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Part of the Evasion Mont Blanc ski area, St. Gervais and Les Contamines are two hidden gems of the southern French Alps. The area is known for its stunning scenery and quaint traditional Savoyard towns and villages. And of course, the skiing! With 445km of pistes, over 100 lifts and excellent transport links there is excellent snow sports to be enjoyed at both St. Gervais and Les Contamines. Discover these resorts and you will find yourself returning year after year!
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St. Gervais, or St. Gervais Les Bains as it is otherwise known, is a rather unlikely ski resort. The town is a stylish 19th century spa town built upon the success of its thermal baths. It is a pleasant town with elegant buildings, a nice riverside and weekly market. After a day on the pistes, you can relax at the thermal spa, housed in a beautiful 19th century structure set in parkland. The natural spring brings water of a constant temperature of 32 degrees and is rich in minerals. Since their discovery in 1806 the waters have been used to treat tired limbs, as well as eczema, psoriasis and arthritis. St. Gervais offers the best of both worlds – an exciting day on the piste and the chance to thoroughly relax afterwards! The town also enjoys a great range of accommodation and restaurants with something to match all budgets. It is located just an hour from Geneva Airport, meaning you will not need to spend hours transferring to the resort.
In a secluded cul-de-sac valley, you will find the pretty Alpine village of Les Contamines with its two Baroque churches, charming architecture and views of the Mont Blanc Massive. There is lots going on in this close community with a weekly market, restaurants serving fresh local Savoyard cuisine and quaint terraced bars with great views. It is a family friendly destination with La Galilette nursery offering several facilities for kids and there is an adventure park with zip wires between the trees. The valley has the highest nature reserve in France with magical forests, peaks and meadows, which are a rich natural wonderland all year round. The resort is also easy to reach with St. Gervais train station just 12km away and Geneva Airport just over an hour away.
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The Evasion ski area which both St. Gervais and Les Contamines are part of comprises 1975 acres with 445 km of pistes. You will certainly not get bored in this beautiful part of the world with a fantastic variety of runs and off-piste areas to explore with a stunning backdrop. Mount Blanc is often visible and on a clear day you will enjoy incredible views. And the best part? It is still a relatively unknow and quiet area to ski and it can often feel like you have it all to yourself! Both resorts are usually quiet making them great destinations for beginners wanting time and space to practice and experts looking for a clear run.
Les Contamines enjoys a great selection of pistes but slightly favours the more advanced skier with 18 reds and 10 blacks compared to 8 greens and 12 blues. That said, there are plenty of opportunities for progressive skiing for beginners with 2 dedicated areas with magic carpet lifts. There are 2 gondola lifts, La Gorge and Montjoie, which take you up to the intermediate station L’Etape. At Signal 1900m, up the bubble from L’Etape, has terrain suitable for all levels and some beautiful scenic blue run into the Hauteluce area. If you are looking for a real challenge then you can take a draglift to Veleray 2450 and take the black Rebans 1577 m down! Les Contamines also has a snowpark at Tierces where you can attempt some jumps and tricks.
From Les Contamines you can catch a bus to the slopes of St. Gervais and as both resorts are part of the Evasion Mont Blanc ski area, your lift pass is valid for both. St. Gervais is a great resort for beginners, intermediates and mixed groups with an excellent choice of gentle scenic runs and challenging reds and blacks. Above St. Gervais you will find some lovely wooded pistes that are great for beginners, but for those looking to test their abilities there are the steep reds and blacks below Mont Joly. The Epaule chairlift will take you to the top of the resort where you can find breathtaking views of Mount Blanc and 360-degree panoramas across the surrounding peaks. St. Gervais is usually quiet even at the height of the season, despite its pedigree, but is friendly and welcoming with a laid-back atmosphere. It has the perfect combination of pistes and facilities to offer.
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Due to the quiet nature of the resorts and the great variety of pistes, both St. Gervais and Les Contamines are great destinations to learn and hone your skills. Beginners will have access to wide gentle slopes and can enjoy them without feeling the pressure from others on the piste, unlike at the busier resorts. There are a number of companies providing both ski and snowboard lessons at both resorts, but our favourite is Freedom Snowsports. They provide either private or group lessons in St. Gervais and Les Contamines and offer you a high quality, flexible service. Instead of a traditional one size fits all approach, Freedom Snowsports treats you as an individual and assess your needs on the slopes. They welcome everyone from beginner’s to experienced skiers and snowboarders looking to improve their skills. You can book online and if choosing private lessons, you can decide the duration of your lesson, the instructor and even where you would like to meet. Freedom Snowsports also run private off piste and alpine tours for those looking for a new challenge!
Both St. Gervais and Les Contamines are well connected and easy to get to. If you decide to fly, you can either choose to fly to Geneva or Chambery Savoie Mont Blanc airports. Buses or taxis from Geneva to the resorts take about an hour and an hour and fifteen minutes from Chambery. You can also reach the resorts by train with a direct fast train from Paris to St. Gervais station. For those heading to Les Contamines, you will then need to catch a bus or taxi (the resort is 12 km from the station).