Les Menuires - France
Les Menuires (Lay men-weir) looks like an assortment of multi-storey car parks standing out on the snow but it must also be one of the world’s most functional resorts, offering good value for money compared to the other mega resorts nearby. Located between Val Thorns above and St Martin de Belleville below, Les Menuires is ideally located for those looking for good access to the extensive and varied slopes of the Trois Vallees.
The resort has a large selection of shops, bars and restaurants, particularly the village centres of La Croisette and Bruyeres, where an outdoor ice rink and heated pool tempt non skiers or those with more energy after a day’s activities. As with most purpose built French resorts, the quality of nightlife will largely depend on who is in the resort and when but it is never legendary! The easiest access is via the airport at Chambery (2 hours way) or train to Moutiers (37km).
At a glance
| Resort altitude | 1800m - 1800m |
|---|---|
| Highest lift | 2850m |
| Lowest lift | 1400m |
| kms of piste | 160km² |
| Black pistes | 10% |
| Red pistes | 40% |
| Blue pistes | 42% |
| Green pistes | 8% |
| Snow parks | 5 |
| Glacier | No |
| Snowmaking | Yes |
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Five to try
• Rubber ring - Try your hand at 'rubber ring tobogganing'. Not for the faint hearted
• Heated outdoor pool open daily from 2:30–7:30 p.m
• Outdoor skating rink in Bruyères is open from 4 p.m.–8 p.m
• Take a dog sleigh ride along the Doron River
• Sport and leisure centre offers everything from Finnish saunas to beauty treatment -
Planning your trip
Whichever way you choose to arrive in resort you should be prepared for the journey to take much longer than expected! This is the most popular part of the Alps and at times it will feel like the whole world is on the road, so give serious thought to minimising the road journey with use of the train. Rail travel from the more...
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Where to stay
Les Menuires traditionally attracts those on a budget but is reinventing itself slowly as a resort to suit all tastes. Most accommodation is still in cramped ski studios, but if you are looking to ski a superb area without breaking the bank for Meribel or Courchevel prices this could be the place for you. PV Holidays more...
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Food and drink
As one of the largest ski areas in the world there is certainly no shortage of mountain restaurants in the Three Valleys. You could ski here every season for the rest of your life and not try them all, but if you can sample half of those listed in our directory you will have done well. Night time in Les Menuires is however more...
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Things to do
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On the piste
Runs fan out in all directions from the resort and it's a tough choice to decide which way to head with a wide range of pistes to suit all needs. Adult beginners are particularly well catered for by an enclosed area of around 5000 square metres near Preyerand especially reserved for new skiers and designed to suit more...
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MadDogView
No beauty, but focus on the skiing - quick links to the Three Valleys - and the money you are saving by staying outside the big resorts.
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Map
- Download piste map
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Our favourites
Adray Telebar
A much-loved mountain restaurant. It's close to a number of lifts and pistes so can be a good meeting place. Make sure you book ahead. The helpings are generous and the menu varied - asparagus with blue cheese, crozet with reblochon and delicious veal. The puddings are highly recommended and the chips are fantastic - definitely order them even if you are having pasta! The Telebar is also a lovely place to stop for vin chaud - although is €5 you get a jug of it to enjoy. -
Useful stuff
