The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Auron is the largest ski domain in the Alpes-Maritimes department, spreading 135km of pistes across four distinct sectors — Les Donnas, Sauma Longue, Demandols and Lieuson — at elevations between 1,600m and 2,450m in the Tinée Valley of the French Maritime Alps. The 43 runs break down as 43% beginner, 33% intermediate and 24% advanced across an 850m vertical, with the terrain distributed across open, wide slopes on the upper mountain and more sheltered, forested runs lower down.
A north and north-westerly aspect across the majority of the ski area plays a significant role in preserving snow quality throughout the season, and with 95km of snowmaking coverage across the full domain, reliable conditions are maintained from December through to mid-April.
Auron has been the focal point of skiing in the Maritime Alps since it opened its first lift in 1937, establishing itself as a pioneer of downhill skiing in the department and developing steadily into the substantial resort it is today. The terrain around the high-altitude Demandols sector provides the most challenging skiing on the mountain, with black runs accessible from the upper lifts that attract experienced skiers looking for steeper and less-trafficked terrain.
The resort has historically drawn a well-heeled crowd from the nearby Côte d'Azur — former French president Jacques Chirac, artist Marc Chagall and musician Sacha Distel among its noted past visitors — giving Auron a reputation that sits somewhere between genuine mountain resort and glamorous coastal escape, without quite being either.
850m
Vertical
43
Runs
135 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
The Terrain
43 runs across 135 km of piste
Auron spreads 43 runs across 135 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 43%, with 18 beginner runs to find your feet and 10 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
43
runs
43 runs across 4 grades
Beginner18 runs · 43%
Intermediate14 runs · 33%
Advanced10 runs · 24%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Auron
Auron operates from early December through to mid-April, with the 2025/26 season running 6 December to 12 April. The resort averages 4 metres of annual snowfall, and the combination of north and north-westerly aspect across most of the ski area and the comprehensive snowmaking network provides the consistent cover the terrain requires across its 850m vertical.
The Tinée Valley's position in the Maritime Alps creates a distinct snowfall pattern: early-season cold air pushed north from the Mediterranean frequently produces snowfall at altitude ahead of resorts further inland, giving Auron a reputation for reliable early-season coverage that the bigger name French Alpine resorts to the north sometimes miss. The snowiest period historically falls in late February and early March.
Spring conditions at Auron are well regarded, with the combination of high sunshine hours, the north-facing aspect that slows snow degradation and the resort's elevation keeping the upper sectors in good shape well into April.
The resort's proximity to the Mercantour National Park means the wider landscape surrounding the ski area is at its most spectacular in late season, with clear visibility across the Maritime Alps and into the high peaks above the Col de la Bonette — at 2,802m, one of the highest paved mountain passes in Europe — providing a visual backdrop that distinguishes Auron from resorts in more heavily built-up Alpine valleys.
Season 2025-2026
6 Dec 2025
Opens
12 Apr 2026
Closes
127
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Auron, and where to stay
Auron sits in the commune of Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée in the Alpes-Maritimes department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, 95km north of Nice in the Tinée Valley at the gateway to Mercantour National Park. The drive from Nice takes approximately 90 minutes via the RN202 through the Var Valley before turning north on the D39 through the Haute Tinée.
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is the principal international gateway, with direct connections from across Europe and the UK, making Auron one of the more easily accessible ski resorts in the French Alps for visitors flying in — the transfer is direct, straightforward and entirely without the mountain pass complications that affect approaches to higher-altitude resorts. Two daily bus shuttles operate between Nice and Auron during the ski season for those without a vehicle.
The resort village of Auron sits at 1,600m and retains considerable character from its origins as a mountain hamlet — a 13th-century chapel with classified Romanesque frescoes stands at its centre, and the pedestrianised village core around the ice rink has a more authentic feel than many purpose-built stations of comparable size.
Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée at 1,140m, linked directly to the ski area by the Pinatelle gondola, adds further cultural substance — a traditional village of around 1,300 residents with religious buildings dating from the 13th and 17th centuries, Provençal restaurants and a heritage that reflects the long history of the Haute Tinée. Isola 2000, the other major ski resort in the Alpes-Maritimes, is reachable by road and sits at a significantly higher base elevation of 2,000m for those looking to extend their visit across both domains.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Auron, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Auron Webcams
3 live angles across the mountain. Tap any camera to go full-screen.
About Auron's live webcams
Check live conditions across Auron with 3 real-time webcams showing snow, weather, and lift operations, updated every 10 minutes. Check high-elevation cams for powder visibility and base-area cams for crowd levels before you head up.
Camera guide
- Berchia Live Cam2274m
- Webcam auron at its highest fixed point — the Berchia summit at 2274 meters where the Buttieres and Lieuson lifts converge and the full sweep of the Tinée Valley opens out below. This auron webcam delivers real-time upper-mountain visibility from the top of the largest ski domain in the Alpes-Maritimes, giving advanced skiers an accurate read on snow quality and wind exposure across the Sauma Longue and Lieuson sectors before heading up. The essential pre-session check for anyone targeting the more demanding terrain on this north-facing mountain just 95km from Nice — check this webcam auron aujourd'hui before planning any upper-mountain session.
- Village Live Cam1589m
- Webcam auron at the heart of the resort village at 1589 meters — the pedestrianised base where a 13th-century Romanesque chapel stands alongside the ice rink and the main lift departure points that connect to all four sectors of the 135km domain. This auron webcam gives day visitors and overnight guests a real-time look at resort-level conditions, morning crowd build-up and base snow coverage before heading out from accommodation or beginning the 90-minute drive from Nice. The most-checked webcam auron saint-etienne de tinée reference for local visitors from the Alpes-Maritimes coast planning their approach to the Maritime Alps' largest ski area.
- Chastellares Live Cam1665m
- Webcam auron at the Las Donnas base area at 1665 meters, surveying the main departure zone where multiple lifts load and the primary piste network fans out across the lower mountain toward the Les Donnas and Demandols sectors above. This auron webcam monitors operational conditions, lift activity and snow coverage at the busiest point in the resort, making it the most practical tool for gauging crowd levels and morning snow quality before joining the flow up the mountain. A key webcam auron 06 reference for Côte d'Azur visitors making the most of their 90-minute transfer from Nice Côte d'Azur Airport to this under-the-radar Mercantour National Park ski destination.
Auron snow cams FAQ
How often do Auron snow cams update?
All Auron snow cams and webcams update every 10 minutes with fresh images showing current mountain conditions. This frequent update schedule ensures you have access to near real-time conditions for planning your ski day at Auron.
Which Auron webcam shows the best powder conditions?
The high-elevation Berchia Live Cam webcam at 2,274m provides the clearest view of powder conditions and snowfall. These Auron webcams capture fresh snow accumulation and visibility better than base area cameras.
Can I see Auron lift queues on the webcams?
Yes. Multiple Auron snow cams specifically show lift queue areas and chairlift operations, helping you time your arrival and avoid peak queue periods.
When is the best time to check Auron snow cams?
Check Auron webcams early morning (7-8am) for overnight snowfall assessment, and mid-afternoon for current crowd levels and weather. The live cams are most useful after storm events to assess fresh powder.
How can I check current conditions before buying Auron lift tickets?
Use our Auron webcams alongside the live snow report to assess conditions before purchasing lift tickets. The webcams show real-time visibility, snow quality, and operational status.
Do Auron webcams work on mobile devices?
Yes. All Auron snow cams and webcams are optimized for mobile viewing, so you can check live conditions from anywhere using your phone or tablet.
More Auron intelligence: snow report, lift tickets, trail map, resort overview.