Getting to Know Thollon
Part 1 of 4
Everything you need to know about Thollon-les-Mémises — a family-friendly ski resort above Lake Geneva*, near Evian-les-Bains. Village layout, La Station, and the views.
Thollon-les-Mémises at a Glance
- Where: French Alps, above Lake Geneva, near Évian-les-Bains
- Altitude: 1,600-1,900 m (via the Télécabine des Mémises)
- Ski season: December-March
- Best for: Families with young children, beginner-intermediate skiers
- Distance to lake/beach: 10 minutes by car
- Village layout: Chez-Cachat – Thollon village – Le Nouy – Chez les Aires – La Station (walkable in under 10 minutes) plus Lajoux – Le Maravent – Grand Roc
- Nearby resorts: Morzine, Châtel, Avoriaz (Portes du Soleil), Bernex, Abondance
All Lakes Need a Balcony
Ask most seasoned alpine skiers where Thollon-les-Mémises is and you’ll probably get a blank stare.
This small, unpretentious French village sits high above Lake Geneva — sometimes quite literally in the clouds.
When we lived here, the cloud would occasionally roll over the balcony rail and drift into the sitting room; on other days, the clouds lay far below the village, leaving Thollon in brilliant sunshine beneath azure-blue skies.
So why a balcony?
Because Thollon sits tucked beneath the beautiful Balcon des Mémises — a mountain ridge that forms a natural balcony high above Lake Geneva.
In the early evening, the ridge glows a soft dusky pink, catching the last rays of the sun as it sets over the lake.
It’s here that you’ll find some of the area’s best walking trails in summer and Thollon’s ski slopes in winter.
On most days the mountain air is so clear that the view stretches far across Lake Geneva and into Switzerland beyond.
Why Visit Thollon-les-Mémises
It’s close to the Portes du Soleil resorts like Morzine and Châtel, with their glossy magazine spreads and eye-watering lift pass prices.
But Thollon is different.
Over the years, it’s gained a reputation as an affordable, easy-going place that’s ideal for families with young children, beginner to intermediate skiers, and anyone who loves the romance of the mountains.
What sets it apart from most other places is its dual personality.
In summer the gondola can sweep you up the mountainside to enjoy the hiking trails, a bit of paragliding and the spectacular lake views. Or, if you prefer to swim, sunbathe and hide out in a beach bar, the lakeside is only a 10-minute drive down the hill.
There are also excellent golf courses nearby for those who need a complete break.
In winter you can swap swimsuits for skis. From December to March, Thollon becomes a bustling little ski station, with gentle slopes, hot chocolates and plenty of tartiflette.
It’s this combination, together with Thollon’s easy-going friendliness that creates the magic. This is what keeps people coming back here year after year.
If you’re looking for somewhere with a good choice of accommodation, restaurants and bars, then read on.
By the way…. did I mention the views?
Getting Your Bearings: Thollon Village and Its Hamlets
Thollon-les-Mémises isn’t really one compact village – it’s a scattering of hamlets strung along the road as it climbs from Lake Geneva into the hills above Évian-les-Bains.
Driving up from Évian, you pass through Chez-Cachat, before you come to the original village of Thollon itself, home to a handsome old church, the Mairie — the village town hall — the post office and the local primary school.
The old village was, and still is, a working agricultural community rather than a resort.
Continue through Le Nouy, where you’ll find Thollon’s two village hotels — the Bon Séjour and the Bellevue — plus a busy boulangerie, and the village’s only supermarket.
Next is Chez les Aires, and finally you arrive at what everyone means when they casually say Thollon.
This is the purpose-built resort hub, officially La Station, sitting at 1,000 m, where the gondola, ski school and rental shops, and most of the accommodation and restaurants are all within a few minutes’ walk of each other.
La Station: The Heart of Thollon-les-Mémises Resort
Compact is the word for La Station. You can walk end to end in under five minutes, which is a massive plus for anyone travelling with young children. There’s no shuttle bus to wrangle a buggy onto, no sprawling resort to navigate after a long ski day.
Best of all, when your little munchkin says ‘Mum, can you carry my skis?’ you can quite honestly reply ‘no, carry your own — it’s only a two-minute walk back to the apartment.’
What a result!
Everything radiates out from the base of the Télécabine des Mémises, which carries visitors up to between 1600 – 1900 metres.
Around the station, you’ll find the ESF ski school desk, ski-hire shops and a cluster of restaurants and bars.
What Thollon is Really Like
Don’t come expecting a chocolate-box Alpine centre with cobbled lanes — it’s really not that at all.
Thollon’s charm is more about the welcome and that extraordinary view over the lake than architectural drama.
First and foremost, it’s a family-friendly ski resort. Its superpower is that it’s also a great base for summer holidays too, particularly if you have a car.
Apart from driving down to the beaches by the lake, you can easily take day trips to Annecy or Yvoire for example, or into Switzerland.
Visit Montreux and Château de Chillon, see where Freddy Mercury recorded some of his best music, or loiter along the terraces of Lavaux’s finest vineyards.
It’s the views however, that do most of the work here, and they do it sensationally well.
Sold on the idea?
Next up: how to actually get there.
Reaching Évian is the easy part; the final leg up the mountain needs a little planning.
That’s coming soon in Part 2 — followed by the best times to visit (winter skiing vs. summer hiking) and finally where to eat and stay once you’re here.
*A note on the name: I’m very aware that in France the lake is known as Lac Léman. I use Lake Geneva throughout this guide because it’s the name most familiar to English-speaking readers and makes the location immediately clear 💙
