# Ski instructors in Les Houches

> Forested slopes at the mouth of the Chamonix valley, home of the Kandahar World Cup downhill and the valley's family mountain.

- Region: Chamonix Valley, Haute-Savoie
- Country: [France](https://alpinepal.com/en/ski-instructors/france)
- Time zone: Europe/Paris
- Currency: EUR

Page: https://alpinepal.com/en/resorts/les-houches
Last reviewed: 14 September 2026

## About Les Houches

Les Houches is the gentle end of the Chamonix valley, and the one sector of it where a family or a beginner belongs. It is lower and heavily wooded, which makes it the place everyone in the valley goes when the weather is bad and the high lifts are shut.

It is also serious when it wants to be: the Kandahar here is a World Cup downhill course, raced most seasons.

## Where lessons start

This is where lessons in the Chamonix valley actually happen. Book here rather than at Grands Montets or Brévent unless you already ski well — an honest instructor will tell you the same.

## Getting there

Geneva is about an hour, and the free valley bus and the train connect it to Chamonix in minutes.

## Instructors at Les Houches

_No instructors have joined here yet._

## Qualifications required in France

Teaching for payment in France requires the Professional card (diplôme d'État de ski), issued by Ministère des Sports.

## Frequently asked questions

### Should beginners in the Chamonix valley book lessons in Les Houches?

Yes — this is where the valley's lessons actually happen. It is lower, wooded and gentle, a world away from Grands Montets or Brévent, and it is where everyone goes when the high lifts are shut. An honest instructor will tell you the same.

### How do I get from Chamonix to Les Houches?

The free valley bus and the train connect the two in minutes, so a car is unnecessary. From Geneva airport the drive is about an hour.