The 2026/27 dates are out for most of the resorts we drive to. Val Thorens and Tignes open first, on Saturday 21 November 2026. Most of the Tarentaise follows on 5 December, Les Arcs and La Plagne on 12 December. The last lifts turn on 2 and 3 May 2027. Every date depends on snow, so check the resort’s own page in the days before you travel. Below: the full table, the Saturdays when roads and airports are busiest, and how to plan your transfer around them.
Opening and closing dates 2026/27
| Resort | Opens | Closes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Val Thorens | Sat 21 Nov 2026 | Sun 2 May 2027 | first weekend 21–22 Nov; 3 Vallées link from 5 Dec |
| Tignes | Sat 21 Nov 2026 | Sun 2 May 2027 | opens in stages; link with Val d’Isère from 28 Nov |
| Val d’Isère | Sat 28 Nov 2026 | Sun 2 May 2027 | |
| Chamonix – Grands Montets | Sat 28 Nov 2026 | Sun 2 May 2027 | opening weekend, then daily from 5 Dec |
| Les Deux Alpes | Sat 28 Nov 2026 | Sun 2 May 2027 | glacier skiing in May |
| Courchevel | Sat 5 Dec 2026 | Sun 18 Apr 2027 | some lifts from Fri 4 Dec |
| Méribel | Sat 5 Dec 2026 | Sun 18 Apr 2027 | |
| Les Menuires | Sat 5 Dec 2026 | Sun 18 Apr 2027 | |
| Alpe d’Huez | Sat 5 Dec 2026 | Sun 25 Apr 2027 | |
| Isola 2000 | Sat 5 Dec 2026 | not yet published | |
| Auron | Sat 5 Dec 2026 | not yet published | |
| Avoriaz | Fri 11 Dec 2026 | 18 Apr 2027 (provisional) | pre-opening 28–29 Nov; whole Portes du Soleil from 19 Dec |
| Les Arcs | Sat 12 Dec 2026 | Sat 24 Apr 2027 | Paradiski link 12 Dec – 17 Apr |
| La Plagne | Sat 12 Dec 2026 | Sat 24 Apr 2027 | lower villages close 17 Apr |
| Zermatt | Sat 28 Nov 2026 | Mon 3 May 2027 | glacier open all year |
| St. Moritz – Corviglia | Sat 28 Nov 2026 | Sun 4 Apr 2027 | Corviglia – Piz Nair from 19 Dec |
Dates from the resorts’ and lift operators’ official sites, checked on 25 October 2026. All dates are snow permitting. Valberg has not published its 2026/27 dates yet.
Ski transfers from Geneva Airport
The busiest Saturdays
Most chalets and apartments change over on Saturday, so that is when airports, valley roads and the last climb to the resorts are full. The heaviest weeks of 2026/27 follow the school holidays:
- Christmas and New Year: French schools are off from Saturday 19 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027, so 19 and 26 December and 2 January are full changeover days.
- February in France: zone C (Paris) from 6 February, zone A (Lyon, Grenoble) from 13 February, zone B (Nice, Marseille) from 20 February 2027. Every Saturday from 6 February to 6 March is busy.
- February in the UK: most English schools take half-term from 15 to 19 February 2027, Wales from 8 to 12 February, so 6, 13 and 20 February bring the most British skiers.
What it means for your transfer
On our airport routes to the Alps, Saturdays from 19 December 2026 to 10 April 2027 carry the Peak Saturday rate, and pickups from 24 December to 2 January carry the festive supplement. Both are shown in the price before you book. If your dates are flexible, a Sunday or midweek arrival is quieter on the road and costs the Standard rate. If you must travel on a February Saturday, book the transfer as soon as you book the flight: vans for large families go first.
Early and late season
If you want the first or the last snow of the winter, choose a high resort. Val Thorens and Tignes open on 21 November; Val d’Isère, the Grands Montets in Chamonix, Les Deux Alpes, Zermatt and St. Moritz follow on 28 November. At the other end, Val Thorens, Tignes, Val d’Isère, the Grands Montets and Les Deux Alpes run until 2 May 2027, and Zermatt until 3 May. In the first and last weeks some lifts and links may still be closed, so check the live opening page of your resort.
The resorts near Nice
Isola 2000 and Auron open on Saturday 5 December 2026; their closing dates are not published yet. Valberg has not announced its dates. The seasonal ski buses from Nice (Lignes d’Azur lines 91 to Auron and 92 to Isola 2000) have not published their 2026/27 timetable either; last winter they started on 6 December. From Nice Airport the drive takes about 1 h 30 to 2 h, and with a driver by the hour you can ski for the day and be back on the coast for dinner.
Before you go
- Arriving on a February Saturday: book the transfer on the same day as the flight.
- Flying home: give us your flight time and we suggest a pickup with a margin.
- After a fresh snowfall: on early mornings the road may not be cleared yet and we fit snow socks or chains; it takes a few minutes and we allow for it.
- Ski passes, rental, shopping: tell us when you book and we stop on the way.