Les Terrasses d’Hélios, Flaine
Discovering a family ski resort that caters for everyone is like finding the Holy Grail and Les Terrasses d’Helios in Flaine offers exactly that.
One of the highest ski resorts in the French Alps, Les Terrasses d’Hélios in Flaine offers a luxury, family-friendly ski experience where beautiful scenery, comfort and practicality go hand in hand. Set at an altitude of between 700 metres to 2,500 metres, Flaine enjoys excellent snow cover until the end of the season – making it an ideal ski destination for the Easter school holidays.
Part of the expansive Grand Massif ski area comprising Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillon, Samoens and Sixt-Fer-et_Cheval, Flaine offers an impressive variety of terrain with access to 139 ski runs and 265 km of slopes. Gentle nursery slopes sit alongside wide, confidence-boosting runs, while more experienced skiers can explore higher, more challenging pistes.
Accomodation
The spacious 2/3 bedroom self-catering apartments are beautifully designed, offering families the freedom of a private alpine retreat paired with the comforts of a high-end residence.
Generous living areas, well-equipped kitchens and thoughtfully laid-out bedrooms make it easy to settle in and relax. We loved the clever configuration of the rooms, which allows parents to put the children to bed and still stay up without disturbing them. The open plan lounge, kitchen dining area was the perfect size to allow for leisurely breakfasts, lunches back at the apartment, and cosy evenings spent together after a day on the slopes.
This is the kind of accommodation that makes you feel instantly at home — only with much better views! We loved the on-site SPAR, which stocked a great variety of groceries, snacks and even had a cheese fondue which you could pre-order.
The Spa
One of the highlights of the trip was sitting in an outdoor hot tub with views of the snowy alpine forest. We alternated between the hot tub, sauna, hammam and heated pool and it was the perfect end to a day of skiing.
The pool area also had an area for the little ones to splash around in and treatments were also available to book.
Skiing with Children
The level of ease at which you could ski with children at Les Terrasses d’Helios was incredible. Not only were the apartments ski in, ski out with lockers located conveniently next to the exit, the ESF ski school was practically next door making it effortless to drop off the kids and then go skiing.
Perfect for beginners, the resort boasts 4 free lifts and 1 gondola lift free of charge. There are also 3 dedicated areas for beginners to get to grips with their skis at their own pace.
Flaine - more than a ski resort?
While Flaine’s skiing is the main draw, the resort also offers a fabulous selection of family-friendly activities off the slopes. Snowshoe walks, a fondue in an igloo experience and quad biking were just a few things that the Junior team experienced and would highly recommend you pre-book.
Flaine is also well renowned for its art and architecture and even has a Picasso sculpture as part of its open air museum.
After a big day out on the slopes, you’ve worked up a hunger and Flaine doesn’t disappoint with its array of cosy alpine restaurants. We particularly liked Saubadia which specialised in world cuisine and would be a great option with kids.
The centre of Flaine is easily accessible during the day using the free shuttle bus run by the tourist office (bus stop 5 min walk from the apartment, runs until approx 6.30pm). After 6.30pm you can request a free taxi at the apartment reception.
The Verdict
"For families searching for an affordable luxury family ski resort in the French Alps, Les Terrasses d’Hélios in Flaine delivers a refined yet relaxed experience that works beautifully for all ages and all abilities. We love Pierre et Vacances’ commitment to sustainability and the way that it shows up from the apartment to local sourcing to architectural respect. They truly believe that sustainability and responsible tourism is a shared effort between hotels, resorts and guests and we are here for that."
From our camera roll...
Junior Fact Box
Rates at Pierre & Vacances Premium Residence Les Terrasses d’Helios start from €1,012 for a one-bedroom apartment for four people from March 21 to 28, 2026.
Nearest airport: Geneva (70km). Transfer time from airport approx 1.5 – 2 hours. Nearest train station: Cluses TGV train station (30 km). Altibus shuttle bus (booking required) from Cluses station towards Flaine (30 mins to Terrasses d’Eos stop)
Ski Passes: 7 and under and over 75+ free ski pass. Grand Massif, 1 day pass: 15 – 74 year olds (61€), 8-14 year olds (48.80€) Flaine, 1 day pass: 15-74 year olds (59€), 8-14 year olds (47.20€)
JUNIOR TOP TIP: Book Sunday to Sunday for cheaper flights, shorter transfer times, reduced queues for check in/ski hire and quieter slopes for your final ski day on Saturday.
