Most people arrive in this valley aiming for Chamonix. Les Houches is the village just before it — close enough to be in Chamonix in twelve minutes by train, far enough that you aren't living in the middle of a resort town. It has its own ski area, its own lifts, and it happens to be where the Tour du Mont-Blanc begins.
This is the short version of what we tell guests. There are fuller write-ups of skiing and eating if you want the detail.
Skiing, without getting in the car
Two lifts are within a short walk: the Bellevue télécabine is four minutes away (350 m), and the Prarion gondola seven minutes (550 m) in the other direction. Between them that's the whole Les Houches domain — 55 km of pistes, the Kandahar / Verte des Houches World Cup downhill, and gentler family slopes up around the Prarion summit.
Les Houches is south-facing and tree-lined, which makes it a good bad-weather mountain when the high lifts are shut. And if it is grim here, the valley is a microclimate playground — Le Tour is often above the cloud, and Grands Montets holds the best late-season snow.
Getting around without a car
Genuinely well-connected — many of our guests barely touch their car all week.
- Bus Line 1 runs Les Houches → Chamonix → Les Praz / Flégère every 20–30 minutes, roughly 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The nearest stop, Les Houches – Le Fouilly, is a one-minute walk. There's also a night bus (Chamo'nuit) from 8:35 p.m. to 1:10 a.m. for evenings out, though some slots need pre-booking through the Chamonix Mobilité app.
- The Mont-Blanc Express takes 12 minutes to Chamonix and carries on to Argentière, Le Tour and Vallorcine. It's free with your guest card. The Viaduc Sainte-Marie halt is a ten-minute walk and is a stop on demand — quicker than walking to the main Les Houches station.
The tip worth remembering: when the valley road is jammed — peak ski weekends, summer Saturdays — the train is always faster.
Summer: walking from the door
Les Houches is the starting point of the Tour du Mont-Blanc. The full circuit takes 7–11 days, but you can walk the first stage towards Les Contamines over the Col de Voza as a long day hike and come back by bus.
Both winter lifts keep running. The Bellevue cable car opens up mountain walks towards Mont Lachat and the Tramway du Mont-Blanc, and you can walk back down through the pastures. The Prarion gondola is the easier family option, with a refuge at the top for lunch. Both carry bikes, and Les Houches has good flow and downhill trails for intermediate riders.
Further afield, the valley's classic walks are all within half an hour: Lac Blanc from La Flégère (go early in July and August), the Grand Balcon Nord from Plan de l'Aiguille across to Montenvers, and Lac Vert above Servoz — our pick for the most view per unit of effort.
Days out, especially with children
Plenty within a short drive. Parc de Merlet (10–15 minutes) is a wildlife park at 1,500 m where ibex, chamois and deer roam freely with Mont Blanc behind them — one of our favourite family outings. Lac des Chavants is five minutes away for a gentle loop and a picnic, and the Gorges de la Diosaz near Servoz is a dramatic hour or two on suspended walkways above waterfalls.
For a proper beach day, Lac de Passy (20–30 minutes) has a sandy shore, shallow paddling, pedalos and an inflatable water park, with the massif as a backdrop. Paradis des Praz is the pick for under-sevens: a shallow glacial stream, playground, pony rides and a café, with a buggy-friendly path in from the golf course car park.
And when it rains: the Centre Sportif Richard Bozon in Chamonix (pool, sauna, hammam, climbing wall, ice rink), indoor climbing at MB Escalade here in Les Houches, the Musée Alpin, or simply drive an hour to Annecy or through the tunnel to Aosta for a completely different day.
Eating, and the weekly shop
There are eight places we'd happily send you to within walking distance, and another nineteen in Chamonix — a lakeside terrace at the foot of the Prarion gondola, a proper Savoyard chalet near the chairlift, and a brasserie with two terraces facing Mont Blanc.
Full guide: where to eat in Les Houches and Chamonix →
For self-catering, Carrefour Montagne sits in the village centre opposite the church and opens seven days; Super U has the biggest selection. There's a small farmers' market in the village square on Monday mornings. One thing that catches people out: most shops close on Sunday afternoon, though Carrefour Montagne is usually open Sunday morning until 12:30.
Staying at Apartment Leo
Two bedrooms, sleeps four, 350 m from the lifts, with two balconies facing Mont Blanc and a shared pool, sauna and spa downstairs. Everything above — plus directions, access codes and arrival details — comes in the welcome guide three days before check-in.