Snowsure: 4.4
- Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
- Is often closed due to a lack of snow
- Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
- Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
- Flaine is snowsure even in the poorest seasons
Visitor reviews for Flaine Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
July 21, 2008
Tom from
United Kingdom
Tom from
United Kingdom
I'm 12, and I learnt to ski in Flaine. I soon got the hand of it with the very efficient and fun ski school ( I used SEI - Ski Ecole International - because the lessons were generaly 3hrs in the morning or afternoon. The other ski school was ESF and you got 2hrs morning AND afternoon! This was a pain!)
The buildings are just plain ugly but thanks to the beautiful tree lined slopes you couldn't see them.
Difficulty wise, there were very few green runs but some cracking nursery slopes for absolute beginners. The blue runs from 'Les Grandes Platieres' (2450m) were fantastic and lead all the way to the bottom of the resort. Red runs varied; the gentle 'Mephisto' from the gondola was great as a starter and the ominous 'Faust' was a challenge, despite it's beauty as it cascaded it's snowy body down to the village. The red runs were definitely the largest percent of pistes (perfect for intermediates) but there were only about four black runs. These however were fab, if not terrifying like the short 'Combe de Veret' or the longer 'Styx'. But, by far my favourite was the 'Diamond Noir', a narrow, thrilling,dangerous, mogully and horrendous piste which had well earned a notorious reputation!
Check out the 'Grand Massif' website or Flaine homepage for loads of info on the new changes to the resort e.g. more green runs and links to the amazing blue runs of the Aujon area where the silent, forested runs amaze you with their peacefulness and tranquility.
If you take the cable car to 'Les Grandes Platieres' you get the best views in the Alps, if not the Planet(!!) of the Mont Blanc Massif. The resort layout is cleverly designed so that you can navigate the whole resort with a few lifts. The button lifts can be a pain but the charlifts are great. The ski-to-door factor is the best bit (no carting round heavy skis after a day on the slopes) and I would reccommend Hotel Le Totem for this.
Food is great and, except for a few restaurants can be quite expensive. (But definitely worth it!!).
All in all, great snow, great skiing and a great holiday!!!
Would reccommend this to anyone!!
April 05, 2008
Rick Paris from
United Kingdom
Rick Paris from
United Kingdom
In 25 years of skiing all over the French Alps I have never fancied Flaine; didn't like the name! What a mistake. Just got back on 5th April 08; what a week, fresh snow most days, just about something for everyone and the Flaine bowl is very pretty. The runs are all very interesting, with enough challenge. Just give it a chance, you will be mighty impressed, I was.
Rick Paris
March 19, 2008
Mark from
France
Mark from
France
I have never read the reviews page of this site, but am compelled to respond to the description given to Flaine by your snow forecast title page. I would suggest you do your research correctly before putting off potential clients to this incredible resort by calling it ugly. It may not have the panache of La Clusaz, Megeve or Courchevel 1850, but "it has" won awards for it's architecture. The famous Bauhaus designer Marcel Breuer, who taught the architecture dept at Harvard University designed much of the resort and is responsible for its amazing totum poles. Having owned a transport company in the Alpes for the last 10 years, I've snowboarded more than once in almost every single resort in the Alpes - North & South. Admittedly, the concrete structures in the centre of Flaine are not beautiful, but are no worse than anything in Avoriaz or La Plagne.
Flaine is a purpose built resort, hence concrete, and for this reason has the best functionality of any resort in France, and probably some of not only the best off-piste on the planet, but the best untracked off-piste on the planet. As for not challenging, the person who commented on this clearly did not take on the blacks in the Lac Gers towards the sixt section of the Grand Massif. The on-piste skiing is amazing, from the motorway wide reds and blues to the tree lined pistes off the white eggs. You don't get much better than the skiing in Flaine. Believe me I live in Morillon and have lived in Les Gets for 8 years previous to that. When you put this package together then tell people that the transfer time from Geneva is less than one hour during the week, it can't be beaten. It really does irritate me that people in responsible positions like this site bang on about things they know nothing about. I own a 100 person plus business here and irresponsible reporting can affect greatly my business in this part of the Alpes.
[Note from the database editor at SF: Please accept our apologies for any upset caused by information within our summary of Flaine. The content shall be reviewed in order to maintain an honest and unbiased approach.]
March 18, 2008
lisa from
United Kingdom
lisa from
United Kingdom
28th February 2008.
Stayed at Le Totem hotel and it was brilliant. Advertised as 'ski to door' and it certainly was. Step out of the hotel and you are right on the door step for all the slopes from black runs to the nursery slopes. Flaine caters well for everyone of all abilities. I haven't skied for 20 years and felt at ease on the blue runs! Fantastic for kids and we are certainly returning next year this time with the kids!! Despite other reports of lifts closing early, we never found this to be a problem. As the skiing was so good during the day we were knackered in the afternoon so looked forward to returning for afternoon tea at the hotel late afternoon. Highly recommended!!
March 10, 2008
Mike from
United Kingdom
Mike from
United Kingdom
Just got back from a weeks skiing in Flaine. Having been there I'm more than a little annoyed when I see quotes saying it's the ugliest resort in the Alps. Obviously some people have never been to Val Claret (Tignes), Val Thorens or Les Arcs 2000.
This is a family resort. The local tour office put on a "feature" every evening from 5-7pm in Flaine Forum and this usually involves free Vin Chaud or free hot chocolate (with a drop of Chartreuse for adults).
There's a decent indoor swimming pool and a bowling alley within the resort. There's enough eateries to keep you going for over a week. Check out the Perdix Noire. It's easily the best restaurant I've seen in the Alps - excellent.
Skiing wise, there's not much to challenge somebody who wants to race down blacks all day long but given it is a family resort and there seemed to be an enormous amount of children learning to ski so it's great to know that that kind of idiots who skis irresponsibly won't be attracted to the resort.
The area is linked to Les Carroz, Morillon and Samoens and I was really surprised at just how good the pistes were in these resorts and that they were easily accessible.
Nightlife is on the quiet side, but again, this resort is not pitched at the heavy apres-ski brigade. However, this did not stop us being woken up at 3am by some blind drunk louts shouting whilst walking down the road. Bet you can't guess the nationality? That's right - Brits abroad.
The only let down was the 14km run (Cascase), right from the highest point in the resort down into Sixt, was closed all week due to lack of snow at the bottom.
All in all, it's a good resort and I would advise anyone with a family looking for somewhere suitable to take youngsters and feel safe (in the fact that they will kept amused off the piste and safe on it).
If you want heavy apres-ski and are a bit of a liability on the piste then go somewhere else ... Please.
February 18, 2008
sally from
United Kingdom
sally from
United Kingdom
January 6th 2008. We stayed in new apartments, Les Pleiades, very good quality. Ski bus stops outside. Found the piste plan a bit strange, but no queues. Two lifts closed at 3.30 so watch out if you go to Morillon/Samoens. Lots of snow, expensive ski pass, area not connected very well. Prefer other places to ski but had a good time.
February 17, 2008
Mark from
United Kingdom
Mark from
United Kingdom
Returned yesterday (16th Feb) after a week long stay in Flaine (w/c 9th Feb) and had a great time. The snow was great quality considering it hasn't snowed since the 6th Feb now, the sunshine was fantastic - even got a tan whilst there.
The resort itself offers lots of steep groomed red runs perfect for the talented piste skier, very few black runs on offer for the more demanding. Also not a great deal of green runs in Flaine itself for complete beginners, the 2 accessible greens were always packed.
If you're taking children be wary of the ski school, they seem to have no problem packing as many as 16 kids into one class - far too many. In the US there seems to be a 7 max limit. The ski-school itself was very serious for children, compared with the US schools where the emphasis is on fun. It was a little odd to see my cousin pushed so hard on skills for a child (9) - he didn't want to go back for his 4th or 5th lessons (and didn't), I imagine the situation is better off-peak though.
Food is very expensive on the mountain, a couple of steals to be found though if you shop around the on-mountain bar/restaurants. After skiing, restaurants are nice and lively but family orientated, mostly.
We took a snow-shoe walk one night, for a couple of hours, which was absolutely fantastic, seeing the back non-skiing part of the mountain in just the moonlight is well worth the money (something like 35Euros each including a delicious 3 course dinner)
In summary...
Advanced: 3/5
High Intermediate: 5/5
Intermediate: 5/5
Beginner: 2/5
Ski School: 2/5
Eating: 4/5
Scenery: 5/5
February 14, 2008
Jim from
United Kingdom
Jim from
United Kingdom
+ve's
A great resort for the family
Lots of non skiing activities.
Easy skiing for all abilities.
Fab ski conditions (w/c 4 Feb)
-ve's
As everyone says, not an attractive resort !
Skiing is easy/if your experienced you'll find better a bigger challenge elsewhere in the Alps.
Ski runs and lifts don't feel as well arranged as other resorts.
In summary a great resort to learn to ski or to take a young family too but there are bigger challenges at other resorts both on and off the piste !
February 10, 2008
sue o'neill from
United Kingdom
sue o'neill from
United Kingdom
Flaine is a brilliant place in every way - love the atmosphere, the snow and not least, the architecture ... of course, we pay a little more for food but then it takes navigating 58 hair pin bends to get it there so the odd extra Euro to eat well is nothing ...... will continue to go as often as possible.
January 30, 2008
Anji Th from
United Kingdom
Anji Th from
United Kingdom
Got back from a long weekend a couple of days ago and had a fabulous time. Been to Flaine before but never took advantage of the full Grand Massif ski area. There are some beautiful runs 'over the top' and in Flaine itself; really wide and tree lined. Lovely terraces to drink vin chaud, catch a few rays & relax. If you're worried about the architecture being awful, don't... you can't see it when you're skiing!!
I'm quite a fussy skier and I can't wait to go back.
Nearest