Skiing in September in France
September is the wrong month to ski in France, because the summer glacier skiing has already closed for the year and the winter season is still two months away, which makes it the ideal month to plan and book a trip rather than take one.
Reviewed for the 2026 season by the Ski Resorts for Kings editorial team
Can you actually ski in France in September?
No, you cannot ski in France in September. The country has no lift served skiing open at all during the month. The summer glacier skiing that runs earlier in the year has finished by then, with the Grande Motte glacier above Tignes typically closing its summer operation around the third week of July, and the winter resorts do not begin opening until late November or December. September falls squarely in the gap between the two seasons, when even France's highest, glacier backed resorts are closed to skiers and the lift companies are servicing machinery rather than running it.
This is a real difference from neighboring Austria and Switzerland, where a handful of high glaciers run through autumn or even year round. France has no year round ski area, so when the summer glaciers shut there is simply nowhere lift served to ski in the country until winter. If your heart is set on snow under your skis in September, France is not the place, and the honest advice is to look elsewhere or, far more usefully, to spend the month getting next winter's trip exactly right.
What is happening in the French mountains in September?
September is one of the most beautiful months to be in the French Alps, just not for skiing. The high summer crowds have gone, the air is crisp and clear, the larch forests start to turn, and the hiking, biking and via ferrata are at their best before the lifts close for autumn. Many resort villages run their final weeks of summer lift operation in early September before shutting down entirely for the maintenance shoulder, so a mountain holiday is very much possible, just on foot or two wheels rather than on snow.
For a ski traveler, the value of September is planning. This is the month when resorts publish their winter season dates, when the best catered chalets and ski in ski out apartments for the coming winter get booked up, and when early booking offers on accommodation and lift passes are at their most generous. The peak weeks of the coming season, Christmas, New Year and February half term, fill first, so a trip locked in during September gives you the widest choice of dates, beds and prices. Treat the month as your booking window rather than your travel window.
When does the French ski season actually start?
The French winter ski season starts in late November at the earliest, and builds through December. The highest, glacier backed resorts in the Tarentaise and the Oisans usually open first, often in the last week of November, while the majority of French resorts open across the first half of December once enough snow has fallen and snowmaking can fill the gaps. By the Christmas holidays almost the entire French ski map is running, which is why that week is both the first reliable skiing and the most expensive of the early season.
If you want the earliest possible French skiing after the September gap, target a high snow sure resort with real altitude and book for late November or early December, accepting that early season cover can be thin lower down and that not every lift will be open. If you want certainty over early access, wait for January, when the base is deep and the whole network is running. Either way, September is when you make that call, not when you act on it.
Where should you ski instead in September?
If you genuinely need to ski in September, leave France and look to the southern hemisphere or to autumn glaciers elsewhere. New Zealand and the Andes are still in their winter season in September and offer real lift served skiing, while across the border the year round glacier above Zermatt in Switzerland and Austria's year round Hintertux glacier keep turning when France is closed. None of these are in France, so they are a change of trip rather than a change of date, but they are the honest answer for anyone who must ski this month.
For most travelers, though, the smarter move is to keep the French trip and shift the date. France in winter is worth waiting for, and a week banked now for January or for the value rich non holiday weeks of spring will deliver far better skiing than chasing thin September options ever could. Use the month to choose the resort, lock the dates and book the extras, then arrive in winter to a trip that is already sorted.
September in France: the case for and against
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Where to ski in France in September
For September we would point you first at these, each with our full review:
- Val Thorens. The highest major resort in the Alps and among the first to open in late November, it is the surest early booking for the coming winter.
- Tignes. High and glacier backed with one of the longest seasons in France, it is a dependable resort to lock in during September.
- Val d'Isere. Snow sure altitude and a vast linked area make it a strong choice to book ahead while September dates and beds are still open.
- Les Deux Alpes. Its glacier gives one of the earliest and latest seasons in France, worth securing early for flexible winter dates.
Sources we checked
Common questions
Can you ski in France in September?
No. France has no lift served skiing open in September. The summer glacier skiing above Tignes closes around mid to late July, and the winter resorts do not start opening until late November, so the month falls in the gap between the two seasons.
Why is there no skiing in France in September?
France has no year round glacier ski area, unlike Austria or Switzerland. Once the summer glaciers close in July, there is nowhere lift served to ski in the country until the winter resorts open from late November, which leaves September as pure off season.
When does the French ski season start?
The French winter season starts in late November at the earliest, with the highest glacier backed resorts opening first, and most resorts opening across the first half of December. By the Christmas holidays almost the entire French ski map is running.
Where can you ski in September instead of France?
For real September skiing, look to the southern hemisphere, where New Zealand and the Andes are still in winter, or to autumn glaciers outside France such as the year round glaciers above Zermatt in Switzerland and at Hintertux in Austria.
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