Le Grand Bornand – France

It is a mystery why Le Grand Bornand isn’t better known when you consider the ease of access at under an hour’s drive from Geneva. The resort itself is far from being a purpose built monstrosity, quite the opposite. This typical French market town is steeped in history and full of traditional alpine charm, with regular markets and bustling shops that make it a lively summer destination too. The ski season runs from December until April and the resort is just a few kilometres from La Clusaz, a more extensive ski area that is covered on the same Aravis ski pass.
 
On the downside the altitude at just 1000m makes Le Grand Bornand (Le grand bor-non) one of the lower resorts in the French Alps, but the traditional 17th Century farming of Chinaillon 6km away sits higher at 1300m and is the start point for a lot of the best skiing. A bus service links the two and skiing back to Le Grand Bornand itself is not always possible.