Saint Gervais

Dan Fox - Managing Director

"Saint Gervais offers excellent value for money and a more authentic French Alpine experience. Explore the charming Alpine Town Saint Gervais, with its traditional architecture and cozy bars and restaurants offering excellent local food. The off-piste terrain around the Col de Voza offers stunning views and challenge for advanced skiers."

 

Great for: Short transfer, charming Alpine town, relaxed skiing, spas, sight seeing

Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc

Saint-Gervais Les Bains is a picturesque town and ski area in a spectacular position at the foot of Europe’s highest mountain and is part of the Evasion Mont-Blanc ski domain, which is a real hidden gem in France. Most of the ski area is tree-lined and covers the 263km of slopes of St Gervais, Megeve, Combloux, St Nicolas de Veroce and Bettex.  With the nearby resorts of Les Houches and Les Contamines the area extends to a massive 445km. If that wasn’t enough the huge Chamonix Mont Blanc ski area is also within easy reach.

Within an hour’s drive of Geneva, this is a perfect destination for a short ski break holiday. St Gervais Mont Blanc (aka St Gervais Les Bains) is a pretty 19^th century spa and market town famous for its thermal baths and Belle Époque architecture. The town has a significant year-round population and is a destination for weekend trippers but overall, it is less busy, more authentic and better value than some more well-known neighbours such as glitzy Megeve.  The Saint Gervais thermal baths are well known for their healing properties and have been attracting visitors to the town since 1807.  Located in the heart of a beautiful woodland in Le Fayet, the thermal baths have modern facilities with indoor and outdoor pools and are well worth a visit for those seeking rest and relaxation. The New (2024) pedestrian cliff lift takes you easily and quickly between the thermal parc and Saint Gervais.

Any visitor to St Gervais should take a journey on the Mont Blanc Tramway which is the highest cog railway in France and takes skiers and walkers on a picturesque adventure, past ski slopes and through forests, from St Gervais up to the Plateau de Bellevue (1,900m) in the Les Houches / St Gervais ski area.  The scenery on the journey is breath-taking and includes panoramic views of the Bionnassay glacier.  The tram is covered on the Les Houches or Mont Blanc Unlimited Pass.

St Gervais has over 50 restaurants to choose from, with everything from the simple creperie to laid back local restaurants or even a gourmet Michelin star option.  On the slopes there are plenty of small traditional restaurants selling the local farm chacuterie and fromage. Shoppers are well catered for with over 100 shops with a variety that reflects the population and year-round nature of the town.  There are plenty of activities away from the slopes including ice skating, ice hockey, snowshoeing and curling. 

Getting to St Gervais couldn't be easier with the option of adding private transfers from Geneva Airport to your hotel booking with Skiweekends. Alternatively, shared transfers from Geneva airport to the Valleen gondola in Le Fayet Gare are also available.  Le fayet is now connected to the Saint Gervais  using the new Valleen gondola (new 2024).  Arrive in Saint Gervais by gondola and then use the ski bus to go to your hotel in Saint Gervais, or stay in Le Fayet and simply take the 5 minute Valleen gondola to Saint Gervais and step straight into the Bettex Gondola, where in another 5 minutes you are on the snow at 1400m.

Our top hotel picks for a ski holiday is St. Gervais: Hotel Mont Blanc & Spa, & in le Fayet the great value option(bottom of Valleen Gondola) Hotel Plan B Saint Gervais/Le Fayet

Ski area overview

Access to the ski area from the centre of St Gervais is via a large gondola which takes you directly to the ski areas of Bettex and Mont d’Arbois which link over to  Megeve.  Mont Joux and Mont Joly offer some good terrain for intermediate and advanced skiers and access to St Nicolas de Veroce .  There are over 200 runs and more than 100 ski lifts making this the third largest ski area in France.

The striking higher mountain 120km of piste ski area of Les Contamines, also on the Evasion pass, can be accessed from Saint Gervais via a connection of two ski buses from the top of Valleen.  The journey is well worth a day out, with great on and off piste at higher altitude.  Again lots of wonderful local food can be found on the mountain and a fabulous snack bar - Kouzna - at the top of the signal gondola.  At the end of the day, wait for you return bus in the welcoming apres bar at the food or the gondola.

Another option for those staying in St Gervais is to head up on the historic Mont Blanc Tramway which travels up the mountain from Le fayet and Saint Gervais and connects into the Les Houches ski area in the Chamonix valley.  Here there is 55km of piste which are mostly gentle blues and reds that meander through the trees.  Les Houches or Mont Blanc Unlimited pass is needed for the tram.  Or for pedestrians only, a return tram ticket on its own can be purchased - well worth the journey and the views.  Restaurant at the top of Les Houches for everyone to enjoy the day to the full.

Ski holidays in St. Gervais await!