Ski Passes

Les Houches Ski Passes

If you've ever found yourself squinting up at the Mont Blanc massif while the wind howls and the high-altitude lifts grind to a halt, you'll understand exactly why Les Houches holds such a special place in the hearts of Chamonix Valley regulars.

Tucked at the entrance to the valley, this is the family favourite - a resort that trades vertiginous couloirs for beautifully sheltered, tree-lined slopes that come into their own precisely when everywhere else is being battered by an Alpine storm. While the big names higher up the valley grab the headlines, Les Houches quietly gets on with the business of providing genuinely brilliant skiing for families, intermediates, and anyone who appreciates a well-groomed piste through the pines.

The numbers tell a satisfying story: around 55km of groomed runs spread across a mountain that feels both manageable and genuinely impressive. But the headline act is undoubtedly the Kandahar - La Verte to the locals - a legendary World Cup downhill course that gives confident skiers a proper taste of what this mountain is capable of. And wherever you are on the slopes, those 360° views of the Mont Blanc massif have a way of stopping you mid-traverse. It's also worth noting that Les Houches sits at the valley entrance, making it the most accessible area for those arriving from Geneva - often the first resort you'll reach, and frequently the best one to start with.

Types of ski passes in Les Houches

One of the great things about skiing in this part of the Alps is the flexibility on offer when it comes to lift passes. You're not locked into a one-size-fits-all ticket; instead, you can tailor your pass to your ability level, your budget, and how far afield you fancy venturing. A committed expert who wants to ski from Les Houches all the way across to Courmayeur in Italy will need something very different from a family whose youngest is getting to grips with snowploughs on the nursery slopes. Helpfully, the lift pass system here caters for all of them.

Broadly speaking, there are three categories to wrap your head around: the local pass covering Les Houches and its neighbouring sector; the valley-wide pass that opens up the whole Chamonix area and beyond; and a handful of more specialised options for beginners or those after a shorter day on the snow. Here's a closer look at each.

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Les Houches – Saint-Gervais Pass

This is your classic local pass, and for many visitors - particularly families - it's all they'll ever need. It gives you full access to the nearly 55km of slopes within the Les Houches and Saint-Gervais sector, which is a more than generous amount of terrain to work through across a week's holiday. It's the most cost-effective choice for those who prefer the warmth and character of tree-lined skiing over the more exposed, high-altitude terrain elsewhere in the valley. If your priority is relaxed, enjoyable days on the mountain rather than ticking off every peak in the Chamonix Valley, this pass strikes exactly the right balance between value and variety.

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Mont Blanc Unlimited (MBU) Pass

For those who want it all, the Mont Blanc Unlimited pass is exactly what it sounds like. As well as full access to Les Houches, it covers every other Chamonix ski area - Brévent-Flégère, Grands Montets, and Balme - plus the iconic Aiguille du Midi cable car and the charming Montenvers mountain railway. If that weren't enough, it also includes skiing in Courmayeur on the Italian side of Mont Blanc and access to Verbier in Switzerland. For adventurous intermediates and experts who want to make the absolute most of a holiday in one of the world's great mountain regions, this pass is genuinely unbeatable. It's a bigger investment, but the skiing on offer across the whole area justifies every penny.

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Beginner & Short-Duration Passes

Not everyone arriving in Les Houches is ready to point their skis down the Kandahar, and the resort caters brilliantly for those at the earlier stages of their skiing journey. Specific beginner passes - often sold in conjunction with the ESF ski school - cover the gentler nursery slopes such as Le Tourchet and the Prarion plateau, giving new skiers room to find their feet without paying for lifts they won't be using. For those who simply want a more relaxed pace, half-day tickets offering four hours on the mountain are also available. These are a great option if you've got non-skiers in the group, or if you'd rather spend the afternoon in one of Les Houches's cosy mountain restaurants with a vin chaud.

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Mont Blanc RapidCard

Something of a hidden gem, the RapidCard is a pay-as-you-go option that works a bit like a toll tag for the slopes. Rather than committing to a week-long pass upfront, you load the card and are billed weekly based on where you've actually skied. The clever part? You typically benefit from around a 20% discount compared to standard daily rates, and every seventh day of skiing is usually free. It's particularly well-suited to frequent visitors, locals, or anyone whose plans are flexible enough that they're not sure exactly how many days they'll be on the mountain. Less guesswork, better value - it's a smart system.

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PRE-BOOK YOUR SKI PASSES

Pre-booking your ski passes with Erna Low is easy - either choose the option online while you're booking your accommodation, or if you've already booked your accommodation, call us on 0203 011 1222 we'll gladly add it to your ski holiday package.

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Les Houches Ski Passes

Types of ski passes in Les Houches

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