The small French resort of Les Gets is located on the very edge of the Porte du Soleil region and is just an hour’s drive from Geneva. In winter, there are traditionally many sunny days here, and in clear weather Mont Blanc is clearly visible.

Of the 14 resorts that make up the Porte du Soleil region, eight are located in France, the remaining six are in Switzerland. And each of them has its own advantages and its own personality. If you are looking for solitude, a calm, quiet holiday and uncrowded slopes, choose the cozy French village of Les Gets. There are excellent conditions for a family holiday with children. The resort is marked with the “Family + Mountains” sticker, which means its maximum suitability for holidays with children.

Les Jeux is located on a small pass at an altitude of +1172 m with its own “home” skiing area and 120 kilometers of slopes.

This is a natural Alpine village that began its history in the 11th century. Even new houses and hotels are built in the traditional Alpine style here. Hotels in Les Jeux are mainly two- and three-star. Against the general background, the very homely and cozy La Marmotte chalet hotel stands out, which is awarded a solid 4*.

To decorate the interiors of this chalet, wooden panels over a hundred years old, collected from old houses, were used. The painting made on the wood by bark beetles is considered to be particularly chic, which, as it were, confirms the age and naturalness of the wood. The rooms at La Marmotte are spacious and decorated with rich imagination and taste, and the wonderful restaurant will satisfy the most demanding guest with its menu.

Hôtel Spa Crychar 4-star hotel

Le Crychar Hôtels-Chalets de Tradition is conveniently located next to the ski slopes slopes. The building features a garden with a terrace. A spa area with a sauna and a heated indoor pool are available all year round. Free Wi-Fi is available.

Numerous ski slopes are located next to the forests and mountain pastures, offering a wonderful panoramic view of the Portes du Soleil region.

After a day on the slopes of Les Gets, guests can relax by the fireplace, where homemade pastries, cakes and various teas are served. A buffet breakfast is served in the morning.

In summer, guests can go hiking or mountain biking. The nearby Gets Golf Course offers beautiful views of Mont Blanc.

Hôtel Alpina 3-star hotel

The Alpina Hotel is conveniently located in Les Gets in the Porte du Soleil ski region, 55 km from Geneva International Airport.

It offers 3 chalets with a wide range of rooms and family suites. All are decorated in a traditional Savoyard style and are equipped with a telephone and satellite TV. Guests can make use of the private bathroom and Wi-Fi.

The restaurant serves local cuisine made with fresh produce in a pleasant atmosphere, while the bar offers drinks by the fireplace.

The hotel is located in the heart of the valley, ideal for relaxing in the lap of nature. The hotel has a quiet summer garden; in winter it turns into a platform from which the ski slopes begin.

In addition, the Alpina Hotel has a spa with a swimming pool, hot tub, hammam and hydromassage shower, as well as outdoor and indoor parking.

On skis!

Les Jeu is surrounded by 3 peaks: Mont Chery (1850 m), La Rosta (1665 m) and Le Ranfoily (1826 m), on the slopes of which the “home” slopes are laid.

The altitudes here range from 1,172 to 2,002 meters, so the slope of the 50 local slopes is small (however, even locals often cannot separate the slopes of Les Gets from the slopes of Morzine), but the longest “blue” slope from the top of Le Ranfolly is as long as 6 km (the total length of the slopes is 110 km). On the sunny southern slopes there are about two dozen easy slopes for beginners, a slalom stadium and the so-called Gliss’District for snowboarders and freestylers. But on the northern slope there are several “red” slopes and virgin areas (it is recommended to ski here only with experienced guides – the area is avalanche-prone). And, of course, do not forget about the easy accessibility of the slopes of Morzine and other nearby resorts.

Les Jeux is a recognized resort for intermediate skiers and family vacations.

Part of the ski region and mountain restaurants are accessible without lifts. The ski season is from mid-December to the end of April.

Altitude difference – 1000-2350 m
Number of lifts in Port du Soleil – 211: gondolas – 14, chairlifts – 83, towpaths – 114
Number of lifts in Les Gets and Morzine – 52: funiculars – 2, cable cars – 3, chairlifts – 22, towpaths – 25
Ski slopes – 68 (le Mont-Chéry, les Chavannes, Nyon, Le Pleney)
Total length of slopes in Morzine and Les Gets – 260 km: for beginners – 10%, medium difficulty – 44%, for experienced skiers – 36%, difficult – 10%
Total length of slopes in Port du Soleil – 650 km
Snowpark

Adult and children’s ski and snowboard schools are open.

Skiing with children

The Le Grand Cry play track (Grand Cry, the territory of the Cree Indian chief) is ideal for children from 5 to 12 years old. It includes mini-slalom sections, a ski slope with music, a trapper’s hut and wigwams. Indian entertainers, who pretend to be novice skiers, play treasure hunts with children. Those who perform a ritual dance in front of a totem pole will be recorded on video, which can be posted on social networks.

The Mappy area allows you to learn skiing in complete safety and absolutely free of charge. The gentle slope is equipped with two moving walkways and two cable cars.

The La Piste Mauve Milka training trail, which introduces skiers to the alpine terrain, is decorated with life-size animal figures and explanatory boards with images of the flora and fauna typical of these places.

The fastest and most modern lift – the Chavannes Express gondola with a capacity of 3,000 people per hour, delivers skiers and boarders to the upper skiing area. In parallel with it, a new six-seater chairlift and another unique, almost museum-quality towable have been installed. This is the Boule de Gomme lift, the first to be installed in Les Gets in 1936 and also one of the first lifts produced by the world-famous Poma company. What is interesting: it still works properly and lifts skiers up. To the left of the Chavannes upper station is a children’s skiing area decorated in the style of the Wild West and North American Indians. There is also a small zoo on the slope where you can pet and feed pets.

You can climb the slopes of Le Ranfoily directly from the center of the village. You can get to La Rosta either by climbing Ranfoily first, or by driving a few kilometers by car to the lower station of the PerrieresExpress lift. La Rosta has several interesting black runs, one of which is called Yeti.

The third very interesting and secluded area is Mont Chery, served by the lift of the same name. Actually, these are the slopes of Mount Mont Chery, 1850 meters high, which have both a northern and southern orientation.

The most interesting here are the northern and northwestern slopes with good frosty snow and a decent slope. In addition to the black runs, there are nice freeride areas. And on the southern slopes, shaded by the sun, there is a slalom stadium and a freestyle arena. Having run around this zone, you will have to go back to the first two – it has no continuation.

But from the upper station of Chavannes Express you can go down to Morzine and from there start a journey through the entire Porte du Soleil area. But this is after running around all the runs in Les Gets.

What can you change your skis into

In Les Jeux you can try a new snow activity called Sled Dogs. It was invented not so long ago by two Norwegian brothers and their invention went far beyond the borders of the northern country. It quickly spread to the Alpine countries.

In a literal translation from English, Sled Dogs translates as “sled dogs” and does not reveal much about the meaning of the activity itself. The second name – Snow Skates, more accurately characterizes this projectile. Yes, exactly, these are snow skates.

All the necessary equipment is actually the boots themselves and no poles. Plastic boots for Sled Dogs are not much different from ski boots and are tightly fixed on the foot with the help of fasteners, but instead of the usual sole they have a small ski with metal edges and a curved toe the length of the boot itself. It is better to climb up on a regular toboggan – they simply will not let you onto the chairlift in sled dogs – it is dangerous. And the track itself should not be difficult – it is best to go down on green or blue.

On sled dogs, it is best to descend along a smoothly groomed ski slope, making smooth turns. In some areas, you can switch to skating. But you need to be especially careful about the position of the center of gravity, since unlike skiing, there is nothing to prevent you from falling. It is worth leaning forward a little more – your socks immediately dig into the snow and you fly nose forward.

However, if you know how to skate well, then learning this type of descent will be easy. With only ski training, it will be a little more difficult. But you can always seek help from a special instructor. In general, it is quite a fun activity and not at all difficult, so after a few descents and a certain number of falls you will get used to it and start to enjoy it. In March 2017, Le Gei hosted Snowfest, which attracted Sled Dog enthusiasts from all over Europe.

The owner of the Sled Dogs Hotel opened a sled dog rental in Le Gei. Next to it is the La Turche tow lift, which takes you to the beginning of the blue Vorosse trail. It meets all the requirements for sled dog riding.

Family vacation

Spot’les Gets is an interactive game, the territory of which is the entire Les Gei resort. By answering questions and riddles hidden on the trails, players earn crystals. Game spots are located on three ski slopes and two hiking trails. Participants can expect fun, statuses on social networks, ratings and, of course, prizes.

Every Wednesday after 5:00 PM, families with children are welcome at the Museum of Mechanical Music. In the educational corner, a session of acquaintance with special musical instruments is held. Guests will learn about how the barrel organ and mechanical piano work, how music is extracted from pipes, fur, perforated discs and reeds. The cost of visiting is 3 euros.

In the pottery workshop, children from 6 to 12 years old will be allowed to tinker with clay and mold a figurine, and older visitors will be able to mold a mug or pot on a potter’s wheel. Each guest will be given a souvenir of their product, which will be fired. The cost of the visit is 20 euros per hour, prior reservation is required.

In the carpentry workshop “Forest Kids”, classes with children are conducted by an experienced master.

Sapaba is a ceramic painting workshop. Visits are possible every day after lunch. Prices range from 6 to 60 euros, depending on the product chosen for painting.

You can also spend time with children in chocolate confectioneries.

Après-ski

At the end of a busy day, there is a buzz at the entrance to the establishment under the Irlandais sign, and there is a hustle and bustle inside. The owner of the bar is an American, Colin Bishop from Connecticut. He once came to Les Jeux to unwind a bit, and that’s how he ended up here. He married a local Frenchwoman. Then he started his own business – he opened a pub, then started his own production.

Colin proudly shows the office space behind the door with the inscription Brewery, where the small brewery is located. Five of his own beers are brewed in copper vats: from light pale to strong dark and ale.

After skiing, you can go skating on the ice rink, visit the recreation center with an indoor swimming pool or numerous sports clubs. In Les Gets itself, there are many shops, restaurants, bars, discos and nightclubs. But in general, it is a calm and fairly quiet resort, so lovers of nightlife are better off focusing on nearby Morzine. But accommodation in the resort’s numerous hotels and chalets is a little cheaper than in Morzine, and there is a whole system of various discounts.

In March, the resort hosts the Rock the Pistes music festival.

For traditional Savoyard cuisine, you can and should go to the Fruitiere les Perrieres restaurant on the outskirts of Les Gets. It is located in a chalet that is over a hundred years old. Its vaulted halls have wooden tables, and characteristic household items hang on the walls. This restaurant is a purely family business and is staffed by people connected by family ties. The restaurant’s menu offers a real Savoyard dinner, consisting of a variety of homemade sausages and ham, as well as traditional raclette and fondue. Complementing the overall picture are home-made cheeses, and all this is washed down with homemade punch.

Musical mechanics

The subject of particular pride for the residents of Le Ghe is the Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments. This is the largest museum of its kind in Europe, with a collection of 550 exhibits, and they are all working. The museum, located next to the old church, features a variety of jukeboxes of various sizes and sounds on three floors, which produce sound exclusively thanks to a mechanical drive. Among them are quite simple devices, such as a barrel organ, more complex mechanical pianos and entire orchestras, which include up to six musical instruments. The funny accordionist not only masterfully extracts sounds from his instrument, but also playfully winks with his eye.

Entertainment and active recreation

Surprisingly, in many sources about Les Gets, the cuisine is mentioned as part of the local culture. The fact is that each local restaurant is a small museum in itself, with old photographs on the walls and amazing interior items. In addition to spiritual food, guests are offered wonderful dishes of Savoyard cuisine. The most interesting of them are Tartiflette from potato crackers with Reblochon cheese, local cheeses and meat dishes. Another gastronomic attraction is the génépi tincture, which can only be tasted in Les Gets and whose healing properties are the subject of legends in the village.

How to get there

Les Gets can be reached from Geneva airport in less than an hour, by car or by train. You can also get there by train from Paris or London (about three hours).

Reasons why you should go to Les Gets

A fairly large and diverse private skiing area;

On most of the slopes – completely free, there are no crowds of skiers and boarders;

If you suddenly get tired of 120 km of “home” trails, you can easily go to explore the entire region;

Almost an ideal place for beginners and families, and for children it is simply a paradise;

A compact, quiet and cozy alpine village lends itself to a measured and relatively calm apres; Relatively low prices for hotels and apartments.