Les Gets - a vibrant dual-season resort in the Portes du Soleil
Situated in the Haute-Savoie department Les Gets is a dual-season resort at the west of the Portes du Soleil ski area. Popular with families it has a children-only ski area and attracts many repeat visitors. Skiing is mainly beginner and intermediate, though there is some good off piste and snowboarding. More advanced skiing is easily accessed with fast lifts. There is a relaxed feel to the village, which explains its popularity with teenagers and young adults, many of whom enjoy the mountain biking for which the resort is famous. In summer numerous outdoor activities, and entertainment such as discos, music festivals, live bands, street performers and childrens’ events attract many visitors. Les Gets is also a serious mountain biking destination, hosting the World Cup for the next 3 years, and offers access to 600km of trails for bikers of all abilities.
What are the trends with chalets and apartments for sale and to rent in Les Gets?
Individual chalets dot both sides of the valley. On the Mont Chéry side are substantial chalets lining the Route des Cornuts and the Route du Boucher. On the Chavannes side lies the residential area around the Route du Lac. The centre of Les Gets has a number of new luxury apartment developments with swimming pools and spa/wellness areas and rental management designed to attract the investment market, all of which are offered by local real estate agents. The dual-seasonality of this resort, its situation in Portes du Soleil in the French Alps and the fact that is is only one hour from Geneva airport all underpin demand for Les Gets property to buy or to rent.
Check out our blog: Insights on the property market in Les Gets
A guide to Les Gets
Les Gets is at one end of the vast Portes du Soleil ski area with its 600km of pistes, at an altitude of 1172 meters. Farming still forms part of the local economy in this charming Savoyard village with a small centre and a pleasant local atmosphere. Almost all accommodation in Les Gets is convenient for the slopes, which are beginner and intermediate friendly. Many self-catered chalets and apartments are available to rent throughout the season. As a result, it is very popular with families who come back time and time again.
Les Gets itself is a pleasing mix of old Savoyard chalets and many new modern wooden-and-stone buildings constructed in keeping with their alpine surroundings. An ice rink, endless snowshoeing paths and cross-country skiing tracks keep non-skiers happy. Entertainment can be found in the village with an array of bars, restaurants, health and beauty facilities, shops, a cinema and a bowling alley. In the summer, it is a hugely popular mountain biking venue. The renowned Rock the Piste festival arrives on the slopes of the Portes du Soleil towards the end of the season. Snowboxx is another popular festival in March in nearby Avoriaz.
The drive of just over 1 hour from Geneva airport is certainly family friendly and makes Les Gets an accessible resort for weekend breaks
Les Gets Ski Area
The skiing here is great for all levels – the local slopes are made up of greens, blues and gentle reds, perfect for families, beginners and intermediates. There’s a lot of ground to cover in the Portes du Soleil given 34 green pistes, 119 blue pistes, 101 red pistes and 32 blacks. Overall the area is recognised as an intermediates paradise with wide tree-lined blue and red runs, as such it is ideally suited to families. But there is impressive and accessible off-piste terrain to explore, some challenging blacks and some of the best snowparks in Europe are around Avoriaz
The small local Mont Chéry ski area is well worth trying, with a nice easy red run, and can be delightfully quiet when the large ski area that Les Gets shares with Morzine are busy. On the Chavannes side of Les Gets you will find the new snowpark, miniboarder area and the boardercross run.
Les Gets has its own gentle off piste skiing. The area also offers some superb off-piste around Lindarets, Chatel and Linga, there is often some good off-piste snow to be had around Piste A and Piste R under the Pleney lift. Prodains is the big telecabine that takes you directly into Avoriaz from Morzine. There are some great runs in Avoriaz and it boasts an impressive snow park and halfpipe. This is where the best snow is to be found. Avoriaz gives you easy access to Lindarets, which links to Chatel and Switzerland.
The Les Gets-Morzine shared slopes offer around 120km of pistes, you can get a lift pass just to ski this local area, recommended for beginners and lower-intermediates, or a lift pass for the full Portes du Soleil area, recommended for higher intermediates and above giving you ideal flexibility for your skiing ambitions. Lift links between the resorts are efficient and constantly upgraded as well as piste layouts to improve flow and reduce congestion on the slopes. The village has invested in snowmaking with more than 300 cannons covering those slopes most in need of cover. That said, with these runs on grassy meadows it doesn’t need to much snow for there to be enough to ski on.
Après ski in Les Gets
This is a family resort with a relaxed atmosphere and some good places to eat both on and off the mountain. Whilst there are plenty of bars to choose from, party animals would be better advised to stay in nearby Morzine. Most of the après ski bars are in and around the main street. Bar Bush is always popular with locals and seasonnaires. L’Après Ski Bar right next to the tourist office has a lovely sun terrace. Igloo Chalet-Club is Les Gets’ only nightclub, it has a resident DJ and holds themed events such as disco, rock and 80s evenings until 6am.
Eating Out in Les Gets
Traditional alpine mountain restaurants can be found right across the Portes du Soleil and Les Gets has a nice selection. On the the Mont Chery side you’ll find the Grande Ourse, one of the resort’s best mountain restaurants, with a great view. The most popular area for lunch in Les Gets is at Les Chavannes. La Paika is a pretty little chalet halfway down the Vorosses blue piste at La Turche. The romantic Chez Nannon is located on a blue piste beneath the Pointe de Nyon. For the evenings, try the popular, cosy Tyrol Pizzeria. Fruitière des Perrieres specialises in local Savoyard dishes with its own cheese factory next door. The Boomerang bar/restaurant is a firm family favourite for a meal out.
Summer in Les Gets
For more information about visiting Les Gets in the summer, read our blog - SUMMER IN THE ALPS - LES GETS
Outside of the ski season the town regains its summer charm, Les Gets offers endless possibilities, from hiking and mountain biking to paragliding, rock-climbing and whitewater rafting. The village has enough that is open in the summer shops, bars and restaurants. The swimming lake Lac des Ecoles, fed by a mountain stream, in Les Gets is a very popular focal point for family holidays and includes a water slide, children’s playground and beach volleyball pitch.
Golfers will enjoy the 18 hole course, known for being rather technical, and the panoramic views are a real invitation to test abilities.
There are hundreds of kilometres of hiking of trails that are well signed around the Portes du Soleil. The hike to Lac Montriond from Morzine takes you along a stunning riverside path. The lake is a lovely and popular place for a swim or paddleboard in the summer in a setting surrounded by mountain cliffs and waterfalls.
Cycling is a huge sport here, the Portes du Soleil has invested heavily in infrastructure with 600km of marked tracks under one lift pass. This makes it the largest single mountain bike area in the world. Les Gets has hosted the world downhill mountain bike championships, so the infrastructure is first class. There are 4 mountain bike parks which are all linked by the lifts with Morzine at the centre. In 2018 the French Championship was held in Morzine. The Passportes du Soleil is a huge event with trails across both France and Switzerland and takes riders to all corners of the Portes du Soleil, and a Bike Show with 70 of the biggest brands in mountain biking, demonstrations by the pros, film screenings, music concerts and parties. The area also attracts large number of road cyclists, one of the most iconic climbs is the Col de Joux Plane from Morzine to Samoëns. The Col de Ramaz and Col de Joux Verte are all on the doorstep.
For more details on Mountain Biking in Les Gets, check out our blog: Where to go Mountain Biking in the Alps
Other Destinations in the French Alps
Alpe d'Huez Chamonix Courchevel Courchevel La Tania Courchevel Le Praz Courchevel Moriond Courchevel Village La Toussuire Les Deux Alpes Les Menuires Megève Méribel Méribel Les Allues Méribel Village Méribel-Mottaret Morzine Paradiski Pays du Mont Blanc Pralognan-la-Vanoise Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise St. Martin de Belleville Tignes Val d'Isère Val Thorens