about les menuires
Les Menuires, at an altitude of 1800m, is situated just down the valley from Val Thorens and above St Martin de Belleville, in the huge Three Valleys area. It’s generally one of the best value places to the stay in the Three Valleys but with all the benefits of easy access to its more famous and well regarded neighbours like Val Thorens and Meribel.
Les Menuires if often overlooked when people think about the Three Valleys, with Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens getting all the attention, being as they are some of the best resorts in their own right in France. However Les Menuires is a great option - it’s got it’s own excellent pistes with swift access to everything else, not least the high altitude areas at Val Thorens. The town itself is somewhat of a mix. 70’s concrete monstrosities, the original buildings, sit at the centre, and newer more sympathetic and traditionally styled buildings in the outer areas.
Being at 1800m Les Menuires is at a decent height so snow conditions are usually good but it’s above the tree line so you’ll need to elsewhere to get your tree runs in. There are some controlled off-piste areas available at La Masse, which while short ,offer a good introduction to powder skiing for newbies. As with most mainstream powder stashes an early start after a dump is best approach.
NEED TO KNOW
Total ski area:160km
Pistes:62
Number of Lifts: 40
1 day area pass:€51
6 day area pass:€255
Official website
http://en.lesmenuires.com
Linked areas:
Courchevel, La Tania, Meribel, St Martin De Belleville, Val Thorens
GETTING THERE
By air
The closest airports to Les Menuires are Lyon, Chambery and Geneva all are less than 3 hours away.
By road
The RN90 connecting Grenoble to the Petit Saint Bernard pass, will take you to Moutiers, from there Les Menuires can be reached.
By train
Closest train station is Moutiers. A short transfer by bus or taxi will take you to Les Menuires.