Avoriaz ski resort is part of the famed and huge Portes du Soleil international ski area that combines fine skiing in France and neighbouring Switzerland. Avoriaz is right on the Swiss border, south of Lake Geneva, and is an intermediate skiing and snowboarding paradise. Avoriaz is the highest of the surrounding ski resorts and offers favourable conditions late in the season.

The resort is purpose-built and has the attraction of being traffic-free; transport is provided by horse-drawn sleigh. Perched high on a cliff, buildings have pleasant wood exteriors and the ambience is decidedly French. Avoriaz has modern facilities, and there are banks and numerous good shopping outlets.

There are 16,000 beds in two- to three-star hotels, chalets and private apartments. Avoriaz is a lively ski resort and restaurants, bars and discos provide entertainment in the form of fine food, live music and dancing. A ski kindergarten is available by day or week, with lunch included.

Forty-nine pistes run over 150kms of superb terrain at Avoriaz ski resort, with skiing and snowboarding suited to all levels of experience. There is more than 20kms of (black) expert terrain for professional skiers and experienced snowboarders, while the longest run at the resort is 11kms. Access is provided by 47 efficient ski lifts with a capacity to lift 47,000 people per hour.

For alternative skiing, there are 650kms of slopes in the Portes du Soleil ski region, with 211 ski lifts all available on a single pass, and you can make a Swiss skiing connection from Avoriaz to Les Crosets and Champéry. The more traditional and older ski resort of Morzine, well known for its locally-produced cheese and handicrafts as well as its skiing, is nearby.

The ski season runs from mid-December to late April, with special deals at the beginning and end of the season. Geneva-Cointrin is the gateway airport and there are frequent trains to Cluses and Thonon Les Bains, from where buses go to Avoriaz.