Les Saisies with children – gentle slopes, forest pistes and Olympic trails

Les Saisies is one of the resorts in the French Alps where families with children take centre stage. The village lies at 1,650 metres on a pass between the Beaufortain and the Val d’Arly in Savoie, with Mont Blanc straight ahead. The houses are clad in wood, the slopes are wide and gentle, and many pistes run through spruce forest, which gives better visibility on a day of snowfall.

It is not a resort for those chasing steep runs or celebrities. It is a resort for those who want their five-year-old to manage their first red piste by Thursday. We compare all the French options in skiing holidays in France.

Espace Diamant – easy slopes in six villages

Les Saisies is part of the Espace Diamant, which links Les Saisies, Hauteluce, Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe, Crest-Voland, Flumet and Praz-sur-Arly. Together they have 192 kilometres of pistes, and just over two thirds are classed as easy. The highest point is just over 2,000 metres, and in Les Saisies the chairlift goes up to Mont Bisanne.

An important change for the 2026/27 season: multi-day passes for Les Saisies alone have been scrapped. If you are staying a week, you buy a pass for the whole Espace Diamant, which only costs a little more. Passes for Les Saisies alone are still available for four hours and for one day, and there is a cheap beginner pass that is valid on the easiest lifts.

Children and lift passes: children under five come under the Bambin category, and children aged five to fourteen pay the junior price. You need to be able to show the child's age. Booking early online and the Pack Tribu family offer give lower prices, but the offers cannot be combined.

Children's areas and the ESF

Les Saisies has an unusual number of places where small children can practise in peace:

• Beginner areas: Espace Débutant Aiglon and the Boetet, Pierre à l’Âne and Manant practice areas, with magic carpets and button lifts.
• The elf forest: Forêt des Elfes and Village des Elfes are themed areas in the forest, and the green pistes La Glissade des Elfes and La Luge des Farfadets are built for children.
• Espace Erwin Eckl: this is where you will find the Mountain Twister toboggan run, laser shooting and space for a picnic.

ESF has three locations in the resort, and in total over 200 ski instructors work in Les Saisies, including independent instructors. The ESF's age limits are clear:

Course	Age	Good to know
Club Piou Piou	from age 3	Play and first runs, in the mornings
Ourson	from approx. age 4–5	For beginners or children who have completed Piou Piou
Flocon to Étoile d’Or	once the child skis independently	The classic ESF badges
Snowboard	from age 8	Group lessons for children

The ESF has meeting points in the centre, at Les Carrets, at Belambra and in Bisanne 1500. Choose accommodation near the meeting point the children will be going to, so you don't have to carry skis through the village every morning. Skis, boots and helmets are not included in the lessons. There is more on how to plan the week in ski trip with children – tips and advice.

Cross-country skiing on the 1992 Olympic trails

At the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics, cross-country skiing and biathlon were held in Les Saisies. Today, the cross-country area is one of the largest in France, with 120 kilometres of trails that also run towards Crest-Voland, Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe, Flumet and Praz-sur-Arly. The trail at the cross-country stadium opens as early as 11 November 2026, and the rest of the area once there is enough snow.

For families, there is more than just long loops:

• Biathlon taster: the shooting range was upgraded in 2024, and there are taster sessions with laser rifles adapted to age.
• Cross-country school for little ones: during the Christmas and February holidays, the ESF runs a cross-country course for children aged four to six.
• Les Secrets de la Forêt: a family trail with ten stations about the forest and its animals, with puzzles and sculptures.

A cross-country day fits nicely in the middle of the week, when legs need a rest from the downhill slopes. With a cross-country pass, you can also take the Les Gentianes lift up to the Palette plateau.

How to get to Les Saisies

• Flying to Geneva: allow about one and a half to two hours by car. Altibus runs transfers from the airport, which are booked in advance.
• Flying to Lyon: a longer journey, about two and a half to three hours. Altibus runs from here too.
• Train to Albertville: the station is on the line to Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Buses meet the main trains and take up to an hour and a half to get up to the resort. There is no bus from Sallanches, only taxis. How to travel by train from Sweden is explained in train to the Alps – how it works.
• By car: in the mountains, snow chains, snow socks or four winter tyres are required in winter. Check the road conditions the day before.

In the resort, free buses run between the different parts of the village. Compare the ways of getting there in travelling to the resort – car, train or plane.

Les Saisies or Megève?

Praz-sur-Arly in the Espace Diamant lies right next to Megève, but the ski areas are not linked. Megève is an old, elegant Alpine village with a square and horse-drawn sleighs, and it is one of the most expensive resorts in France. Les Saisies sits more than 500 metres higher, is built for skiing and is much kinder on the wallet. With small children and a focus on ski school, Les Saisies is the easier choice, and Megève makes a good outing on a rest day.

Other French family resorts near Geneva are La Clusaz and Flaine. Don't forget the ski trip packing list and the budget guide.