Family ski
Morillon sits in France’s Grande Massif ski area, alongside neighbouring resorts like Flaine, Les Carroz, Samoens and Sixt, with a broad range of learner-friendly slopes and generally hassle-free ski access. For families, it’s a great base from which to enjoy outdoor adventure together in the Alps. The resort itself doesn’t offer a great deal of traditional alpine charm, but what it lacks in aesthetic it makes up for in family-friendly facilities and services. As a general rule, the ski schools, lifts, restaurants and amenities are all within easy reach of the accommodation options in the resort, and it’s remarkably good value for money here, too, something families value in particular.
On the mountain, restaurants like l’Igloo and les Molliets offer a warm welcome to families, with child-friendly menus designed to refuel the kids for long afternoons of the slopes. On top of this, you’ll find a wide array of well-located picnic benches and public halls for lunch, where families can snack in the open air or seek refuge against bas weather.
Away from the snowy slopes, there’s plenty of non-ski activities to enjoy in the Grand Massif – though perhaps a slightly broader range in Samoens that Morillon, a mere 3 kilometers away. Families can explore the alpine wilderness on snowshoeing adventures, zoom through the mountain terrain on a dog-sledding tour, or hire bikes with fat tyres to tackle the snowy ground.
There’s an ice-skating rink in Samoens, opposite the Tourist Office, and skidoo tours offer high-octane thrills after the pistes have closed. Horse-drawn sleigh rides offer a restful and relaxing way to explore the Alpine scenery, and if bad weather closes in or the kids watch to catch up on the latest releases, there’s a cinema which screens films in English around twice a week. In Morillon itself, there’s a sledging slope to help youngsters burn off the last of the day’s energy!
Group Ski
Morillon is a popular destination both in the snowy winter and sunny summers, with a wide range of activities to enjoy for many different kinds of visiting groups. For families in particular, the ‘Famille Plus’ accreditation means parents with youngsters are assured of a warm welcome – with plenty of child-friendly activities to engage in.
The resort’s main ski lift links up into the expansive Grand Massif ski area, and from here, groups have access to a wonderfully wide range of terrain spanning an impressive 265 kilometres. If you have nervous learners in your party, there’s a great range of gentle terrain to choose from, and the ski schools are well set up to give beginners the boost they need. And intermediate and advanced-level groups will have no trouble finding both pisted and off-piste terrain to explore with 351 groomed runs served by just under 80 lifts.
For groups in need of hassle-free accommodation, Morillon comes up trumps – with a wide range of piste-side apartments within easy reach of the lifts. And when the lifts close and thirsty skiers return from the slopes in search of après ski, this friendly little resort doesn’t disappoint. The après ski here may not quite match bigger and better-known alpine destinations like Meribel or Val d’Isere, but Morillon’s après ski scene is friendly and inclusive – ideal for groups.
Childcare
Located in the Grand Massif ski area, Morillon is a proud holder of France’s coveted ‘Famille-Plus’ label – which means it’s been officially recognised for the quality and diversity of its family-friendly facilities. The main telecabine leaves from the village and links up to the expansive Grand Massif, linking it to the five resorts of Morillon, Samoëns, Flaine, Les Carroz, and Sixt. In the village itself, there are a number of apartments offering families completely hassle-free ski in/out accommodation by the pistes.
Morillon’s childcare services are very good, with crèche facilities at the Village des Enfants. Here, experienced staff care for the resort’s young visitors from 9am to 5.20pm. You can book a half-day, half-day plus lunch, or full day – a flexible approach which works well. For older children aged from 4+, trained and experienced instructors are on hand at the well-located PiouPiou Club, to deliver lessons carefully tailored to youngsters taking to the slopes for the first time. There’s a gentle slopes with a conveyor belt and rope-pull, offering a gentle intro to the sport of skiing.