Megeve - St Gervais Ski Resort France
Megeve ski resort is centred on the charming & refined village of the same name in France's renowned Haute Savoie. Megève is known for its protection of history, tradition & authenticity, characteristics which in many French ski resorts has been laid to waste. The lovely, lively village is connected to St Gervais les Bains, via a huge network of lifts & mainly beginner-intermediate ski trails with a quadricep-melting local skiable vertical of over 1,450m.
Pros & Cons for Megève St Gervais Ski Resort
Pros
- Authentic French Alps village & ski resort.
- Long skiable vertical of over 1,500m.
- Vast network of lifts & ski trails.
- Quality on-piste trails for beginner & intermediate skiers & snowboarders.
- Excellent value lift pass – Evasion Mont Blanc.
- Public transport access by train & bus is good.
Cons
- Can get quite busy.
- Low elevation villages may not have natural snow for much of winter.
- Limited advanced & quality off-piste terrain.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Close to Chamonix & Mont Blanc.
- Accommodation can be relatively expensive & popular.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lift & Terrain
Megeve's ski area is a vast, tangled mass of lift, piste & pass interlinked confusion with neighbouring resorts including St Gervais & Jaillet-Combloux. Thankfully, most skiers & snowboarders will remain blissfully ignorant of the ski resort boundaries due to the seamless & all-inclusive nature of the local Evasion Mont Blanc ski lift pass. The pass is excellent value & covers a massive 445km of ski trails and over 1,500m of skiable vertical - how typically French. The local ski trail network is around 260km, but with a few short bus rides, the Evasion ski pass includes access to the excellent Les Contamines ski area, located a few km south of St Gervais, plus come smaller resorts. Good to know, that if purchased online, an Evasion Mont Blanc ski-pass is at least €5 cheaper than if purchased at a ticket window. The resort is lacking in challenging terrain both on & off-piste, but most of the skiing public don’t really care for that, hence the resort’s popularity!
Check out the ski trail map for Megeve - Evasion Mont Blanc below.
Megeve is also part of the Mont Blanc Unlimited ski pass area which is valid in all the nearby Chamonix ski resorts, but at around €20+ extra a day, it is generally over-priced & of dubious value.
Where is Megeve France?
The Megève ski resort is in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps, only 90km by road from Geneva (GVA) international airport. The iconic mountain town of Chamonix & the towering Mont Blanc are only 20km away as the local pigeons’ fly! Closest major town is Sallanches, 13km north of Megeve by road. Public transport to the region is good via the Gare-de-Sallanches Combloux Megève (Sallanches train station!). Regular buses on route 83 travel from Sallanches to the centre of Megeve in 25min. Alternate access to the broader Evasion Mont Blanc ski area is via the St Gervais - Le Fayet train station. Search & book here for train tickets to Sallanches or St Gervais-Le Fayet.
In a post Covid-19 world, many may prefer to take a private transfer direct from the airport their hotel. Search & book here for all direct airport transfers from Geneva to Megeve.
Megeve Accommodation
The village of Megève has retained its regional charm & is the best place from which to fully experience the ski resort. The combination of traditional architecture, luxury accommodation & fine dining are hard to beat, but those travelling on a budget may struggle & are probably better off looking elsewhere (like Combloux, Les Contamines or Les Houches) & enjoying a day trip to Megeve.
Search & book here for all Megève ski accommodation.
An immediate overflow for Megeve is the village of Combloux. More affordable, it lacks Megeve's traditional charm. Combloux is however ski-lift connected via a circuitous route, & only 5½km north of Megeve village by road.
Search & book here for all Combloux ski accommodation.
Away from Megeve & Combloux, and on the opposite side of the mountain, centrally located St Gervais may appeal to visitors to the region. Whilst perhaps not as pretty as Megève, St Gervais has its own railway station nearby, plus is convenient to the Chamonix resorts & Les Contamines, as well as the Evasion lifts & slopes via the Bettex cable car.
Search & book here for all St Gervais ski accommodation.
Ski Rentals, Lessons, Guiding & Services
Ski rentals are available in the region via our local partners in Megeve, St Gervais, Combloux & Les Contamines-Montjoie. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Megeve Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
[AdListings Filter="Megeve Guiding"]
If you need a new ski outfit comprising modern jacket, pants, gloves & goggles, Megeve is one of the French ski resorts served by our partner ski clothing rental company, Ski-Chic. Order online & your ski outfit is delivered direct to your accommodation at the resort.
[AdListings Filter="Meribel Ski Rentals Clothing"]
Review
The Powderhounds were intending to review Megeve in season 2019/20, but even though we visited 16 French ski resorts in early 2020, Megeve did not make the cut. We will visit in the coming season (maybe!). More information will come following our visit.
See how we compare all European ski resorts on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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