Clicking your skis on outside your hotel and hitting the slopes less than three hours after taking off from Dublin airport is just one of the things that makes a ski break in Les Gets our top tip for those looking for one more ski of the season. Direct flights from Ireland to Geneva and a one-hour transfer to Les Gets make for an easy connection. The resort is part of the Portes du Soleil which gives you access to one of the best ski areas in the Alps. Morzine and Avoriaz are just two of the more popular resorts that can be reached through a combination of blue/red slopes and chair lifts but for the more adventurous why not ski to Switzerland for lunch or attempt the steepest black slope in Europe, the feared Swiss Wall.
The Les Gets area comprising the main Chavannes area and the quieter ‘local’s mountain’ Mont Chery offers a huge amount of value for your lift pass with excellent planning and constant development going into both runs and access. An ideal resort for family groups and mixed level groups, the ski area has plenty to suit everyone. Dedicated kids areas abound like the Indian-themed le Grand Cry complete with whooping sound effects issuing from the trees. We can vouch for the fact that it’s a lot of fun for adults too.
There is plenty of both self catering and hotel accommodation available within a five minute walk of the slopes, a fact which makes things a lot easier for family groups. We recommend the slope side boutique Hotel Crychar with its new luxury spa and wonderful food offerings from the chef; the hotel’s bar is also a perfect apres ski spot with fine wines, blazing fires and a cool playlist.
The town itself is still a working French town with a warm and friendly atmosphere. A wide array of restaurants provide everything from upmarket treatments of local specialties like tartiflette, to cheap and cheerful pizzas, and the local Irish pub brews its own beer. We recommend Le Flambeau restaurant in the town and La Paika on the slopes at the side of the blue Vorosses piste; you’ll have to ski hard to offset the calories, but with food this good, who cares? For those self-catering there are a number of supermarkets right in the centre of town, along with boulangeries baking delicious bread and croissants, and delicatessens selling roast chicken from the spit. Chocolate lovers beware, it is very hard to walk down the street without being brought to a halt by mouth watering displays in the local shop windows. Gift shops galore, a musical-themed museum, and an ice-skating rink right in the centre of town provide plenty of interest for when you’re not up on the slopes.
We visited Les Gets at the beginning of March when snow conditions were still good. More snow is forecast and the season there runs until April, giving you just enough time to get your skates, skis or snowboard on. There’s also an active MTB scene in the summer and plenty of hikes up the wonderful wood-fringed mountains. Find out more here.
