French ski towns off the beaten path.
What are some less-touristed ski towns in France, for travelers seeking beautiful places with fewer crowds? Answer
Options include Morbier, a Jura village that lent its name to a cheese; Abondance, a tiny Alpine village anchored by a 14th-century abbey; and Ax-les-Thermes, a thermal spa village with more than sixty hot springs. This page includes 18 options. Click here to see which are close enough to be day trips from major cities like Lyon.
Abondance
Abondance, a tiny Alpine village in Haute-Savoie just south of Lake Geneva, lends its name to both a regional cheese and the breed of cattle whose milk produ…
Cauterets
This spa town and ski resort in the French Pyrenees, Cauterets sits along the Gave de Pau river within the Pyrénées National Park, surrounded by mountain sce…
Gérardmer
Sitting directly on its own lake in the Vosges mountains of northeastern France, Gérardmer is a compact town with a café and restaurant scene that would suit…
Saint-Lary-Soulan
This dual-season mountain resort village in the Hautes-Pyrénées, Saint-Lary-Soulan draws skiers in winter to its slopes at Pla d'Adet and Espiaube, and hiker…
Ax-les-Thermes
Thermal spa village in the Ariège Pyrenees with more than sixty hot springs, Ax-les-Thermes also operates a winter ski area — Ax 3 Domaines, established in D…
Morbier
Morbier, a village in the Jura mountains of eastern France, lent its name to the cheese produced across the wider Jura region and was, alongside Morez, the c…
Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Spa town in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, Bagnères-de-Bigorre sits in the valley of the Adour river and offers a café and restaurant scene that holds…
Aussois
A pocket-sized ski and mountain village on the edge of the Vanoise National Park — France's first — in the Savoie department of the Alps, Aussois draws winte…
Chamrousse
Chamrousse, a ski resort village in the Belledonne range above Grenoble, holds a particular place in French skiing history: the sport was first practised her…
Gavarnie
This small Pyrenean hamlet in the Hautes-Pyrénées is the gateway to the Cirque de Gavarnie, a massive glacial cirque and UNESCO World Heritage Site that also…
Saint-Véran
Claimed to be the highest permanent settlement in the French Alps, this pocket-sized hamlet in the Hautes-Alpes sits at high elevation within the Queyras Reg…
Samoëns
Alpine village in the Vallée du Giffre near the Swiss border, Samoëns holds a "ville fleurie" designation for the quality of its gardens and public greenery,…
Risoul
This ski village in the French Alps between Briançon and Gap, Risoul pairs with neighbouring Vars to form the Forêt Blanche resort, offering a large network…
Besse
A modest village in Puy-de-Dôme set within the Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne, Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise sits close to the water and the mountai…
Mouthe
France's coldest recorded place, Mouthe is a tiny Jura mountain village in the Doubs department where Météo-France officially logged −36.7°C on 13 January 1968.
Sixt-Fer-a-Cheval
At the end of the Giffre Valley in Haute-Savoie, Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval is a mountain village recognized among France's most beautiful, built around a priory and…
Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via
Font-Romeu, one of the oldest ski resorts in France and the oldest in the Pyrenees, anchors this small commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales near the Spanish bo…
Bagnères-de-Luchon
This Pyrenean spa town in Haute-Garonne, Bagnères-de-Luchon — commonly called Luchon — combines thermal baths with a ski area at Luchon-Superbagnères, reacha…
French ski towns: quick answers
Which French ski towns can you visit on a day trip from Lyon?
Morbier is among 1 ski towns on our day trips from Lyon.
Where are France's less-touristed ski towns?
Wandering Well lists 18 ski towns across France. The most are in Hautes-Pyrénées (4), Haute-Savoie (3) and Hautes-Alpes (2).
Which are the highest-rated?
14 are rated gold, including Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via, Cauterets, Aussois and Saint-Véran.
Which can you reach by train?
4 of the 18 have a railway station within a 10-minute drive, including Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via, Ax-les-Thermes, Morbier and Bagnères-de-Luchon.