Geneva to Flaine Transfer
Exciting thrills & relaxing chills in Flaine
The moonscape that is Flaine
Flaine is all about concrete and convenience and is something of a surreal setting for a ski or snowboarding holiday. But the big advantage is that it was designed to be the perfect car-free ski in, ski out resort – and it works. We have to say everything is very well laid out and arranged in Flaine, with the different areas connected by walkways, elevators and shuttle buses. So, leave the car at home and book an airport transfer with Mountain Drop-offs to take you straight to the door of your accommodation directly from Geneva.
Superb snow-cover in Flaine’s bowl
As for the skiing, Flaine has a well-deserved reputation for excellent snow cover. At 1600m, the resort isn’t especially high, but it’s in a huge bowl reaching up to 2500m. That means superb snow retention, offering skiing from mid-December to the end of April each year.
The 265km of pistes that make up the Grand Massif ski area will keep you easily entertained for a week of skiing and there are dedicated snowshoeing pistes and cross country skiing loops too. Beginners will love the four free lifts in Flaine. To get your ski legs whatever the weather, the covered magic carpets at Pre are great and it’s free access on the bucket lift at Flaine Forum, as well as the magic carpet at Bissac.
Tete de Lindars is pretty hardcore, with a couple of serious pistes back down, lots of powder opportunities and amazing views down the Arve valley too, while the north-facing Combe de Gers is a free ride paradise. Freestylers will love Flaine’s snow park with a twist – Ze Forest combines freestyle modules with back country in a dedicated area underneath the Diable piste, giving you plenty of ways to practice your grabs and jumps.
Discover the 14km ski run
But jewel in the crown of Flaine is the Piste de Cascades, the 14km run that starts as the Serpentine from the top of the Les Grandes Platieres cable car, where you can great views of Mont Blanc. The piste soon becomes ‘Cascade’ and weaves its way through the forest and snowy prairies well away from the lifts and the main ski area to finish up in the village of Sixt Fer Cheval. After that, it’s a free shuttle ride back to Samoens, where you can head up on the bubble and back to Flaine. Definitely recommended, as it’s like skiing in a different world!
A little nod to summer in Flaine
That’s winter covered, but what about summer? Well, Flaine is pretty quiet in summer, but it is worth heading up there to see the incredible landscape without snow – huge swathes of fissured rock, which is really quite impressive.
Flaine Transfer
Flaine is really quite a special place. Even if the architecture isn’t to your liking, it’s certainly purpose-built (designed by Marcel Breuer of Bauhaus fame) and practical to the point of being totally pioneering when it opened in 1968. It’s a bit like being on the moon, but you’ve got to try it at least once during your skiing years and Mountain Drop-offs offers direct transfers to Flaine to get you there, with ski and board carriage for free.
Flaine is a popular purpose-built ski resort in the Haute Savoie region of the French Alps that has a high-mountain feel, but with the bonus of the Geneva to Flaine transfer time being just over an hour. Mountain Drop-offs provides private transfers for between one and eight people door to door from Geneva and Grenoble airports, direct to Flaine and all the Grand Massif resorts.
With an excellent reputation for epic snowfalls, Flaine is a great place to ski and board. It’s also the highest resort in the Grand Massif, which groups Flaine with Les Carroz, Samoens, Morillon and Sixt, all linked by lifts and pistes. And remember, with Mountain Drop-offs, ski and board carriage is free (just add them to your transfer booking), so you can pretty much pop your skis on and head down a piste within minutes of your transfer bus dropping you off in Flaine!
Go ice driving
Get behind the wheel of a Subaru or Renault on this slippery circuit of ice in the heart of Flaine’s Front de Neige area. There is a wide range of experiences available, from 1.5 hour tasters for around 150€, to three day courses so you can really hone your snow driving skills. Cars include the Impreza Sti, Megane RS, Clio RS and Twingo RS. That’s serious va-va-voom Flaine style!
Evening snowmobile tour
Go on a thrilling evening snowmobile tour. Either drive yourself (18 years +), or go as a passenger (minimum age 8) for a magical way to see the whole of the Flaine resort area as night falls. The departure point is the Molliets restaurant on the road up to Flaine from Les Carroz, setting off at 17:30 once the pistes are empty. You can combine your snowmobiling with a bivouac party or a meal in the restaurant afterwards.
Go sledging
Flaine has a brilliant dedicated slope for tobogganing and sledging. It starts just by the famous black and white Jean Dubuffet sculpture at Flaine Forum. Great for all ages, it’s the perfect way to round off a day on the slopes, with a bit of a slide-fest on your luge as you go hurtling down the sledging piste.
Pool and spa
Relax in the pool and spa centre. Residence Le Centaure is open to residents and non-residents alike and boasts a lovely 25m heated indoor swimming pool, along with a kids’ pool, hamman, sauna and jacuzzi. This is also where you can get a massage to ease those aching ski legs and beauty treatments too. And if you want to work off all those extra fondue calories, head to the well-equipped fitness gym in the same building.
Snow quads
These snow quad bikes are agile all terrain vehicles that love a bit of snow and ice. The main base is at the snow front in Flaine, where you can do 30mins, 1hr or 1.5hrs on the circuit on a powerful quad bike. You can also go for an evening quad trek that includes dinner at the Ferme du Sartot mountain restaurant.
Golf
In summer play a round of golf with impressive views at the Flaine-Les Carroz golf course on the Col de la Pierre Carrée. It’s an impressive high-altitude course that’ll quite literally take your breathe away whilst you putt!