Megève
A Savoyard village the Rothschilds chose over St. Moritz, old farms turned into hotels, a three-star kitchen in the hamlet of Le Leutaz, and a sloping runway above the rooftops.
- Arrival
- Geneva Airport · GVA
- To the village
- About 1 h 15 from Geneva by car
- Private jets
- Geneva, then road or a 25-minute helicopter
- Best time
- December to March
The city
A village made for winter.
Megève became a resort when the Rothschilds began to winter here in the 1910s. In 1921 Noémie de Rothschild opened a hotel on the Mont d'Arbois, and the resort grew as a French answer to St. Moritz. The old centre still gathers around the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, and the pistes rise from Rochebrune, the Mont d'Arbois and Côte 2000.
For 2026–27 the lifts open fully on 19 December and close on 4 April, with the first sectors running from early December. One pass covers Megève, Saint-Gervais, Combloux and the villages around them. Above the village at Le Leutaz, Flocons de Sel holds three MICHELIN stars.
Arriving
Geneva, then the valley road.
Geneva is the airport for Megève, about an hour and a quarter by road. Annecy and Chambéry are about an hour and a half away, Lyon about two and a half.
- Paris 1 h 00
- Munich 1 h 00
- Cairo 3 h 55
- Cape Town 11 h 50 long-range jet
- Singapore 13 h 45 long-range jet
When to go
December to March.
At 1,080 metres the village sits lower than most ski resorts, so winter days are fairly mild, at 3 to 5 °C from December to February, and December brings the most snow. The lifts run from 19 December 2026 to 4 April 2027. In July the afternoons reach 23 °C.
- 3° J 144
- 5° F 111
- 9° M 113
- 13° A 103
- 17° M 127
- 21° J 133
- 23° J 131
- 23° A 125
- 18° S 112
- 14° O 121
- 8° N 125
- 4° D 168
What to see and do
Days in and around Megève.
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Landmark
Mont d'Arbois
Where the resort began with the Rothschild hotel of 1921, on the estate that now holds the Four Seasons.
-
Landmark
Côte 2000
The first sector to open each winter, on the road that also leads to the altiport.
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Landmark
Evasion Mont-Blanc
One pass for Megève, Saint-Gervais, Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce, Combloux, La Giettaz and Les Contamines.
-
Culture
Le Calvaire de Megève
Laid out between 1840 and 1878 by the parish priest Ambroise Martin, fifteen chapels and oratories line a 1.6 km walk climbing from the village.
Official site -
Wellness
Le Palais Megève
Megève's municipal sports centre brings pools, an ice rink, a climbing area, tennis and a spa together under one roof in the village.
Official site -
Wellness
Thermes de Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc
Baths have drawn on this hot spring since 1806, and the present spa of 1992 adds massages and an outdoor spring water pool.
-
Nature
Tramway du Mont-Blanc
France's highest railway, opened in 1909, climbs 12.8 km from Le Fayet toward the Nid d'Aigle at about 2,400 metres on the slopes of Mont Blanc.
Official site -
Nature
Aiguille du Midi
Since 1955 a cable car has lifted visitors from Chamonix to 3,842 metres in about twenty minutes, where the glass Step into the Void hangs over a 1,035 metre drop.
Official site -
Snow
Vallée Blanche
Reached by the Aiguille du Midi cable car, this glacier descent of about 20 km and 2,000 metres is skied off piste, ideally with a mountain guide.
Where to stay
Chalets, farmhouses and a Palace.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Four Seasons Megève On the Rothschild estate where the resort began, named a Palace in 2026, with three MICHELIN Keys and La Dame de Pic.
- Flocons de Sel Rooms and chalets around Emmanuel Renaut's three-star restaurant, each room with its own terrace.
- Les Fermes de Marie Old farm buildings gathered by the Sibuet family, with Savoyard antiques and the first Pure Altitude spa.
- Zannier Le Chalet Twelve rooms in three large chalets about two kilometres from the village, often taken whole by one family.
Where to dine
Three stars at Le Leutaz.
From the MICHELIN Guide 2026, shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- Flocons de Sel Three Michelin stars Modern €€€€ Route du Leutaz
- La Dame de Pic - Le 1920 One Michelin star Creative €€€€ Four Seasons Megève
- La Table de l'Alpaga One Michelin star Modern €€€€ Alpaga, route du Prariand
- Vous One Michelin star Modern €€€€ Rue Saint-François
Elsewhere in France
More reasons to come.
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Paris
The Louvre, the Left Bank, and the couture houses of the Avenue Montaigne.
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Nice
The pastel façades of Vieux-Nice, and the flower market of the Cours Saleya.
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Monaco (Principality)
A principality of its own on the French border: twenty minutes from Nice by road, seven by helicopter.
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Cannes
The Croisette in festival season, with its own business airport at Mandelieu.
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Saint-Tropez
A former fishing village, best reached by helicopter from Nice.
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Courchevel
Ski-in chalets at 1850, and more Michelin stars than most cities.
- Bordeaux The wine capital, between the Médoc and Saint-Émilion.
- Biarritz Belle Époque villas, surf and the Basque coast.
Flying to Megève?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.