Les Gets vs Morzine: Which Portes du Soleil Village Is Right for You?

Neighbours that share the same lifts, but feel very different. How Les Gets and Morzine compare for families, skiing, après and summer, and how to choose between them.

Resorts6 min read

Written byThe Peak & Chalet Team

A snowy Savoyard village of timber chalets at dusk, with warm lights in the windows and forested mountains behind

The short answer: choose Les Gets for a calm, compact village that's brilliant with young children, and Morzine for a lively mountain town with more going on after dark and the quickest way to Avoriaz and the wider Portes du Soleil. The two villages sit side by side and share the same lifts, so whichever you pick, you can ski the other.

If you've read our Morzine vs Méribel comparison, this is the next question many people ask. Here's how the neighbours differ, and how to decide which suits your group.

Skiers on a wide, sunny piste in a gentle Alpine bowl above a valley village

Two villages, one ski area

Les Gets and Morzine face each other across a ridge in the Haute-Savoie, in the heart of the Portes du Soleil. Lifts link the two sides, so you can ski from one village to the other and back for lunch. A local lift pass covers both, and the full Portes du Soleil pass adds Avoriaz, Châtel and the Swiss resorts.

The skiing overlaps, so the real differences are in the villages themselves: their size, their pace and what you do when the lifts close.

Village feel

Les Gets is a small Savoyard village on a mountain pass. It's easy to walk from one end to the other, the centre is full of timber chalets and wooden shopfronts, and the mood is relaxed and family-focused. In the school holidays, you'll find street games, entertainers and a carousel for younger children.

Morzine is a proper mountain town that existed long before skiing arrived. It spreads along the valley either side of the river, with a busy main street, a weekly market, plenty of shops and restaurants, and an indoor ice rink. It has more of everything, and it feels lived in all year round.

A quiet, snowy village street lined with wooden chalet shopfronts, with a child pulling a sledgeA lively Alpine town street at early evening, with lit shop windows and people walking in the snow

If you want to step out of the chalet into a quiet village and hear little but sledges and church bells, Les Gets is the better fit. If you like having choice on your doorstep, from a morning coffee to a late dinner, you'll probably prefer Morzine.

The skiing compared

Les Gets

The Les Gets side centres on Les Chavannes, a wide, sunny bowl of gentle blues and easy reds above the village, ideal for building confidence. Across the valley, Mont Chéry is quieter and more shaded, with steeper runs and some excellent off-piste for experienced skiers on a fresh snow day.

Morzine

Morzine's home slopes on Le Pléney and Nyon have more sustained reds and blacks, with tree-lined runs that come into their own in poor visibility. The real prize is access: from Morzine, the lifts at Les Prodains and the Super Morzine gondola take you up towards Avoriaz and the rest of the Portes du Soleil, including the runs into Switzerland.

Which lift pass?

If you're staying in Les Gets and mainly skiing locally, the Morzine–Les Gets pass is likely to be all you need. If you want to explore Avoriaz and beyond, the full Portes du Soleil pass is worth it, and Morzine is the easier base for those bigger days. From Les Gets, getting to Avoriaz and back takes a good chunk of the day on skis or a bus ride.

Which is better for families?

Les Gets is hard to beat with young children. The beginner slopes are close to the village, there's a dedicated children's ski area with themed runs, and the compact centre means short walks with small skiers in tow. The whole village is set up around families, especially during the school holidays.

Morzine suits families with older children and teenagers. There's more to do off the slopes, from ice skating to shopping, and confident young skiers will love the extra terrain on the doorstep. Beginners may need a lift ride to reach the easiest slopes, so check where the ski school meets before you book.

Après-ski and evenings

Morzine has one of the livelier evening scenes in the French Alps, with busy bars, live music and late restaurants clustered around the centre. It's lively without being overwhelming, and you can easily keep things low-key if you prefer.

Les Gets is quieter. Evenings are about long dinners, a drink by the fire and an early night before first lifts. That's exactly what many families and couples are looking for.

For non-skiers

Both villages are good for non-skiers, but Morzine has the edge. As well as the shops, market and ice rink, you can walk along the river, take a short trip to Lac de Montriond, try snowshoeing or husky sledding, or book a spa afternoon. With a pedestrian lift pass, non-skiers can ride up and join the group for lunch on the mountain.

Les Gets has lovely snowshoe and winter walking routes, a spa or two, and a charming museum of mechanical music, a quirky reminder of the village's history. It's peaceful rather than busy. For more ideas, see our guide to the best ski resorts for non-skiers.

A young child learning to ski on a gentle nursery slope with an instructor nearbyA skier carving through fresh powder between larch trees on a steep slopeFriends raising glasses on a warmly lit mountain bar terrace at dusk

In summer

Both villages come into their own in summer, and that's where they become more similar. Les Gets is famous for mountain biking: its downhill tracks have hosted the Mountain Bike World Cup and the World Championships. There's also a golf course and plenty of family walks and activities.

Morzine is one of Europe's best-known mountain bike bases, with lift-served riding from Le Pléney and easy access to the wider Portes du Soleil bike network. It also makes a great base for walking, road cycling and day trips to Lake Geneva. If you'd like to combine both seasons, our guide to a ski-and-bike week in Morzine explains when it works.

Getting there

Both villages are an easy transfer from Geneva airport, and the road from Cluses passes through Les Gets on the way to Morzine, so journey times are similar. By train, the nearest stations are Cluses and Thonon-les-Bains, with buses and taxis from both. Our guides to getting to the Alps by train and driving to the Alps from the UK cover the journey in detail.

Les Gets or Morzine: the verdict

Choose Les Gets if you:

  • Are travelling with young children or beginners
  • Want a quiet, walkable village with a traditional feel
  • Are happy to ski mostly on the local slopes
  • Prefer cosy dinners to busy bars

Choose Morzine if you:

  • Want easy access to Avoriaz and the full Portes du Soleil
  • Are a mixed group with confident skiers and non-skiers
  • Like having shops, restaurants and nightlife on your doorstep
  • Plan to come back in summer for the riding
Hot chocolate on a chalet balcony overlooking a snowy valley and forested mountains

Choosing your chalet

Within each village, location matters as much as the village itself. In Les Gets, a chalet close to the Chavannes gondola or the beginner slopes makes mornings easier with children. In Morzine, staying near the Pléney lift or the Super Morzine gondola saves time, while a quieter spot further up the valley suits groups who want peace in the evenings.

Every chalet on Peak & Chalet is booked directly with its host, so you can ask how far it is to the nearest lift, which ski school is closest, and whether there's a ski-in route before you commit. Browse chalets in Les Gets or chalets in Morzine and message hosts directly.

Still deciding? Search all chalets in both villages and compare them side by side.

Frequently asked questions

Are Les Gets and Morzine in the same ski area?

Yes. Both are part of the Portes du Soleil, and lifts link the two villages directly, so you can ski between them in a day. A local pass covers both villages, and the full Portes du Soleil pass adds Avoriaz, Châtel and the Swiss resorts.

Which is better for families, Les Gets or Morzine?

Les Gets is usually the better choice for families with young children, thanks to its compact village, beginner slopes close to the centre and dedicated children's ski area. Morzine suits families with older children and teenagers who want more to do off the slopes.

Which has better nightlife, Les Gets or Morzine?

Morzine has the livelier evening scene, with busy bars, live music and late restaurants. Les Gets is quieter, with the focus on relaxed dinners.

Can you ski to Avoriaz from Les Gets?

Yes, but it takes a good part of the day to get there and back on skis. Morzine is a much easier base for skiing Avoriaz and the wider Portes du Soleil.

Which is better for non-skiers?

Morzine, by a small margin. It has more shops, a weekly market, an indoor ice rink and easy walks along the valley, while Les Gets is quieter but has lovely winter walking and snowshoe routes.

Which is better in summer?

Both are excellent summer destinations, especially for mountain biking. Les Gets has hosted the Mountain Bike World Cup and World Championships, while Morzine is a well-known base for riding across the Portes du Soleil.