Les Menuires | Ski Resort Review

A more affordable mid-range resort compared to the other more upmarket Les 3 Vallées ski resorts, Les Menuires is, nevertheless, surrounded by some of the best ski terrain in this region.

Although not particularly easy on the eye, particularly around its central quarters of huge hotel and apartment blocks, Les Menuires is not actually as soulless as many cursory glances would have you believe. The resort attracts a cosmopolitan mix of nationalities and has an animated urban buzz about it; it's popular with families with young children, has a good programme of regular events, and there's certainly no lack of services or facilities. The ambience is unpretentious, and Les Menuires is consistently rated as the best-value holiday base in Les 3 Vallées.

"The ambience is unpretentious, and Les Menuires is consistently rated as the best-value holiday base in Les 3 Vallées"

Many attractive new chalets and chalet-style hotels have also sprung up, mostly in the quieter surrounding suburbs away from the brash and busy original resort centre, and have done much to improve its look and standing. There's no denying that much of the resort is still unattractively utilitarian, and its sprawling suburbs have fragmented the once convenient layout, but the local ski area is great for progressing beginners and intermediates and has good links with Meribel, thus mitigating most of the resort's negative factors.

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Best deals on Les Menuires Ski Hire: Extra 5% off with SnowRental

Best deals on Les Menuires Ski School: Book now with Maison Sport

Les Menuires - Interactive Ski Map & Pistes:

The greater part of Les Menuires' ski area is draped over the west-facing flanks of the chain of summits and ridges that separates the Belleville Valley from the neighbouring Les Allues Valley, which houses Meribel. Les Menuires shares these slopes with interlinking pistes from Val Thorens and Saint-Martin-de-Belleville; the links towards Meribel and back are also good.

The pistes flow right down into the conveniently arranged base areas, at central Les Menuires and at neighbouring Reberty and Les Bruyeres. Most of the runs are wide, well-groomed motorway pistes with fairly accurate blue and red classification, providing great skiing for intermediates and good long traverses for able novices, with acres of ungroomed inter-piste terrain too; there are, however quite a few lengthy flat sections on some of the key link routes, and the busy lower slopes are often slushy in the afternoons.

Les Menuires' best terrain, and arguably some of the best in the entire Les 3 Vallées (with its 600km of runs), is found in the quieter east-facing La Masse sector on the opposite western side of the valley, with great reds and some fair blacks.

Les Menuires - Off-Piste, Backcountry & Ski Touring:

As well as plenty of inter-piste terrain on its main slopes, the best off-piste in Les Menuires is found in the same place as the best on-piste - in the La Masse sector. There's great inter-piste and off-piste terrain; particularly noteworthy are the off-piste routes into the Vallon du Lou off the back of the Point de la Masse.

Look out for the areas marked Liberty Ride - these areas are designated ungroomed areas, which are usually gentle slopes in safer areas where people can try out powder skiing. In Les Menuires you'll find them at La Masse (reached via the Masse 2 cable car), La Riondaz (reached via the Saint Martin 2 ski lift) and Les Pylônes (reached via the Sunny Express ski lift).

Les Menuires - Bars, Restaurants & The Town:

Les Menuires has a great range of off-slope activities and attractions: its large municipal leisure centre includes a lagoon-style swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, fitness suite, squash courts, multi-sports hall and a children’s fun-park. There are also several independent spas around the resort offering massage and wellness treatments.

Outdoor options range from a 4 km toboggan run to snowshoeing, mountain-biking, snowmobiling and tandem paragliding. Kids gravitate toward the huge outdoor snow-castle play park, while additional indoor play zones and clubs keep little ones occupied when the weather turns.

"Après-ski in Les Menuires is relaxed and sociable, centred on sunny terraces for early-evening drinks"

Warren-like galleries of shops, cafés, restaurants and bars fill the lower levels beneath the central apartment blocks. They might feel a touch subterranean, but they hide a genuinely useful range of services — from delicatessens and bakeries to gear shops and a sizeable supermarket.

Après-ski in Les Menuires is relaxed and sociable, centred on sunny terraces for early-evening drinks, with a few venues offering live music later in the night. Some of the livelier spots sit in outlying areas such as Reberty and Les Bruyères, meaning a bit of a wander if you’re staying in the central quartiers.

Late-night options exist but are limited: Le New Pop in the centre and Le Leeberty in Les Bruyères typically run into the small hours and remain the go-to dance-floor destinations when the mood takes you.

Les Menuires - Ski Hire:

Readers booking through Snowrental can take advantage of an exclusive 5% discount on online rates, making it a smart first stop for ski hire in Les Menuires.

If you’re hiring once you arrive, the simplest approach is to pick a shop close to where you’re staying — and there’s no shortage of choice. The big chains such as Intersport, Skimium, Sport 2000, Skiset and Ski Republic all have multiple outlets across the resort, making swaps and returns easy wherever you’re based. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for Ski Top, a reliable independent with a solid local reputation.

Les Menuires - Ski School:

You can quickly find highly rated private ski and snowboard instructors through Maison Sport — choose your dates, select the lesson type and pick from a host of trusted instructors based in Les Menuires.

The ESF is also present in strength here, offering a wide programme of group and private lessons for all abilities. Other good school options include Oxygene and Prosneige.