  • Dec - April

Montchavin Stats

Top Altitude
3417m
Bottom Altitude
1250m
Resort Altitude
1250m & 1450m
Total Piste
225km (La Plagne) 425km (Paradiski)
Longest Run
7km
Slope Orientation
N S E W
Vertical Drop
Skiable Vertical
Night Skiing
No
Glacier Skiing
Yes

Visit today and you’ll feel like Montchavin-Les Coches is an old hand at ski holidays: it looks the part of a classic resort, and has winter tourism down to a tee. Actually, skip back to the sixties and you’ll find Montchavin as a simple old farming hamlet facing the mighty Mont Blanc, while Les Coches is nowhere to be seen - just a stretch of pasture.

Montchavin had only 20-something residents back then, and the mayor of the time decided something had to be done. He began to develop Montchavin for tourism and we’re very glad he did. New buildings were added to increase capacity, but never higher or too different looking from the original wood and stone ones to keep the whole place looking authentic.

A decade later, Les Coches was built 3km up the zig zag road from Montchavin at 1450m. The same traditional chocolate-box-cladding was used, making the Montchavin-Les Coches area the prettiest part of La Plagne. A shuttle bus still runs between the two bases, both of which have lift access to the ski area.

Fast forward to 2003, when the Vanoise Express lift was built nearby. It linked La Plagne and Les Arcs to form the Paradiski and instantly made Montchavin-Les Coches one of the best located bases with speedy access to both sides of the linked ski area.

On top of the excellent ski lift connections, Montchavin-Les Coches (AKA Montchavin-La Plagne) is one of the easiest bases to reach, especially if you’re travelling by rail as Landry station is a ten-minute taxi ride from resort. Chambery, Geneva, Grenoble and Lyon airports are a 2-hour drive (or less) away.

Winter Sports Ratings

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboarding

Montchavin Transfer Times

Chambéry Airport 1.5 hours
Geneva Airport 2 hours
Grenoble Airport 2 hours
Lyon Saint Exupéry Airport 2 hours

The nearest airport to Montchavin is Geneva at 149 km or about 1 hour 40 minutes by car

What's the ski area like in Montchavin?

Located in the La Plagne ski area, part of Paradiski, the two villages of Montchavin and Les Coches for an essential link the greater area, having one of the terminals of the Vanoise Express, that connects La Plagne to Les Arcs.

Which other ski resorts are near to Montchavin?

The nearest ski resorts to Montchavin include La Plagne.

Ski Area Facts

LocationTarentaise, France
Established
Downhill225km (La Plagne) 425km (Paradiski)
Lift PassMontchavin La Plagne €38 (adult 1 day) La Plagne €259 (adult 6 day) Paradiski €298 (adult 6 day)

Beginner Slopes

76 (LP) 140 (P)

Intermediate Skiing

33 (LP) 79 (P)

Advance & Expert Terrain

19 (LP) 37 (P)

Snowboarding Trails

225km (La Plagne) 425km (Paradiski)100%

What is Montchavin like for Beginner skiers?

Newbies can usually quickly progress onto the long blues in the area, like Route des Bauches which has views of Mont Blanc peeping between the trees. Slowly work your way up to skiing the full Mont Blanc piste, starting off on the short stretch from Les Coches, then making it longer and longer from the Montchavin and Pierres Blanc chairs. This is the longest run in the La Plagne area, and the full descent from Dos Rond is wonderfully exhilarating.

What is Montchavin like for Intermediate skiers?

Thanks to the nearness of the Vanoise Express, intermediates have oodles of choice all over the Paradiski. In the local area, don’t miss the Esselet or Lac Noir above Les Coches - two lovely, forested reds. Crossing over to Les Arcs, a handful of pistes stream down to Plan Peisey and Vallandry. On the other side, there’s the snow sure Combe run up on the Bellecote glacier and cruisey Inversens from Roche de Mio.

What is Montchavin like for Advanced skiers?

The Pelees piste is a tree-lined black and a couple of the black runs are designated ungroomed “Natur” trails, including the Les Murs and Malatray where some hefty moguls can build up.

What is Montchavin like for off-piste skiing?

Off piste, there are some good tree routes and powder bowls on the La Plagne side of Dos Rond. A guide will be able to show you some excellent terrain both locally and further out in the Paradiski.

What is Montchavin like for cross country skiing?

There are 16km of trails in the Saint Jaques forest with stunning view of Mont Blanc.

Montchavin Restaurants

In Montchavin, Café camp de Base is a cosy hut serving snacks and drinks, and we can’t get enough of the steak dinners at Le Moulin a Blanc.La Taverne du Monchu is another favourite for fondue and raclette. Les Coches and Montchavin are, like most businesses in the villages, small family-owned and run establishments.

Montchavin Après Ski

You’ll find bars and restaurants in both Montchavin and Les Coches – Up in Les Coches, La Table du Tarlin serves local beers (look out for the Mont Blanc Brasserie brews) White Lines bar has a lively atmosphere with music and big screens for the Six Nations and other sporting events.

Montchavin Activites for Non-skiers

Some of the best local activities include airboarding, snowbiking, SMX and ski riding. If you want to push your limits outdoors, the Bureau des Guides or the ski schools can organise off-piste, heli-skiing, ski touring and ice climbing adventures. The Olympic bobsleigh run over in La Plagne is also open to non-professional thrill seekers who can either take a 'taxi ride' behind a professional driver or ride a slower (but at 80kph fast enough for most), "self-guiding" 'bob raft'.However the slower pace of life is popular in Montchavin - Les Coches more than at most of the other Paradiski bases. You can find out about local history, tradition and produce with excursions and presentations organised through the tourist office. If you happen to be around on the first Wednesday in February, you can witness the annual Saint Agatha's day fate in celebration of the patron saint of Montchavin. At other times you can visit the library or join an arts or crafts class. There's also an ice rink, a cinema in Montchavin and board games rental from the tourist office. Snowshoeing and winter rambling are both popular and there are special lift tickets available for non-skiers and boarders as well as organised excursions to join.

Clothing Food & Souvenir Shops

There are half a dozen ski shops in each of Montchavin and les Coches and another 20 or so retail outlets besides, spread over the two centres. These include mini supermarkets, butchers, bakers, patisseries, tobacconists, hairdressers and post office.

Best Time to Visit Montchavin

Thanks to the local slopes being north facing and tree lined, this part of La Plagne tends to hold the snow better than others nearing the end of the season. Throughout the Paradiski, 70% of the slopes are over 2000m, which puts the area in good stead for some conditions all winter long.

What's Montchavin like at Christmas?

Sledding with Santa and donkeys in the village have been parts of Christmas in Montchavin Les Coches in years gone by, adding a festive feel to an already very winter-wonderlandy setting.

What's Montchavin like in the New Year?

They know how to celebrate the New Year in Montchavin Les Coches – with parties on the piste and big firework displays.

What's Montchavin like in Half-Term?

Spend Half Term in Montchavin Les Coches in a traditional setting, with a socking great ski area on your doorstep – worlds away from the workplace.

What's Montchavin like at Easter?

With north facing pistes locally and higher terrain in the Paradiski, Easter in Montchavin Les Coches tends to see some of the best snow conditions in the Alps.

Montchavin Snow Conditions

Snow Report, History & Forecast

View our detailed Montchavin snow report to see skiing confitions now. Our Montchavin snow history shows you what snow depths have been in recent years month-by-month. If you're visiting soon, use the Montchavin snow forecast to see predicted snowfall over the coming days.

  • Partly cloudy skies Today
  • Light snow showers Sunday
  • Sunny skies Monday
  • Heavy snow Tuesday
  • Moderate snow Wednesday
  • Moderate snow Thursday
  • Current snow depth at top
    190 cm
  • Alternate Text
  • Current snow depth at base
    39 cm

Holder of the French tourist board’s Famille Plus label, Montchavin-La Plagne provides entertainment, activities and childcare options for families, in a resort that’s easy to navigate. There are Snow Gardens, Piou Piou clubs and toboggan runs in both Montchavin and Les Coches, where youngsters can learn to enjoy the snow in a fun, safe environment. Off skis, teens can get involved with snow mountain biking and fat biking, or the whole clan can set off on a husky ride through the forest.

With one of France’s biggest ski areas at your fingertips, this is a super base for groups of intermediate or advanced skiers and snowboarders who can set off to explore the La Plagne and Les Arcs ski areas together. Beginners aren’t forgotten, with private instructors available to teach friends together. While parties looking for a bigger après ski scene might be better off in Les Arcs or La Plagne, there are some good bars to gather together in at the end of the day, like Camp de Base and Table du Tarlin.

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Ski Extras

How much is a ski pass in Montchavin

Maximum and minimum adult Montchavin lift pass prices ranged from €203 to €203 for 6 days access to the Montchavin ski lift system at the start of the 2025 winter season. Our lift passes are part of a packaged Montchavin holiday with accommodation, so prices vary depending on chalet or hotel suppliers. Confirm price for the lift ticket before booking your holiday.

Lift Tickets Child Adult Senior
1 Day Price €32 - €32 €42 - €42 €32 - €32
6 Day Price €152 - €152 €203 - €203 €152 - €152
Age Range 6 - 13 14 - 64 65+

Getting to Montchavin

Most of our ski holidays to Montchavin packaged with flights include airport transfers. We can also arrange private transfers to Montchavin from nearby airports

How long does it take to fly to Montchavin from the UK?

Flights from London take about 1h 45m to Geneva, Grenoble, Chambery, Lyon. This table shows approximate transfer times to Montchavin from the nearest airports, smaller airports can be more prone to delays.

Airport Distance Transfer Time
Geneva 149 km 1 hour 40 minutes
Lyon 170 km 2 hours
Chambery 100 km 1 hour 10 minutes

How long does it take to drive to Montchavin from the UK?

Browse our self-drive ski holidays which include your car channel crossing, or go choose accom-only and book your car ferry or tunnel later.

How long is the transfer from nearest France train station to Montchavin?

The transfer time from alpine train stations are generally shorter than from airports, Call us for details of Montchavin transfers.

Station Distance Transfer Time
Landry 7 km 7 minutes

Montchavin Maps

Montchavin piste map
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Regional map
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Town Map
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Going to Montchavin under your own steam

For independant travel to France, compare accommodation only with Montchavin self-drive packages which include Eurotunnel or ferry.

Accomm-Only & Self-Drive

See driving directions to and from Montchavin in France.

Enter your start location and click "Get Directions" to view the route:

Montchavin Ski Holiday Resources

Need help choose your Montchavin ski holiday? Call us on 020 7770 6888 or click Enquire - we love to help!

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Similar Ski Resorts to Montchavin in France


Every Sno holiday packaged with flights is ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. All our suppliers are ATOL bonded, so your money is safe. In addition to this, payments for your holiday are held in trust, by NatWest bank and the Travel Trust, who insure every booking against supplier failure.

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