La Chapelle-d’Abondance is one of few French ski resorts that offer direct ski runs into Switzerland.
It is also known for its cozy, quiet atmosphere and excellent access to the Portes du Soleil ski domain (one of the world’s largest ski areas with 600 km of slopes across France and Switzerland.)
Another main advantage – lower costs for lift tickets than other resorts nearby (we paid for a day 117 euro for 2 adults and 3 children in 2025)
Skiing
La Chapelle-d’Abondance is a family-friendly, mid-size ski resort suitable for all ski levels. We visited it 3 times with kids, would like to return.
Note: there are 2 not connected parts of La Chapelle-d’Abondance ski resort (we call them “north” and “south”), separated by short car/shuttle bus ride.
Orange-colored: La Chapelle-d’Abondance, “south” part on the left and “north” on the right:
Note #2. There is another, separate ski resort nearby, called just “Abondance”.
1. La Chapelle-d’Abondance, Northern side (Crêt-Béni ski lift)
We really liked “northern” part – because it’s not facing the sun like the “southern” part, snow cover there was times better.
Sitting at 1,020m – 1,800m altitude, it offers 23 km of alpine slopes, perfect for families, beginners, and intermediate skiers.
Pictured below: wide slope for beginners, near lower part of the Crêt-Béni ski lift:
One of the most interesting things for us was the abundance of places to ski through the forest:
Below: at the end of the longest T-bar we ever tried: 1407 meters!
Getting to the highest point by les Fontaines ski lift:
3. Chapelle-d’Abondance, Southern part, connected to Switzerland. (La Panthiaz cable car)
To discover skiing in two counties in one day you have to choose the southern side of Chapelle-d’Abondance ski resort via La Panthiaz cable car. It is allows you to discover the area starting at altitude of 1476m.
The main perk of this area – connection with Switzerland and famous Portes du Soleil ski domain by ski lifts.
Pictured below: welcome to Switzerland!
Below: the Swiss-French border runs exactly on the tree line near horizon:
Below: T-bar at the swiss side (two of them were included in a day pass from Chapelle-d’Abondance)
It’s a great spot to ski right after fresh snowfall, but the snow tends to melt faster due to its sunny exposure.
We liked the views, how spacious trails is, and seamless cross-border ski experience.
4. French ski resorts: essential websites to check the snow/weather
- Leman mountains explore (webcam)
- Bergfex (mountain weather)
5. For non-skiers
Southern part (near La Panthiaz cable car) has 20.8 km of trails for cross-country-skiing, biathlon, while Northern has a wide sledding hill:
5. Where did we stay
We stayed for the 3d time at the Tollon-les-Memises, in the largest appartment so far (35 square meters), for under 100 euro per day:
First and last days we skied at the Chapelle-d’Abondance, north and south side, and 2d day at the Tollon.
As usual, we booked at the last minute when we knew for sure the weather would make the trip worthwhile.
Make sure to check out prices, schedules, and conditions before you go
Thanks for reading!
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