Champery Village Guide 2026

Champery at a glance

Photos via Google. Contributed by Michael K., Danile Sauterel, Oleh and aka Alex A.lex.

What Champery is really like

Champery sits low in the Val d'Illiez at around 1,050 m under the unmistakable saw tooth ridge of the Dents du Midi, and it is one of the prettiest ski villages in Switzerland. A single long main street of old timber and stone buildings, cafes and family run hotels gives it real character and a lived in, year round feel that the modern stations of the Portes du Soleil lack. A big cable car lifts you from the edge of the village up to the slopes at Planachaux.

The honest character to understand is that the charm comes with a trade: the village is low and its slopes are reached by cable car rather than skied to from the door. The skiing is vast but mostly intermediate, and the snow lower down depends on the conditions. For the full mountain breakdown see our Champery ski resort review.

Where to stay in Champery

Accommodation is mostly characterful hotels, chalets and apartments along and around the main street, with the best bases an easy walk from the cable car and the restaurants. Because the village strings along one street, location is simple to judge: stay near the cable car for the slopes or near the centre for the evening, both are close. This is a place to enjoy a charming village base rather than chase ski in ski out.

A week in Champery typically lands in the $2,000 to $4,000 band per person for a comfortable hotel or chalet, with the best catered chalets and hotels reaching into the $4,000 to $8,000 band. True ski in ski out is limited because the village sits below its slopes, so accept a short walk or ride to the cable car each morning as the price of the charm and the views.

Skiing from the village

From the Champery cable car you reach Planachaux and the vast Portes du Soleil, around 600 km of linked pistes that loop across the border through Avoriaz, Morzine, Les Gets, Chatel and Morgins on one pass. It is some of the best intermediate mileage in the Alps, endless cruising blues and reds with the famous Swiss Wall, one of the most fearsome black runs in the Alps, dropping back toward Champery for the brave. You can ski to a different village for lunch most days.

What Champery does not give you is high altitude or guaranteed snow, since the circuit tops out around 2,250 m and the village is low. The smart play is to enjoy the charming base and ride the lifts up to the snow sure sectors when the lower runs are thin. Compare the options through our Portes du Soleil region guide and the nearby Morzine and Avoriaz village guides.

Apres ski and evenings

Evenings in Champery are relaxed and characterful rather than raucous. The main street has welcoming bars, good restaurants serving Swiss and Savoyard classics and a warm, sociable mood, with a livelier scene than its quiet size suggests but nothing like the party stations across the valley. For couples and families it strikes a comfortable balance.

If you want a big night out, Morzine and Avoriaz across the circuit have more, and you can dip into them on the skis or by road. Our guide to the best apres ski resorts in Europe sets the scene against the louder options.

For families and non skiers

Champery suits families who value charm and a real village over slope side convenience. There is a ski school, gentle learning areas up at Planachaux, and the calm, walkable main street is easy with children in the evenings, though the cable car start each morning is a consideration with small kids. The huge area gives improving families room to grow over many trips.

Non skiers enjoy the pretty village, winter walking, the famous indoor pool and sports centre and the dramatic Dents du Midi scenery, plus easy outings around the valley. It is quieter than a purpose built resort, which most families count as a plus. Our best Alpine resorts for families and the best Alpine resorts for beginners help you compare.

Getting there

Geneva is the gateway at around a 1 hour 45 minute transfer, one of the more convenient Swiss arrivals, and Switzerland's trains run right into Champery, so a car free trip is genuinely easy. Private transfers and shared shuttles run all season, and a hire car adds flexibility for exploring the circuit by road. Arrange a transfer or hire car through our transfer partner and put cover in place through our travel insurance partner before you travel. For more options see our guide to ski resorts near Geneva.

Lift passes, lessons and ski hire

A full Portes du Soleil pass runs around $75 a day and opens the whole vast circuit across both countries, which is the one most visitors want, while a cheaper local Champery and Les Crosets area pass suits beginners and quieter days. Multi day and family rates lower the cost. Compare current pass options through our lift pass partner, book lessons through our lessons partner, and sort skis or a board through our ski hire partner.

When to go

Because Champery is low and the circuit is mid altitude, the core season from January to mid March is the safe window for good cover, with the higher Avoriaz and Les Crosets sectors holding snow best. Christmas and New Year are busy and festive, late January is quiet and good value, and March brings sunny spring skiing best enjoyed by riding to the higher snow sure sectors in the afternoons. For the most reliable snow aim for the heart of winter.

The honest bottom line

Champery is the Portes du Soleil for people who want a beautiful, characterful Swiss village with one of the world's largest linked ski areas attached: around 600 km of mostly intermediate pistes, the fearsome Swiss Wall for the brave, and the Dents du Midi filling the sky. You trade ski in ski out and guaranteed high altitude snow for genuine village charm and huge mileage on one pass.

For charm seekers, intermediates and families who prize a real village it is one of the best bases in the area. Skiers who must step from the door onto snow, or who want the most snow sure high terrain, should base higher at Avoriaz or Les Crosets. If you want this trip priced by specialists, tell us your dates and budget below and we will route your brief to operators who know Champery and the Portes du Soleil well.

Get chalet and lodging quotes

For a faster quote on where to stay in Champery, send the short form below and operators who know the village will price your dates and group.

Common questions