Megève Ski Area Guide: Slopes, Sectors and Piste Map

On 10 December 1933, a red cabin rose above Megève towards the summit of Rochebrune. It was the first cable car in France designed for skiers. The following year, Baroness Maurice de Rothschild equipped the Mont d’Arbois in turn. Almost a century later, these two mountains form the heart of a ski area of about 400km according to the lift operator, the Évasion Mont-Blanc, which links Megève with Saint-Gervais, Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce, Combloux and La Giettaz, facing the Mont Blanc massif. Here is how it is laid out, how to reach it from the village, and where the best spots are.

Four massifs around the village

Megève does not ski on a single mountain but on four, each with its own character. Rochebrune, to the south-west, is the historic birthplace, served by the 1933 cable car whose cabins were renewed in 2021. The summit of the Alpette, at 1871m according to the lift operator, offers a panorama over Mont Blanc. The Mont d’Arbois, to the east, is the massif of views over the Mont Blanc range, the one shaped by the Rothschild family. The Cote 2000, to the south, extends Rochebrune towards wilder pistes, facing the Aiguilles Croches.

The Jaillet, to the west, is reached by its gondola from the village. Note that it belongs to another ski area, the Portes du Mont-Blanc, with Combloux and La Giettaz, and closes earlier, on 21 March 2027. It cannot be reached on skis from Rochebrune: you get there by shuttle or by the gondola.

Getting from one sector to another

Since 1986, the Rocharbois cable car has linked Rochebrune and the Mont d’Arbois: you go from one massif to the other without taking the shuttle. From the Mont d’Arbois, the pistes drop towards Saint-Gervais via Le Bettex and towards Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce, where the Mont Joly chairlift climbs to the highest point of the ski area, at 2353m. This is where the Évasion Mont-Blanc shows its full scale, over a whole day.

A detail few guides mention: Les Contamines-Montjoie is included in the Évasion Mont-Blanc pass, but it is not linked on skis to the rest of the ski area. It lies on the other side of the Mont Joly and the Aiguille Croche, and is reached by road.

AEC’s tip. To leave the car at the chalet all week, choose a property within walking distance of a lift or on a Meg’Bus line: line 1 serves Rochebrune and the Jaillet, line 2 the Mont d’Arbois, the Cote 2000 and also the Jaillet.

First turns, family skiing and fun

First turns are made on the beginner areas of Rochebrune, the Mont d’Arbois and Petit Rochebrune, accessible with the beginner pass. At the top of the Mont d’Arbois, the Marmottons area has a covered conveyor belt, facing Mont Blanc. The youngest have the Village des Lutins, and the Princesse toboggan run winds three kilometres through the forest.

For more committed riding, Megève’s snowpark lies under the Grands Champs chairlift, on the Rochebrune massif, free with a valid lift pass. The boardercross on piste A is right next to it. For free sledging, the Caboche, Pré Saint-Amour and La Livraz areas cost nothing, as does the Ours des Prés play area.

Mountain restaurants and viewpoints

Lunch is part of a ski day in Megève. On Rochebrune, L’Alpette, at the top of the sector, can be reached on skis or on foot. On the Mont d’Arbois, on the Saint-Gervais side, L’Idéal 1850 and Chez la Tante, both around 1850m, look out over the Mont Blanc massif. At the Cote 2000, the Chalet du Radaz, at 1621m, sits in the middle of the pistes, facing the Aiguilles Croches. For photos, the summits of the Caboche and the Mont d’Arbois have photo points facing Mont Blanc.

Cross-country skiing

Megève has nearly 40km of Nordic trails according to the commune, for classic and skating: the Livraz loop at the Cote 2000 (18km), the Mont d’Arbois to the Encraty (10km), a groomed route towards Le Bettex and Saint-Nicolas (15km), and the Odier trail towards the Arly plain (5km), free of charge.

A ski area written by its champions

Megève is also the town of Émile Allais, born here in 1912, triple world champion in Chamonix in 1937 in downhill, slalom and combined. From 1951, the resort named its international downhill Grand Prix after him, the Coupe Émile Allais. The story of the Mont d’Arbois and the Rothschild family is told in our travel book on skiing the Mont d’Arbois.

For everything else in the resort, from horse-drawn carriages in the village to the ice rink at the Palais, see our guide What to do in Megève in winter. The official piste map and real-time piste status are published on the ski area’s interactive map.

Where to stay

The area of your chalet shapes the way you ski. Rochebrune and the village centre put the cable car and the Chamois a few minutes away. The Mont d’Arbois puts the sunny pistes and the link to Saint-Gervais at the foot of the chalet. Demi-Quartier and the Princesse gondola give direct access to the Mont d’Arbois, away from the bustle. Our agents guide you according to your group and your level: discover our chalets and apartments in Megève.

A first track on the Mont d’Arbois at sunrise, Mont Blanc lighting up opposite, and the ride back to the chalet on skis: this is the ski area people come to Megève for.

Frequently asked questions