Fancy a 20-minute transfer to the slopes? Stay in authentic Pays de Gex, in France

Just 20 minutes (by car) from Geneva Airport, Pays de Gex has four, authentic ski areas for all abilities. After passing through French customs at the airport, guests can be on the slopes in less than half-an-hour; it is even closer to Geneva Airport than the Portes du Soleil! Or being eco conscious take the Eurostar to Paris and a direct TGV to Geneva.

Stretching across the Monts Jura, Pays de Gex sits between 900 metres and 1,680 metres altitude. From Alpine skiing or snowboarding to tobogganing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, it has everything to offer.

Starting with its immediate proximity to Geneva International Airport, this offers clients the opportunity to take a short break or keep an eye out for cheaper mid-week flights and enjoy the quiet mountains. Throughout the season, guests can enjoy peaceful pistes, several mountain restaurants, some ski-in, ski-out places to stay and plenty of other activities. Therefore, Pays de Gex is perfect for an older couple or families with young children.

There are three downhill ski areas; Lélex-Crozet, Mijoux-La Faucille and Mentières. For cross-country skiing head to the internationally acclaimed La Vattay-Valserine with its 120 km of trails and a superb ski school to get beginners fit to slide.

Discover the cultural scene including, the recently renovated Château Voltaire in Ferney Voltaire, which was where Voltaire spent the last 20 years of his busy social and literary life. Advancing the frontiers of technology, Pays de Gex is also home to CERN, where the primary research is in fundamental particle physics, but the laboratory also plays a vital role in developing the technologies of tomorrow. Past glories most famously include the internet and the Large Hadron Collider, the largest machine in the world.

Accommodation ranges from self-catering, gites, hotels to the jewel in the crown the magnificently situated at the foothills of the Jura Mountains facing the majestic Mont Blanc, the 5* Jiva Hill resort in the heart of its 98-acre private estate. In January 2022, the hotel opened a new wing with more bedrooms and in 2019 a brand-new restaurant, an outdoor swimming pool with a pool house and an outdoor Finish sauna experience. It’s a luxury address with a shuttle to the ski slopes. £199 per room per night on B&B.

• Winter activities such as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing
• Ski three resorts
• Stunning hotels
• Affordable skiing in Pays de Gex for a weekend break its relative cheapness compared to Alpine resorts (lift passes cost 19€ a day)
• The appeal of traditional Jura villages and restaurants.
• Cultural visits For more information about Pays de Gex paysdegex-tourisme.com

For a low-key ski holiday, the Pays de Gex ski areas have excellent skiing and stunning scenery. It asserts itself as one of the closest ski areas to an international airport.