The ❄️ FIRST SNOWFALL au Pays du Mont-Blanc . . . when the ❄ first snowflakes arrive, the excitement and delight run high for the whole family: walks knee-deep in the white fluffy stuff, ❄ snowball fights, ⛄️ making a snowman ( or perhaps a snowcat or other snow animal ) . . . and 🛷 SLEDGING FUN!
With the first ❄️ snowfall of the season, the MBFF team regularly head up to 🗻 Plaine-Joux in Passy for some fun on a luge . . . one year, we were in such an excited hurry that we forgot to take 🛷 our luges! So the kids just slid down the slopes on their tummies 🐧 penguin-style ( until we managed to borrow some sledges from friends! ).
Where 🛷 to go sledging au Pays du Mont-Blanc?
So, where to go for some 🛷 family fun on a luge? You may be lucky enough to know someone with a wonderful sledging slope in their garden or on their land . . .
If not, then I’ve compiled a list of some of the 🛷 designated sledging areas here 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond) . . . these designated areas have:
- protective netting and soft fixtures;
- are set apart from other folks using ski pistes (ie skiers, snowboarders, etc . . .);
[ disclaimer – these areas normally set up officially from around mid-December, so do take due care if out and about on a sledge before that! ]
On the list you will find the smaller slopes, where you drag up your luge to slide back down the slope, and also some of the options for longer sledging trails ( like 🛷 LaLuge at 🚠 La Princesse in Megève ).
🏔 Au Pays du Mont-Blanc, you’ll also find:
- 🛷 snow-tubing;
- 🛷 paret & yooner sessions;
- 🛷 snooc-friendly pistes;
- 🛷 options to sledge down from a refuge at night;
[ 🛷 DISCLAIMER – please remember that sledging is at your own risk and that you are recommended to wear a helmet when partaking in this activity / ski boots are forbidden on pistes de luge / every year there are serious accidents on sledging days, so do make sure your children are wearing helmets, and stick to safe areas, away from trees and pilons, and skiers and snowboarders! ]
Colour code for listings
Pays du Mont-Blanc
Chamonix Valley (Chamonix, Les Houches, Servoz, Argentière & environs) and Vallorcine
Passy and environs
Sallanches, Combloux, Cordon & Domancy
Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, Le Fayet, Saint-Nicolas de Véroce & environs
Megève & Praz-sur-Arly
Les Contamines-Montjoie & environs
🇫🇷 Further France
🇨🇭 Switzerland
🇮🇹 Italy
CHAMONIX VALLEY
Piste de Luge du Bois du Bouchet ( CHAMONIX )
This 🛷 sledging area is located in the 🌲 Bois du Bouchet, near the ski de fond circuit.
[ FREE! ]
🅿️ parking: Parking du Bouchet address: chemin des Gourgnes, Bois du Bouchet, 74400, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Espace de Luge des Chavants ( LES HOUCHES )
Located at 💦 Lac des Chavants in Les Houches, this 🛷 sledging spot has an area for 2 to 6 year olds (Petite Tortue) and a piste for children 6+ years (Petit Lièvre).
[ FREE! ]
☕️ escape from the cold: La Guinguette at Lac des Chavants;
🅿️ parking: Parking du Prarion / Les Chavants address: 148 allée des Dilligences, Les Chavants, 74310, Les Houches
Piste de Luge du Prarion ( LES HOUCHES )
This 🛷 sledging area is located at the 🚠 top of the Prarion télécabine, in the beginners’ ski area.
price: you need to buy an 🚠 aller-retour piétons at the ticket office;
🅿️ parking: Parking du Prarion / Les Chavants address:Sommet du Prarion, 74310, Les Houches
Piste de luge du domaine skiable des Chosalets ( Les Chosalets, ARGENTIERE )
There is 🛷 a small piste de luge here, as well as an area for snowtubing (paying).
[ FREE! ]
🅿️ parking: Les Chosalets
Piste de luge de Vallorcine ( VALLORCINE )
There is 🛷 a small piste de luge behind the Office de Tourisme in Vallorcine.
[ FREE! ]
🅿️ parking: Le Betté address: Office de Tourisme, Le Betté, 74660, Vallorcine
You’ll also find the Moon-tine piste de luge in Le Buet . . . they rent out snowtubes (please check opening).
Piste de luge de Servoz ( SERVOZ )
In Servoz, behind the tennis courts, pumptrack and playground at La Grangiat, there is 🛷 a small piste de luge called Le Tour.
[ FREE! ]
🅿️ parking: Parking du Tennis / Parking de l'Eglise
address: La Grangiat, 74310, Servoz
PASSY PLAINE-JOUX
Plaine-Joux sledging
There is 🛷 a piste de luge at Plaine-Joux, and also a piste reserved for snow-tubing (sliding on an inflatable tyre!).
[ FREE to sledge! / you need to pay to use the snow-tubing ]
snow-tube rental: you can rent snow-tubes or luges at Skifiz;
☕️ escape from the cold: La Bergerie – this family-run restaurant is warm and cosy and is well set up with books and toys for children; there are a couple more restaurants at Plaine-Joux and a 🍏 Salle Hors Sacs (indoor picnic room);
🅿️ parking: Parking de Plaine-Joux
address: chemin des Parchets, Plaine-Joux, 74190, Passy
MBFF also really enjoys sledging down from Plaine-Joux to Lac Vert on the road. But this path you have to share with ski randonneurs, and snow-shoers, so you must be careful! We wear helmets, as there are plenty of trees to avoid! We then walk back up to Plaine-Joux through the forest – this is lovely!
SALLANCHES, COMBLOUX & CORDON
Refuge du Tornieux ⇒ Burzier car park (4km) ( SALLANCHES )
This is an absolutely brilliant place to 🛷 sledge with older children, but it does take effort to get there (and the descent can be hairy, as you do pick up speed!) – a 1,5 hour walk up a piste that is well damée (usually no need for snow shoes), with your own luge. You must be careful on your walk up, as there will be children (and adults) hurtling down on sledges, parets, yooners and various other sledging creations!
good to know: Refuge du Tornieux, which is a lovely mountain refuge, also organises dinner + night time descent on one of their luges (price: 40€) / you can also spend the night at this comfortable refuge! / ⇒ see here for more details;
⛷ interesting fact: in the 1980s, a small family ski resort was built in this area of Sallanches . . . sadly, three consecutive years of poor snow brought an end to this activity (Refuge du Tornieux was originally established as a on-piste restaurant, and instead re-branded itself very successfully as a summer and winter hiking or ski rando destination!);
🅿️ parking: Burzier car park (road leaves from behind Eglise St Jacques in Sallanches)
Espace de luge du Cuchet ( COMBLOUX )
With a view of Mont-Blanc, this 🛷 piste de luge is set next to the departure zone for raquettes circuits.
[ FREE! ]
🅿️ parking: Parking du Cuchet, Combloux
address:Le Cuchet, 74920, Combloux
Piste de Luge de la Cry ( COMBLOUX )
This 🛷 piste de luge is set next to the Loupiots garderie and the Beauregard chair-lift.
🗓 opening dates: from mid-December to until late March (snow conditions permitting);
[ FREE! ]
🅿️parking: Parkings des Brons or Le Cry Combloux
address:207 route des Brons, 74920, Combloux
Restaurant le Chalet des Bachais ( COMBLOUX )
This night-time 🛷 sledging, with a head-torch and helmet, is not for the faint-hearted (nor for children!). The Restaurant le Chalet des Bachais will pick you up for a dinner and you return to the car park on a sledge !
FB page tel: +33 4 50 93 36 06
Piste de Luge Domaine Skiable ( CORDON )
There is 🛷 a small sledging area at the Domaine Skiable in Cordon.
[ FREE! ]
☕️ escape from the cold: Chez Mireille, Le Darbelin – a short walk downhill and there is a tiny 🍏 Salle Hors Sacs behind the Caisses;
🅿️ parking:Le Dandry, Parking du Frébouge, 74700, Cordon address:Domaine Skiable, Frébouge d'en Haut, 74700, Cordon
SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC & SAINT-NICOLAS de Véroce
Piste de Luge du Bettex ( SAINT-GERVAIS )
Up at the 🚠 Bettex ski area, there are 🛷 two sledging areas set up: one for children 2 to 6 years and one for children 6+ years.
[ FREE! ]
🛷 special Descente en Luge outing: 4km of descent, with guide / 10+ years / price: 25€;
[ good to know: Le Bettex is the departure point for lots of ❄️ snow-shoe circuits . . . and the ❄️ circuit ludique de Charlotte la Marmotte ]
🅿️parking: Parking du Bettex (or take the télécabine up) address: near the 🚠 télécabine arrival station at Le Bettex, 74170, Saint-Gervais-les-Bains
Piste de Luge Plateau de la Croix ( SAINT-NICOLAS-de-VEROCE )
There is 🛷 a small sledging area at Plateau de la Croix, in Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce.
🗓 opening dates: from late-December until April 2018 (snow conditions permitting);
[ FREE! ]
☕️ escape from the cold: the new Armancette – Hôtel, Chalets & Spa has a lovely, cosy room to have cake and warm up! (address: 4088 route de Saint-Nicolas, Saint-Nicolas-De-Véroce);
🅿️ parking: Parking du Plateau de la Croix, Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce, 74170, Saint-Gervais-les-Bains
address: Plateau de la Croix, Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce, 74170, Saint-Gervais-les-Bains
MEGEVE & PRAZ-sur-ARLY
Megève Tourisme has up-to-date information about 🛷 luge areas here. Some of the pistes are accessible from the road, some are within the separate domaines skiables;
If there is enough snow, in the centre of Megève, there is the 🛷 Piste de Luge du /Pré Saint-Amour.
🛷🚠 LaLuge longer piste de luge ( Mont d’Arbois, MEGEVE )
New in 2017, this 🛷 3km piste du luge opened at 🚠 La Princesse in Megève!!! The piste commences from the 🚠 summit of Mont d’Arbois, with a route through the forest of sapins (fir trees) and then opens out towards La Princesse arrival station. The sledge (only the authorised sledges are allowed) and a helmet (obligatory) are provided when you buy your ticket / for all (5+ years – 5-10 year olds must be accompanied by an adult – and alone 11+ years – one person per luge).
price: 1x descent luge 8,50€ ( access 🚠 remontée mécanique included ) / many of the forfaits ski also include a free descent!
website
🅿️ parking: Parking la Princesse
address: Point Luge, Gare intermédiaire de la Princesse, 74120, Megève
Espace Luge Côte 2000 ( MEGEVE )
Available for children 6+ years;
[ FREE! ]
address & parking : Côte 2000, 74120, Megève
Espace Luge La Livraz ( MEGEVE )
The 🛷 Espace Luge La Livraz is located within the cross-country skiing zone at La Livraz, located between the centre of Megève and Côte 2000 ski station. This is a great location to come for 🛷 a sledging session with children (for children under 6 years), as there is so much to find on-site: a salle hors sacs for picnics, an outdoor picnic area, a snack café and restaurant Deli’s Montagne, a sunny terrace, an indoor play area for children, and it is the starting point for many walks & snow-shoe circuits. You will also find toilets !
[ FREE! ]
☕️ escape from the cold: in Chalet de la Livraz;
🅿️ parking: on-site (limited) or take a navette from the centre of Megève;
[ ⇒ to read more about all of the activities on offer at La Livraz, ses separate MBFF article here ]
address: 1250 route de la Côte 2000, 74120 Megève
[ good to know: 🐺 La Grande Odyssée VVF (husky racing event) passes through Megève in January and is FABULOUS to watch – MBFF has been a couple of times!
Espace Luge Pattes ( Le Jaillet, MEGEVE )
The 🛷 Espace Luge Pattes in Megève is found at the departure of the 🚠 Télécabine du Jaillet. For very small children, it is also pleasant to walk around the lower fields of Le Jaillet, around the children’s ski area.
[ FREE ! ]
🅿️ parking: Parking du Jaillet
address: télécabine du Jaillet, 74120, Megève
Espace Luge La Caboche (MEGEVE)
The 🛷 sledging area La Caboche (for children from 2+ years) is accessed either via the 🚡 Télécabine du Chamois (centre of Megève) or the 🚠 Téléphérique du Rocharbois (from Mont d’Arbois). There is a covered tapis roulant (Le Schuss) which allows you to transport your luge back up to the top easily!
🗓 opening dates: from late-December until mid-August (snow conditions permitting);
price: FREE to use sledging area, but you must pay aller-retour piéton to use the 🚡 remontées mécaniques: 8€ (free for under 5s with proof of age);
🅿️parking: Parking de Rochebrune or Parking de l'Office de Tourisme
address: La Caboche, 74120, Megève
Village des Lutins ( MEGEVE )
At the top of the 🚡 Télécabine Rochebrune is the ❄️ Village des Lutins: snow-tubing, games and picnic areas!
price: you must pay aller-retour piétons to use 🚡 télécabine;
website
🅿️ parking: Parking Rochebrune
address: Sommet de Rochebrune, 74120, Megève
Espace de Luge Praz-sur-Arly ( front de neige, PRAZ-sur-ARLY )
There is 🛷 a designated sledging area at the bottom of the ski pistes in Praz-sur-Arly.
[ FREE! ]
🅿️ parking: route des Varins, 74120, Praz-sur-Arly
address: route des Varins, 74120, Praz-sur-Arly
Praz-sur-Arly YOONERS & SNOOC
Praz-sur-Arly has its own 🛷 Praz Yooner Challenge (a yooner is like the modern version of a wooden paret, like a stool attached to a mini ski) in January, and the ski station has plenty of yooners to rent out and give a ride! Le Crêt du Midi and La Rosière télésièges accept yooners, and then you have access to nine runs (6 blue, 2 red and 1 green) / great adrenalin rush!
You can also try out a snooc – see below !
LES CONTAMINES-MONTJOIE
Piste de Luge Nivorin ( LES CONTAMINES-MONTJOIE )
Located next to the Nivorin téléski, this is 🛷 a piste de luge for children and adults from 6+ years.
[ FREE! ]
☕️ escape from the cold: you are not too far from the centre of town, which has lots of cosy cafés!
address: téléski du Nivorin, Le Nivorin, 74170, Les Contamines-Montjoie
Piste du Chalet Nordique ( LES CONTAMINES-MONTJOIE )
This is 🛷 a piste de luge for children 3 to 6 years, located near the Chalet Nordique in Les Contamine-Montjoie.
[ FREE! ]
☕️ escape from the cold: there is a new snack bar at the chalet – Alpinum Café – and you also have the Restaurant le Chalet du Lac (address: next to pedalo lake, 524 chemin du Praz, 74170, Les Contamines-Montjoie / FB page) – a short walk (or stroll with luge!) away;
🅿️ parking: Foyer Ski de Fond, chemin du Praz, 74170, Les Contamines-Montjoie;
address: Foyer Ski de Fond, chemin du Praz, 74170, Les Contamines-Montjoie
L’Auberge de Colombaz: 3km damé sledge piste ( LES CONTAMINES-MONTJOIE )
[ note winter 2022 / 2023: the owners of L’Auberge de Colombaz are slowly retiring this winter season, ]
This is another brilliant place to 🛷 sledge with older children, and it only takes an hour to walk up the damée (usually no need for snow shoes) walking path and sledge run, with your own luge;
🅿️ parking: on the road leading up to the Auberge de Colombaz or in one of the car parks at the Montjoie télécabine;
Areas set up for snowtubing are subject to change (they tend to set up and then they’re gone the following year!), so please do check openings !
- ❄️ Les Chosalets ski domaine;
- ❄️ Le Buet – Moon*tine café restaurant;
- ❄️ Plaine-Joux – you can rent out snowtubes from Skifiz Skimium / see here;
snooc-friendly pistes au Pays du Mont-Blanc
More and more domaines skiables are offering snooc-friendly pistes . . . for now au Pays du Mont-Blanc & in the Chamonix Valley you have:
- Domaine des Planards (Chamonix) – this is a partner station of the snooc, and you can do beginner sessions, snooc alpin and snooc rando;
- in Argentière and in Les Houches you can practise snooc rando;
- you are allowed to use a snooc in Cordon, and in Praz-sur-Arly;
[ ⇒ to read more about MBFF and Nickie’s snooc outing offered by le Domaine des Planards, see separate article here ]
🇫🇷 FURTHER AFIELD FRANCE sledging
Just across the border in 🇫🇷 Savoie you’ll find some more options :
🇫🇷 Flumet sledging ( FLUMET )
Just across the border in 🇫🇷 Savoie (just up the road from Praz-sur–Arly), the hills leading down to Flumet’s plan d’eau (below the centre of the village) becomes 🛷 a sledging area come winter !
🇫🇷 Crestvoluge longer piste de luge ( CREST-VOLAND )
[ please check re-opening ! ]
There is a 🛷 sledging piste (opened 2017), at 1600m of altitude in Crest-Voland: 2km long with a 400m dénivelé. The course starts at the summit of Mont Lachat (arrival station of télésiège la Logère) and your descent will take about 20mins (you will need to be equipped with a plastic luge with 2 hand-brakes and a helmet!)
website
address: 253 route d'entre deux villes, 73590, Crest-Voland
🇨🇭 FURTHER AFIELD SWISS sledging
The 🇨🇭 Swiss do sledging par excellence, and there are some fabulous, 🛷 longer pistes over the border in the Vallée de Trient and a bit further away in Valais.
🇨🇭 TMB La Grande Ourse ( Trient, VALAIS )
This hotel / restaurant has its own sledging piste if there is enough snow !
website
🇨🇭 Col de la Forclaz ⇒ Trient village ( Trient, VALAIS )
This piste de luge is 2km long, and with a dénivelé of 255m, you’ll sledge down the ancienne route du Col de la Forclaz. It is FREE to sledge, but you’ll need to pay for the navette that takes you to the start of the piste. A little dameuse keeps the piste in condition to sledge! You can rent out sledges from the Yourte des Amis.
website
🇨🇭 Chemin de Luge des Télémarécottes ( Les Marécottes, VALAIS )
Just over the border from the Pays du Mont-Blanc (and accessible via the Mont Blanc Express train), this 🛷 chemin de luge leaves from La Creusaz, and it is a 🛷 6km descent down to Les Marécottes!
website & FB page
🇨🇭 Piste de Luge Champex-Lac ( Champex-Lac, VALAIS )
This 🛷 sledging piste is a 7km descent, starting from the top of the Breya chairlift (last montée at 15h30), and it heads down through the sapins and the vallon d’Arpette.
Check current prices on website . . .
website
🇮🇹 FURTHER AFIELD ITALY sledging
A few years ago, when it was raining 🗻 au Pays du Mont-Blanc, but ❄️ snowing big fluffy snowflakes on the other side of the Mont-Blanc tunnel in 🇮🇹 Italy, we decided to head to Val Ferret with our 🛷 luges, but the road was blocked !
Baby brother then 💤 fell asleep in the car and his big brother was still full of sledging energy . . . quite by chance, we discovered the ❄️ Baby Snow Park in Dolonne, Courmayeur! So, while baby brother slept, the big boy 🛷 sledged for an hour with his daddy (and Dad even managed to get himself ☕️ a good Italian coffee!). This snow park offers magic carpets, which means that little ones (or accompanying adults!) avoid the laborious duty of dragging the luge back up the slope. There are also snow-tube pistes and a beginner ski zone. For sledging, you buy a card, which is stamped each time you use the magic carpets or other attractions.
website
address: Fun Park Dolonne, Strada Chécrouit, 9, 11013 COURMAYEUR (AO)
When you have very young children, but of an age when they can sit up on their own, there are 🛷 luges suitable for easy walks.
The ❄ first snow of the season is a lovely time to head out for this type of (flat) walk: in 🌲 a forest, around a lake, through a pretty alpine village . . . over the years, the MBFF team has had some magical féerique walks of this type.
[ ⇒ more information in separate article: ❄️ Family Strolls: Winter Wonderlands au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond) ]
And don’t forget the 🛷 all-year alpine coasters available au Pays du Mont-Blanc, which also run over the wintertime !
- 🛷 Chamonix – La Luge Alpine Coaster in the Domaine des Planards . . .
- 🛷 Megève – Luge 4S at the bottom of 🚠 Le Jaillet télécabine;
- 🛷 Les Carroz – nearby, there is the Speed Dragoz, located next to 🚡 Télécabine de la Kédeuze / for 4+ years (accompanied by an adult) / and 🎮 a virtual reality option for your luge descent – with 🐲 Les Dragoz, the little Les Carroz dragons !
Mont Blanc Family Fun 
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