SnowStash
ForecastsCompareNews
SnowStash Logo

Live snow, webcams and expert resort guides for the world's mountains - plan your next day on snow.

hello@snowstash.com
Download on the App Store

Destinations

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Europe
  • Japan
  • New Zealand
  • United States

Company

  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Privacy Policy

Explore

  • Compare Resorts
  • News & Updates
  • Snow Forecast
  • Mobile App

© 2026 SnowStash. All rights reserved.

    France, Europe

    Megève / Saint-Gervais

    263km pistes, 850-2353m elevation, Évasion Mont-Blanc pass access. Tree-lined terrain, medieval village charm, Geneva 90km.

    Season 2025-2026
    Opens
    6 Dec 2025
    Closes
    6 Apr 2026
    Days open
    121
    Annual snow
    4m
    The Overview
    MF
    Michael Fulton
    Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

    The interconnected domain spans 263 kilometres of piste across 232 marked runs, stretching from 850 metres in the valley to 2,353 metres atop Mont Joly. The 1,503-metre vertical drop carves through predominantly tree-lined terrain below 2,000 metres before opening to alpine bowls at higher elevations. Both resorts form part of the Évasion Mont-Blanc pass, granting access to 445 kilometres across six linked areas including Les Contamines and Combloux. The Rochebrune cable car, France's first purpose-built skiing gondola from 1933, remains an operational centrepiece.

    Terrain distribution favours progression: 37 per cent green and blue, 51 per cent intermediate red, and 12 per cent advanced black. Mont d'Arbois delivers long cruising runs through forest, whilst Mont Joux and Mont Joly host steeper pitches including the black Grand Chamois descent. Rochebrune's Côte 2000 sector maintains more reliable snow at 2,000 metres elevation. The Jaillet sector connects westward to Combloux via 5.5-kilometre blue runs.

    Megève village sits at 1,113 metres with medieval cobbled streets and direct gondola access to Rochebrune and Jaillet. Saint-Gervais at 850 metres offers thermal spa facilities alongside ski-in access via the Bettex gondola. Both bases blend alpine charm with functional infrastructure, though lower elevations require snowmaking coverage across 650 snow cannons. La Folie Douce occupies the Mont Joux summit at 2,000 metres.

    The Évasion Mont-Blanc pass covers all lifts for €63.50 daily (2025-26 adult rate). Mont Blanc Unlimited adds Chamonix, Courmayeur, and Verbier for extended exploration. The domain suits intermediates seeking mileage and families requiring varied terrain, though modest summit elevations make spring conditions variable. Ikon Pass holders receive conditional access to the full Évasion network.

    1503m
    Vertical
    232
    Runs
    263 km
    Piste
    4m
    Annual snow
    The Terrain

    232 runs across 263 km of piste

    Megève / Saint-Gervais spreads 232 runs across 263 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 51%, with 86 beginner runs to find your feet and 28 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.

    Terrain split
    232
    runs
    232 runs across 4 grades
    Beginner86 runs · 37%
    Intermediate118 runs · 51%
    Advanced28 runs · 12%
    Expert0 runs · 0%
    Time it right

    When to visit Megève / Saint-Gervais

    The 2025-26 season runs from 6 December 2025 (partial opening Côte 2000 and Mont d'Arbois) to 6 April 2026 for Megève sectors, with Rochebrune and Mont d'Arbois closing simultaneously. Saint-Gervais operates the same window, though upper lifts may extend through Easter depending on cover. Typical seasons span mid-December to early April, with Côte 2000's higher elevation occasionally holding snow into late April. Full terrain opening typically occurs by Christmas week.

    Annual snowfall averages 321 to 331 centimetres, supplemented by 650 snow cannons covering approximately 15 per cent of marked runs. Base elevations between 850 and 1,113 metres make the domain vulnerable during warm spells, particularly March onwards when lower runs require artificial support. Summit zones above 2,000 metres maintain more consistent coverage. January and February deliver the most reliable natural accumulation.

    Peak powder months run January through mid-February, avoiding February half-term crowds (8 to 22 February typically). Early December offers uncrowded slopes but limited terrain access. March provides spring conditions with extended daylight and warmer temperatures, though base runs often close by afternoon. Post-Easter skiing concentrates on Côte 2000 north-facing aspects.

    The calendar includes traditional markets each Friday in Megève village. Night skiing operates periodically on select runs. Folie Douce après-ski runs daily from 14:00 atop Mont Joux. No major competitions anchor the season. Horse-drawn sleighs transport skiers between Megève centre and Jaillet base during daylight hours.

    Season 2025-2026
    6 Dec 2025
    Opens
    6 Apr 2026
    Closes
    121
    Days open
    4 m
    Annual snow
    Getting there

    Getting to Megève / Saint-Gervais, and where to stay

    Megève occupies the Arve valley in Haute-Savoie at 1,113 metres, with Saint-Gervais-les-Bains 12 kilometres northwest at 850 metres elevation in the same watershed. The Mont Blanc massif dominates eastern views, rising to 4,808 metres 20 kilometres distant. The ski domain spreads across forested mid-mountain terrain between the Aravis range west and the Mont Blanc foothills east. Both villages sit within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes administrative region.

    Sallanches lies 12 kilometres northeast as the nearest valley town with rail connections. Combloux neighbours 4 kilometres from Megève, whilst Chamonix sits 30 kilometres east via the Arve valley. Annecy occupies the lakeshore 60 kilometres northwest. The area developed as a medieval farming district before the Rothschild family conceived Megève as France's answer to St Moritz during the 1920s.

    Road access follows the A40 Autoroute Blanche from Geneva, exiting at Sallanches (Exit 20) then continuing 12 kilometres via the D1212 departmental road to Megève. From Lyon 200 kilometres south, the A43 and A41 motorways connect via Albertville. Swiss travellers require a motorway vignette; Italian arrivals use the Mont Blanc tunnel (A40). Journey time from Geneva airport averages 70 minutes in clear conditions.

    Geneva International Airport lies 90 kilometres northwest with the highest frequency of international routes. Chambéry airport sits 95 kilometres south, Lyon 172 kilometres. Sallanches-Combloux-Megève train station receives direct TGV services from Paris Gare de Lyon (4 hours 40 minutes weekends), plus regional TER trains from Annecy and Geneva via Léman Express connections. Bus transfers complete the 12-kilometre link from Sallanches station, operated by SAT Mont Blanc on line Y83.

    Where to stay

    Search all stays →

    Hotels and lodges near Megève / Saint-Gervais, powered by Stay22.

    Latest News

    From the SnowStash desk

    View all news →
    Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured

    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

    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

    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
    Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert

    Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert

    A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.

    26 Aug 2026
    Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business

    Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business

    Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.

    25 Aug 2026
    Ski-E-O! Is the Ski Resort Tycoon Game We Didn't Know We Needed

    Ski-E-O! Is the Ski Resort Tycoon Game We Didn't Know We Needed

    I'm not a gamer. I'm a skier and snowboarder who happens to have a laptop. So when a ski resort management game called Ski-E-O! landed on Steam, I wasn't expecting to lose an afternoon to it - but here we are. Real mountain terrain, a full weather system, storms that roll in and wreck your snow base, avalanche danger, and enough depth to make RollerCoaster Tycoon feel simple by comparison. Early access lands in November. Here's what a few hours in the free demo actually looks like.

    23 Aug 2026
    Sugar Bowl, California, Rebuilds Its Historic Village Gondola

    Sugar Bowl, California, Rebuilds Its Historic Village Gondola

    The rumours are true: Sugar Bowl is tearing out its Emerald gondola, in place since 1983, and replacing it with a new 8-person Doppelmayr system - nearly doubling uphill capacity to 1,800 people an hour. It's the fourth generation of a gondola line that dates back to 1953, when Sugar Bowl became the first resort on the West Coast to run one at all, and it's just one piece of a $100 million overhaul touching lodges, parking and snowmaking. Here's what's changing, and what's staying the same.

    23 Aug 2026
    Two Confirmed Dead as Search Continues After Swiss Alps Fire

    Two Confirmed Dead as Search Continues After Swiss Alps Fire

    The death toll from Thursday night's fire at Restaurant Beverin in Thusis, Switzerland, has begun to firm up. One Swiss outlet, citing Graubünden Cantonal Police, reports that two of the five people initially reported missing have now been confirmed dead, leaving three unaccounted for. The building's collapsed stairwell and structural instability have slowed recovery efforts throughout. Here's what's changed since the fire broke out, and what's still unconfirmed.

    22 Aug 2026

    Megève / Saint-Gervais Lift System

    The combined infrastructure operates 81 lifts within the immediate Megève-Saint-Gervais network, expanding to 162 installations across the broader Évasion domain. The breakdown includes nine gondolas, 13 quad chairs, nine six-pack chairs, two triple chairs, and two double chairs, supplemented by 42 t-bars and two surface lifts. Two aerial trams serve specific access points. Uphill capacity reaches 52,000 skiers per hour across the Megève sectors.

    The Rochebrune cable car built in 1933 remains the signature installation, its red cabins traversing the valley between village and mid-mountain at 1,754 metres. The Chamois gondola extends Rochebrune access to upper slopes. Mont d'Arbois connects via the Princesse gondola from a separate base 3 kilometres from Megève centre, or by horizontal cable car from Rochebrune summit. The Jaillet gondola departs the western village edge at 1,585 metres elevation.

    Saint-Gervais relies on the Bettex gondola from Le Fayet at 850 metres, linking to Mont d'Arbois via a second gondola stage. The Mont Joly chairlift tops out at 2,353 metres, accessing the domain's highest terrain. Six-pack chairs on Mont d'Arbois improve circulation, though older fixed-grip lifts and numerous drag lifts persist on outer sectors. Return to valley level often requires downloading via gondola as snow cover deteriorates below 1,200 metres.

    Recent upgrades include the Valléen gondola improving Saint-Gervais valley access, completed 2020. Modern six-seater chairs replaced ageing infrastructure on popular routes, though the extensive reliance on t-bars on peripheral terrain remains a friction point. Technology includes hands-free RFID passes at €3 non-refundable. Queue pressure concentrates at Rochebrune and Princesse bases during French school holidays in February.

    81lifts across 8 types
    2
    Aerial Trams
    9
    Gondolas
    9
    6-Person Chairs
    13
    Quad Chairs
    2
    Triple Chairs
    2
    Double Chairs
    42
    T-Bars
    2
    Surface Lifts

    Megève / Saint-Gervais lift system

    Megève / Saint-Gervais is served by 81 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.

    More Megève / Saint-Gervais intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.