Les Menuires

Les Menuires has never been pretty, but it now has smart new suburbs and fast lifts. And it’s always been a good value, family-friendly resort in a great location within Les 3 Vallées – the world’s largest lift-linked ski area.


People skiing into Les Menuires from other resorts in the 3 Valleys are sometimes unimpressed when they first glimpse the large concrete buildings at the heart of the resort. So many of them head back to low-rise Meribel, or turn left for the higher crispier snow at Val Thorens, or right towards quaint and cozy St Martin de Belleville.

More fool them. Les Menuires may not be as easy on the eye or as fashionable as its neighbours but that’s why hotels, apartments, chalets and ski school lessons all tend to be slightly cheaper here. And the local skiing is just as good.

There are slopes on both sides of the resort so you can follow the sun, starting with north-east facing La Masse, a 2800m high mountain that a high-speed gondola ascends in under 10 minutes. Advanced skiers and freeriders will enjoy the steep red and black runs and plentiful off-piste (including an avalanche-protected Liberty Ride area) but there is also a top-to-bottom blue run for less confident skiers, and even non-skiers can enjoy the wonderful views from the restaurant at the top.

Over on the other side of the resort, there are dozens of blue and red pistes snaking down from the 10km long ridge that separates Les Menuires and St Martin from Meribel. These face west or south-west, so receive a lot of sunshine, but their sheer height (up to 2850m), plus a battery of snow-guns, keep them skiable. There are also excellent nursery slopes and gentle green and blue pistes for beginners.

Keen skiers, however, will want to explore all of the 3 Valleys, and Les Menuires is superbly located in the middle of the Belleville valley, which has the most slopes and the highest lifts. The Meribel valley is also easily reached; in fact its highest skiing is more quickly accessed from the centre of Les Menuires than from the centre of Meribel. And Courchevel is only two lifts further away.

As for the resort itself, the tower blocks and vast apartment complexes in the centre might not be pretty, but they can be good value and convenient, whilst newer developments in suburbs like Reberty have been built in a more pleasing chalet-style. And what the resort lacks in aesthetics, it makes up for in attitude, with family-friendly firework displays and affordable eating-out options, plus a few discreet late-night bars and clubs for those who want to party as well as ski.

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Les Menuires Pros & Cons

+ An affordable base in the world’s largest lift-linked ski area
+ Good fast connections to the other 3 Valleys’ resorts
+ La Masse’s steep snowsure North-facing runs
+ Convenient slope-side accommodation

– Still too many unattractive buildings
– South West-facing slopes on the 3 Valleys side get too much sun
– No tree skiing in poor visibility.

Read More...

Les Menuires is located in the 3 Valleys ski area and there are plenty of options to get you there. Transfers to and from Geneva airport and other airports are easily arranged. There is also an international railway station at...

Les Menuires is known for its inexpensive self-catered apartments, but if you want something more luxurious, there are 4-star and 3-star hotels, comfy chalets and smart new apartment complexes with saunas and swimming pools. The central area (La Croisette) is...

Book Ski Schools & Ski Lessons in Les Menuires Looking for private or group ski lessons in Les Menuires?  Ultimate-Ski and partner CheckYeti work with leading ski schools and ski instructors in over 500 ski destinations throughout Austria, France, Germany,...

Les Menuires Ski Area Les Menuires is located alongside Saint Martin de Belleville and Val Thorens in the Belleville valley, which contains half of all the runs in France’s famous, and enormous, 3 Valleys ski area. Les Menuires has slopes...

Les Menuires Ski Lifts & Lift Passes Les Menuires has an excellent ski lift system which is shared with St Martin be Belleville and also allows easy access to neighbouring Meribel and Val Thorens. Most of the lifts in Les...

Les Menuires Beginner Skiing Les Menuires is now branded 'FriendlyMenuires' and is an ideal ski resort for beginners with good facilities for both adults and children. Beginners can practice their turns on sunny slopes, and compared to other ski resorts...

Les Menuires Intermediate Skiing Les Menuires is perfect for intermediate skiers who like clocking up mileage in the sunshine. It also provides an excellent environment in which to progress from intermediate skier to more advanced levels. Les Menuires provides ample...

Les Menuires Advanced & Expert Skiing There are eight black runs and 'Liberty Ride' ungroomed slopes in the local Les Menuires ski area, most of which are concentrated in the La Masse sector. Advanced skiers, however, will want to explore...

Les Menuires Snowboarding Les Menuires has made numerous improvements in recent years, a much has been done to improve facilities for snowboarders, especially the snowpark. There are several runs for beginners and intermediates that have large flat sections that should...

Les Menuires Off-Piste Despite its reputation as a resort for intermediates and beginners, Les Menuires also has good between the piste skiing, some decent 'LibertyRide' freeriding areas, and some long off-piste itineraries, particularly from the top of la Masse. Freeride...

Les Menuires Mountain Restaurants Technically almost every restaurant in Les Menuires is a mountain restaurant because it's a ski-in, ski-out resort where you're never far from the piste, but these all have something special about them. Les Menuires Mountain Restaurant©...

Les Menuires Village Despite some recladding and refurbishment, the centre of Les Menuires is still unattractive to look at, but it's very convenient. The outer suburbs, particularly Reberty, have more charm. Reberty on the left is nicer looking than La...

Les Menuires Apres-Ski, Bars & Restaurants Apres-ski in Les Menuires is not as lively as in some other Three Valley resorts and with good reason too. The resort is popular with families and those on a limited budget but if...

Les Menuires Activities There has been a lot of investment in Les Menuires over the past few years, especially in non-skiing activities. Although the architecture may grind some down, if you want a day away from the slopes Les Menuires...

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