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St Francois de Longchamp Ski Resort
Saint François de Longchamp is a purpose built resort, built in the fifties and divided between two main bases. The lowest is 1450, and higher up there’s 1650, which itself is split into the areas of Les Longes, La Madeleine, La Lauziere and Plan Mollaret. This is the livelier, more diverse of the two, home to the ski school and the bulk of bars, restaurants and shops.
The architecture’s made up mostly of apartment blocks, with newer ones giving more of a nod to the traditional chalet style. But the lack of venerable old mountain huts is rarely a cause to grumble: everything you need is provided, and anyway - even the prettiest, daintily scalloped chalet would blur into insignificance in these surroundings… You’ve got the Mont blanc massif to the north and the Grandes Rousses massif, peaking at Pic de l’Etendard to the south. It’s stunning.
The resort’s convenient location is another selling point. It’s possible to get here by rail from Paris in four hours, and Geneva and Lyon airports are a two-hour drive away.
Of course the ski area’s a plus too. Lifts link François’ 70km of slopes in the Maurienne valley with Valmorel’s 95km of terrain over in the Tarenaise valley. This forms the Grand Domaine region and a Grand ski area it truly is, famed for miles of easy-going intermediate terrain and a huge hit with families.
Stats & FAQ
Location: Savoie, France
Established:
Open: December - April
Downhill: 70km
View our detailed St Francois de Longchamp snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our St Francois de Longchamp snow history.
| Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
| Grenoble-Isere (GNB) | 169km, 2h |
| Chambéry 87km (CMF) | 1h10 |
| Lyon St-Exupéry (LYS) | 168km, 2 hours |
| Geneva Airport (GVA) | 168km, 2h15 |
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| Top Altitude: | 2550m |
| Bottom Altitude: | 1450m |
| Resort Altitude: | 1450m & 1650m |
| Longest run: | |
| Slope Orientation: | |
| Vertical Drop: | 1300m |
| Skiable Vertical: | |
| Night Skiing: | No |
| Glacier: | No |
Snow Report
Web Cam
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| Downhill Runs: | 70km |
| Beginner slopes: | |
| Intermediate: | |
| Advanced slopes: | |
| Lift Pass Price: | €177 (adult 6 day – St Francois Longchamp) €220 (adult 6 day – Grand Domaine) |
| Nearby resorts: Valmorel, Valloire | |
Skiing/BoardingSkiing in St Francois de Longchamp
With ten green runs streaming down to 1650 and 1450, beginners are excellently provided for. Start off on the practice pistes near the village base, then progress onto longer cruisers like Le Soleil, La Cornue and Route du Tour. The ESF ski school run a range of group and private lessons to get you started on skis.
For improvers, there are some lovely wide blue runs to pootle down at your own pace - take the Mottaret and Rocher Blanc lifts to link pistes back to the base.
Intermediates will find reds scattered around the ski area - favourites include Les Creches and Les Coqs on the Roc Noir side.
In the black run department, look out for Le Loup, l’Aigle and La Lauzière on the other side. Local guides run off piste tours to the Col de la Madeleine and Lac Bleu if you want to up the ante, and there’s a big air bag at the bottom of the Lune Bleue chair lift for freestylers.
St Francois de Longchamp Apres Ski
La Grotte du Yeti is a favourite of the après ski bars here (you might have been to one of its sister bars in Les 2 Alps or Risoul) - look out for themed parties and expect a buzzing atmosphere once the lifts close. If you prefer après activities, head to the bowling bar at the Centre de Balnéothérapie or sign up for a snowshoeing evening and watch the sun set and stars come up.
In terms of daytime activities, you’ll find ice climbing, SnakeGliss and the four seasons toboggan run (think of a sled crossed with a rollercoaster…). Fatbiking is a new addition to the things you can do here, and there’s always the Balneotherapy Spa Centre for delicious downtime sampling pools, saunas, hot tubs and steam rooms.
Best time to go
Best time to ski St Francois de Longchamp
Best time to visit & ski St Francois de Longchamp
Over 300 snow cannons cover 22km slopes with man-made snow when Mother Nature requires a bit of back up. These include the Marquis blue and Soleil green which provide access down to the village. The highest pistes are the red and black runs accessed by the TS de la Lauziere, which set off from 2550m.
Peak Dates
22km of artificial snow cover gives the slopes a good base layer to prepare for Christmas in St Francois de Longchamp. Prepare your own take on Christmas dinner in your apartment, or book a Savoyard feast in a local restaurant.
Ski in the New Year in St Francois de Longchamp on cruisey, scenic pistes.
The excellent childcare and ski school offerings make Half Term in St Francois de Longchamp a super choice for young families, and holidays here tend to be a good amount cheaper than the big French resorts.
This isn’t the highest ski area in the Alps, but on years when Easter falls early and the snow holds out, Easter in St Francois de Longchamp has some incredibly scenic skiing.
Families in St Francois de Longchamp
Proud bearer of the Famille Plus Label, St F. moves mountains to make holidays with children easy and enjoyable. Last time we checked, the tourist office had mapped out ski routes for families to ski together which you could pick up from the information office. If you’re looking for childcare to let you enjoy the mountain, the Club des Lutins (run by ESF) cares for children from 3 months to 3 years old in the Maison des Enfants (near the tourist office) which has a big playroom and garden. There are options for older children too, in the Marmots and Cabris clubs. For fun together, La Comète is something between a rollercoaster and a toboggan run, open for families in the school holidays. In terms of indoor activities, the Centre de Balnéothérapie has a bowling alley (and excellent spa facilities, if you can wangle some you time…).
GroupsGroup Holidays St Francois de Longchamp
Friends looking to learn and improve on the slopes together will have a ball in St F. The easy-going nature of the ski area is a huge confidence builder, and with links to Valmorel you can really clock up the mileage without taking people out of their comfort zones. While there isn’t tons of choice in the après ski department, make La Grotte du Yeti your local for the week and you’ve got a cracking way to unwind at the end of a ski day. The self-catered apartments here are brilliant if you’re skiing on a shoestring, and groups can take turns at cooking to make sure everyone gets some time off.
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