Open from 1st Dec to 21st April (weather depending).
This pretty, rural and unspoilt ski village nestles just 5km from Chamonix town.
Les Houches is probably the largest pisted single area in the Chamonix valley and has the added bonus of 86 snow canons covering 23 hectares of piste. Somewhat dismissed in the ski press, compared to it's bigger brother Chamonix, this underrated ski domain has wonderful skiing for beginners, intermediates and especially families.
1 black run (actually it's the World Cup downhill run, the Kandahar!)
12 reds and 9 other runs, surrounded by forests of pine and larch make it the ideal destination on bad weather days (often it's the only place open or when the avalanche risk is elevated.)
Also what the other ski stations somewhat lack and what Les Houches has in abundance are the little buvets and restaurants that make for excellent lunch stops! All the restaurants are family owned and run. We recommend 'Les Vieilles Luges' (http://www.lesvieillesluges.com) for a not-to-be-missed lunch stop. It is a renovated alpine barn with the charming Claude and Julie who offer excellent home cooking.
