St Sorlin d'Arves or La Toussuire: which Les Sybelles village is right for your ski property?
If you are thinking about buying a ski apartment or chalet in Les Sybelles, two villages are likely to be high on your list: La Toussuire and St Sorlin d'Arves.
Both give you access to the same 310 km of skiing, so for us the choice has never been about saying that one resort is better than the other. It comes down to the kind of place that feels right for you and your family.
La Toussuire, at 1,800 m, is a sunny, south-facing resort with a pedestrianised centre and plenty to do away from the slopes. St Sorlin d'Arves, at 1,650 m, has the character of a traditional Savoyard mountain village, with skiing from the village and a particularly strong summer season thanks to its position on the Col de la Croix de Fer.
We have buyers who love both, and in our experience people often know quite quickly when they have found the village that feels like home.
What do La Toussuire and St Sorlin d'Arves have in common?
We have sold apartments and chalets in both La Toussuire and St Sorlin d'Arves, so rather than trying to pick a winner, we think it is more useful to compare the things our buyers tend to ask us about.
Both villages are part of Les Sybelles, one of France's largest linked ski areas, with 310 km of pistes between 1,100 m and 2,620 m.
Les Sybelles links six villages: La Toussuire, St Sorlin d'Arves, Le Corbier, St Jean d'Arves, Les Bottières and Saint-Colomban-des-Villards. Buy a property in either La Toussuire or St Sorlin d'Arves and you have the whole ski area to explore on one lift pass. You can even ski from one village to the other and back again in a day.
Find out more in our Les Sybelles ski area guide.
What is La Toussuire like for property buyers?
La Toussuire sits in a sunny, south-facing bowl at 1,800 m and is the highest of the Les Sybelles villages. Skiing has been part of life here for generations: the resort's first ski lift was built by the Augert brothers in 1937, and La Toussuire will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2027.
For families, one of its attractions is the layout. The home slopes are wide and gentle, while more challenging skiing is easily reached by lift. The centre is pedestrianised, so once you are here, much of what you need is close at hand.
Away from the pistes, La Toussuire has 29 restaurants, two swimming pools, a spa, L'Igloo cinema and a bowling alley, as well as supermarkets, a bank, post office, medical practice, ski schools and a nursery.
The Côte du Bois cable car has improved the ski connection out of the village, while free shuttles connect La Toussuire with Le Corbier and Les Bottières.
La Toussuire may feel right for you if you are looking for:
- a sunny, high-altitude setting with a pedestrianised centre
- plenty to do away from the slopes and in the evening
- gentle home slopes that work particularly well for families with young children
- a resort where many of the everyday essentials are close at hand
Read our full La Toussuire guide.
What is St Sorlin d'Arves like for property buyers?
St Sorlin d'Arves sits at 1,650 m beneath the distinctive three peaks of the Aiguilles d'Arves. It has a different feel from La Toussuire, with the character and history of a traditional Savoyard mountain village.
Its Baroque church of Saint-Saturnin dates from 1603, while the village cooperative dairy has been making Beaufort cheese since 1965. These are little details, perhaps, but they are part of what gives St Sorlin its sense of place.
For skiers, the lifts leave from the village and the slopes above St Sorlin climb to 2,620 m, the highest point in Les Sybelles, with wonderful views towards the L’Étendard glacier.
Day to day, the village has the essentials you need, including a supermarket, butcher, ski shops, ESF ski school, nursery, doctor and pharmacy. A free village shuttle operates throughout the winter.
St Sorlin d'Arves may feel right for you if you are looking for:
- the character of a traditional Savoyard village
- a village that is lived in throughout the year
- direct access to the highest skiing in Les Sybelles
- a strong summer season for walking, cycling and time in the mountains
Read our full St Sorlin d'Arves guide.
What are La Toussuire and St Sorlin d'Arves like in summer?
For anyone buying a property in the French Alps, it is worth thinking beyond the ski season. Both La Toussuire and St Sorlin d'Arves are dual-season destinations, but once again they have slightly different personalities in summer.
La Toussuire's summer season in 2027 runs from 26 June to 26 August, with hiking, mountain biking, a tree-top adventure park and zip line, as well as the outdoor heated swimming pool in nearby Le Corbier.
St Sorlin d'Arves sits on the road to the Col de la Croix de Fer, one of the great Tour de France climbs, making cycling an important part of summer life. There are around 30 mountain-bike routes, while the Plan du Moulin Express chairlift carries walkers and bikes into the mountains. From here, you can also explore the Trois Lacs beneath the Saint Sorlin glacier.
If you hope to use your ski property outside the winter months, it is worth spending time in both villages during summer as well as winter. The atmosphere can be quite different once the snow has gone.
How do you get to La Toussuire and St Sorlin d'Arves?
Access to the two resorts is very similar.
From the A43 motorway, leave at St Jean de Maurienne (exit 27) and follow the road up the Arvan valley. The drive is approximately 20 minutes to La Toussuire and 30 minutes to St Sorlin d'Arves.
The Col de la Croix de Fer above St Sorlin is closed during winter, so in the ski season access is from the St Jean de Maurienne side of the valley.
Chambéry Airport is approximately 1 hour 20 minutes away by car and Geneva Airport circa 2 hours 10 minutes, depending on traffic and conditions.
By train, TGV services reach St Jean de Maurienne from Paris in around 3 hours 40 minutes, making rail another option for owners travelling to Les Sybelles.
How much does property cost in La Toussuire and St Sorlin d'Arves?
One reason buyers consider property in Les Sybelles is that prices in both La Toussuire and St Sorlin d'Arves can be considerably lower than in many better-known resorts elsewhere in Savoie and Haute-Savoie.
We work with French buyers as well as international buyers, particularly British, Dutch and Belgian families looking for their own place in the French Alps.
Property prices vary considerably depending on the development, location, size, views and whether you are buying a new-build or resale property, so we prefer not to give a single figure that can quickly become misleading.
For current apartments and chalets for sale in La Toussuire and St Sorlin d'Arves, including up-to-date prices, please take a look at our properties page.
If you are new to purchasing French property, our buying guide also explains how the buying process in France works.
So, should you choose La Toussuire or St Sorlin d'Arves?
This is the question buyers naturally ask us, but there isn't a right answer and we prefer you to see both and choose for yourself.
On paper, it is easy to compare altitude, facilities, skiing, summer activities and village character. In reality, choosing where to buy a ski property is much more personal than that.
Some buyers arrive in La Toussuire and immediately feel at home. Others drive into St Sorlin d'Arves and know that it is where they want to be. We have buyers purchasing in both villages, and that is exactly as it should be.
Our advice is to experience both for yourself. If you can, spend some time walking around each village, have a coffee or lunch, look at the different areas and properties, and ski from each one. Think about how you and your family would actually use your property — not just for a week's skiing, but over the years ahead.
In the meantime, you can watch our videos below, listen to two of our buyers talking about their own experiences on the podcast, and explore our individual guides to La Toussuire and St Sorlin d'Arves.
And if you would like to talk it through with us, give us a call. We know both villages well, and our job isn't to tell you which one you should prefer. It's to help you find the place that feels right for you.
Episode 61: La Toussuire & Les Sybelles: A UK Buyers' Inside GuideClient interview, 24 Dec 2025
Episode 66: From dream to doorstep: Buying a chalet in St SorlinClient interview, 4 Mar 2026For property across the rest of the French and Swiss Alps, visit alpinepropertyinvestments.co.uk.
Frequently asked questions
Which is higher, La Toussuire or St Sorlin d'Arves?
La Toussuire sits at 1,800 m and St Sorlin d'Arves at 1,650 m. The slopes above St Sorlin reach 2,620 m, the highest point of Les Sybelles.
Can you ski between La Toussuire and St Sorlin d'Arves?
Yes. Both are part of the linked Les Sybelles ski area, 310 km of pistes across 6 linked villages, so one lift pass covers both.
Is La Toussuire or St Sorlin d'Arves better for families?
Both work well for families. La Toussuire has wide, gentle home slopes, a traffic-free centre, two pools, a cinema and bowling. St Sorlin d'Arves has the ESF ski school with lessons from 2½ years, the Les Petits Diables nursery from 3 months and a summer bathing lake.
Is ski property cheaper in Les Sybelles than in other French resorts?
Prices in La Toussuire and St Sorlin d'Arves are markedly lower than in many of the other resorts of Savoie and Haute-Savoie. A new-build three-bedroom apartment in La Toussuire costs what a studio does in Val d'Isère or Courchevel.