French Alps Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026/27
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The 2026/27 ski season in the French Alps gets under way on Saturday 21 November, when Tignes and Val Thorens open their slopes. The dates below show when each of the main resorts follows, which is worth knowing whether you are booking a week on the snow or thinking about spending your first winter in a home of your own.
Val d’Isère and Les Deux Alpes open a week later, on 28 November, with Avoriaz and parts of Chamonix starting the same weekend. Courchevel, Méribel, Les Menuires and Alpe d’Huez follow in the first week of December, while lower-altitude resorts such as Les Gets, Morzine and Valmorel tend to wait until closer to Christmas. Every date is a planned opening and can move with the snow, so it is worth checking the resort’s own lift report before you travel.
For anyone weighing up a purchase, three developments from The Collection in Courchevel Moriond and Méribel are also featured below, each ready for owners this winter.
Ski resort opening dates 2026/27
The table is in alphabetical order, with a link to each resort’s ski pass page. Resorts that share a ski area, such as Les 3 Vallées, link to the same pass.
| Resort | Ski area | Opens | Ski pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpe d’Huez | Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine | Sat 5 Dec 2026 | Alpe d’Huez ski passes |
| Avoriaz | Portes du Soleil | Sat 28 Nov 2026 (partial), full opening Fri 11 Dec | Avoriaz ski passes |
| Chamonix | Mont Blanc Unlimited | Sat 28 Nov 2026 (Grands Montets and Flégère), Brévent and Le Tour from Sat 12 Dec | Chamonix ski passes |
| Châtel | Portes du Soleil | Sat 19 Dec 2026 (pre-opening possible, snow permitting) | Châtel ski passes |
| Courchevel | Les 3 Vallées | Fri 4 Dec 2026 | Courchevel ski passes |
| Flaine | Grand Massif | Sat 5 Dec 2026 | Flaine ski passes |
| La Clusaz | La Clusaz | Sat 12 Dec 2026 | La Clusaz ski passes |
| La Plagne | Paradiski | Sat 12 Dec 2026 | La Plagne ski passes |
| La Rosière | Espace San Bernardo | Sat 12 Dec 2026 | La Rosière ski passes |
| Les Arcs | Paradiski | Sat 12 Dec 2026 | Les Arcs ski passes |
| Les Carroz | Grand Massif | Sat 12 Dec 2026 | Grand Massif ski passes |
| Les Deux Alpes | Les 2 Alpes | Sat 28 Nov 2026 | Les 2 Alpes ski passes |
| Les Gets | Les Gets to Morzine, linked to Portes du Soleil | Sat 19 Dec 2026 (partial from Sat 12 Dec) | Les Gets and Morzine ski passes |
| Les Menuires | Les 3 Vallées | Sat 5 Dec 2026 | Les Menuires ski passes |
| Les Saisies | Espace Diamant | Sat 12 Dec 2026 (pre-opening Sat 5 and Sun 6 Dec) | Les Saisies ski passes |
| Megève | Évasion Mont-Blanc | Sat 19 Dec 2026 (partial pre-opening Sat 5 and Sun 6 Dec, gradual from Sat 12 Dec) | Megève ski passes |
| Méribel | Les 3 Vallées | Sat 5 Dec 2026 | Méribel ski passes |
| Morzine | Morzine to Les Gets, linked to Portes du Soleil | Sat 19 Dec 2026 (partial from Sat 12 Dec) | Morzine and Les Gets ski passes |
| Saint-Martin-de-Belleville | Les 3 Vallées | Sat 12 Dec 2026 | Saint-Martin-de-Belleville ski passes |
| Sainte-Foy | Sainte-Foy Tarentaise | Sat 12 Dec 2026 | Sainte-Foy ski passes |
| Samoëns | Grand Massif | Sat 12 Dec 2026 | Grand Massif ski passes |
| Serre Chevalier | Serre Chevalier | Sat 5 Dec 2026 | Serre Chevalier ski passes |
| Tignes | Tignes to Val d’Isère | Sat 21 Nov 2026 | Tignes ski passes |
| Val d’Isère | Tignes to Val d’Isère | Sat 28 Nov 2026 | Val d’Isère ski passes |
| Val Thorens | Les 3 Vallées | Sat 21 Nov 2026 | Val Thorens and Les 3 Vallées ski passes |
| Valmorel | Le Grand Domaine | Fri 18 Dec 2026 | Valmorel ski passes |
Dates are the planned openings published by each resort and ski area. All openings depend on snow conditions and can change. Some resorts open selected sectors first, so check the resort’s live lift report before you travel.
Three developments ready for this winter 2026 season
If you have been thinking about owning a home in the Alps, three developments from The Collection, WPC’s handpicked developments, are due this season, all close to the slopes in Les 3 Vallées. Falcon in Méribel is complete and ready to move into. Sundance and Steamboat in Courchevel Moriond are due to be delivered this winter season.
Planning a move to the French Alps?
Our free French Alps assessment asks a few questions about your plans and gives you a personalised plan for what to consider next, from choosing a resort to understanding the buying process.
Talk it through with an adviser
Choosing a resort, understanding how ownership works in France and planning the finance can feel like a lot at once. Our advisers have been working in international property and mortgage markets since 2001, and they are glad to answer questions at whatever stage you are at.
