FLAINE - Introduction
The purpose built resort of Flaine is a great place for a holiday, either for a week or just a short break. If you like convenience and enjoy wide-open spaces with plenty of cruiser skiing and snowboarding then you will love Flaine. The resort’s original modern-style heart has been extended and of late a lot of chalet style properties have been built. Much of the resort is on one side of a valley end and offers views of the rest of this snowy bowl. With the resort having been built at the level of the skiing, it is possible to ski to and from much of the accommodation. As Flaine is one of the closest resorts to Geneva airport, it is easy to get to and this makes it an excellent choice for a weekend break.
Skiing
Much of Flaine’s skiing is set in the vast snowy bowl in which the resort lies. It is a great resort for beginners with some lovely nursery terrain. The nature of the resort’s lay makes it a good place for families too. There is an extensive lift system that along with the pistes is well laid out and makes for little queuing except on the busiest of days. The bowl offers plenty of scope for intermediates, with some entertaining blue and red trails leading back to the village. The Grand Massif domain extends way beyond the bowl and the area lift ticket also covers Morillon and Samoens, both of which have some excellent terrain. The Blue Cascade run is a great trial for testing those skiing legs, as it winds down into the valley for 14km. Advanced skiers will find some interesting skiing on piste, but the resort is also a great place to make your first turns off-piste – why not take out a guide and discover some untracked powder?
Snowboarding
The resort’s open nature and rich variety of terrain makes it an interesting destination for intermediate snowboarders. Its nursery terrain makes it a great place to learn the sport too. The area has three snowparks, including the lively JAM Park at Aujon.
Ski Schools
The resort is well organised for beginners and is especially suitable for families. The ski schools are good and with the nursery slopes nearby they are ideally located. With families so important to the resort, childcare is excellent and includes kindergarten facilities.
Eating Out
There are a number of mountain restaurants in the bowl, from self-service cafeteria to traditional lunch stops. In the village Forum there are eight or nine places to eat, with a few more at Foret you can find everything from pizza to local Savoyard menus.
Bars and clubs
The Totem bar at the foot of the slopes has a terrace, which is great for catching the last of the day’s sunrays. The resort also has some lively bars for later in the evening, including the White Grouse pub and Le Cîmes, where you can usually sing (they do karaoke) and dance until the early hours.
Off the slopes
If you still have some energy to wear off, once you have finished on the slopes, there is a gym and swimming pool plus, in the outdoors, snowshoeing and skidooing. There are some entertainments laid on for children and you will find various events, such as torchlight descents on offer for the adults.