Les Menuires

A more attractive and better connected resort than you might expect, Les Menuires is getting more popular each year, providing an inexpensive alternative to Meribel and Courchevel with fewer lift queues. There are also more lifts being introduced all the time as the resort is constantly improving every aspect of it's infrastructure.

With access to the entire 600km of Trois Vallees skiing, Les Menuires is located just below the vibrant and buzzing Val Thorens and just above the charming and traditional St Martin de Belleville. So whether you want a fun night out above or Michelin star food below, you are spoilt for choice.

Les Menuires itself is separated into several areas, including Reberty 2000, La Croisette and Les Bruyeres. Most of the resort encompasses apartments and hotels, with a few good Savoyarde restaurants, gastro-cuisine and cosy bars. The area can also now boast a fantastic sports, spa and fitness centre in both the main resort and in Les Bruyeres.

As a part of the huge Trois Vallees ski area, Les Menuires has access to 600km of piste with enough to challenge skiers of any level. It is in an excellent position for exploring the whole area, with fast and well connected lifts up to both Val Thorens and Meribel. The quieter La Masse sector at the other end of the valley is often quieter, with shorter queues and less crowded pistes.

The skiing in Les Menuires is best for intermediates, with almost half of the slopes in the immediate area marked as blue runs. More advanced skiers can head for the Liberty Ride zones, where you can access powder skiing in a safer and more controlled way, while the upper slopes in La Masse are mostly reds and blacks.

There is a local terrain park, but the ones over in Meribel are better. Elsewhere, Les Menuires has probably the easiest access to back-country for adventurous skiers and boarders. Cross-country skiing is somewhat more limited, with only 28km available between Les Menuires and St Martin de Belleville.

Les Menuires has some chalets located a bit further down the resort, however it is mostly characterised by apartment developments dotted along the main street. Admittedly, these are not the most attractive buildings you will come across in the Alps, having mostly been built throughout the 60s and 70s.

However the resort is improving it's image with new apartment developments that are being built in a much more appealing Savoyard style. As well as better to look at, these developments are also in ski in, ski out locations giving you immediate access to the entire Trois Vallees ski area.

The other advantage of these apartments is the price, which are some of the lowest in the Alps. It would cost you siginificantly more to have this kind of quality and convenience in neighbouring Meribel or Courchevel, making Les Menuires a perfect entry point to the 3 Valleys for those with a lower budget.