- Top of the skiing54m above the median of 2,697m across the 55 resorts we cover.
- 2,751m
- The village, ChantemerleRight on the median of 1,350m across the 55 resorts we cover.
- 1,350m
- SeasonThe standard Alpine season, shared by 42 of the 55 resorts we cover.
- December to April
Is Serre Chevalier right for you?
Serre Chevalier is a long ski area in the southern French Alps, strung along a valley of traditional villages between Briançon and Le Monêtier. The village sits at 1,350m and the skiing tops out at 2,751m, and the season runs December to April. On the piste it is a real strength for first timers and improvers moving from blue into red.
Serre Chevalier at a glance
- Area
- Southern Alps
- Best for
- Mileage chasers · Beginners · Families with young children
- Fly to
- Turin, Grenoble or Lyon
- Transfer
- About 1h45 by road from Turin
- Doorstep skiing
- Limited, use lifts
Who Serre Chevalier suits, and who it suits less
Best for
- Mileage chasers. One linked area runs the length of the valley from Briançon to Le Monêtier les Bains, with about 250 kilometres of runs served by 58 lifts.
- Beginners. Every commune has its own reserved Discovery zone for beginners, and we measure about 41 kilometres of green piste across the valley.
- Families with young children. Villeneuve has three reserved beginners' sectors, free first timers' lifts and a pool, which suits families with small children.
- Non skiers. The Grands Bains du Monêtier have naturally warm water at 44 degrees from four springs, and Briançon adds its old town, a water park and markets.
- Snow sure. We measure 72 percent of the piste above 1,800 metres, and the skiing reaches 2,751 metres above the valley villages.
Less good for
- Après. Après is relaxed, with bars at the foot of the slopes in Chantemerle and Villeneuve and no big club scene, so party groups should look elsewhere.
- Couples. Couples dreaming of a car free village on the snow should know the villages sit along a valley road, though Le Monêtier les Bains is the quietest base.
Skiing from 1,200m to 2,751m, village at 1,350m (Chantemerle).
Where these heights are
- Lowest skiing
- 1,200mBriançon sector.
- Village
- 1,350mChantemerle.
- Top of the skiing
- 2,751mOur measurement of the highest marked piste.
- 15 runs green18%
- 26 runs blue32%
- 28 runs red34%
- 13 runs black16%
Counted by the resort, covering Serre Chevalier. No official kilometres by colour are published.
- Black piste
- 17km, 11% of the pisteLess than the median of 11% across the 55 resorts we cover.
- Ski area
- Serre Chevalier, 250kmNot part of a larger linked area.
- Cross country
- 44km of trails
Sources
- Village height: skisolutions.com
- Lowest skiing: onthesnow.co.uk
- Runs by colour: serre-chevalier.com
- Cross country: serre-chevalier.com
- Ski area: serre-chevalier.com
- Top of the skiing: our measurement of the highest marked piste
- The steep end: our measurement of the OpenStreetMap piste map
The published figures were read on 29 October 2026.
153km of graded piste, measured ourselves.
- 91km green and blue60%
- 45km red29%
- 17km black11%
Of the 91km green and blue, 41km is green.
- First timersA real strength
- Improvers, blue into redA real strength
- Confident intermediatesFine
- Strong skiersFine
The spreadIt scores 0.83 for evenness, where 1 is a perfect three way split between green and blue, red and black. The largest share is green and blue, at 60%.
Longest pisteTabuc, 3.3km of black with 632m of vertical.
Measured from the run geometry, Serre Chevalier has 153km of graded piste: 91km green and blue, 45km red and 17km black. We do not print the resort's published kilometres until we have checked what they count.
Serre Chevalier among its French peers
Of these five, Serre Chevalier has the fourth highest top of the skiing, 2,751m. The median across the 55 resorts we cover is 2,697m.
Know the mountain before you go.
The skiing
The terrain is wonderfully varied, with sheltered forest runs, wide open bowls up top and a friendly spread of pistes for every level. It tends to be quieter and better value than the big Tarentaise names.
The village and the evenings
The villages each have their own feel, from the walled old town of Briançon to the thermal springs of Le Monêtier. It is relaxed, southern and unhurried.
Getting there
Turin is the closest airport at under two hours, with Grenoble and Lyon also within reach.
- Turinabout 1h45 by road
- Grenobleabout 2h25 by road
- Lyonabout 2h45 by road
Guides to skiing in France
If you like Serre Chevalier, try…
- Village
- 1,500 mSerre Chevalier 1,350 m
- Measured piste
- 85 kmSerre Chevalier 153 km