Les Menuires ski holidays
Established in 1964 the French ski resort Les Menuires lies at 1850 metres altitude in the Savoie region of the French Alps / Alpes. With the highest lifts and ski slopes at 2850m the area is snow sure. Over 418 snow cannons ensure artificial snow making covers 65km of trails, which equates to around 40 of the slopes. The nearest airport transfer to Les Menuires is Geneva at a distance of 143km or approximately 150 minutes driving time. Their season runs from December to April.
SNO-man says
Purpose-built altitude resort cursed by much disclaimed architecture but nicknamed 'The smile of the French Alps' by its owners. Well positioned on the Trois Vallées and livelier than many similar ski stations.
Alpine Downhill Runs
Beginner Trails
 5 runs 9km |
7% |
Intermediate Trails
 33 runs 89km |
46% |
Advanced Trails
 26 runs 50km |
36% |
Expert Trails
 7 runs 7km |
9% |
Resort and Holiday Stats
| Beginners |  |
| Intermediate | |
| Advanced/Expert | |
| Snowboarders | |
| Apres Ski | |
| Family/child Friendly | |
| Snow-Sure | |
| Ambience | |
| Value for money | |
| Lift Pass Prices (adult 6 day) | €? - €203 |
Traditional Ski Village / Purpose Built Ski Resort |
| Resort Opens | Dec 2013 |
| Resort Closes | Apr 2014 |
| (snow conditions often influence opening/closing) |
Mountain and Slopes
| Downhill Runs | 160km |
| total length of Les Menuires trails |
| Longest Lift-Served Run | 8km |
| longest piste or trail reachable by lift |
| Slope Orientation | SE E N W |
| direction Les Menuires area faces |
| Top Altitude | 2850m |
| top station of highest lift |
| Bottom Altitude | 1450m |
| bottom of lowest run |
| Resort Altitude | 1850m |
| centre of Les Menuires ski resort |
| Vertical Drop | 1400m |
| total descent from top lift to bottom piste |
| Skiable Vertical | ^v 1400m |
| can include extra hike up above top lift |
Skiing in Les Menuires
71 pistes and trails means approximately 160km of runs. 33 Les Menuires lifts have capacity to transport 57944 per hour. The longest run in the French ski resort is over 8km.
SNO-man says
The hardest part about skiing in Les Menuires is trying to decide which way to go at the start of your day. Les Menuires skiing links directly to Meribel or Val Thorens by means of lifts or down to Saint Martin de Belleville along the pistes. The resort own ski area, the Le Pointe de la Masse, which stands alone away from the Three Valley’s routes, offers north facing slopes with some of the area’s most challenging terrain. Of special note is the off-piste run to Lac de Lou. The ESF at Les Menuires has created an American style beginners village, reserved and designed for those new to the sport, which has an enclosed area near the Preyerand section. There are also 6 free ski lifts around the resort and a special low cost beginner's pass with access to 11 of the key lifts. There are guided half or one day tours of the Three Vallées for experts, to explore the abundant off-piste terrain. Guides and schools also offer off-piste courses and tuition, ski tours and glacier treks.
A number of ski pass options are available. The St Martin and Les Menuires pass covers around 160km of terrain with 33 lifts; the Belleville Valley pass, which adds in Val Thorens, offers 300km of terrain served by 60 lifts but this pass is only fractionally cheaper than the Three Valleys pass which effectively doubles the terrain and gives you access to 600km.
The mountain has 7% beginner runs or nursery slopes, 46% intermediate, 36% advanced slopes and 9% for experts - the most difficult piste is the 2km Leo Lacroix run, with a steepness/slope angle of ?%. There is no night skiing.
Rating for skiing gets 3 stars out of 5 overall
Snowboarding in Les Menuires
Of the 33 ski lifts, 6 are surface lifts or "drag lifts" - this gives an indication of how modern the lift system is and how good Les Menuires is for snowboarding - especially for beginners learning to board. Facilities include 1 terrain parks and 0 half pipe (longest half pipe length is 0 metres), 0 quarter pipe and 2 boardercross courses.
SNO-man says
Snowboarders rate Les Menuires highly and is has one of the most beautiful snowparks in the Three Valleys. Beginners can start learning to snowboard in the area above the Aroindaz Gondola. Besides the vast terrain, The Three Valleys ( Les Trois Vallees) offers a number of other parks and natural features, the most scenic being in Meribel and the best SnowPark located in Val Thorens, all easily accessible and lift linked from Les Menuires.
Rating for snowboarding gets 4 stars out of 5 overall
Les Menuires Apres Ski
Off-Slope activities include:
48 apres ski bars 46 restaurants 0 bowling 2 night club 1 cinema 0 billiards / pool 1 games room 1 concert 1 indoor swimming 1 outdoor heated pools 2 saunas 1 hot tubs 1 solariums 1 masseurs 0 indoor ice skating 0 outdoor ice skating 1 indoor sports centre 0 indoor tennis 1 squash racquetball 0 sleigh rides 0 ballooning 0 horse riding 28 prepare winter walks 0 climbing 0 golf 0 fishing 0 museum 1 library Plus these additional apres ski facilities Californian Baths, Microlights.
SNO-man says
Non skiing attractions are centred on sports or healthy relaxation in les Menuires. There are two health centres, le Capricorne in the quarter of la Croisette has a hamman sauna, regular sauna and sunbeds. Le Capricorne also offers massage and a beauty parlour.
There is a public outdoor heated swimming pool in les Bruyeres. Parascending and microlight flights can be taken above. Other facilities include a cinema in les Bruyères quarter which shows English language as well as French language films sometimes.
A new leisure centre opened for winter 2005-6 with everything from Finnish saunas, jacuzzis, hydro-massage to swimming pool and fun pool and a state-of-the-art gym.
Relatively unique to the Valley are guided winter tours of local Baroque sites, taken by a guide from the French Society of National Historical Monuments. The tours are offered weekly and take up an afternoon.
Rating for apres ski gets 2 stars out of 5 overall
"Les Menuires" by any other name
The French resort is also known as Les Menuires and has common misspellings: Lesmeniures, Lesmenuies, Lesmenuires
The direction which the various Les Menuires slopes face can make or break your ski holiday. To guarantee good snow conditions, choose a resort with piste which face the right way for the time of year you're travelling.
- In the coldest winter months of January and February pick a resort with sunny south facing slopes, so your days on the snow doesn't feel like a polar expedition. Conversely, in the warmest spring skiing months of March and especially April, a resort with cool and shady north facing trails will ensure you're not riding on slush, but benefitting from best late season snow. The best destinations have areas which face in all directions so that you're guaranteed greating conditions whatever the weather. Les Menuires has slopes facing SE E N W.
Rating for snow gets 4 stars out of 5 overall
Les Menuires reviews, 4.5 star rating and information is collated by SNO man from staff experience and customer feedback.